larry@grkermit.UUCP (Larry Kolodney) (07/11/83)
My turntable (KLH model 11) has a speed setting of 16 RPM on it. Currently, I only use it to play Chipmunk Punk to make is sound REALLY bizzare (try it sometime). Have there ever really been 16 RPM records around? Or else, what is it used for? Also, why are 45's 45's. Why isn't there just one standard speed? -- Larry Kolodney #13 (I try harder) (USENET) decvax!genrad!grkermit!larry allegra!linus!genrad!grkermit!larry harpo!eagle!mit-vax!grkermit!larry (ARPA) rms.g.lkk@mit-ai
dyer@wivax.UUCP (Stephen Dyer) (07/12/83)
16 2/3 RPM was used mainly for "Talking Book" recordings for the blind and similar applications where fidelity was less important than long playing time.
rpk@mit-vax.UUCP (Robert Krajewski) (07/13/83)
Well, the reasons for the speeds are as follows (or so the folklore
goes)
16: For radio transcription acetate disks and other mid-fi
applications where fidelity is secondary to duration on one
side.
33: CBS just decided this was a good tradeoff for an LP. I think its
easier to make a platter rotate that fast with the parts available
then, too.
45: RCA decided to be incompatible (tho it DOES give better sound).
78: Actually, nobody ever set this offically at the
beginning. In the old days, you just cranked until it
sounded good.
~?
``Bob''bill@uwvax.UUCP (07/15/83)
Talking magazines (e.g., Time, Newsweek) for the blind were on 8-1/3 rpm records around 8-10 years ago; my wife's grandfather had a subscription to Newsweek in that format. Our local library loans adapters to regular turntables to get the lower speed(s) -- probably some gear-reduction assembly, fairly thin [although tracking angle probably isn't all that critical on slow-speed, relatively low-usage records, especially "use-once" ones like news mags]. bill cox bill@uwisc ...seismo!uwvax!bill