[78-L] Calculating 78 speeds in percentages

[Steven C. Barr]

From: "Michael Biel" <mbiel at mbiel.com>
> Those "common" speeds like 76.59 are not the EXACT speed the record was
> recorded at, it is a strobe disc speed that was the closest the
> discographer came when setting the speed by ear or pitchpipe, and was
> referenced as a speed reproducable by the reader with their own strobe
> disc.  75 and 80 are real speeds which can be counted without a strobe,
> of course.
>
78.26 did NOT beome a/the standard speed until sometime in the thirties?!
In fact, the "official" speed varied with Victor catalogs...they cited 76rpm
in the early 'teens!) Columbia, among others, suggested a speed of
*80* rpm?! As has been noted, earlier recording speeds were NOT
standardized...they often were adjusted to give an impression that
aging singers could still hit certain notes!

Steven C. Barr