[78-L] A question about Decca speeds

Royal Pemberton ampex354 at gmail.com
Fri Oct 14 13:39:39 PDT 2011


I've heard Claude Thornhill's 'Snowfall' on both Columbia 36268 and the
later 37271.  Same original master and take but different dubbings and
vastly different sound quality.  The original actually has bass in it, the
later one is rolled off below about 120 Hz.

On Fri, Oct 14, 2011 at 9:15 PM, David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca>wrote:

> New York Deccas almost always need to be played about 2.4% up through 1948,
> but
> I've generally found that Los Angeles Deccas play pretty close to 78. Some
> mid
> 30s NY and Chicago Deccas need to go up close to 4%.
>
> As for EQ on Columbias, a lot of them after 1944 just sound DULLSVILLE,
> man.
> Remove some mid-range and you'll hear a lot more clarity. I'm convinced
> that
> Columbia and Victor equalized their records so that each would sound rotten
> on
> the machines made by the other company. All Columbias from early 1940 on
> (maybe
> slightly earlier) are dubs from 16-inch 33rpm originals. With all due
> respect
> to the authors of the book on EQ curves, which states that Columbia didn't
> alter its curve between 1939 and 1955, horsefedders..they altered the curve
> every time they cut a new master from an old source. I have a 2-disc set
> with 3
> different curves (Enesco's Rumanian Rhapsody #1, Stock/Chicago, each side
> cut
> at a different time in the 40s as stampers wore out).
>
> dl
>
> On 10/14/2011 4:08 PM, Iñigo Cubillo wrote:
> > I’ve also been surprised to discover that many blue Deccas (again the
> 2000-4000 range, I’m very fond of Bing) if DLA matrixes, seem to be
> recorded at 80-81rpm! Anyone knows if it’s true or it’s my poor brain?
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> On 10/14/2011 4:06 PM, Iñigo Cubillo wrote:
> > I’ve been lately worried with a question. How is the right EQ for US
> blue Deccas in the 2000-4000 range? I’ve read at some EQ charts (WAMS,
> Elliot and others) that a treble rollof of up to –12db shall be applied,
> but they sound great to my ears with a flat treble (RIAA eliminated).
> >
> > And also I played just yesternight the Sinatra red Co 36947 (full moon
> and empty arms (rachmaninoff's concerto), co 35441 2 (w) // you are too
> beautiful, hco 1522 1a (w)) and I was surprised by the strange EQ of the HCO
> side; much killed treble at flat position and thin bass. It is like a poor
> dubbing. Anyone knows the reason?
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