When was the speed of (old) gramophone records standardized at 78 rpm?

lanfranco

This is an interesting question, bloomsby. According to this site, by 1910, most records were recorded at 78-80 rpm. However, it was only in 1925 that the speed of 78.26 was chosen as the standard most easily achieved. See "Speeds" on this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramophone_record May 14 06, 5:57 PM

zbeckabee

In 1925, 78.26 rpm was chosen as a standard for motorized phonographs, because it was suitable for most existing records, and was easily achieved using a standard 3600-rpm motor and 46-tooth gear (78.26 = 3600/46). Thus these records became known as 78s (or "seventy-eights"). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/78_rpm May 14 06, 5:57 PM

bloomsby

Many thanks and a YAY to you both. (You both posted at 5.57pm). :) May 14 06, 7:11 PM

Baloo55th

Up to the merger with HMV, (UK) Columbia records had the speed listed as 80 rpm. These had either no lead-out and lead-in groove, or just a wide ring lead-out. (The lead-out going to the label and the lead-in groove werre brought in to enable drop-down mechanisms to work without the needle sliding off the edge, and to work the stop mechanism by the arm moving past a certain point.) Certain other labels listed 80 in the early days, but Columbia was the last. I've got a Jumbo record with 79R on the label, but I'm not sure if that is a speed indication. Many early record players had a speed control lever (in fact it was a brake) to adjust the speed for different recordings. Prior to electric recording, the clockwork mechanisms used to record were a bit non-standard. The reason that records had speeds marked was possibly to avoid confusion with World System recordings, which played from the centre outwards (like a CD does) and which played at varying speeds as the arm progressed outwards to ensure a constant needle to surface speed. With normal records, the needle to surface speed is greater nearer the edge. There was no other speed system in use until 33 and 45 (and the rare 16s) came in starting in the 1940s. May 15 06, 7:31 AM

bloomsby

Many thanks, Baloo, for those further details. If I remember rightly most of the early LP records were very expensive in real terms till well into the 1960s - approaching £2 (about £25+ in current terms). May 15 06, 9:23 AM

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Why the big hole in 45 RPM records? I once had a record player which could be adjusted to play discs at 78, 45, 33 and 16 RPM speeds. I have never in my life seen a record which plays at 16 RPM. Does anyone know anything about these discs - Were such records ever manufactured? Why 16, 33 1/3, 45 and 78 rpm? When was the Guinness Book of World Records first written?

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