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Re: Constant tone Records

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:47 am
by Valecnik
Only thing I could guess is whether it could be used as a substitute for a pitch pipe for an orchestra to tune against? Seems not to be a very good substitute but i can't imagine what else it could be. :?:

Re: Constant tone Records

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:52 am
by phonophan79
I thought they were for adjusting correct turntable speed?

Re: Constant tone Records

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 6:01 am
by richardh
Possibly, but I wonder why there were 21 different tone records? I wonder if these were to test the sound box / horn for unwanted resonances or rattles. They pick tones that they know horns / soundboxes are suseptable to resonating undesirably at - you play it back on the machne to test for this?

Interesting find.... apart from these two uses I can't imagine what else they were used for.

RJ 8-)

Re: Constant tone Records

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:52 am
by richardh
Side one is like a hoover in a distant room, but OUCH side 2 is painful to listen to! :shock:

RJ 8-)

Re: Constant tone Records

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 9:15 am
by Lenoirstreetguy
Shane you're right. They were used to test reproducing response, among other things. The Gramophone Magazine mentions them a a few times in the late twenties..and how useful they are to test machines. Not only did Victor and HMV sell them but I have two on ten inch French Polydor: Disque de Frequence . They have to date from about 1929" enrigistrement Electro-Polyfar" and all that. So it would seem that these things were quite the fad in the early electrical era.
I'll do a pic later today and post it.
Jim
I'm back with a pic! Those Polydor labels are so " German Expressionism." I love'em.

Re: Constant tone Records

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 9:20 am
by gramophoneshane
That would be great thanks Jim. I actually saw an HMV record from the 40's on ebay out here about a month or so ago, so the fad must have lasted a while I think.
Thanks for the info!

Re: Constant tone Records

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:39 pm
by Lenoirstreetguy
I'm back with a picture. Those Polydor labels always strike me as wondeful examples of German Expressionism.
The Vox labels are even better, but these aren't bad.

Re: Constant tone Records

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:06 pm
by gramophoneshane
Thanks Jim. That's a pretty cool label, and quite different to the one we pressed out here between March & august 1928.
Was it released as part of a set, or just a separate disc?