[78-L] Mostly for Mike Biel...(was:[ARSCLIST] Early movie music discs... "ScoreDisc")

[Michael Biel]

> Subject: [78-L] Mostly for Mike Biel...
> From: Graham Newton <gn at audio-restoration.com>
> Hello Mike Biel and all ships at sea...
> We seem to be having email problems since both David Lennick
> and I sporadically receive your direct emails, so I will use
> the list for this one:- Your answer to my ScoreDisc questions
> would be greatly appreciated:-

As I mentioned off list, I had posted an answer, but I posted to where I
had originally seen the question --- on ARSCList, not the 78-L.  You
crosslisted on both lists but going back to my inbox I only see the
ARSCList version and the CC directly to me, not the 78-L crosslist.  It
isn't there, and I did not realize you crosslisted onto 78-L until I
looked at the version you had CCed to me which showed all three
addresses.  In case nobody else on the 78-L saw this the first time,
I've copied the original ARSCList posting because there is a lot of info
in it that you didn't repeat here.

To answer your question, although it seems familiar, I don't remember
ever seeing one or have any specific memory of any previous article or
writings that explain them.  I would think that it might cause problems
when the needle reaches the end of the slot which might catch the needle
repeating in the groove.  From the description in the original posting
where you worried about the paper disc grinding the record because the
paper remains stationary while the record turns under it, I don't think
there is any pressure on the paper that would make the sliding any worse
than sliding the record in and out of a sleeve a few hundred times!

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com

>>-------- Original Message --------
>>  Subject: [ARSCLIST] Early movie music discs... "ScoreDisc"
>>  From: Graham Newton <gn at AUDIO-RESTORATION.COM>
>>  Date: Thu, July 30, 2009 7:57 pm
>>  To: ARSCLIST at LISTSERV.LOC.GOV
 
>> Here'a a weird one...
>> For non-synchronous turntable playback of music to accompany
>> film in the early days of sound before sound-on-film.
>> 
>> Scoredisc a cardboard disc with slots cut it it to allow
>> cueing the desired music to be played from phonograph discs
>> supplied by a music library to follow the action on the screen.
>> 
>> Apparently they lay a specific ScoreDisc for the movie being
>> shown on top of the music disc to be played for a given scene,
>> and place the playback needle *through* the required hole or
>> slot punched in the ScoreDisc to contact the groove it is
>> supposed to be playing! This apparently holds the ScoreDisc 
>> motionless as the record rotates under it and the needle travels
>> laterally  across the record surface toward the end of the slot.
>> 
>> The cardboard ScoreDisc would thus be grinding any grit or dust
>> into the record surface as the disc rotated with it in contact
>> with the disc surface. However with the discs being pressed in
>> the very hard shellac/slate compounds of the day, and stylus
>> pressures being on the order of 2 or 3 *ounces* this probably 
>> would not be of much consequence!
>> What a ghastly idea! I can think of many pitfalls with this
>> system and would not be surprised if it didn't catch on with
>> the film exhibitors and particularly the projectionists who
>> had to deal with this in a busy projection booth where a
>> film reel was being consumed every 10 minutes.
>> 
>> Has anyone ever heard of this and, has anyone got any examples
>> of the music discs or the ScoreDisc itself. Perhaps a label
>> photo or some other additional info on this wacky system!
>> 
>> Mike Biel are you listening?     ... Graham Newton
====================================
> ScoreDisc
> 
> Have you ever heard of them?
> Do you have one?
> Have you ever seen one?
> Have you any paper on them?
> 
> Any other list members reading this are invited to answer
> this also since these items are appearing to be more scarce
> than hen's teeth!     ... Graham Newton