[bigshot]

In case anyone is interested, I've posted a few of my experiments in digital restoration techniques. These were all taken from original 78rpm shellac disks.
 
Mahler Symphony No 9: Bruno Walter/VPO 1938
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/mahler9walter1938.mp3
 
Beethoven Diabelli Variations: Artur Schnabel 1937
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/schnabeldiabellis.mp3
 
Wagner Die Walkure Act 1: Bruno Walter/VPO, Lehmann, Melchior, List 1935
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/walkureact1walter1935.mp3

Vincent D'Indy: Overture to "Fervaal"
Charles Munch / L'Orchestre de la Societe du Conservatoire de Paris (Recorded 1947)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/dindyfervaal1947.mp3

Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No 5 in D Minor "Reformation"
Charles Munch / L'Orchestre de la Societe du Conservatoire de Paris (Recorded 1948)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/mendelssohnreformation1948.mp3

Handel: Concerti Grossi Op 6 (complete)
Adolph Busch / Busch Chamber Players Recorded 1947
Disk 1
http://vintageip.com/xfers/1-01handel_concertogrosso01.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/1-02handel_concertogrosso02.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/1-03handel_concertogrosso03.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/1-04handel_concertogrosso04.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/1-05germinianisiciliana.mp3
Disk 2
http://vintageip.com/xfers/2-01handel_concertogrosso05.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/2-02handel_concertogrosso06.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/2-03handel_concertogrosso07.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/2-04handel_concertogrosso08.mp3
Disk 3
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/3-01handel_concertogrosso09.mp3
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/3-02handel_concertogrosso10.mp3
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/3-03handel_concertogrosso11.mp3
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/3-04handel_concertogrosso12.mp3

THE SOUNDING SILENCE
Knudage Riisager
Johan Hye-Knudsen conducting Det Kongelige Kapel (Recorded September, 1939)
Qarrtsiluni: http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/soundingsilence01.mp3
Jean Sibelius
Robert Kajanus conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Recorded June, 1932)
Tapiola: http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/soundingsilence02.mp3
Pohjola's Daughter: http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/soundingsilence03.mp3
Symphony No. 5 in E flat major: http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/soundingsilence04.mp3

RICHARD WAGNER: ORCHESTRAL MUSIC FROM BETWEEN THE WARS
Tannhauser: Grand March (1938) Sir Thomas Beecham / London Philharmonic Orchestra (4:04)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars01.mp3
The Flying Dutchman Overture (1937) Sir Thomas Beecham / London Philharmonic Orchestra (10:47)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars02.mp3
Goetterdaemmerung: Siegfried's Journey To The Rhine (1927) Bruno Walter / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (6:31)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars03.mp3
Parsifal: Prelude To Act I (1927) Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (12:25)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars04.mp3
Parsifal: Transformation Music (1927) Hans Knappertsbusch / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (8:13)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars05.mp3
Parsifal: Scene Of The Flower Maidens (1927) Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (8:10)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars06.mp3
Parsifal: Good Friday Spell (1927) Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (9:05)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars07.mp3
Parsifal: Finale To Act III (1927) Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (4:00)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars08.mp3
Goetterdaemmerung: Song Of The Rhine Daughters (1926) Sir Henry J. Wood / The New Queen's Hall Orchestra (9:29)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars09.mp3

Christoph Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (concise version in Italian)
Fritz Stiedry conducting the Southern Philharmonic Orchestra
Kathleen Ferrier, Anne Ayars, Zoe Vlachopoulos
& the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus (Recorded 1947)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/gluckorfeoedeuridice.mp3

Richard Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg Act III (Recorded 1938)
Karl Bohm conducting the Saxon State Orchestra
Chorus and Soloists of the Dresden State Opera
Torsten Ralf, Hans Hermann Nissen, Eugen Fuchs, Margarrete Teschemacher, Lene Jung, Sven Nilsson, Arno Schellenberg, et al.
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/meistersingeract3.mp3

Sheiks & Vamps: 1920s Dance Bands Vol. 1
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps01.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps02.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps03.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps04.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps05.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps06.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps07.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps08.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps09.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps10.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps11.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps12.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps13.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps14.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps15.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps16.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps17.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps18.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps19.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps20.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps21.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps22.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps23.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps24.mp3
http://vintageip.com/xfers/sheiksandvamps25.mp3

 

[LFF]

78's are a real PITA!

You sir, have done a fantastic job with these old gems.
 
Shure needle?

 

[bigshot]

I have a different theory on needles. Instead of using a small elliptical stylus to duck under the wear pattern, I use a large conical stylus to maximize contact with the groovewalls. This means that there's more clicks, but they're smaller. Digital declickers do a better job on small clicks than big ones.

On this transfer I used a 3.5 mil conical Grado

Thanks!

 

[LFF]

Quote:

I have a different theory on needles. Instead of using a small elliptical stylus to duck under the wear pattern, I use a large conical stylus to maximize contact with the groovewalls. This means that there's more clicks, but they're smaller. Digital declickers do a better job on small clicks than big ones.
On this transfer I used a 3.5 mil conical Grado
Thanks!

You're giving too many secrets away.

 

[bigshot]

I figure if I give away my secrets, some of the CD labels will start using them to make good transfers. Then I can just buy the CD and not go to all the work myself.

 

[LFF]

Quote:

I figure if I give away my secrets, some of the CD labels will start using them to make good transfers. Then I can just buy the CD and not go to all the work myself.

 

[bigshot]

Ha!

 

[calaf]

wow, thanks for sharing! I am particularly impressed by the two Walter recordings: it is often hard to enjoy orchestral recordings of that vintage because of the muffled sound, but your transfers have excellent dynamics. Is the Walkure the famous Lehman, Melchior version?
BTW, the links you posted all point to the Mahler recording. Easy enough to fix by cut-and-pasting the link text, but in case you want to fix...
  Paolo 

 

[bigshot]

I fixed the links. Thanks!

 

[rroseperry]

Really wonderful restoration work! Thank you.

 

[bigshot]

Glad you like it

 

[563]

Amazing!

 

[liuzerus87]

Comparing this to my Opus Kura transfer of the Mahler, it's immediately noticeable how much more noise reduction you've been able to achieve... and yet the orchestral sound doesn't suffer as a result. Remarkable!
 
How long does restoring one of these take? Any plans for doing any more? The historic recording industry is taking off the past few years, but there's still a lot out there that hasn't had the benefit of a top-notch transfer.

 

[bigshot]

I've never heard any other transfers of the Mahler, so that's good news!

It does take quite a while.... Transferring, matching the speed fluctuations from side to side, joining the sides, adjusting pitch and several passes of noise reduction. The time adds up. Right now all my transfer equipment is boxed up from my last move. I need to get my workstation all set up again.

To be honest, I'm not really doing anything different than the major labels. I'm just refusing to cut any corners, because I'm doing the transfers for my own enjoyment. The pressures of the economics of releasing historical recordings makes most transfer engineers blow through stuff. That's why it doesn't sound as good as it should.

I have a bunch of other transfers. If you're interested, I can post more.

 

[rroseperry]

To be honest, I'm not really doing anything different than the major labels. I'm just refusing to cut any corners, because I'm doing the transfers for my own enjoyment. The pressures of the economics of releasing historical recordings makes most transfer engineers blow through stuff. That's why it doesn't sound as good as it should.
I have a bunch of other transfers. If you're interested, I can post more.

Please do, they're a real treasure.