Speak-O-Phone Recording System

Yes, it's an ebay auction. It's not mine and it will be over very soon. I post this here because this is too cool and to cheap for an SH member not to get a crack at it.
What kind of sound quality did they get out of these? Is it possible to find the vinyl?
My wife won't let me have it. I'm under one of those temporary shut downs after a plethora of spending.
Tell me about these.



If you wish to buy it, it's in PA and at $9.99 with less than two hours. Use the title to do a ebay search.

 

She's a BLABBERMOUTH!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBEOauyrpWs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9gJJCr3KdA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C8AfFBIcgk

 

I don't know what this has to do with it but I'm laughing my butt off on link one.

 

Keep watching - you'll see!

 

I got it. Man of man, I can't remember a funnier episode. I don't believe I've seen that one or remember seeing it.
The first part with the clock and two minutes is Gleason at his best. No dialog, only facial expressions. Incredible acting.

 

Classic stuff, thanks for the laughs. I hadn't watched a honey mooners episode in the longest time. My favorite episode is the one where Ralph learns to play golf.

 

I don't know anything about Speak-O-Phones. But from the looks of it, I'd guess it was made around 1946. Recording would be on soft 78 r.p.m. disc.

I used to own a similar, slightly larger machine and it sucked up so much power that the lights would dim when I switched it on. I got rid of it after awhile.

 

One of the most classic episodes of any TV show, ever!

 

I am going to assume that it uses the Audiodisc type acetate blanks.

Finding NOS Audiodisc blanks may be very difficult.

-Aaron

 

It will indeed use lacquers such as Audiodiscs or the cheaper plastic-coated fibreboard discs offered then by such makers as Recordisc and Wilcox-Gay.

That's a General Industries mechanism. The cutting head (in the right-hand arm) is a crystal type, likely made by Astatic. This machine will only cut discs up to 10" diameter, lateral mono, with a frequency range of about 60-6000 Hz. Wow and flutter, likely not more than .5%; YMMV. Rumble about 25 dB below average recording levels on a VERY good day. Speed tolerance within 3%. It's likely a single speed 78 RPM model, though a later edition of the same mechanism offered 33 RPM as a second speed.

This is a typical home recording outfit, NOT even a semi-professional machine. (See the specs above again!) Also, the playback pickup is of the crystal type, as is that microphone. I would be very surprised if the cutter head, microphone and playback cartridge were all in working order, unless they had been recently rebuilt by the likes of West-Tech Services. The electronics will require a complete re-cap job (and perhaps quite a number of the resistors as well) if nothing's been touched inside in the last 60 years. (Most capacitors only last 20 years if you're lucky.) It's a fun toy if it works, but useless for doing anything aspiring to serious quality.

Lacquer discs are still being made, and are available from the following US manufacturers: Apollo Masters (the latest incarnation of the lacquer disc manufacturing part of Audio Devices, the company who introduced the Audiodisc brand in 1938), www.apollomasters.com, and Transco, http://www.aardvarkmastering.com/transco.htm. Apollo also offers new cutting styli for a range of cutting heads, amateur and professional alike.

I hope this helps!

 

As for General Industries, they were based in Elyria, Ohio, and produced recorder mechanisms such as this for numerous manufacturers including Knight (Allied Radio's house brand), Meissner, Wilcox-Gay, Masco, and Concord. (Somewhere, I have a Sams Photofact folder for a record changer version of this mechanism!)

In addition, they made these recorder mechanisms, and entry-level playback turntable assemblies, available to do-it-yourselfers who wished to build their own equipment.

They were also a very large OEM supplier of phono motors to the industry.

 

A predecessor to the Belt-Record Dictaphones the people of the offices used to record notes!...anyoe else remember these (better yet,anyone's got some "Visual aids" AKA Photos to bring back those Long-Gone Memories? Thanx!) Michael Boyce

 

Thank you. I enjoyed reading that. Interesting.

 

Never seen one of these before but very interesting to read about it.


Here's a couple of clips from the UK most popular comedy of all time.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYq-Ljwov_s&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLYvSWJUBb8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcW-IrZe6aI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjF7GMP28X8&NR=1