Thank you for sharing that link clearly showing how the vertical and lateral connections are achieved.
Bruce ----- Original Message ----- From: "Greg Bogantz" <[email protected]> To: "Antique Phonograph List" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, September 13, 2013 9:51:06 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Vitaphone acoustic machine This topic of the Vitaphone had come up last year on the TMF forum. I posted some pictures there then that showed the way the thread connected the wooden needle bar to the reproducer diaphragm. I've added a few more pictures there that show more of the model 60 machine. Here's the link to that page for those who want to see the pictures: http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11354 Greg Bogantz ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron L'Herault" <[email protected]> To: "'Antique Phonograph List'" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, September 13, 2013 8:42 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Vitaphone acoustic machine > Thanks for the detailed reply, Greg. I have seen pictures of this style > already. Amazing. > > Ron > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On > Behalf Of Greg Bogantz > Sent: Friday, September 13, 2013 3:59 PM > To: Antique Phonograph List > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Vitaphone acoustic machine > > Hi Ron, > > I have a Vitaphone model 60 which is the consolette version of this > machine. Yes, I'd say it is "anemic" compared with most other machines of > this vintage. The reason is pretty obvious - the design of the acoustic > system is pretty silly. What appears to be the "tonearm" is more easily > understood as being actually a HUGE stylus bar. The long wooden piece has > the needle attached at the front end and it is expected to transmit the > needle vibrations along the length of this wooden bar to a string at the > back end which is coupled under tension to the center of the reproducer > diaphragm which is located at the back of the tonearm. The actual tonearm > is a metal structure positioned under the wooden bar that has a vertical > and > lateral pivot near the front that supports the wooden needle bar and > allows > both vertical and lateral wiggling of the wooden bar. As you can suspect, > the compliance of this arrangement is ridiculously poor with a HUGE amount > of mass (the whole wooden bar) having to be moved by the needle. The > string > that couples the back of the wooden bar to the diaphragm can be strung > over > a metal hook at the back of the lateral tonearm pivot stanchion which > causes > the tension in the string to be directed kinda sorta laterally to the > diaphragm. This is the way the system is supposed to be set to play > lateral > records. The more direct linkage of the string drawing down vertically > from > the diaphragm (not threaded over the metal hook) is the setup for playing > vertical records. As you might expect, the vertical setup is more > efficient > and sensitive than the lateral setup. Consequently, I most often use my > Vitaphone to play Pathe Sapphire discs with a sapphire ball stylus in the > needle chuck. It sounds better playing Pathes than any lateral records. > Theoretically, you could play Edison DDs by mounting an Edison diamond > point > in the needle chuck. But the tonearm friction is high enough that I > haven't > wanted to try playing DDs on the machine. In any case, the sound > transmission thru the bizarre needle bar system is pretty inefficient and > lossy which makes the Vitaphone have little volume compared with more > conventional players, either Edisons, Pathes, or Victors. And the high > moving mass of the wooden bar causes considerable loss of treble > response, > so the sound is pretty mellow compared with other machines. It's actually > fairly pleasant and less honky than other acoustic players. > > The other weirdness of the model 60 is the complicated plumbing that > connects the diaphragm output to the horn which is inside the LID of the > player! So there are swivel joints that allow the horn to be tilted > upward > with the lid as it is raised, while still enabling the acoustic plumbing > to > remain intact and functional. So it will play through the horn with the > lid > either open or closed. Definitely different. Still, it's a neat looking > piece that is seldom seen and it does work after a fashion. I have > pictures > of my model 60 if you would like to see them. > > Greg Bogantz > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ron L'Herault" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]>; "'Antique Phonograph List'" > <[email protected]> > Sent: Friday, September 13, 2013 1:44 PM > Subject: [Phono-L] Vitaphone acoustic machine > > >>A few MOCAPS members have been discussing the lateral/vertical Vitaphone >> phono from the teens, early 20s. Only one member heard one 20 or more >> years ago and that one may have been unrestored. He found it "anemic" >> sounding. Soooo, I was wondering if any listmate(s) have a restored >> Vitaphone (it has a wooden tone arm and connects to the diaphragm via a >> string AFAIK). How does it sound compared to the Name brand machines of >> the same era? >> >> Thanks, >> >> >> Ron L >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Phono-L mailing list >> http://phono-l.org > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.org > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.org _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
