A Binaural Record Demonstration (Emory Cook system)*

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by LeeS, Jan 22, 2012.

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  1. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan Thread Starter

    Location:
    Atlanta
    LeeS, Jan 22, 2012
    #1
  2. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    Location:
    Salem, VA - United States of America
    KT88, Jan 22, 2012
    #2
  3. alfeizar

    alfeizar Active Member

    Location:
    Argentina
    Nice video!
     
    alfeizar, Jan 22, 2012
    #3
  4. Axis_67

    Axis_67 Senior Member

    Location:
    Virginia
    That is pretty cool.

    Thanks for sharing.
     
    Axis_67, Jan 22, 2012
    #4
  5. fortherecord

    fortherecord Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    Very cool, but what a way to do it. Thank goodness that RCA Victor invented the stereo cutting lathes and discs as we know them back in 1957.
     
    fortherecord, Jan 22, 2012
    #5
  6. Sneaky Pete

    Sneaky Pete Flat the 5 and That’s No Jive

    Location:
    NYC USA
    That was very interesting. I wonder how many were produced? I also wonder was titles were released in the format?

    Thanks for the link.
     
    Sneaky Pete, Jan 22, 2012
    #6
  7. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Location:
    Marysville, WA, Salina, KS, Los Angeles, CA
    I've got a few of these Cook Records titles. Too bad the dang Youtue guy isn't feeding straight from the two-headed monster to derive audio for the video. All we're hearing is a stereo mic picking up the stereo speakers within his listening room. Impossible to judge anything!

    More to follow in a minute...
     
    MLutthans, Jan 22, 2012
    #7
  8. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Location:
    Marysville, WA, Salina, KS, Los Angeles, CA
    The most notorious Cook binaural title was not released by Cook Records, but rather: He convinced mighty Atlantic Records to release one of his binaural recordings in that format ON ATLANTIC! Atlantic 1208. There were two front cover variations; both are shown below, and I'm not sure which came first.

    It's available (in kind-of stereo) on CD from Collector's Choice, but sounds pretty poor.
    Screen shot 2012-01-22 at 8.00.09 PM.jpg Screen shot 2012-01-22 at 7.59.54 PM.jpg Screen shot 2012-01-22 at 7.59.17 PM.jpg Screen shot 2012-01-22 at 8.13.30 PM.jpg
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2014
    MLutthans, Jan 22, 2012
    #8
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  9. acdc7369

    acdc7369 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    id be frightened to put my records on that thing
     
    acdc7369, Jan 22, 2012
    #9
  10. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Uh, what?
     
    Steve Hoffman, Jan 22, 2012
    #10
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  11. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Location:
    Marysville, WA, Salina, KS, Los Angeles, CA
    A bunch of these titles are available for download from the Smithonian. (Look for the Emory Cook collection link at their site.) Some are made from the actual, original tapes; some are needledrops.

    Also, there is this AWESOME SOUNDING CD: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=197012
     
    MLutthans, Jan 22, 2012
    #11
  12. crooner

    crooner Tube Marantzed

    Location:
    Cathedral City, California
    The single groove stereo on disc system was first conceived by Alan Blumlein in England and then perfected by Westrex who called it the Westrex 45/45. Each channel's information is recorded on 45 degree angles of a V shaped groove.
     
    crooner, Jan 22, 2012
    #12
  13. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan Thread Starter

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Thanks for the extra info MLutthans. :righton:
     
    LeeS, Jan 22, 2012
    #13
  14. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Location:
    Marysville, WA, Salina, KS, Los Angeles, CA
    You're welcome, LeeS!

    There's a famous "binaural" "ambient sound" album called "Voice of the Sea" that really got Emory Cook on the map amongst the hi-fi geeks of the early '50s. My copy is on black vinyl, but my dad's copy? Cool GREEN translucent vinyl from circa 1952, I think. (He bought his when it first came out. I'm guessing mine, from Ebay, is a later pressing.)

    Cook also used a special pressing process, called "Microfusion." Rather than taking a "clump of dough" and smashing it in the press, he took a whole bunch of little drops of "dough," claiming that this resulted in less deformation/stress in the pressing process.

