Dubbing pre war 78rpm recordings

[rontech]

I am curious to know how 78 rpm records were dubbed back in the day.

My family record collection contained two records by the tenor Enrico Caruso. Died‎: ‎2 August 1921 so no electrical recordings made.

The earlier one HMV DA103 was wholly acoustic and recorded in 1916.

Side A “O Sole Mio” Side B “La Vucchella.”

The later record HMV DA1303 recorded 1933 had an electrically recorded and dubbed orchestral accompaniment.

Side A “O Sole Mio” Side B “La Donne e Mobile”

The only dubbing method I can think of at that period would be transfer of original acoustic recording to an optical 35mm film soundtrack.

Then a similar new recording of the symphony orchestra to a second reel of optical track.

Then carefully editing down to a combined track using the standard film editing technology of the period.

The edited track then used to cut a wax master for the production process.

Comments ideas etc welcomed.

[Herald1360]

Play the acoustic record suitably loudly using suitable pickup, amplifier, loudspeaker(s) alongside the orchestra playing the music. Record the ensemble electrically.

[barrymagrec]

I think you`ll find that the orchestral conductor would have been listening to the original recording in order to pace his orchestra to the singer. The studio output would have been mixed with the original voice to produce a new cut.

[John10b]

Interesting question, but I don’t have the answer. I would agree with the other posts about how it was probably done.
I use to have 78s of Caruso but now I’ve just got one LP which is enhanced, and it does sound better, it is a double LP with Mario Lanza being the other Singer.
John

[rontech]

Originally Posted by barrymagrec

I think you`ll find that the orchestral conductor would have been listening to the original recording in order to pace his orchestra to the singer. The studio output would have been mixed with the original voice to produce a new cut.

Sounds reasonable; thanks Barry and other respondents.

[Ted Kendall]

The process is described in Fred Gaisberg's book The Music Goes Round, quoted in Jerrold Northrop Moore's A Voice In Time. Basically, a pressing was played through some filtering (to damp the original piano accompaniment) and mixed with a live orchestra with the conductor wearing headphones as noted above. It is interesting to note that Gaisberg made the first recordings of Caruso in 1900, and here he was supervising a remastering session thirty-odd years later.

[rontech]

I wonder if HMV did any more remastering of other pre electric singers.

[Julesomega]

Pre-electric recordings had short-lived masters, so if a record sold well, it would have to be re-recorded. The label number would remain the same for many different versions.

See the detailed reply given to the same question on 78RPM World

[John10b]

Thanks for the link Julian all very informative.
John

[dave walsh]

I've also found this thread to be very interesting as the question that rontech raised had never even occurred to me before!

Dave W