The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if there are still any electric cylinder reproducers for sale.
I assume Edisonia doesn't sell them anymore?

Is there any other source or seller who sells electric cylinder playback devices?

Thanks in advance,

- Timo

I actually happened across this site the other day: http://www.edisonshop.com/reproducers/ducer.html

You'll need to scroll down a ways.

The "wizardofmenlopark" on eBay sells this item which apparently works quite well...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-CANAPHONIC- ... 2ec783eadd

Curt A wrote:The "wizardofmenlopark" on eBay sells this item which apparently works quite well...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-CANAPHONIC- ... 2ec783eadd

I wouldn't rush to call that an electric reproducer. It's basically a microphone that goes over the throat of the reproducer and thus records acoustically.

52089 wrote:

Curt A wrote:The "wizardofmenlopark" on eBay sells this item which apparently works quite well...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-CANAPHONIC- ... 2ec783eadd

I wouldn't rush to call that an electric reproducer. It's basically a microphone that goes over the throat of the reproducer and thus records acoustically.

It accomplishes the same thing by using piezo technology like a guitar pickup, not acoustic recording. This is not truly a microphone in the normal sense, as it does not record other ambient noise - like other sounds in the room, etc. The advantage is that you get less surface noise in your recordings, compared to recording from a stylus... IMHO.

Regarding the Canaphonic: It is a microphone that is responding to the changes in air pressure caused by the original-equipment reproducer diaphragm. As a result, it cannot help but record surface noise. In any case, the Canaphonic operates very differently from a stylus causing a magnet to move within an electric field, as with the ACT reproducer once sold by Edisonia, and is much lower fidelity, as well.

Timo, to get what you asked about, at this point you're probably going to have to search either for a used ACT reproducer, wait for John Levin to commercially produce his CPS1 cylinder playback system (http://www.antiquephono.org/shop/get-tw ... dvdcd-set/), or cough up $22,000 USD for an Archeophone of France (assuming the Rolls-Royce of cylinder players is still available).

Best wishes, Mark

victorIIvictor wrote:Regarding the Canaphonic: It is a microphone that is responding to the changes in air pressure caused by the original-equipment reproducer diaphragm. As a result, it cannot help but record surface noise. In any case, the Canaphonic operates very differently from a stylus causing a magnet to move within an electric field, as with the ACT reproducer once sold by Edisonia, and is much lower fidelity, as well.

Timo, to get what you asked about, at this point you're probably going to have to search either for a used ACT reproducer, wait for John Levin to commercially produce his CPS1 cylinder playback system (http://www.antiquephono.org/shop/get-tw ... dvdcd-set/), or cough up $22,000 USD for an Archeophone of France (assuming the Rolls-Royce of cylinder players is still available).

Best wishes, Mark

you can also build a elongated tone arm with a cartridge for my own system i epoxied a ediphone saphire in place
it works quite well for the 2m cylinders for the blue amberols a standard 78 rpm saphire works quit nicely

here a picture from the phonograph makers pages
i'm not sure about that angle!!!
tino

ps tino - timo its sounds alike dont it!

As far as the Archivette is concerned, it seems like a useful device for MOST collectors who want to record cylinders for what seems to be a cheap price. I am not in any way associated with the seller and I don't own one, but I have listened to a number of recordings made with it and in my opinion, the recordings are as good as anything else available in a "reasonable" price range. In fact, most of the recordings are better than on the internet archive or most other cylinder websites.

Here is a site that uses it exclusively for recording: http://78records.cdbpdx.com/CYL/

I was wrong in my assumption that no surface noise is recorded, but it certainly is an acceptable level. I'm sure that for $22,000 I could get a better recording, but since I wouldn't pay more than $200 for a cylinder, it seems to be a moot point.

The argument that the recording parameters are better with a more expensive setup is also somewhat flawed, since the recording can't be any better than the original cylinder and since original cylinders were recorded by singing into a metal funnel... you get my point. Even the electrically recorded cylinders were not up to today's standards, by any means.

Then on top of it, you only can hear what your own ears are personally/physically able to hear and not many people have perfect pitch or perfect hearing, especially in our ageing group of listeners... Younger people will, no doubt have worse hearing loss from listening to whatever they listen to that shakes the parts off of their cars... just sayin'.

"The argument that the recording parameters are better with a more expensive setup is also somewhat flawed, since the recording can't be any better than the original cylinder and since original cylinders were recorded by singing into a metal funnel... you get my point. Even the electrically recorded cylinders were not up to today's standards, by any means."

No one is seriously arguing that one can get more out of the grooves of a cylinder or any other 80+ year old recording than is actually there. One can, however, reproduce a dynamic range that is simply beyond the capabilities of original reproducing devices (phonographs, talking machines, or what have you) using more advanced technology, such as a moving magnet stereo cartridge, which is not even the latest technology. No doubt the Canaphonic Archivette produces quite good results at a reasonable price. But it is not a means of electrically reproducing what is in a cylinder's hills and dales, and that is what Timo seem to be asking about. Despite that, he might well be satisfied with it. He and anyone else who is interested can learn more by checking out WDC's interesting December 10, 2013 post about the Archivette contained in this thread:

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... e&start=10

Actually, the whole thread is interesting. Best wishes, Mark (who, in turn, is not affiliated with the Archeophone of France, but would LOVE to own one! )