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Re: [ARSCLIST] Audio compression on radio, was Re: [ARSCLIST] Libraries disposing of records
George,
Does this mean that you should use a .7 mil spherical tip to counter
the radius compensation? It seems that everyone uses various
elliptical styli (truncated and not) to play back 78s. Is this a case
where original playback practices (spherical tip, tube electronics, old
fashioned treble controls) can be superior to state of the art?
Thanks,
phillip
George Brock-Nannestad wrote:
pression:
1) Presto cutting systems, for instance those used by BBC, had radius
compensation. We are talking 78s and 1940s. This meant that the treble was
cranked up automatically as you got closer to the center. The reason was that
the tracing loss from a spherical stylus would not reproduce the higher
frequencies very well. It did not matter that the distortion became
unbearable, because that was outside the reproduced range. So, apparently,
the recorded range was kept reasonably constant over the whole record side.
2) even those who will only listen to "classical" or sub-category "vocal" may
experience what compression really means. My best example for this is the
Bryan Crimp EMI transfer of all Adelina Patti's recordings - an LP set. Her
last recording - la Calasera - has a recorded level of ca. 50 cm/s in a few
places, which was very far from being reproducible more than 3 times when it
was issued, and it was quickly withdrawn. On the LP, the whole song is
beautifully transferred (and it is her most liberated performance, a gem),
but the few places the compression sets in and the 10-15 dB overload is
tamed. I feel physically strangled when I hear it. The record was reissued in
the white V.B. series when pickups could cope, but it still gets worn
2½) I had a Source Engineering preamp in practical use for ca. 10 years, and
instead of replacing the ganged pots I changed to Elberg instead. However the
Source Engineering has an expander - an anti-compressor - that works very
well and will reduce as well as increase. I have used that on the Bestiary of
Flanders and Swann, "the Ostrich" (refrain: "Peek-a-boo, I can't see you
......."). At the end (I won't spoil the fun for those who don't yet know it)
it is very worthwhile to use the Source Engineering feature if you have good
bass speakers.
Kind regards,
George