I recently bought a 78rpm acetate - thankfully at a negligible price - of which most of the surface is flaking away (in some areas totally delaminated), excepting the area of the recording itself, which is basically intact for now. I want to try to do a digital transfer of it as soon as possible, lest it deteriorate further, but the surface is visibly quite dusty. It's a Pyral acetate, with a flexible metal core.
Does anyone have experience dealing with damaged acetates? My normal method is to clean with a damp microfibre cloth, but I don't want to risk peeling off the recording in the process.
So many questions, so few answers Member since Nov 2010 877 Points Moderator
Just a thought, could you run it on the turntable with (not knowing what they are called) a dust arm on its own, a little arm with a pad that picks up dust on records.
a happy disposition is an omnious sign.... Member since Feb 2010 1707 Points Moderator
A microfibre cloth would be a very bad idea on a flaking disc as they work in a similar way to velcro , its the lots of tiny loops in the material that snag dust etc, one of these cloths will probably terminally kill your disc.
I would suggest you find a really soft half or quarter inch artists brush and very lightly brush off the excess dirt and thats it.
I would try to record it as is, first and THEN try to do a clean-up. If that helps, record it a second time. If all you can get is that one recording, there are computer programs that can help clean up the sound on what you were able to get. I've got three of them.
I've also got a couple records like that and, the longer you let them sit, the more of the record flakes off. A friend of mine came over years ago with a super rare break-in record from Australia on a 45 that was doing the same thing. I just recorded it as it was and, luckily, that was pretty much the last time it COULD be played! A small part of it wasn't even attached to the metal, anymore and just about ANY pressure could push it away from the metal! Luckily, t stayed put at least long enough for me to get a good recording of it. He eventually sold it a few years later for at least $3000. IF there actually are vinyl copies pressed, I don't know about it.
Edited by Break-In Master on 7th Dec 2021, 7:06 PM
Thanks very much to everyone for their replies, all extremely helpful.
As it happens, for some reason my initial google search didn't bring up anything useful, but using different keywords brought me to this page containing an exhaustive discussion of acetate cleaning techniques. Based on the advice you guys have given and the info on that page, I think I'll definitely stick to a light dry cleaning, with a camel hair brush. Since I started the thread I'll post the results when I'm done, assuming - God willing - I manage to get any.
It just occurred to me that, as far as I know, acetate is basically the same as fingernail polish so, I'm wondering if using a very thin layer of some would help to keep it attached to the metal long enough to play it, if not even clean it before playing it? Students??
So many questions, so few answers Member since Nov 2010 877 Points Moderator
I would still recommend using a dust arm on a very light setting as that follows the grooves as the record rotates as to using a brush that may push against its natural path, ether way both would be better than micro cloth.
Well... as for "results," I can only use the term loosely. It was an inside-out recording, containing a translation into German of Mussolini's declaration of war of June 10, 1940, and two other pieces of radio dialogue on the opposite side. I was able to play through the A-side recording once, although unfortunately the last eighth of an inch or so was simply gone before I started. The B-side (as the pictures show) was in much worse shape, as an amateur with a consumer turntable I'm not sure I can get any more than the snippets in-between the bare metal I managed to record.
Because it's a radio acetate, and what it contains, I assume it's not a unique record, so it's a consolation to think someone out there may have one that's intact. And now I have to do a little begging: if one of our users who speaks German natively could tell me what's being said in the last 4 links (assuming you can make it out), I would appreciate it.
Well... as for "results," I can only use the term loosely. It was an inside-out recording, containing a translation into German of Mussolini's declaration of war of June 10, 1940, and two other pieces of radio dialogue on the opposite side. I was able to play through the A-side recording once, although unfortunately the last eighth of an inch or so was simply gone before I started. The B-side (as the pictures show) was in much worse shape, as an amateur with a consumer turntable I'm not sure I can get any more than the snippets in-between the bare metal I managed to record.
Because it's a radio acetate, and what it contains, I assume it's not a unique record, so it's a consolation to think someone out there may have one that's intact. And now I have to do a little begging: if one of our users who speaks German natively could tell me what's being said in the last 4 links (assuming you can make it out), I would appreciate it.
Whoozh!! That's pretty rough!! I'd say that's WAY more than just LIGHTLY flaking!
The noise is way louder than the recording! Towards the end of the last part I heard the names, Adolph Hitler and Mussolini.
a happy disposition is an omnious sign.... Member since Feb 2010 1707 Points Moderator
You should add it to 45worlds, I would say this is probably unique and historically interesting as looking at the handwriting clearly by a german person of the period - presumably in 1945, at which side of the end of the war, who knows but I wouldnt be surprised if it came from the propaganda ministry of the 3rd reich?
the note on the disc appears to translate as "on notice B205".
