Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 16:07:15 -0700 From: tom ball Subject: 78s
> >> Im not an expert but recording at the "wrong " speed can produce the out of >> tune effect..or does it just alter the key? I have heard recordings that >> are in say " Eb and a 1/2".. >>
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Some pre-WWII 78s were actually recorded for (and meant to be played back on) machines from 66-90 RPM (although usually 68-84.) And since most folks' turntables are not capable of accurately revolving at those speeds, the resultant musical keys can be way off. But since this is a postwar list, it should be noted that most postwar 78s were designed to be played at 78RPM.
IMHO the problems more often occur in remastering the music for another format -- i.e. when an engineer is attempting to convert 78s to LP, CD, etc. Of course there are folks out there who are brilliant at this (John R.T. Davies comes to mind,) and equipment that can be quite helpful when operated by knowledgeable engineers (CEDAR, NoNoise, etc,) but in many cases the new engineer either a) fails to reference the recording properly to its' exact original key; or b) EQs the crap out of the high and low musical information by heavy-handed blanket filtration; or c) fails to use the proper stylii (ie truncated) when playing the 78 for remastering.
As a result, some new CD reissues feature songs that are not only in ambiguous (and in some cases impossible) keys, but also are sonically hampered by unnecessary compression, limitation and/or gating -- or just plain incompetence.
But then, like everything else, it's a learning curve -- I reckon in most cases the CD reissues of 2003 are far superior sonically to the reissue LPs from the 50s.
Perhaps in the future somebody will actually figure out a way to even make a CD that sounds as good as a 78? :)
