Bring Back the Edison (sic) wax (sic) cylinder!
Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2024 12:40 am
I have just read a fun article on tnt-audio.com ...
Here is the last paragraph that explains the "(sic)" bits in the title ...
"....
I'll close this segment of the review with a pedantic aside. In the popular press, when the sort of writers who like to lump all disk records together as “vinyls” mention cylinders at all -- invariably as a way to dismiss something as “quaint” -- you can bet your bottom dollar they'll call them generically “wax cylinders” or sometimes “Edison cylinders.” Having read this far, you know better now, don't you? By no means all cylinders were made of wax, and by no means all were made by Edison. Far from it, in fact. From now on, you'll get it right: just “cylinders” or “cylinder records.” The world will be a better place, and you can hold your head up high, nose firmly in the air.
...."
Basically it's about someone building a sub $2k player for enthusiasts (the professional players for cylinders are bought by libraries and are an order of magnitude more expensive).
Here is the article ...
http://www.tnt-audio.com/vintage ...
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As an aside a few years ago I was in contact with the author because I bought a 78-rpm album ... He confirmed that any attempt to play it would just destroy my cartridge since the diamond stylus was not designed for shellac. (I did not have the 78 speed but in theory I could record it at 33 and then process it).
-----
What is an album?
Basically I got a nice folder (album) with six (not sure?) 78-rpm records that play a Beethoven string quartet (not sure which one) in 3-minute segments. The album keeps them all together.
The records are arranged in a logical way in that you play top-side 1 2 3 4 5 6 -- turn over -- bottom-side 6 5 4 3 2 1
It's a curiosity and I don't intend to buy a 78 player with a special cartridge. (Apparently Rega make one).
James
Here is the last paragraph that explains the "(sic)" bits in the title ...
"....
I'll close this segment of the review with a pedantic aside. In the popular press, when the sort of writers who like to lump all disk records together as “vinyls” mention cylinders at all -- invariably as a way to dismiss something as “quaint” -- you can bet your bottom dollar they'll call them generically “wax cylinders” or sometimes “Edison cylinders.” Having read this far, you know better now, don't you? By no means all cylinders were made of wax, and by no means all were made by Edison. Far from it, in fact. From now on, you'll get it right: just “cylinders” or “cylinder records.” The world will be a better place, and you can hold your head up high, nose firmly in the air.
...."
Basically it's about someone building a sub $2k player for enthusiasts (the professional players for cylinders are bought by libraries and are an order of magnitude more expensive).
Here is the article ...
http://www.tnt-audio.com/vintage ...
-----
As an aside a few years ago I was in contact with the author because I bought a 78-rpm album ... He confirmed that any attempt to play it would just destroy my cartridge since the diamond stylus was not designed for shellac. (I did not have the 78 speed but in theory I could record it at 33 and then process it).
-----
What is an album?
Basically I got a nice folder (album) with six (not sure?) 78-rpm records that play a Beethoven string quartet (not sure which one) in 3-minute segments. The album keeps them all together.
The records are arranged in a logical way in that you play top-side 1 2 3 4 5 6 -- turn over -- bottom-side 6 5 4 3 2 1
It's a curiosity and I don't intend to buy a 78 player with a special cartridge. (Apparently Rega make one).
James