[78-L] Can someone help this collectore re: Home Recordings like Record Disc Co?

[David Lennick]

I've just tried a 12-inch AudioDisc steel base transcription with both the 
Shure SC-35 and Stanton 500 cartridges and there are no problems using either. 
Obviously this was a professional lacquer..did steel-base home discs have a 
different composition?

dl

Royal Pemberton wrote:
> I had the magnetic attraction syndrome using a Grado pickup on some
> steel base lacquers I transferred about 10 years ago.  My workaround
> used one of those clip-on dust brushes they used to sell, that
> attached to the head shell or tonearm.
> 
> On 11/16/08, Chris Zwarg <doctordisc at truesoundtransfers.de> wrote:
>> At 16:34 16.11.2008, you wrote:
>>
>>> Collector Greg Cline posted this on Phonolist but I know there are more
>>> "experts" here who can help him. He is not a 78-L member.
>>>
>>> Please read his question and email him DIRECT at: DrGregC at msn.com
>>>
>>> Thanks folks!
>>>
>>> Steve
>>>
>>> Although this may be a little off-topic, I recently came into possession of
>>> a cache of old recordings made by my uncle in 1946. These are
>>> transcriptions of the voices of my family 62 years ago. Pretty cool. He
>>> also recorded some radio programs including a game between the Yankees &
>>> the Brooklyn Dodgers.In addition to The Record Disc Corp., there are also
>>> transcription recordings on National Recording Disc, Melodisc, Century
>>> Radio Co., The Recordisc Corp., Philco Safety Record, and the Wilcox-Gay
>>> Corp. Some are recorded at 78 rpm, but most are 33 1/3.In addition to
>>> getting more information about this whole recording process, I need to
>>> solve a problem. The discs are recorded on different substrates. Paper,
>>> aluminum, and some type of magnetic iron or steel. The most valuable
>>> recordings are on the magnetic steel records.In addition to my many
>>> victrolas, I have two fully functional turntables with modern magnetic
>>> cartridges. I cannot play the discs. The cartridge gets sucked flat
>>> onto the steel records, compressing the cantilever & stylus by magnetic
>>> attraction.So. How do I play these recordings? My only solution is to find
>>> an old record player with an inexpensive crystal cartridge. Any other
>>> ideas? Any insight into this process is greatly appreciated.
>> Try to reduce the tracking weight; maybe you can get the tonearm
>> counterweight outwards far enough to counteract the magnetic attraction.
>> Also, there are dedicated 78rpm styli (like the Shure N44/C) whose
>> cantilevers are probably stiff enough to withstand the downwards magnetic
>> force. A high-compliance cantilever, as you seem to be using, will give more
>> trouble than joy when trying to play ancient home recordings which are more
>> often than not worn and/or warped and will likely need a higher than usual
>> tracking force (which the "soft" cantilever won't support even without
>> magnetism) to reproduce optimally without skipping and undue rumble.
>>
>> A crystal cartridge would be the "last straw" only, as these usually have
>> lower fidelity than you'd wish and often don't work together well with
>> solid-state amplifiers (hum problems compounded by a lack of bass response,
>> caused by the very high impedance of most crystal cartridges).
>>
>> Chris Zwarg
>>