[78-L] Joseph Pizzarello on Bettini

[Michael Biel]

You are confusing the recorder with the reproducer.  The web page you
linked to is discussing ONLY the reproducer.  How does the reproducer
with its adjustable weight have ANY effect on the recording that is on
the cylinder that you are hearing played on some other machine????? 
That page does NOT say anything about maximizing the force of the
recording stylus or anything about how the recordings were made.  It
does not say anything about the purpose or effect of the spider legs in
the recorder.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [78-L] Joseph Pizzarello on Bettini
From: David Lewis <uncledavelewis at hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, June 07, 2010 12:10 pm
To: 78-l <78-l at 78online.com>


From: David Lewis <uncledavelewis at hotmail.com>
> The "spider" applied more force to the cutting stylus; a simple improvement but it made a big difference.
That is not the real reason for the spider. Bettini used a larger than
usual diaphragm and connected the stylus not just to the center, but via
the "spider legs" of different length to different places on the
diaphragm at different distances from the center. The idea was to
capture the sound wave at different places, possibly at different
frequencies. Theoretically it might make a greater amount of different
resonant peaks that only one connection would make, or else it might
smooth out the resonance caused by only one connection. 
Mike Biel mbiel at mbiel.com 
 
>>>>
 
That may not be what Bettini intended, but it was its effect. This
writer states that the relative position of the spider legs on the
diaphragm may not have had a lot of effect on the sound:
http://www.edisontinfoil.com/adbettini.htm
 
I am unable to find the link now, but I noticed some patent
illustrations where the spider's legs were spread out equidistant on the
diaphragm's surface. Perhaps this was just a bad representation in the
engraving, but also maybe Bettini ultimately realized that to maximize
the force on the cutter was a good idea. 



Uncle Dave Lewis
uncledavelewis at hotmail.com