Re: [ARSCLIST] 33 rpm vs. 33 1/3 rpm

[Mike Richter <mrichter@xxxxxxx>]

Language Archives wrote:
> The University of Chicago's Language Archives has several French and 
> German LPs where the speed is given as 33 rpm, rather than 33 1/3. Is 
> this significant?

If it is accurate, it shifts speed by 1% and pitch by a sixth of a 
semitone. For music, such an error would be noticed by a sensitive 
musician or a person with "perfect pitch". In practice, it would be of 
little importance even there, well within the normal range of diapason 
from one performing group to another (A=436 instead of A=440). Indeed, I 
believe pitch may drift by that much and more during a performance.

For spoken material it would be even less significant. However, one 
cannot rule out the possibility that the notation on the disc or 
documentation is an approximation and that the recording is actually at 
33 1/3 rpm. In common usage, the LP is referred to as a "33" just as 
44.1 ksps is referred to as "44" - unfortunately, often with the wrong 
unit specified (e.g., kHz).

Mike
--
mrichter@xxxxxxx
http://www.mrichter.com/