Does a Bettini reproducer sound "better" than a standard one

[Phototone]

Just wondering, having never had the opportunity to hear a Bettini reproducer attachment for a cylinder player. Does it actually give an "improvement" in reproduced sound quality over a well adjusted conventional reproducer?
I am not asking about Bettini records, just the reproducer.

[WDC]

Well, in its time, Bettini reproducers were and actual sound improvement. But when speaking of improvements, you have to keep in mind that the comparison would to the competitive period reproducers of the late 1890's, e.g. an Edison Automatic or an Aluminum body Columbia #1.
With the introduction of the molded cylinders for actual mass production and the use of the Model C reproducers, the Bettini style became obsolete.

Today, the cylinders are wanted because of their rarity - some of them have actually very interesting classical content recorded - and the reproducers are mostly wanted for their rarity and beautiful appeal. I would compare it to an expensive sports car where you don't have all the usual comfort, but mostly enjoy the look and feel (and the speed, of course).

[Starkton]

the reproducers are mostly wanted for their rarity and beautiful appeal.

The contemporary phonograph trade press accurately summarized the matter:

“Bettini Reproducers. – Another correspondent has a machine from Buenos Ayres which is supplied with a Bettini Reproducer. He says it gives an excellent tone and he wonders why more of them are not on the market. I suppose there are not more of them because the latest reproducers, such as the Lyric pattern, are so much simpler and better. Five years ago [1901] the Bettini attachments had a vogue. They were rather expensive and […] had to be purchased as an extra. The tone was mellowed, but many experts said muffled, too. The stretched aluminium diaphragm was difficult to replace, though it was easily torn. Altogether it had many disadvantages and now […] the Bettini reproducer is to be reckoned among the things of the past.” (The Talking Machine News, Vol. IV, No. 50, London, 15 December 1906, p. 66)

[mrphonograph]

im a nut about everything bettini and i've heard quite a number of bettini reproducers on differend phono's they are full and loud in tone you can compare them to the blue amberol reproducers
the original bettini cylinders are prety loud in comparisin to most other brands of the 1890s (if they are mint or close to)

as to the rarity of bettini cyl im not that convinced
the bettini cyl had a flaw they had no brand introduction on them like the edison and columbia cylinders so there was nobody saying ''bettini record'' on them
cylinders get placed in the wrong boxes over a period of 100+ years so a mixup can happen
bettini cyl where expencive but the betini firm did pretty good till 1908 many cyl must have been sold
here in europe bettini's do turn up from time to time in 2010 the phonogalerie in paris had a box with 8 of them in original boxes
in paris bettini cyl where sold in various shops that also sold Pathé, dutrei and phrynis cyl in a mix like that a bettini could easely be put in the wrong box and become anonymous for ever

i handeled quite a few bettini's for digitization and one thing strikes me about them and thats the absence of mold most of the bettini's i've seen are very clean exept for the concert bettini's they are nearly always spotty or worse

greetings
tino

[dennman6]

Tino, are those larger Bettini cylinders playable? I've read about moldy cylinders not being usable, but how modly can they get before they sound seriously bad and/or can't be played at all. And what effect does the mold have on the stylus?

[Lenoirstreetguy]

Interesting that we should be discussing Bettini recordings. I just ran onto this Mark56 lp from 1979. The recordings are in fact very good examples of the Bettini process. The batch of records on this lp are from the legendary haul found in Mexico City by A.R. Phillips Jr. The performers are all competent but essntentially second string artists. Gina Ciaparelli...who later recorded as Gina Viafora for Victor and Columbia...is I suppose the biggest name.
The singer who impressed me the most isn't credited: this is the " tenor" who does "Des Courtisans qui passeront" from La Mascotte, a comic opera by Audran. He sounds more like a baritone to me, but his artistry is unmistakable.

Jim

[Larry Hawes]

Actually some of the Bettini cylinders are introduced. I have at least one that is and I am thinking more. I will go back and look and provide details after the 15th. LH

[mrphonograph]

Actually some of the Bettini cylinders are introduced. I have at least one that is and I am thinking more. I will go back and look and provide details after the 15th. LH

im not saying bettini cyliders have no introductions infact most have quite long ones but they all lack brand introductions
for instance a edison record ''stop your tickling yock sung by mr harry lauder edison record'' note the '' edison record'' at the end of the intro bettini's don't have this
a bettini would say for instance '' from opera otello credo iago sung by signore bassini'' no bettini record at the end
this is a real pain in the neck for digital archivists like me it means that any other anonym brown wax with the same type of announcement and content could probably be a bettini and there is a real possibility that some of them are! but there's nearly no way of knowing
and there's a nother glitch in that most of the bettini catalogues are imcomplete to say the least and very hard to come by

if any of you guys have desent digital scans of a bettini record catalogue i would realy apreciate it it will aid me in future projects when im digitizing cylinders and it may identify some cylinders already in my digital archive

any sound files of bettini cyl are also welkom i would for instance realy like a digital transfer of that lp!

i hope you guys can help me along
thanks at forehand

greetings
tino

[mrphonograph]

Tino, are those larger Bettini cylinders playable? I've read about moldy cylinders not being usable, but how modly can they get before they sound seriously bad and/or can't be played at all. And what effect does the mold have on the stylus?

those spots are not to bad they are playable but noisy in places
as far as the stylus is concerned i don't realy know i rarely play my 2m wax acousticly i buy them in bulk digitize them and listen to most of them on my pc exept for my blue amberols and indesructibles and occasionaly a gold moulded
i don't dare play my my pressious brown wax on a phonograph
i know im fussy but atleast they will stay in a stable condition
i found that brown wax wares quit easely and will become softer and softer in sound after many playings
i have no problems playing my gold mouled cyl but i do clean my stylus regulairly and check for ware with a magnifieing glass

i found that if i play a moldy cyl on a acoustic phono that it will give a better transfer when i digitize it i found no adverse afects on my acoustic stylus at all again i clean and check
i did break a stylus on a cracked cyl once so be carefull with those


greetings
tino

[lioret]

The unidentified performer of Les Courtesans Qui Passeront is Albert Piccaluga, who was known for his interpretation of Audran's work.