The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Yesterday afternoon I visited the Phono Galerie and related Phono Museum in Paris. What a fun place. I saw these huge dance hall machines setup to play a single Pathé record with two sound boxes half a record apart. They told me they were custom built for each venue so they all look different. Lots of sound for sure!

This is a must stop if in Paris for a gramophone and phonograph collector. I just wish I had lots more money. There are astonishing things for sale.

Those are really interesting. Love the shape of those blue/green and yellow horns.

Dan

What price range was he asking for these double horn wonders?

Bruce

If the reproducers are on opposite sides of the record, even with the high speeds of those Pathés, wouldn't they be too far out of phase to be of any benefit?

Now, if they were on the same side, and one reproducer had the stylus bar angled backwards, the separation would be slight enough to produce the desired effect; otherwise, the sound would be horribly garbled...
(Note: I have seen a photo of an internal horn Pathé with this latter arrangement).

Bill

Bruce wrote:Dan

What price range was he asking for these double horn wonders?

Bruce

The yellow and green one is for sale but I didn't ask the price. The other two are in the museum amd not for sale.

Lucius1958 wrote:If the reproducers are on opposite sides of the record, even with the high speeds of those Pathés, wouldn't they be too far out of phase to be of any benefit?

Now, if they were on the same side, and one reproducer had the stylus bar angled backwards, the separation would be slight enough to produce the desired effect; otherwise, the sound would be horribly garbled...
(Note: I have seen a photo of an internal horn Pathé with this latter arrangement).

Bill

They played one for me with the rproducers in the 1st groove on opposite sides of the record. You could hear a bit of sync issues but the horns point different directions and in a large hall it wouldn't be that noticable. It was surprisingly listenable and very loud.

Beautiful looking horns. Especially the last one. It's a piece of art.

When you see the amazing variation of European machines it becomes obvious that American manufacturers and consumers did not think "outside the box." Thanks for the photos.

Jerry Blais