I have started posting records from my 78rpm collection on this blog so I thought I would take a little time to talk about them and how I make the transfer to mp3. I started collecting 78rpm records as a child and concentrated on swing jazz from 1930’s and 40’s in particular Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. When I started playing ukulele at the age of 15 I also started collecting George Formby records . I have now inherited my father’s collection of 1920’s/30’s Dance band and Jazz records. He specialized in Al Bowlly, Ambrose, Henry Hall, Lew Stone and his favourite singer Turner Layton.
The records are transferred with a studio condenser microphone close to the horn of my HMV163 gramophone. This runs through a Behringer mixer into my PC. I treat the tracks lightly with EQ and a little noise reduction before making them into mp3s in Wavelab. The results are different from electrically transferred records but I like the ‘gramophone’ sound they have. Although when listening to the records I use fibre needles, for recording I use soft tone steel needles. It should be noted that there is no way to completely capture the magical sound of a gramophone, but I hope you enjoy my transfers.
The HMV163 with microphone for recording
The HMV 163 in the 1930 catalogue
The HMV 163 features the double re-entrant horn and is considered to be one of the finest internal horn gramophones ever produced.
So here is a little something from the collection;
Cliff Edwards ‘Ukulele Ike’ – I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
Recorded 7th December 1928 in New York
Best
Nipper
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Hi Nipper
I remember years ago sitting with you in your student room in Birmingham, stuffing towels into the horn of your “portable” gramophone and listening to Artie Shaw 78s (amongst others). I was always amazed at the sound quality of the gramophone, and somewhat regret not having one (or any 78s anymore!)
Cheers
Colin
Thanks Colin, those were great days!