Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Quick TurnTable/78 RPM question...

Quick question re: turntables… hoping someone has a quick answer!

I've gotten two calls in the last couple of days from clients looking to transfer records to CD…. But I don't have a TT. One of them was going to bring in their own TT, but the call I just got was from someone who has some 78s to convert. Both the 78s and the LPs are irreplaceable and not available anywhere else.

So… I'm considering picking up a TT. If I don't go overboard, the jobs will pay for it anyway.

If I were just looking at 45s and 33 1/3 LPs, there wouldn't be any problem. I'd probably pick up a Technics 1200. But that 78 RPM speed is limiting my choices.

Here's what I don't know: Aren't there other differences between 78's and LP/45's beyond speed? The last TT I bought was 25 years ago, so my memory might be a bit off. But it seems to me that cartridges/styli for 45's and LPs didn't do well with 78's???? Maybe a difference in track width or pitch or something?

The woman that needs the 78's transferred needs to have it in the next week or so…. Evidently it's her parents' wedding ceremony and their 50th is next week. She just realized that it would be great to transfer for them.

I wouldn't sweat a TT purchase if it weren't for the "78" question. Anyone have a quick answer as to whether ANY TT that offered a "78 speed" would do fine in actually playing one back?

TIA-

Wow... wonder if it would be easier to capture at 33 or 45 and resample (frequency-shift) the data in the PC before burning a CD ? I'm not up on current audio tools but resampling has to be one of the easiest operations to perform digitally...

Mark - why not just digitize the audio at 33 1/3 and then resample in your audio editor of choice?

Some really bad vinyl I used to take in to an engineer buddy with an infinitely variable turntable, throw on a known length cut (like a :30 radio leader)... figure out how long it took to play (if it was, say, 90 seconds, you'd know you were playing a 33 at 11.1rpm) and then resample at 1/3.

That way pops, clicks and all manner of ugliness are minimized - a click lasts a certain length of time and it at a certain frequency no matter how fast it's played... if you play the disc slower, by the time it's resampled - it's shorter and higher in pitch, making it less noticeable.

Just my two cents.

Remember to use the right stylus for the composition of the records, too, especially if they're shellac or aluminum blanks.

Bren R.

Thanks to both of you.... yes, I did wonder about going the resampling route as I have all the tools needed here. But as Bren wrote:

In reply to:

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Remember to use the right stylus for the composition of the records, too, especially if they're shellac or aluminum blanks.

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It sounds as though I still might need a "capable" cartidge/stylus for the 78 anyway?

Useless, for this application, trivia use only!

But I used to have good luck in the late 40s/early 50s, using finishing nails and tree thorns to keep my old 78s playing.

The records of the day seemed pretty forgiving of such abuse, but I may have been causing them serious irrepairable damage

Looks like the stylus shape is completely different for 78s, so a dedicated cartridge will be needed.

Also the standard EQ seems to be different (what's it called today ? RIAA equalization ?). Anyways, seems to be more bass, less treble on 78s.

I've found an A/T turntable with cartridge included that lists as 78RPM compatible. I assume that means that in addition to obviously having the correct speed, there aren't any issues with the stylus being of a "wrong" type to use on 78's....(?)

Hi Mark,

You've got good advice and indeed the stylus for 78s is quite a bit larger. If you used the much smaller styus for 33 1/3 or 45 rpm "microgrooves" (as they were first called) for 78s, it would ride down in the bottom of the groove, picking up all kinds of groove noise and garbage. I'm away from my archives at the moment, so I can't specify the tip diameter for a proper 78 stylus, but check on Shure's web site. They continued to supply specialty styli for years. So does Stanton, which has a big broadcast market (or did in the past). I think Stanton might even have a direct-drive turntable with a 78-speed option but I could be wrong.

Regards,

Mark,

The Stanton does have the 78 speed and other features. Here's the address at J&R: http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4036246

Alan

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4036246

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