I am using the 1948 Presto 64-A turntable (described and pictured in “About -> The iPod”) as I have no other turntable. The output from the tonearm is going directly to a digital preamp, and that is connected to my computer. Unfortunately the 33rpm motor on the Presto started malfunctioning about a year ago, which leaves me only able to play records at 78rpm.

So I play the records at 78rpm into a program called Audacity. It takes about 6-7 minutes to play a 15-minute program this way. Audacity has a preset effect for altering the speed of an audio file, which I run on the completed wave form. I spot check to make sure it sounds human, then save as a .wav file.

When I’m getting ready to upload a new program to Bandcamp, I open the .wav file in a different audio editing program, Cubase. Audacity is great for making the original recording and changing the speed, but it’s not so good for editing.  With Cubase I can manipulate the wave form to repair skips, trim dead space at the beginning and end of the files, and fade out the ending if I had to trim it (sometimes the edges of the record are in such bad shape I can’t play them right to the end).  Then the completed project is outputted to a new .wav file and uploaded to Bandcamp then cross-posted here.

With the help of my audio engineer husband I just did some checking and found that it looks like the turntable might be running just a tiny bit fast. He clocked it at about 78.5rpm, which is a very, very slight difference. However, when the recording speed is changed to 33.3 that difference gets stretched, so to speak. I just did a test with a file that I just recorded yesterday. First I changed it back to 78rpm. Then instead of using the preset of -57.265%, I slowed it down a tiny bit extra: -57.96%. He and I both think it sounds better that way, so from now on I will use that conversion rate instead. I can also fix the records that I’ve already done but not yet posted by running the fix when I’m ready to edit them. This will only add a couple of minutes to my editing time, so that won’t be any big deal. However, with trying to get the remaining records copied to the computer before we move overseas (while trying to get rid of everything we own, homeschool my three kids, and take care of life in general) there is absolutely no way I can go back and change the recordings that are already posted. But remember that you can download lossless files of everything on Bandcamp. If you have audio editing programs and want to play with it on your own, go for it!

The total time I put into a 15-minute recording start to finish can be as little as 30 minutes for a program with no skips to several hours for one in really bad shape. There are about 250 records in my collection (15 minutes per side), although some are only recorded on one side, some are too deteriorated to play, and others I’ve chosen to skip for now because they’re not actually radio programs but just random prerecorded music my grandpa put together.  I have somewhere around 125-150 records left to do. I’ll let you do the math for how much work I have ahead of me. I don’t really want to know.  :)

As far as inconsistencies in the speed of some of the recordings (where they sound kind of warped), there is absolutely nothing I can do about that. I just don’t have the time, knowledge, or technology to do it. But once again, those of you with more time, experience and better programs than I have are welcome to download and play with the files. The only limitation I’ve put on them is that they are not to be used for profit.

I’ve never come anywhere close to the download limit before, so I’m just blown away! If it happens again I’ll let you know when the free downloads will reset. If it keeps happening, I’l have to figure something out. I really don’t feel comfortable charging for this material when I don’t own the copyright.

Thanks for listening, and enjoy the programs! By the way, I’m making good progress on digitizing the records. I got over 20 done in the last week, and hope to pick up the pace even more.

To see exactly what this “stuff” is, click on the “About” menu at the top of the page. For the gear, select “The iPod” and for the records “The Playlist.” The only part of the turntable setup that is currently functioning is the 78rpm motor. The 33rpm motor worked until about a year ago, when I think it burned out. It will start but immediately starts to lose speed and eventually stops, all while making a loud humming noise. The Altec A323B amp lights up (or did the last time we messed with it) but it’s not connected to anything.  The records are in a custom case made of 3/4″ plywood lined with foam, on large heavy-duty casters. For a picture of it, see my very first post.

But now I need your help. What do I do with this stuff? My first thought is to try to sell it (especially the equipment) but for a lot of it, shipping is impossible. The smaller components from the record player are the only things that I could possibly package and send. I’d also be willing to consider donating (particularly the records) to a museum, archive, or some other place that would appreciate and share what I have. If you know of any person or organization that might be interested in either my gear or my records–or if you are interested–please contact me either via comment or by email.