You should add it to 45worlds, I would say this is probably unique and historically interesting as looking at the handwriting clearly by a german person of the period - presumably in 1945, at which side of the end of the war, who knows but I wouldnt be surprised if it came from the propaganda ministry of the 3rd reich?
the note on the disc appears to translate as "on notice B205".
Will do!
While I'm not an expert on this kind of material, I have read that many if not all German war bulletins and propaganda pieces during WWII were recorded on magnetic tape, i.e. one can hear that the pieces in this compilation sound like they come from tapes. So for that reason, I'm hopeful that the recording does still exist somewhere.
You should add it to 45worlds, I would say this is probably unique and historically interesting as looking at the handwriting clearly by a german person of the period - presumably in 1945, at which side of the end of the war, who knows but I wouldnt be surprised if it came from the propaganda ministry of the 3rd reich?
the note on the disc appears to translate as "on notice B205".
Will do!
While I'm not an expert on this kind of material, I have read that many if not all German war bulletins and propaganda pieces during WWII were recorded on magnetic tape, i.e. one can hear that the pieces in this compilation sound like they come from tapes. So for that reason, I'm hopeful that the recording does still exist somewhere.
Recording tape?? As far as I know, that wasn't invented until years later thanks to Les Paul.
You should add it to 45worlds, I would say this is probably unique and historically interesting as looking at the handwriting clearly by a german person of the period - presumably in 1945, at which side of the end of the war, who knows but I wouldnt be surprised if it came from the propaganda ministry of the 3rd reich?
the note on the disc appears to translate as "on notice B205".
Will do!
While I'm not an expert on this kind of material, I have read that many if not all German war bulletins and propaganda pieces during WWII were recorded on magnetic tape, i.e. one can hear that the pieces in this compilation sound like they come from tapes. So for that reason, I'm hopeful that the recording does still exist somewhere.
Recording tape?? As far as I know, that wasn't invented until years later thanks to Les Paul.
I don't know when it became widely used in the music industry, but at least according to wiki:
You should add it to 45worlds, I would say this is probably unique and historically interesting as looking at the handwriting clearly by a german person of the period - presumably in 1945, at which side of the end of the war, who knows but I wouldnt be surprised if it came from the propaganda ministry of the 3rd reich?
the note on the disc appears to translate as "on notice B205".
Will do!
While I'm not an expert on this kind of material, I have read that many if not all German war bulletins and propaganda pieces during WWII were recorded on magnetic tape, i.e. one can hear that the pieces in this compilation sound like they come from tapes. So for that reason, I'm hopeful that the recording does still exist somewhere.
Recording tape?? As far as I know, that wasn't invented until years later thanks to Les Paul.
I don't know when it became widely used in the music industry, but at least according to wiki:
it was invented in Germany in 1928, and used by the Reich Propaganda Ministry during the war.
Okay, I just remember that Les Paul invented the tape recorder in the late `40's or early `50's. I'm sure the wire recorder existed back in the 20's. Dad said he used to have one and he was born in `24.
a happy disposition is an omnious sign.... Member since Feb 2010 1707 Points Moderator
In fact at the wars end it was the US Army that took away the tape technology to the USA, where it was researched and made into the commercial items of tape and recording machines that became industry standard (mostly RCA?) I believe it was Bing Crosby who was a major investor of this right at the beginning and went on to make most of his fortune from that business.
Les Paul did not invent recording tape he more or least invented the technique for Multi track recording, which was subsequently adopted by all the studios, again this was at the behest of Bing Crosby who gave him an early Ampex machine.
In fact at the wars end it was the US Army that took away the tape technology to the USA, where it was researched and made into the commercial items of tape and recording machines that became industry standard (mostly RCA?) I believe it was Bing Crosby who was a major investor of this right at the beginning and went on to make most of his fortune from that business.
Les Paul did not invent recording tape he more or least invented the technique for Multi track recording, which was subsequently adopted by all the studios, again this was at the behest of Bing Crosby who gave him an early Ampex machine.
Oh!! That's right! It was multi--tracking!! This insane shit my ex-sisters put me through the past few years has really done a number on my head!! Some things I used to know by heart I have to try to "re-learn" all over again!! Even computer programs I used to use almost all day almost every day for the past 20-some years, I've had to figure out how to use again!! If only mom & dad stopped having kids after my brother, I'd be in great shape, right now!! If only I could go back to 1959 and warn them!!