Victor Auxetophone

[Dillybar777]

The song is Stars and Stripes Forever.

[rweerakkody4565]

@Dillybar777 thanks! i was gonna ask that

[bobbobato]

Its very noisy close up. I guess this was meant to be listened to far enough away that the mechanical noise wouldn't be heard?

[kirtley2010]

was the reproducer made for left handed people, the thumb screw is on a different side than usual reproducers

[SatchmoSings]

Not only is the Auxetophone amazing, so is that performance of "Stars and Stripes Forever;" I personally usually find acoustic renditions of standard repertoire to be poorly performed; this would be way before early electrics by great music directors.

This is actually performed at that level; I wonder who it is?

[ShrCanIt]

Real High End!!!

[TheMaxx111]

That is a crazy contraption.

[kaos0077]

Floored! Absolutely incredible.

[CassetteRookie]

What song is being played on this demonstration.

[CGT867]

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to hear these early inventions - fascinating!

[CassetteRookie]

Genius!!

[TooManySpoons]

@CassetteRookie

Stars and Stripes Forever

Thanks for the video! Very interesting...

[Turkeydoodlers]

Funny how the air makes it louder

Who would have bought this back then?

A hall or auditorium?

I can't imagine tis was meant for home use unless you were deaf

[RICKROLLBLENDER]

back in 1905, there were retailed at $5000 US!

[ReneRondeau]

Actually, it was $500, as you can see in the original ad at 0:20 in the video. But that translates to well over $12,000 in today's dollars.

[RICKROLLBLENDER]

ok, that might have been the fault of the book I was reading. :-(

Maybe they put an extra 0 in? XD

but yeah, it's amazing that you have such a thing. Thank you so much ffor posting a clip of it on here =D

[btown2011]

thats funny that you still have to crank it though, but the compressor is electrically driven.

[rweerakkody4565]

the rene rondeau????!!!! the famous phonograph collector? this is amazing. oh yes and thank u so much for assisting me in my "vinyl amplifying" problems through this video. you see i play records using horn and pin (i know its bad for the vinyl) and I didnt know how to make the sound louder. thank you thank you so much!!!!!!!!! ^_^

[msbfd]

This would make the most awesome bass amp - little valves instead of piezo pickups under the bridge...

[DeLorean4]

A steam engine would be perfect for some added kick!

[PolaroidSX70]

That's incredible.

I heard the air compressor, and thought to myself, there's no possible way you'd be able to hear the music over that.

I was wrong.

[drdcnipper]

It was wonderful to see and hear your unusual phonograph. thanks, it was a treat

[16mmDJ]

Wow! i just calculated how much that would have cost, it was well over what 10,500 dollars is worth now!

[edisonphonographs]

How did you figure that out? How much would 30 dollars be today?

Thanks

[16mmDJ]

$801.81

Just google inflation calculator.

[merrihew]

I've heard the one from the famous collection outside of Chicago and there was lots of distortion (with a clean record and fresf needle) but it was loud!.

[hotsickle]

What happens when you play a 1920's eletrically recorded record? I bet you really get some amplification! It's a beautiful machine. I wonder how many are still in existence?

[DeLorean4]

1950s electrical recordings are the guiltiest in that regard in my humble opinion. I have two early rock and roll records on the "Quality" label that, when played on my portable Czechoslovak gramophone, fill the entire house.

[edisonphonographs]

I have never heard one of these play before. Sounds great and very loud. Where did you get this one? Are thoses chocolate phonographs on the mantle?

Thanks

[ReneRondeau]

This came from the legendary EMI collection in London, auctioned in 1980 by Sotheby's. It had been in storage in their collection for at least 50 years by then. The phonographs on the mantle were indeed made by Stollwerck chocolate co,. both the 1903 and 1904 versions.

[acfinney]

Sounds as good as my 1928 Victor Orthophonic. 1906 is unbelievable. Caruso would be awsome on this. I would let you have a 1908 caruso just to hear it on video.

[ReneRondeau]

I have a few great Caruso red label Victors, including "Over There." The sound really is incredible!

[tb40ford]

Thank you so much for posting this video.

[robskisEHS]

As that "The Stars And Stripes Forever" played on your Victor Auxetophone?

[ReidOphone]

Hello, Rene. I've got a new account now just for antique sound reproducers.

I posted as "HartfordTommy" some time ago.

Note that my username is a joke on myself.

I like humour. Come and visit my one or two videos if you like. I like rare machines very much, and common machines, too. They are all rare wonders.

[m134mr]

that is fantastic. great invention. I wonder if the process could be reversed for recording, so it would have recorded at a high volume on the disc in the studio, that might have been a good idea!hmmm... :) 5 stars!!

[HartfordTommy]

Gee, this is great. We had one here in the Bennett collection for 40 years, sold it on ebay a couple of years ago. Our machine lacked its original pump, but had a functional modern substitute, a Gast vane compressor. The Auxetophone projects like no other acoustic phono, I can aver! So glad you have yours and thank you for such superb demonstrations as this. Excellent speaking voice and style too, you =and= the Auxetophone.

Cheers!

[HartfordTommy]

Having now listened to the demo recording, you folks might think that the hiss of the air through the reproducer's comb valve must dominate the music. In real life that is not the case. The camcorder mic is accentuating the hiss. Put a Caruso disk on an Auxetophone. Turn on the air; the projection is nothing less commanding than like having that singer standing before you in the room.

Caruso comes alive. If you've ever heard a live voice of his nature up close, well, there you are with him again

[ReidOphone]

Hartford Tommy and ReidOphone are one and the same; Ishould know.

POINT: we all forget,wether in one month, or ten years, what we may have earnestly said in the past. POINT: record your thoughts truthfully as you can.  THEN go back and review later and CORRECT yourself while you are able.

Sincerely, Reid Wech/ aka HartfordTommy and ReidOphone, etc. Peace.

[mrstoilets]

CALM DOWN! one of you is both the same.

[PaulStryper24]

Amazing machine! also, off the subject, but, i saw a news report on you by the way, Great video! Amazing machine!

[v1m]

Better than a Bose!

[freakybuzz]

LOL. That's not exactly setting the bar very high. "No highs, no lows. Must be Bose." :-)

Seriously, though, what an outstanding machine this is, and a great demonstration, too. In it's day, it was no doubt at the top of the heap when it came to audio reproduction. Awesome to see it still working.

[GracevilleMN]

Thanks for posting this! The motor sounds pretty loud itself, but I suppose that noise is drowned out by the music. One question: does the compressor motor run all the time, or cycle off and on as the air tank pressure changes?

Bob

[ReneRondeau]

The compressor runs continuously while the machine is playing. The moment it is shut off, the volume drops down to nothing.

[dewey70]

Great vid man, nice to see one of these outside of books

[mathewbailey08]

I know there are some sirens that also use a blower. Thunderbolt,Hurricane & Chrysler/Bell Victory sirens.

[gmmix]

Incredibly educational video, and it's so well done. Thanks for posting it.

[fuzzbear6240]

Rene, That's fantastic. It's so neat to see one in operation-someday I hope to see one in person.... at least once. Regards, J.

[nelliewax]

Wish we could all hear it in person...incredibly loud!!  Great video!

[transformingArt]

Amazing Machine! Thanks for Posting!

[Phonophan79]

Great video! Amazing machine!

[thephonographsniper]

Oh, it's impossible to hear exactly how loud these are w/o hearing one in person...the sound just doesn't do the Auxetophone justice...