Date:         Sat, 26 Aug 2006 22:18:04 -0400
Reply-To:     Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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Sender:       Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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From:         steven c <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: WHY save as WAV's when Mp3's can do??? (was Podcasting of
              78's)
Comments: To: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Fine" <[log in to unmask]>
> Hmmm, this is an interesting question. Are you at all handy with
electronics? If so, your most
> direct route might be to find one of those Heath preamps on eBay. You'll
need to build a power
> supply for it (or find a Lambda or comparable power supply). It's got a
good choice of turnover and
> rolloff points.
>
> Plan B would be to use a ceramic cartridge into a line input.
>
I'll speak up...and enthusiastically recommend plan B!

1) Find a fifties/sixties/maybe seventies(?) "record player." Avoid
overpriced "antiques"...frequent garage/yard sales, thrift stores
and so on!

2) Find a needle (these are not sophisticated enough to be yclept
"styli!"), preferably with a diamond tip (78's "eat" sapphire
tips in fairly short order!) to fit the above machine.

3) Cut the leads (two, three or four) running from the cartridge
(in the head of the "tone arm") to the machine's amplifier. If
there are two wires, one is signal and one is ground (which is
which is unimportant!)...solder, or have an expert solder if
you prefer, an RCA plug to the wires. If there are three or
four wires, you have a stereo cartridge...have TWO RCA plugs
(one for each channel) soldered to the wires, with the ground
(or shield) being soldered to the outside portion of each RCA
plug and the "hot" lead to the plug's tip. The plug(s) can
now be inserted in the "Line In" jack(s) of your sound system...
or, you can use an easily-found "2 RCA Jacks to Stereo Mini-Phone
Plug" adapter, which will plug into the "Line In" jack of your
computer's sound card.

4) If you plug into your sound system, you can now listen to
your 78's thereon. If you plug into your computer, you can now
(if you have the software) save your 78's as sound files (and
enter the debate on this list concerning this process?!).

Steven C. Barr