    Matt
     
    MLutthans, Jan 22, 2012
    #14
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  15. No.9

    No.9 Member

    Location:
    Colorado Springs
    What a Frankenstein. The dual mono sound is unique. Cartridge alignment must have been a pain,... imagine the amount of groove wear!
     
    No.9, Jan 23, 2012
    #15
  16. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Location:
    Marysville, WA, Salina, KS, Los Angeles, CA
    As noted in post 7 above, you cannot tell a single thing about the actual stereo sound of the record from the recording on the video due to the way the video recording was made.

    Matt
     
    MLutthans, Jan 23, 2012
    #16
  17. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    The idiots that do this stuff on YouTube drive me crazy. How hard could it have been to have just run both channels into a preamp, and capture that on camera? [​IMG]
     
    Vidiot, Jan 23, 2012
    #17
  18. MikeyH

    MikeyH Stamper King

    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    It doesn't sound like mic/speakers to me.

    Plus, there aren't channels on that disk, there are two differently equalized sum and difference tracks and it requires a custom preamp. That Califone rumbles a lot too.

    I'd suspect 50s electronics plus those crystal cartridges for that sound. This disc also exists in 'vector stereo' as Cook called it.
     
    MikeyH, Jan 23, 2012
    #18
  19. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    What I heard was a few issues with phase and motor speed, right?

    Incidentally, does anybody else have a problem getting back here after looking at one of those YouTube vids...then another...then another...?




    Now playing on Ariel Stream: Ingrid Michaelson - Breakable
     
    Dillydipper, Jan 23, 2012
    #19
  20. MikeyH

    MikeyH Stamper King

    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    It sounded a lot like there was a hard spot on the idler wheel, and the disc slowed now and then. Didn't seem consistent enough to be off-center disc.

    Some people probably think all vinyl playback is like that, from the comments I see elsewhere and in articles.
     
    MikeyH, Jan 23, 2012
    #20
  21. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Location:
    Marysville, WA, Salina, KS, Los Angeles, CA
    Much to my shock, I found a 7.5 ips 2-track reel of this recording on Ebay last week and snapped it up. It was released by Livingston tape company as part of their "Atlantic Tape Library" series. Haven't played it yet. This is a 1952(?) stereo recording, and the reel is probably from 1955 or 1956????

    EDIT: Here's an ad for the 5" release (mine is on a 7" reel) from June of 1955:
    Screen shot 2014-02-25 at 10.38.00 AM.png
     
    MLutthans, Feb 25, 2014
    #21
    LeeS likes this.
  22. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Location:
    Marysville, WA, Salina, KS, Los Angeles, CA
    The recording by Wilbur de Paris is also mentioned in this Feb., 1955, article, excerpted below (from here):
    Screen shot 2014-02-25 at 10.43.42 AM.png
     
    MLutthans, Feb 25, 2014
    #22
    LeeS likes this.
  23. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Location:
    Marysville, WA, Salina, KS, Los Angeles, CA
    Reopened.
     
    MLutthans, Nov 8, 2019
    #23
    LeeS likes this.
  24. Chuckorama

    Chuckorama Forum Resident

    Location:
    Not Here
    Thanks for re-opening this thread. I am very interested in these early stereo recordings by Emory Cook. I just bought a 2-fer CD (on Collectibles) of Wilbur de Paris, leader of a New Orleans jazz band that made 6 or so very enjoyable LPs/EPs for Atlantic, and noticed that Emory Cook was the engineer on the first album, "Marchin' and Swingin' (recorded 1952). Marchin' & Swingin' / At Symphony Hall It's wonderful music and a real pleasure to hear good stereo placement in a recording of this vintage. Not sure how one call tell true stereo from binaural but it sounds good! Did Emory Cook engineer other sessions for Atlantic?

    Separately, I can also heartily recommend Cook's Luiz Bonfa recording from 1959, which is available for download from the Emory Cook Collection. Luiz Bonfá: Brazilian Bossa Nova Guitarist | Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
     
    Chuckorama, Jun 8, 2020
    #24
  25. MrRom92

    MrRom92 Forum Supermodel

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I still would love one of these in the collection. Are there any titles that haven’t been released in any other format? Maybe that voice of the sea recording Mentioned upthread? Would love to needledrop and attempt a digital sync-up, could be interesting
     
    MrRom92, Jun 8, 2020
    #25
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