Dave, I can't say for certain if a hybrid acoustic-electric system did or
didn't exist, so I'll have to do some digging. But I'm scratching my head
trying to fathom the point of such a hybrid! There were some acoustic horn
recording studios that used electric motor-powered cutting turntables to
make the wax master, but that is a simple mechanical factor not an acoustic
one. For the sound in acoustic horns to be converted to electric signals
there would have to be microphones at the end of the horns, which is utterly
pointless - the microphone(s) could easily be placed in the studio itself
and the cumbersome and restricting acoustic horns done away with altogether!
I don't think OKeh's Truetone system infringed any copyrights. Indeed, the
company developed the system in-house in order get round Western Electric's
copyright! When electrical recordings were introduced, a number of companies
deliberately didn't make a song and dance about them, for several reasons.
Although both Victor and Columbia started issuing electrical recordings in
the first half of 1925 (February in the case of Columbia), both companies
agreed privately to "be quiet" about the new recording breakthrough until
November 1925, by which time enough electrical repertory would be available
and the acoustic recordings could then be more or less deleated from the
catalogues (with some exceptions).

As I said previously, Mark told me that the New York OKeh studios were
fitted out for Truetone electrical recordings whereas the Chicago OKeh
studios were not, but they still released the acoustic recordings as being
"Truetone". It is as straightforward as that (I think!).

Re: Oliver CJB OKehs comparison with H5s, I presume you are listening to
CDs rather than original 78s? If the former is the case, then the issue is
obviously clouded by the quality (or otherwise!) of the re-issues.


Nick


2009/7/13 David Brown <johnhaleysims@...>

>
>
> Nick, does that mean that a hybrid system did not exist ? I still can't
> find my source but I think it suggested horns with subsequent electric
> 'amplification' and cutting .
>
> The only possible reason I can find for Hibbard to deny Truetone was
> electric was because it infringed copyright.
>
> While listening through the Oliver CJBs for H5 comparison I decided that
> the
> Paramounts of December 1923 recorded at Marsh Laboratories have better and
> fuller sound than the OKehs.
>
> The Mainspring Press website
> http://www.mainspringpress.com/marsh_electric.html raises the strong
> possibility that these were electrics.
>
> Dave
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>


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