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Interesting Album and a Request For Help


thebes

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Customers of mine recently gave an album from an aunt's estate they were settling.  It was by Enrico Macias and they said ti was fairly rare.

 

So I get it home, pull out the wax to clean it and it's not Enrico Macias, but a "Presto" album and hand-written on the label is: "Pres Roper",

Audition Disk, 1-4-46.  Now if I recall correctly, a Presto album was basically a blank, and you could go to a record store and record on it, basically burning it like a cd. 

 

Now I'm thinking it's a 78 cause I was pretty sure 33's didn't come along until later int he 1940's, but I clean it a bit and throw it on the turntable and it is a 33, and coolest of all it plays from the inside out!

 

I call the customers to tell them what I've got, and they tell me that Pres Roper was a radio announcer and this has to be a demo disk he used to try out for a job as broadcaster at a radio station in Youngstown, Ohio, a large market in those days.  Turns out he got the job and they say people in Youngstown still remember him.

 

So the customers ask if I could make a cd before returning the album to them. They want to send both to Pres Roper's brother. Sadly I'm not set up for that so I wondering if a kind forum member could burn a copy for me, and maybe clean up the noise floor a bit.  I'd, of course, pay for the return shipping.  

 

So anybody want to give good ole thebes a hand? It is beat up so I can understand people being reluctant to do it if they have an expensive needle, but I was thinking somebody here probably has one of those USB players and that would do the job.

 

 

 

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Marty,

 

I would clean it with Reg Williamson facial -- ask Dave @Mallette about that -- and burn it to CDs.  If you want, mail it to me, I could return it to you or forward it to your customer and send you a CD.

 

Send me a PM if interested, so we can exchange contact info.

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It may well be 331/3, Marty.  You are correct that it was the late 40s before consumer production began, but Vitaphone was using 331/3 in the early 30s synchronized with film so as to accommodate 11 minute 1000 foot movie reels.  Radio stations then started using them as well and they were very common into the 50s in radio stations.  Saw one in a station back in the "junk room" of a station I worked for out in west Texas in the late 70s.  Wished I'd have nabbed it, along with all the old records gather dust there.

 

The Presto was pretty much best of the lot and could cut either 331/3 or 78rpm discs. 

 

As long as you've messed with vinyl visual comparison should tell you what speed it is.  In any event, won't hurt to just play it. 

 

Should be good for some fun regardless.  Clean it up and give it a spin. 

 

Dave

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Thanks Neil, you bet I am. Will send PM soonest.

 

Great info Dave.  Yeah I was thinking by size alone it was 33, but then again, 1941 had me thinking it  must be a 78.

 

 

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Amazing what one kind discover on old media.  Some years ago I acquired a box of 8mm movie film from an unknown source.  When I projected it, it turned out to be a family visit to the Worlds Fair back in the 50s.  LOT of fun, and actually real history worth keeping.  Old transcriptions are all, at minimum, history.  At best they can change history.

 

I tend to treat every 78 recording I get as though it's the only one left.  Because it just might be precisely that.

 

Dave

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Should have mentioned that size tells you nothing.  The vast majority of radio station recordings were 12", whether 78 or 331/3.  Some of both were also 16".  In fact, "transcript turntable" originally implied 16" capability.

 

Dave

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The album arrived, accompanied by an unopened Pablo label Count Basie Album.  Marty, you didn't need to do that.  The subject Presto disc bears a label that states:

 

"Presto

Pres Roper

Audition Disk

1-4-46"

 

Marty has entrusted me with a disc that's older than I am.  The plan is to take advantage of the long weekend to cook up a batch of Reg Williamson's PVA facial to clean the disc before burning it to a CD.  I hope to take photos of the whole process.

 

Now the sad news, my beer snob son informed me that the Blue Point Toasted Lager I was enjoying is owned by Budweiser, which is owned by InBev, which is owned by . . .  you get the idea.  Oh well, so much for trying to drink a craft beer.  At least it tasted OK and was darker than a urine specimen.

 

Thank you Marty @thebes

 

image.jpeg

image.jpeg

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Hey Neil, glad you like the Pablo more than the beer.

 

For those of you who may not know, Pablo is/was an audiophile pressing label that primarily produced re-issues, mostly Big Band and jazz.  Recording quality on Pablo's is stellar. If you ever see a Pablo while flipping through a record bin, grab it, you will be pleased by the sound and the music.

 

Preserving the demo record should be a fun project for you.  I told my customers what you were doing for them and they were thrilled.  They are going to present it as a surprise to Pres Roper's brother and son.

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Marty,

 

Pablo has been on my radar screen for decades, which is why I was so pleased to see this virgin copy.  I'm eager to give it a listen, but I don't want to play it until I'm set up to save a high resolution digital copy of the first play.  When I'm ready to burn your Pres Roper record, I'll also play the Count.

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I couldn't wait until a batch of PVA facial is ready.  I'll cook that up tomorrow.  Since I had to test the TT promised to @The History Kid, I decided to try your record.  I didn't play the whole thing, but enough to confirm that it is 33 1/3, it does go from the inside out,  and it urged me to buy a Maytag washer from an appliance store in Youngstown, OH.

 

The plan now is to record it as is and then again after the PVA facial. 

 

I also couldn't wait to sample the Basie album.  As expected, the Pablo recording is excellent.  Thanks again Marty.

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Marty,

 

I've burned an "as is" CD that preserves all of the surface noise and a few skips in the original recording.  In 1946, when this was recorded, tracking force was measured in coins taped to a tonearm, not grams.  The AT14sa cartridge is tracking at 1.5 grams (its range is .75 - 1.75).  I'm reluctant to increase the tracking force.  I used Audacity to remove the noise, but its kind of like giving some people truth serum, it renders them speechless.  If I can't get it any better than the recording now burned to a CD, you and your customer will still be able to enjoy the recording.  Just don't get excited about the Maytag washers at Fisher's Appliance in Youngstown, OH.  That sale ended 71 years ago.

 

 

Hopefully the Reg Williamson PVA facial will take care of some of the surface noise and the skips.  I'll be cooking that soon and let you know the result.  The PVA facia will need to dry overnight, so the final verdict will be rendered tomorrow.

 

For the curious, the original articles from The Audio Amateur, as well as the recipe, are attached as pdfs.  The photo is from from an earlier cleaning session.  I'll take some photos of the process and post them as I go along.

 

TAA_articles.pdf

RECIPE.pdf

RWC 006 (Mobile).JPG

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The slurry seemed totally dissolved after ~20 min. at boil, but I continued heating and stirring for another 10 min.

 

So far I like this 60-72 Elvanol better than the viscosity used before.  This dissolves quickly.  If it performs well, as I expect it will, this will be the PVA ordered from now on.

 

image.jpeg

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