[78-L] Vertical and Lateral

[Jeff Sultanof]

Do any papers, etc. exist from engineers who actually recorded the sessions
that have some written data re. how these recordings were made? How about
booklets from WE to the engineers themselves when electrical recording was
introduced in 1925. These people had to learn how to use this new equipment
from somewhere.

Who would have Western Electric archival material? Forgive my ignorance if
this is common knowledge among engineers on this list, but I'm sure many of
us would like to know.

Jeff Sultanof



On Tue, Oct 22, 2019 at 8:06 PM Douglas Pomeroy
<audiofixer at verizon.net.invalid> wrote:

>
>  Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2019 16:07:51 +0000
> From: "Douglas M. Elliot" <dme3 at cornell.edu.invalid>
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Vertical and Lateral
> To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> Message-ID: <5DAF2908.6060907 at cornell.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> True for just about all lateral electrical recording systems, not just
> Victor's, which was of course Western Electric...if you record with
> constant velocity, the groove amplitude gets greater with decreasing
> frequency and the result is bass that can't be tracked effectively as
> well as shorter playing time.  Despite the lack of established
> standards, most companies made the same decision to record with constant
> amplitude below 200 or 250Hz, resulting in a roll-off of about 6dB per
> octave below the turnover point.  It was the birth of the "curve", which
> over time included treble pre-emphasis & various turnover points &
> shelves, etc.
>
> Having said that, there was "sweetening" added to that basic curve
> almost from the start.  The Western Electric equipment contained a
> rather complex bass filter with multiple settings that could be adjusted
> for each recording.  Though I don't have any documentary evidence,  my
> ears tell me that Victor (and possibly others) developed a unique "house
> sound" that probably involved electronics as well as miking and studio
> acoustics.  Anyone have any info on this? After listening to thousands
> of Victors, particularly, it's something I've always wondered about.
> And how about physical adjustments to the cutter head, which
> Nicholas Bergh (an expert on the Western Electric system), could
> tell us something about.
>
> Doug Pomeroy
> 193 Baltic St., Brooklyn, NY 11201-6173
> 718 855-2650audiofixer at verizon.net
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