I think it will take me at least another month or two to finish digitizing everything, so I’m guessing I’ll be ready to part with it sometime after the beginning of April. We will probably be moving in mid-May. We will leave central Florida by car, stop in St. Louis en route to Detroit to visit family and friends, then fly out of Detroit to Thailand, our final destination.

While digitizing will take priority over posting for the next couple of months, I am going to try to keep getting material up. And even after we move I’ll be able to keep posting, so please don’t go away–there are lots of great programs to come.

The stories are great fun. If anyone out there has any idea who the storyteller is, I’d love to know!

I’ve also started adding album and track art to the programs. This past summer I spent some time at my parents’ house and was able to scan a portion of the huge collection of  work-related photographs that my grandpa had. I’m using those for the album art (unless I can quickly find an image online that better suits the album, like the Tony Martin picture). My plan is to add some notes to the album explaining what the picture is. I haven’t done this yet, but I will. I’ll still use pictures of the record labels for track artwork.

I hope you enjoy a little glimpse into my grandpa’s life through those pictures! For now, I’ll leave you with this one which is a new favorite of mine.

Keith Kinney at work, late 1940s?

From what I’ve gathered, Tony Martin had a 30-minute Saturday evening show sponsored by Bourjois, a maker of women’s cosmetics. The programs include some fun advertisements for things like Evening in Paris face powder. Albert Sacks and his orchestra accompany Tony and Georgia Gibbs (“the little girl with the big voice”), while James Wallington is the announcer. I have a couple of complete shows and one which I think is complete but I’m not certain of the date of one of the discs. All the rest are either part one or part two of a two-part program.

Rather than detail all the songs here, I’ve included them on the bandcamp site. If you want to see those details, click on the album title in the player below (instead of the play or download buttons) and you’ll be taken to my bandcamp page. There you can click on the individual tracks to see the song listings. Enjoy!

I don’t know which of these songs are on which side, but here’s what my grandfather’s notes had: “Later Tonite,” “Stormy Weather,” “Poinciana,” “Stardust,” “Rumba Rumba,” “Memory Lane,” “Mr. Pollyanna,” “Love Old Sweet Song,” and “Cuddle Up a Little Closer.”

This is a track that I digitized a long time ago but never posted. I apologize for the poor audio quality; this was with my old computer which put a lot of digital noise into everything. But I’ve decided that it’s better to get material up here that isn’t perfect rather than sitting on it until I get the chance to fix it (which might never happen).

This is an incomplete program, part one of two. Proctor and Gamble, Makers of Ivory Soap present Hercule Poirot in “The Blonde Who Went Bye-Bye.” Harold Huber stars as Hercule Poirot.

To try to keep the music coming, I’m not going to be putting much research into these posts. Here’s what I have on this program, American Melody Hour (sponsored by Bayer Aspirin). It’s on the flip side of a record dated 5/21/1947, so I assume it’s from a date close to that. The singers are Bob Hannan and Evelyn MacGregor on  ”Midnight Masquerade,” “Heartaches,” “I Want to Thank Your Folks,” “April Showers,” and “Time After Time.”  This is an incomplete program, part one of two.

Canfield Fair, Mahoning County, Ohio, 1946

The report starts with a visit to the Canfield Fair in Mahoning County, Ohio, which was celebrating its 100th anniversary. The local reporter describes in detail the entries in a competition for the best home-made tractor (and interviews the 1st and 2nd place winners), which is really interesting. Another segment features a housewife extolling the the wonderful benefits of using DDT in the home (of course, if DDT doesn’t work there’s the amazing new product from the Navy–448, now known as Malathion). There’s also a feature on the history and hoped-for future of the Missouri mule.

There are other reports and features about farm cooperatives, news from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and more. All in all, a great snapshot of rural American life in the mid-1940s.

Images of the Canfield Fair found at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohmahoni/photos/album3.htm

Canfield Fair, 1946

21_33_Country Journal