Restoring old records.. the HARD way!

[Lord Reith]

I found this incredible feature from a tv show in 1971 which shows a man declicking old 78s... using magnetic tape and a splicing block!

I greatly admire his dedication and tenacity, but I can't help wondering what he would have made of the tools we have now. I also have an uneasy feeling that our successors in 50 years time will look at our efforts with the same disbelief. "What, you had to actually repair the audio yourself? You couldn't just say, 'Alexa, please remix this mono acetate in 9.1 one Dolby Atmos before I get home from work tonight'"

https://tinyurl.com/n7873mpa

[Mrbeatleg]

that was incredible.

[tdgrnwld]

In many cases, I would rather edit tape than digital files.
It's quick and easy once you've developed the skill, and the tactile aspect is a pleasure that digital can't match.

[Rave O Lucien]

Fascinating.

[Beatles4you]

.

[Vee-Jay]

I found this incredible feature from a tv show in 1971 which shows a man declicking old 78s... using magnetic tape and a splicing block!

I greatly admire his dedication and tenacity, but I can't help wondering what he would have made of the tools we have now. I also have an uneasy feeling that our successors in 50 years time will look at our efforts with the same disbelief. "What, you had to actually repair the audio yourself? You couldn't just say, 'Alexa, please remix this mono acetate in 9.1 one Dolby Atmos before I get home from work tonight'"

https://tinyurl.com/n7873mpa

Fascinating! We all know that you secretly fill in those extra Beatle-y vocal harmonies when no one's looking!

I actually used to know a fellow who is still world-renowned for doing this sort of work on classical records from the nineteen teens and twenties. However, he had one added element of difficulty tossed into the mix... he was born absolutely blind. He's still the go-to guy for that kind of work.

[zaval80]

The guy was a visionary. He pre-figured the music should be made free of the restrictions imposed by the vinyl medi(um).

[ennolenno]

"What, you had to actually repair the audio yourself? You couldn't just say, 'Alexa, please remix this mono acetate in 9.1 one Dolby Atmos before I get home from work tonight'"

Yes, I'm looking forward to the future in 50 years.
When I come home from work my Alexa (in case I have one and she's not called Barbara then),
she will have finished a surround mix of the Comedian Harmonists "Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus", including a promo video with all members of the group walking through 1930s Berlin, as holograms of course.

But wait....
That means I have to work until I'm at least 95! NOOOOO...... I HATE THE FUTURE

[Lord Reith]

That means I have to work until I'm at least 95! NOOOOO...... I HATE THE FUTURE

Yeah, don't kid yourself that medical science wants to extend your life to make it more enjoyable for you... it's so you'll have to slave another 50 years in the service of the State.

The guy in the video is extraordinary though. There would be analogue de-clickers that appeared in the late 70s but it would be a good 15 years before digital declicking came along. So I hope he at least enjoyed himself and didn't live long enough to see his efforts made redundant.

[ianbuckers]

That means I have to work until I'm at least 95! NOOOOO...... I HATE THE FUTURE

Yeah, don't kid yourself that medical science wants to extend your life to make it more enjoyable for you... it's so you'll have to slave another 50 years in the service of the State.

The guy in the video is extraordinary though. There would be analogue de-clickers that appeared in the late 70s but it would be a good 15 years before digital declicking came along. So I hope he at least enjoyed himself and didn't live long enough to see his efforts made redundant.

There was another approach that sort of fits between manual splicing and digital manipulation.

An electronics magazine had a project for a self build solid state in-line device to declick on the fly. I photocopied it at the local ibrary with the intention of buying all the bits to build it...suffice to say I never did. Bet I've still got the copied article somewhere...