So many cool maker tricks: Vapour smoothing 3d prints, glass-melting torch from socket wrench set and gas stove, forming sheet aluminium with a car jack, a bicycle tire and a lot of ingenuity... Also, I now know how to check if the glass I print on is indeed borosilicate or simple soda lime glass... Really, Really nice! (Oh, and the phonographs' cool too!)
Thanks for the inspiration. I have a lion puck with just the aluminum frame of the reproducer. A lyric missing a horn an reproducer. And I believe 2 more lyric picks one needing all the holes drill and missing all parts, the other drilled but missing all its parts also
Thanks, I found it to be a nice alternative to mica. And this project was a fun experiment in trying out some new skills. I was slightly surprised by the sound it produced and I am very happy with the results. A metal diaphragm isn't very common for these types of reproducers (I was told) but with the horn already made out of aluminum I thought it would fit nicely. Pressing the diaphragm and finding the correct size and shape took quite some experimentation though.
Compared to my Columbia Model Q it sounds very good! I have also printed a new reproducer for my "Parisienne", a Pathé Model 0 mockup from a small French company. I used original mica and found a sapphire stylus from a Dutch dealer. But your aluminium membrane sounds better!
As you already know, I guess, the quality of the sound depends on many things. It's not only a matter of taste, but also in what kind of room you play it, if you are next/close to the horn or on the opposite side. I experimented a lot to record the sound without too much distortion. In other words, if both machines played in the same room, the same cyclinder then you'd could really tell the difference. Personally, I found the sound quality of a mica based reproducer slightly more pleasent, but despite that I'm very pleased with the outcome of my little project. Anyway, regarding sound recordings, you can't get any more basic than this technology. I find it fascinating that this piece of audio history still works being more than a century old.
By the way- Mica diaphragms can be bought as reproduction, as can a (somewhat better) diaphragm for the aluminum, also reproduction for a diaphragm. For a stylus, it would be best to buy one of the newly made sapphire styli from the various antique phonograph supply places (this is historically original, but $50 or so). If you buy these reproduction parts, you'd just have to either 3D print a frame, or buy a reproduction. Basically, you can make it yourself as much as you like, or as little- full reproduction part sets are available
The song you hear at the end of the video was recorded using the DIY reproducer as shown in the video. There are a lot the usual problems , so I would not call this transfer quality. A simple recording with a decent microphone somewhere near the horn. The fact that the playback speed is a bit too fast might and the trebble is relatively high because of the way it was recorded might be slightly confusing. Please keep in mind that the cylinder itself is of a remarkably good quality, which was very fortunate and greatly benefits the results. Anyway, thanks for the compliment. To prevent confusion, the music you hear around the 1 minute mark (the Tragic Tunes TV scene) is from a different source and was not recorded by me. I did this on purpose because for the story, it had to be a different recording than the one I own myself, simply because there are many version of these recording. It had to be of better quality too, because it needed to reflect the sound from a professional TV show.
Yep. That's how to make them. Not as difficult as it seems, but it requires a steady hand, some thin borosilicate glass rods or a thicker piece of borosilicate glass and a decent oxygen-gas burner. But if the glass is thin enough to start with a regular burner will work too. Keep in mind that practice makes perfect.
Phonographs are not being made any more for quite a long time. Which simply means that you'll need to search for them in antique shops, online auctions but better would be a specialized shop. These kind of shops still exist and have the ability to repair and maintain these machines before they sell them. Search for a "gramophone", "phonograph", "wax cylinder" or "78-rpm records" or the corresponding words in your preferred language.
Hello Andrew, I'm afraid I can't help you with that, but the 3D printed die isn't that special, and 3D printed plastic isn't really the perfect material for these kind of things. In essence, it's just a disc with rings carved into the surface, a metal die would be best, but if you have a thick piece of hard plastic you can cut that into a circle and make some groves (smooth grooves, no sharp edges) it will do just fine. I guess that if you can make all the other parts to use the die, then making a die should not be a problem.
i visit the house of a man who restores phonographs and builds reproducers, he has a lot of micas, they are very common, you can get a lot of glass micas from china
Indeed mica isn't really special, I just wanted to do it differently. And they have been making some non-mica reproducers in the past, but mica simply was the best option as it is the most used for this application.
too fast... too slow... who knows and how do we check this? We can compare it with another recording, but then again, how do we know that that recording runs at the proper speed. Regarding the playback speed of the cylinder(s) in this video, I never focused on that at all.
So many cool maker tricks: Vapour smoothing 3d prints, glass-melting torch from socket wrench set and gas stove, forming sheet aluminium with a car jack, a bicycle tire and a lot of ingenuity... Also, I now know how to check if the glass I print on is indeed borosilicate or simple soda lime glass... Really, Really nice! (Oh, and the phonographs' cool too!)
Thanks, this video was a nice experiment in many ways.
This channel is SO underrated! I enjoyed every minute of this
thanks for the kind words
You have great story telling chops. Thanks for sharing this.
