are some blue amberols louder than others?

Discussions on Records, Recording, & Artists
Post Reply
User avatar
phonograph guy3435
Victor II
Posts: 260
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2023 6:08 pm
Personal Text: edison amberola guy
Contact:

are some blue amberols louder than others?

Post by phonograph guy3435 »

I'm not sure if some blue amberol cylinders are louder than others, but I have some that are very quiet and others that are unpleasantly loud. One cylinder I have that is very loud is "When You and I Were Young Maggie", and it is super loud. I'm not sure if it's just Will Oakland being Will Oakland or the cylinder. thanks :)

VanEpsFan1914
Victor VI
Posts: 3370
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2017 11:39 am
Personal Text: I've got both kinds of music--classical & rag-time.
Location: South Carolina

Re: are some blue amberols louder than others?

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

You may have some dubbed ones. Blue Amberol records were not all direct recordings, as after July 1914 they were dubbed from masters on Diamond Disc.

Acoustic dubs are somewhat quieter at least in my experience.

https://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/hist ... mberol.php

User avatar
Governor Flyball
Victor II
Posts: 311
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2015 8:59 pm
Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Re: are some blue amberols louder than others?

Post by Governor Flyball »

I find that the earlier Blue Amberols that were originally issued as wax Amberols between 1908 and 1912 tend to be louder and more strident. I believe after 1912, the Edison recording process damped the stridentness.

You will find the last of the direct recordings from 1913 thru 1914 sound smoother and bright without being strident. And perhaps a little quieter overall.

User avatar
epigramophone
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 5690
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:21 pm
Personal Text: An analogue relic trapped in a digital world.
Location: The Somerset Levels, UK.

Re: are some blue amberols louder than others?

Post by epigramophone »

There certainly are considerable variations in volume.
In my collection the quietest is 1501 "Semiramide Overture" by the American Standard Orchestra, and among the loudest are 2174 "King Karl March" by the New York Military Band and 28149 "Voci di Primavera" sung by Melitta Heim.

Post Reply