[78-L] Calculating 78 speeds in percentages

[David Lennick]

Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:27:43 -0700

> > 
> But what do you do if the show is spread over several sides and the GEC reference is only on one disc? From my experience it's common for multi-disk 78 ET lacquers (usually intended for play on standard home phonographs with a fibre needle) to vary in pitch quite a bit from disc to disc. Maybe the better recording companies didn't have this problem.

 

Musical numbers within the program might be fairly easy to pitch..this refers to your later question down below.


> dl: 
> > Except Columbias which are stated to be 80RPM although some
> > are perfectly on speed at 78. I've had to go up as much as
> > 6% on some Edisons.
> 
> Is there a handy guide to common keys popular songs of the acoustic era might have been played in? I'm thinking Billy Murray, Henry Burr types. Murray often sounds good around 75 RPM when dealing with Victor recordings from the 'teens. SJ

 

76 is generally pretty close on Victor acousticals. Keys? B Flat, E flat, F are popular keys. C and G less so. I'm on dangerous ground here because I'm not a brass player, but arranging was often done to accomodate the easier keys on brass instruments. Or sometimes for the singer..B is a lousy key but a lot of Mae Questel's recordings seem to be pitched there.