Your welcome, thanks for watching :)
When your mom won't buy you that restored $300 reproducer you found on eBay. "We have a reproducer at home...." 🤣
Great stuff. Really well researched and thought out project and great video too! Thanks 👍😀
Great video. Can’t wait for the next one.
thanks, I'm working on it...
Thanks for the inspiration. I have a lion puck with just the aluminum frame of the reproducer. A lyric missing a horn an reproducer. And I believe 2 more lyric picks one needing all the holes drill and missing all parts, the other drilled but missing all its parts also
UA-cam needs more of this!!
I love this video. super..
Nice work!
thanks
Nice idea of using a later ortho aluminum diaphragm
Thanks, I found it to be a nice alternative to mica. And this project was a fun experiment in trying out some new skills. I was slightly surprised by the sound it produced and I am very happy with the results. A metal diaphragm isn't very common for these types of reproducers (I was told) but with the horn already made out of aluminum I thought it would fit nicely. Pressing the diaphragm and finding the correct size and shape took quite some experimentation though.
Compared to my Columbia Model Q it sounds very good! I have also printed a new reproducer for my "Parisienne", a Pathé Model 0 mockup from a small French company. I used original mica and found a sapphire stylus from a Dutch dealer. But your aluminium membrane sounds better!
As you already know, I guess, the quality of the sound depends on many things. It's not only a matter of taste, but also in what kind of room you play it, if you are next/close to the horn or on the opposite side. I experimented a lot to record the sound without too much distortion. In other words, if both machines played in the same room, the same cyclinder then you'd could really tell the difference. Personally, I found the sound quality of a mica based reproducer slightly more pleasent, but despite that I'm very pleased with the outcome of my little project. Anyway, regarding sound recordings, you can't get any more basic than this technology. I find it fascinating that this piece of audio history still works being more than a century old.
By the way- Mica diaphragms can be bought as reproduction, as can a (somewhat better) diaphragm for the aluminum, also reproduction for a diaphragm. For a stylus, it would be best to buy one of the newly made sapphire styli from the various antique phonograph supply places (this is historically original, but $50 or so). If you buy these reproduction parts, you'd just have to either 3D print a frame, or buy a reproduction. Basically, you can make it yourself as much as you like, or as little- full reproduction part sets are available
Thanks for the tip.
is that bit at the end the reproducer actually playing a record? Becuase that is MUCH higher fidelity than an original. It's almost transfer quality!
The song you hear at the end of the video was recorded using the DIY reproducer as shown in the video. There are a lot the usual problems , so I would not call this transfer quality. A simple recording with a decent microphone somewhere near the horn. The fact that the playback speed is a bit too fast might and the trebble is relatively high because of the way it was recorded might be slightly confusing. Please keep in mind that the cylinder itself is of a remarkably good quality, which was very fortunate and greatly benefits the results. Anyway, thanks for the compliment.
To prevent confusion, the music you hear around the 1 minute mark (the Tragic Tunes TV scene) is from a different source and was not recorded by me. I did this on purpose because for the story, it had to be a different recording than the one I own myself, simply because there are many version of these recording. It had to be of better quality too, because it needed to reflect the sound from a professional TV show.
Ah yes yipper the cat from the famos "Hers owners record"
I came here from the piezo video wondering where the heck you got a borosilicate stylus. Now I know - sort of.
Yep. That's how to make them. Not as difficult as it seems, but it requires a steady hand, some thin borosilicate glass rods or a thicker piece of borosilicate glass and a decent oxygen-gas burner. But if the glass is thin enough to start with a regular burner will work too. Keep in mind that practice makes perfect.
Do you know where I could find one of the machines you used in the video that winds up and spins the cylinder at the specific speed?
Phonographs are not being made any more for quite a long time. Which simply means that you'll need to search for them in antique shops, online auctions but better would be a specialized shop. These kind of shops still exist and have the ability to repair and maintain these machines before they sell them. Search for a "gramophone", "phonograph", "wax cylinder" or "78-rpm records" or the corresponding words in your preferred language.
Great video could you print me a die for pressing the aluminum diaphragm?
Hello Andrew, I'm afraid I can't help you with that, but the 3D printed die isn't that special, and 3D printed plastic isn't really the perfect material for these kind of things. In essence, it's just a disc with rings carved into the surface, a metal die would be best, but if you have a thick piece of hard plastic you can cut that into a circle and make some groves (smooth grooves, no sharp edges) it will do just fine. I guess that if you can make all the other parts to use the die, then making a die should not be a problem.
i visit the house of a man who restores phonographs and builds reproducers, he has a lot of micas, they are very common, you can get a lot of glass micas from china
Indeed mica isn't really special, I just wanted to do it differently. And they have been making some non-mica reproducers in the past, but mica simply was the best option as it is the most used for this application.
Is this an art film or a how too? Because it can't be both.
hahaha.... sure it can :)
The cylinder runs too fast...
too fast... too slow... who knows and how do we check this? We can compare it with another recording, but then again, how do we know that that recording runs at the proper speed.
Regarding the playback speed of the cylinder(s) in this video, I never focused on that at all.
that machine needs some work. you can buy a replacement reproducer with a sapphire stylus for less than 200 bucks...