1977 - 20 Golden Greats - 40 Golden Years!

[Fenderman]

I can't stand mock stereo, it actually ruins some tracks, i'd prefer mono or proper stereo any day.

[JimN]

I would imagine a certain amount of EQ adjustment/compression (I'm going a bit off-piste here!) would also have been needed to squeeze 20 tracks onto one LP; I'm sure Jim Nugent can offer a better explanation.

How about this one...

The 33.33 rpm 12" disc was designed for long-playing, but not for limitless playing. Squeezing the pitch of the groove in order to cram more onto the vinyl requires the dynamic range to be audibly reduced. The "Twenty Golden Greats" (vinyl LP version is really compressed to death in order to fit all the material onto one disc.

"Microgroove" discs (LPs and EPs) were always observed to be quieter than 45rpm singles. 78 rpm records were louder still (the design was originally sufficient to drive an acoustic horn).

See this helpful little web-page, which confirms that 18 minutes per side is optimal. 30 minutes per side is past the properly acceptable limits of quality.

http://www.themasterdiskrecord.com/2014/06/deciding-long-make-side-vinyl-record/

[drakula63]

A bit late now, but a 40th anniversary re-release as a double LP (i.e. five tracks per side) would be great.

Speaking of dynamics - to my ears Bermuda Triangle on the b-side of the 12" Argentina/Cavatina single has always sounded better than the one on Tasty, I'm sure for the reasons stated.

[Didier]

I would imagine a certain amount of EQ adjustment/compression (I'm going a bit off-piste here!) would also have been needed to squeeze 20 tracks onto one LP; I'm sure Jim Nugent can offer a better explanation.

How about this one...

The 33.33 rpm 12" disc was designed for long-playing, but not for limitless playing. Squeezing the pitch of the groove in order to cram more onto the vinyl requires the dynamic range to be audibly reduced. The "Twenty Golden Greats" (vinyl LP version is really compressed to death in order to fit all the material onto one disc.

"Microgroove" discs (LPs and EPs) were always observed to be quieter than 45rpm singles. 78 rpm records were louder still (the design was originally sufficient to drive an acoustic horn).

See this helpful little web-page, which confirms that 18 minutes per side is optimal. 30 minutes per side is past the properly acceptable limits of quality.

http://www.themasterdiskrecord.com/2014/06/deciding-long-make-side-vinyl-record/

Vinyl quality also plays a part, the best quality vinyl was used for classical music, much less for pop music which often used recycled vinyl coming from unsold records...

BTW, 33,33 disc speed was first used on the Vitaphone sound system for films in the late twenties, with one 16" disc mechanically synchronised for each film reel !
One of the first "talkies", "The Jazz Singer" (1927) used this system

Didier

[iefje]

My grandparents used to have a record player with four speeds: 33 1/3, 45, 78 and also 16 rpm. Does anyone have ever come across a record which had to be played at 16 rpm?

[UlrichS]

The 33.33 rpm 12" disc was designed for long-playing, but not for limitless playing. Squeezing the pitch of the groove in order to cram more onto the vinyl requires the dynamic range to be audibly reduced. The "Twenty Golden Greats" (vinyl LP version is really compressed to death in order to fit all the material onto one disc.

So EMI Spain knew why they released "Twenty Golden Greats" as a vinyl double album with just five tracks per side.

L-ESP-10C176-06581+2-ca.jpg

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[Moderne]

I would imagine a certain amount of EQ adjustment/compression (I'm going a bit off-piste here!) would also have been needed to squeeze 20 tracks onto one LP; I'm sure Jim Nugent can offer a better explanation.

How about this one...

The 33.33 rpm 12" disc was designed for long-playing, but not for limitless playing. Squeezing the pitch of the groove in order to cram more onto the vinyl requires the dynamic range to be audibly reduced. The "Twenty Golden Greats" (vinyl LP version is really compressed to death in order to fit all the material onto one disc.

"Microgroove" discs (LPs and EPs) were always observed to be quieter than 45rpm singles. 78 rpm records were louder still (the design was originally sufficient to drive an acoustic horn).

See this helpful little web-page, which confirms that 18 minutes per side is optimal. 30 minutes per side is past the properly acceptable limits of quality.

http://www.themasterdiskrecord.com/2014/06/deciding-long-make-side-vinyl-record/

Thanks, Jim!

My grandparents used to have a record player with four speeds: 33 1/3, 45, 78 and also 16 rpm. Does anyone have ever come across a record which had to be played at 16 rpm?

I think 16rpm records were usually spoken word 'Linguaphone - learn a foreign language'-type records.

[cockroach]

[quote="iefje"]My grandparents used to have a record player with four speeds: 33 1/3, 45, 78 and also 16 rpm. Does anyone have ever come across a record which had to be played at 16 rpm?[/quote

I think 16 2/3 rpm was used for spoken word recordings mainly, such as instructional recordings for learning foreign languages..

[GoldenStreet]

I think 16 2/3 rpm was used for spoken word recordings mainly, such as instructional recordings for learning foreign languages..

Yes, I recall my dad saying he thought it was intended for such recordings, his newly acquired first stereo record player, an Ekco RP364, with a Garrard 209 autochanger featuring the then mysterious facility which, needless to say, was never used for its proper purpose!

This article by Mike Dicecco, of the Canadian Antique Phonograph Society, provides a fascinating insight into the technology...

http://www.capsnews.org/apn2010-3.htm

Bill