Walt, Ya had me going until the $25 part! Even so, to be perfectly honest, even $25' worth of modern technology can get better-than-needed results out of DD's and VE's, as long as the wiring is right. Where I find the biggest difference in using expensive gear shows up is in the way that restoration software responds to surace/background noise; i.e., the better aligned the cartridge, the more silent the turntable/tonearm mechanisms, and the more meticulous the playback, the easier it is to lift the surface noise off the music, as restoration software wants background noise to be as consistent as possible. I've done Bernstein's late 40's performance of the 2nd movement from Ravel's Piano Concerto in G with CEDAR/Rega P25/Grado preamp, DCArt/Waves/Music Hall MMF-9/Graham Slee preamp, an ION USB turntable with supplied software (SoundSoap), just all kindsa stuff, and I think the most pleasing version I've done, I got with a mid-70's BSR 3-speed stacker turntable and some basic EQ filtering (and no thumbprint-based de-noising). So whatever you've used in the past almost certainly exceeds the dynamic and frequency ranges of DD's and VE's.
I did spend $500 at www.kabusa.com for one of his 'tables that can handle 16" transcriptions, which I use along with KAB's Souvenir DRX Retro box (a switchbox for mono, vertical, L-mono, R-mono, or stereo configuration) and a Behringer tube EQ, and though it's not perfect (tonearm alignment isn't quite right on it), it does the job for casual or even critical listening pretty well. Best to all, Robert ----- Original Message ----- From: "Walt" <[email protected]> To: "'Antique Phonograph List'" <phono-l at oldcrank.org> Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 4:23 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Styli > Hi Jim/All, > > Thanks for sharing this link. I am looking for some technical advice. > > Although my collecting interests are pretty much aligned with the "machine > side" of the hobby I recently came into ownership of a nice stack of late > electrically recorded Edison DDs and some other scarce earlier DDs. I have > no problems of conscience playing these on my everyday machines, but I > wanted to get a decent combination of turntable/cartridge/styluses to be > able to critically review and hopefully archive Edison DDs and Victor (VEs > especially) records. I have used some relatively modern turntables with > modified wiring of stereo cartridges to enable using DDs, and they sound > okay, but I have to admit that what I have messed with along those lines > so > far really amounts to just messing around. > > Can you or someone else give me a specific recommendation of a > manufacturer/model/configuration that be a good setup? I can certainly > look > at the information and evaluate the products myself, but I've found that > the > learned experience of others generally far outweighs going it on my own. > > Oh yeah...and it has to cost under 25 bucks....LOL... > > Walt > > Walt Sommers > Gettysburg Antique Phonographs > 2594 Old Route 30 > Orrtanna, PA 17353 > walt at victrolaguy.com > 717-334-0862 > > -----Original Message----- > From: phono-l-bounces at oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-bounces at > oldcrank.org] > On > Behalf Of Jim Nichol > Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 4:26 PM > To: Antique Phonograph List > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Styli > > Esoteric Sound near Chicago sells turntables and styli that will play > virtually any disc, including Edison and Pathe. I bought one of their > machines years ago with plenty of styli. Kurt Nauck also sells their > turntables. > > http://www.esotericsound.com/ > > Jim Nichol > > On Jul 16, 2008, at 1:29 PM, jimcip at earthlink.net wrote: > >> Dear Mr. Wright: >> Thanks for responding to my query as to how to reach Mr. Sage. I >> finally >> went to his "web site" the address of which you had kindly >> me & learned how to send an "e-mail" to Mr. Sage & have done so but >> not yet >> received a reply. My question is where can I order >> cantilevers with custom ground styli to play vertical-cut Pathe >> discs, 2 & >> 4 minute cylinders & Edison Diamond Discs optimally with Shure >> cartridges >> through modern electronic audio equipment? I need contact >> information >> for anyone who can provide such. >> Thanks again & all good wishes... >> >> Very truly >> yours, >> >> Jim Cartwright >> >> Immortal >> Performances >> >> jimcip at earthlink.net >> EarthLink Revolves Around You. >>> > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.526 / Virus Database: 270.4.11/1554 - Release Date: 7/15/2008 > 6:03 PM > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org >
