[78-L] Acoustic disc playback speed?

[Michael Biel]

I'm glad this subject came up again because I have been wanting to post 
this.  A few months ago I mentioned seeing a surprising speed listing in 
an Archeophone set but couldn't lay my hands on it right then.  Well, I 
have it here.  It is the excellent "Cabaret Echoes: New Orleans Jazzers 
at Work, 1918-1927" Archeophone/Off The Record OTR MM 10-C1, Produced by 
Dave Sager and Doug Benson, the latter credited with the Sound Restoration.

All but three of the records are pitched ABOVE 78.26.  Those three are 
Why Cry Blues by Jimmie Durantes Jazz Band on Gennett 9045 (7726) NY May 
1920, and Hightower's Nighthawks from mid-1927 on Black Patti 8045 
(12937-A and  38-A).  At 80.0 RPM are  OKeh's from 1919 (mx 477-B and 
478-B) and five NY Gennett's from Jan and Mar 1919 (mx 6026, 27, 6091 
and -A, and 6092-A).

At 80.89 RPM are eleven OKeh's recorded in New Orleans March 15-17, 1924 
(mxs between 8556 and 8571).

The January 22-23, 1925 New Orleans sessions are at 81.82 (mxs. between 
8890 to 8908).

And finally at 84.71 (!!!) are six mid-1922 Kid Ory Sunshine/Nordskog 
masters.

They must have had good reasons for pitching all of these that fast!!

Mike Biel   mbiel at mbiel.com



On 1/25/2011 4:36 PM, L78rpm at aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 1/25/11 3:45:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> audiotechtransfer at bresnan.net writes:
>
> Victor  (early acoustics to 1909)          71.29  RPM
> Victor (later acoustics 1909-1925)      76.59  RPM
> Columbia (acoustic)               80.00 RPM
> 71 rpms --- perhaps a bit more or sometimes less, works well for Berliner
> discs of the 1890s.
>
> Earlier Victors play --- in general --- from 74-76 rpms.
>
> For later acoustic Victors I set the speed at 76.4.
>
> My ear tells me that 80 rpms is too fast for acoustic Columbias, despite
> their suggested use of this speed.
>
> Paul Charosh