Old phonograph records
Technical and Legal Information
Technical
The records were played on a 78 RPM turntable and digitized using Cool
Edit 2000 from Syntrillium
Software. Sampling was at 44.1KHz, mono. To reduce noise, I
first did noise-removal filtering with Cool Edit, using as a noise
source the sound of the empty grooves at the beginning of each song.
I then processed the result with Droid Informatica's DePopper
(highly recommended) to remove hiss and clicks, filtering out
frequencies below 40Hz and above 13KHz. The result was compressed to
produce an MP3. The WAV file included for each song is the result of
the initial digitization, before any noise reduction.
Cornelius van Beek contributed the reprocessed MP3 version of
"Post Horn Gallop", using a different method which gives better
results.
Recording dates were estimated with the help of The Almost
Complete 78 RPM Record Dating Guide, by Steven C. Barr.
Legal
I make no representations or warranties of any kind that the use of
these recordings will not infringe any copyright or other intellectual
property of a third party. Anyone contemplating using these recordings
for any purpose should obtain expert legal advice before proceeding.
I will promptly remove any of these materials that are determined to be
infringing on the rights of others, upon proper notification. To serve
notification, you must be either the copyright owner of the work or an
individual authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner. Your
notification must include
- A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or the
person authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner;
- Identification of the particular copyrighted work or works;
- Your contact information, including address, telephone number, and email;
- A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of
the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the
copyright owner or its agent, or the law; and
- A statement that the information in the notification is accurate,
and, under the pains and penalties of perjury, that you are authorized
to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
Update Jan. 1, 2025
As of January 1, 2025, sourd recordings older than 1924 have entered the
pubblic domain and are now availalbe for reuse. Feel free to use the
recordings on this Web page. Happy Public Domain Day.
Return to Old Phonograph Records page
Hal Abelson
MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratry
Cambridge, MA 02139
hal@mit.edu
Last modified: Tues, 7 Jan 2025 12:39:00 -0500