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for the cutting and pressing of mono discs ?
I know it wasn't across the board in 1958-59, and there some holdouts.
What I am trying to pinpoint is when mono pressings stopped being 1 mil groove width during the 1960s.
Thanks
Follow Ups:
Great Question ! I believe I have some of the answers...Depending on both the genre of the music and/or the specific record label in question, it is typically mid to late 1960s.
Evidence exists easily when you trace 45 RPM history, as well as the availability of the Mono or Stereo Lp for the same title. First, let's chat about the 45s, because this was the popular, R&B and Rock n Roll speed of choice in the swingin' sixties. Simply put, these discs were mixed and cut so they would sound good to us on our way to and from school, jobs or the beach, while listening on small portables or that single speaker on the dashboard or rear shelf in our cars. If we liked what we heard over the airwaves, chances are we might stop to buy the album on our way home.
Partially because of the slow acceptance of stereo discs, standardized in 1958, mono 45s were the norm. In fact, throughout the early and mid-'60s, very few 45s were available in stereo ! There were promo 45s with one side in mono and one side in stereo, but most commercial 45 releases stayed mono until circa 1968 ! There is proof right there; mono, wide grooved 45s were the norm until the late '60s.
The availability of stereo or monaural LPs for the same title LP can also verify this; as these same titles were only available in stereo by 1970. Of course, there were left-over copies and the famous "Cut-Out" bargain priced discs through most of the '70s. Remember those cut-outs, with the hole punched through or an album jacket corner chopped off, signifying pressing of that disc had stopped and no more returns will be accepted for those ?
However, some manufacturers used only the stereo cutters by the early mid-'60s. Evidence is easily seen in some mono Lp pressings of that era, available with the thin grooves only. Many 33 1/3 EPs , 7 inchers also followed this trend, in order to get more music on those 33 1/3 EPs. Prevalent in this early to late '60s era, was the "stereo compatible" warnings on album jackets, specifying the mono disc can be played with the stereo stylus, but do not play a stereo groove with a mono stylus.
So, just like the conformity and adherence to the RIAA Phono EQ playback curve took some time to actually become the standard, even though this recording pre-emphasis EQ and playback de-emphasis EQ was "accepted" stateside in late 1954 as the standard, certain labels "waited" while checking popularity and sales. Add to this the stubbornness of many equipment manufacturers, record producers, mixing, broadcasting and mastering engineers who still wanted their signature sounds and/or did not want to invest the time and money into the equipment conversions needed, actual conversion dates can appear a mystery...
Here is a link or two for those interested...Enjoy the reading !
Season's Greetings to All !
http://www.bsnpubs.com/stereoproject/stereo1968.html
A search just now found a posting at Steve Hoffman saying mono cutter heads were phased out beginning in 1968.
However on Bernie Grundman's site it states mono cutter heads are available in addition to his two standard stereo set-ups. That may support something I read elsewhere saying Grundman may be the only mastering engineer able to cut with a mono head.
I wish someone from the recording industry who knows the full story would comment.
"The piano ain't got no wrong notes." Thelonious Monk
I guess an other question would be if the migration from 1 mill cutting styli to 0.7 mill was exactly coincident with the change from mono to stereo cutting heads.
I'll be waiting for the answer myself.
Phil
There were numerous false starts but the contemporary system we enjoy was first pressed into plastic by Audio Fidelity Records in November 1957. There are famous pictures of the demonstration in Grand Central Station (?)with 2 massive Altecs (maybe Bozaks?) about 30 feet apart!
Just Wikipedia'n around: "The first four stereo discs available to the general public were released by Audio Fidelity in March, 1958— Johnny Puleo and his Harmonica Gang Volume 1 (AFSD 5830), Railroad - Sounds of a Vanishing Era (AFSD 5843), Lionel - Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra (AFSD 5849) and Marching Along with the Dukes of Dixieland Volume 3 (AFSD 5851)."
Stereo railroad sounds-- a glorious tradition-- can you beeeelieve?
The Western Electric WESTREX system that won the race was chosen by AFSD I think largely because it was compatible with mono playback equipment. Western Electric knew stereo from their work on early stereo movie sound- you've seen their logo on a zillion old B&W movies. Hey! Thanks, Western Electric!
...:
Later Gator,
Dave
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