[78-L] 78s (sort of) and Cylinders in the news

[Michael Biel]

Ken Matheson wrote:
> A while back I remember reading an article about some manufacture making transport mechanisms for playing cylinder records. As I remember the transport mechanism was well made.

There is a machine called the Archeophone which is made in France and 
costs $10,000.

>  It suggested using an old high output ceramic cartridge with the needle modified somehow.

Only Steve Barr would recommend using a ceramic cartridge.  It would be 
next to impossible to find a ceramic cartridge stylus with the proper 
point sizes, but they are readily available for several magnetic 
cartridges like the Stanton 500. 

>  According to the article this setup with an amplifier had a much better fidelity than an old horn. 
Generally, electrical playing of ANY record would be better than ANY 
playing of the record on a horn machine.  Somebody was making a device 
with a magnetic cartridge which would fit easily into the reproducer 
holder on most Edison machines.  It might still be available.  This 
does, however, depend on the quietness of your cylinder machine 
mechanism.  George Blacker used many decades ago an outboard tone arm 
made of a very, very long dowel which would have minimum tracking 
error.  I think this was what he used for the two LPs of cylinders he 
produced for Folkways.

> If I had a good or valuable cylinder record I would not want to play it with an old beer can.
>   
That kit was perhaps the stupidest thing I have ever seen on what should 
be a quality broadcaster like the BBC!!  That "reporter" should be 
ashamed of herself.


>  
> I also wonder about using a mechanism from an old Dictaphone. Has anyone out there tried this?
>
>   
I believe it was the Public Archives of Canada which built a player from 
a Dictaphone shaving mechanism.  The problem with regular Ediphones and 
Dictaphones are that they are designed to run at 90 rpm (which sometimes 
can be increased to the required speeds of 160, 144, and 120) and their 
feedscrew threadings are about halfway between 2 and 4 minute threadings 
of 100 and 200.   The dictating machines use, I believe 150 and 160, but 
I don't remember which is which.  You can sometimes engage and disengage 
the mechanism while the cylinder is playing to get it to go slower for a 
2 minute.  I have a relatively high fidelity electrical classroom player 
made in the 1940s for the Ediphone dictating lesson cylinders which I 
had been able to use for Blue Amberols, but I assume it would need some 
work because I haven't tried it in 20 years! 


Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com