Questions and Answers

Q:
Why did I set up this web page?
A:
I did it to share my hobby with the world. Also, I wanted to learn more about the web, and decided the best way to do it was to set up a web page.
Q:
What is the purpose of this web page?
A:
This web page allows people to listen to music from the past. It is intended mainly for entertainment, although you might learn something by reading or listening. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive education on the music or technology. I want it to be interesting and fun for people with different backgrounds, which is one of the reasons I am not including a lot of obscure music that's of interest mainly to collectors. On the other hand, the music here reflects my musical tastes, which might not correspond with yours (e.g. there will be lots of old jazz, but no Bing Crosby).
Q:
Why do I collect 78 RPM records?
A:
The music. There is a lot of great music on these old records. Some of it has never been remastered onto vinyl or CD, and some of the remastering that has been done isn't very good. Sometimes I'll buy a record due to historical interest, or because I find the material quaint or amusing, but usually I buy records because I like the music.
Q:
Where do I buy my records?
A:
Used record stores, antique shops, garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, swap meets, mail auctions. Generally, I find better pickings at record stores, but every so often I'll come across something really nice at a garage sale.
Q:
Why don't I use some form of streaming audio, like Real Audio?
A:
It's a matter of sound quality. I have listened to different forms of streaming audio, and I think it mostly sounds pretty bad. While it's true that 78 RPM records are not hi-fi, the sound on them is better you might think, especially when played on good equipment. What it comes down to is that good quality audio cannot be transmitted in real time over a modem line.
Q:
Why are the sound files so big?
A:
CD quality audio files take up about 10 megabytes per minute. 78 RPM records are mono, so that takes it down to 5 meg per minute. Audio compression is variable, and the more compression you use, the more the sound quality suffers. I decided, based on listening tests, that 11:1 compression is about as far as I can go without hurting the sound quality too badly for records with good sound (and at 11:1, the degradation in sound quality is definitely noticeable). The compression software I use has a limit of 22:1, and the degradation in sound quality at this ratio is noticeable, but acceptable for older records that don't sound as good to begin with. This brings it down to about 465 Kb per minute at 11:1, and 233 Kb per minute at 22:1. A typical record is two and a half to three minutes on a side, so a typical sound file is about 1.2 to 1.5 Mb at 11:0, and 600 to 750 Kb at 22:1. With a 56K modem, this should take three to four minutes to download at 11:1, and one to two minutes at 22:1. This is one of the reasons I have included short clips of each record, each of which should take about 10 to 15 seconds to download with a 56K modem.
Q:
Why don't I make more records available at a time?
A:
The problem is file size (see above). My ISP allows me 50 Mb of disk space. I don't want to take all of this up with my web site (I need space to send and receive mail, for example). Also, I need space for the transition periods when I'm retiring one version of the site and putting up a new one.
Q:
Why didn't I get rid of all the noise in the recordings?
A:
While I could have eliminated more noise than I did in these transcriptions, to do so would have hurt sound quality. There are two ways to reduce noise that are available to me: filtering and digital signal processing. I could have eliminated more hiss by using low-pass or notch filters, but this would have cut highs in the music, as well. I did use digital signal processing to eliminate pops and ticks, and also to reduce hiss. I did as much hiss elimination as I could without screwing up the music. Too much digital hiss elimination can introduce sound artifacts like whistling or ringing sounds, and it can also make the music sound dull and muddy (similar to the effect of using too much analog filtering).
Q:
Isn't it a copyright violation to broadcast recorded music over the web?
A:
I have a paid license from ASCAP that allows me to legally broadcast music this way. ASCAP is one of the agencies that distributes royalties to composers and performers. The other agency is BMI, but they don't handle licensing on the internet (yet), and they don't handle most music from the 78 era, anyway. ASCAP and BMI were originally set up to make it possible for radio stations and networks to broadcast music without having to negotiate licenses with each individual composer and performer. The copyright laws have been extended to allow ASCAP and BMI to license music broadcast over computer networks, and so far, only ASCAP has done anything about it.
Q:
What are 78 RPM records?
A:
I included this question for people who are young enough not to have been exposed to this recording medium. Before CDs, there was vinyl, in the form of LPs (33 1/3 RPM records) and singles (45 RPM records). Before vinyl, there were 78 RPM records. These records were mostly made of shellac, had wide grooves compared to those on vinyl, and were played at 78 revolutions per minute. They were mostly manufactured between about 1900 and 1955. Their sound quality is not as good as vinyl - 78s tend to be noisy, and some of them have restricted frequency range or dynamic range, although some 78s sound quite good, and good playback equipment can make a lot of difference. Please be aware that I am generalizing here - late in the 78 era, some 78s were made from vinyl and other plastic materials, and early in the 78 era, some records were played at speeds other than 78 RPM, and some had narrow grooves. Before 78s, there were cylinders - this is the form of recording that Edison invented. I don't collect cylinders - this is a sub-specialty of the hobby that I don't indulge in.
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