Pathe Disque

This is a nine and a half inch [approx 245mm] 'Pathe Disque' being played on the correct style of wind up Pathe gramophone. The title is 'La Troika' The record number is 7854.
This is what is known as a 'Hill and Dale' recording due to the cutting stylus moving in a vertical direction [Edison] rather than the lateral cut [wavy line] that we are all so familiar with.
Oh..Its not a trick...the record really does play from the inside out.... The reason for this I believe was due to the general composition of music starting quietly and then building up to the finish. With conventional recordings all this 'modulation' had to be crammed into the very small area of grooves at the end of a record. Pathe records being recorded in reverse allowed much more room due to the extra area of groove space at the beginning..! Anyway that's my explanation. The records have a wax like feel to them rather like the conventional Columbia recordings of the late 20's early 30's. another little quirk in the history of sound recording. Hope you find it interesting. J.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Pathe
• Disque.
• Old
• record
• played
• backwards.
• Record
• old

[emyandmatty]

if thats a steele needle ive heard they destroy those records

[vinylseat]

Spot on! Yes you are correct. The correct 'stylus' to play these Pathe discs is actually a sapphire with a 'ball' end. To be honest I have played this with a steel needle at least 150 times. Quite out of order I know but it still seems to play ok. Thanks for your comment.

[EmmetEarwax]

I have some aluminum records, cut in a speech class, that play at 78rp and start in the center. They, however, have to contend with a modern phonograph having a cut-off mechanism to pick up & return the tone-arm back to start, when the needle has finished the last band and the end groove is reached. My phonograph cuts off power to the turn-table. You'd have to move the tone-arm slowly, lest you trigger the return mechanism.

[kirtley2010]

i really wish i owned this record, a fantastic song on a fantastic pathe record

[kirtley2010]

@victrolaman i think it works like the ones that go inside out are 90 rpm and the later ones that go outside in are 80rpm, but the 20 inch pathe records are 120-130rpm

[victrolaman]

Is this 90rpms? Just curious. 

[Karlfalcon]

Beautiful recording. It's really no wonder Pathe records are still so desirable.

[vinylloung]

@vinylseat be careful with that.

that can ruin the sound quality

because people dont want to listen to a somewhat destroyed original

they would have a digital copy

so make the digital copy as good as possible

[m2esectr]

@SYN7HOR Yes they are, though I don't know how much. If you want to part from them, mail me privately, but if you don't it's still fine.

[SYN7HOR]

@m2esectr I have some center-start Pathés. The ones made between 1906 and 1916. Are they worth anything?

[riqzster]

@frenchmarky You are correct. That format had a very wide and shallow groove. The "center start" aided tracking because the reproducer worked with, instead of against, the centrifugal force. Pathe made excellent discs that were pantographically transcribed from "concert" sized wax cylinders. That way, the groove always ended 1/4" from the outer edge. The machines, however, were very poor. The Brunswick Ultona, on Pathe setting, was much better. Ultona's even had the correct sapphire ball.

[78rpmblog]

It all depends what kind of player you use. On these old gramophones with heavy tonearms and soundboxes, it doesn't matter that much if the record is a bit warped, but let's say a more modern lightweight pickup would have much more trouble tracking the discs. I've got lots of records that my Lenco L78 have some problems tracking at 78 rpm but who probably would play just fine on any old Victrola.