Robert Johnson's recordings are 80% too fast

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Robert Johnson's recordings are 80% too fast (Page 3)

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Author	Topic: Robert Johnson's recordings are 80% too fast
mrmuzikhead Member Posts: 186 From: sarnia Registered: Dec 2004	posted 03-10-2007 08:35 While reading this thread (for the first time) I can't help but think how things will be viewed 80 years from now? Did they use pitch correct here? Was this sampled? Did they really play that fast ? Was it sequenced? Edited? The bottom line will and should be, was it good music or not. The good stuff will stand the test of time. Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven all stood the test of time and they were "recorded" on paper. I'm seeing the music of the Beatles, Led Zepplin, Dylan and many others being enjoyed by new generations as we speak. Interesting topic tho. While it doesn't really interest me all that much, I still appreciate that there are people that do have the patience to look into these things. It's just not that important to me. RJ's work stands true at any speed. IP: Logged
JiveTurkey New Member Posts: 3 From: Registered: Mar 2007	posted 03-10-2007 12:35 I'm not an expert on the blues. However, I do know that some parts of North America used 25 cycle power until much later. So, it migth be good to check what cycle of power the area that these recordings were done used, before you start looking for 60Hz hum which isn't going to be there. If this is the case it would be some kind of 25Hz noise, which probably won't come through on an old 78. Further, I have read about new techniques of getting quality recordings from old records where they are taking high resolution pictures and abstracting the sound from them. This way they can fix all the pop's and clicks by using photo software and gently smoothing over the small scratches. Does anyone know if this is being done for Robert Johnson recordings? or, any of the old blues guys for that matter? Now that would be very interesting to see what comes of it. We might find out a lot more about his playing with a very high quality recording. JiveTurkey.. IP: Logged
Ricochet Member Posts: 895 From: Bristol, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2004	posted 03-10-2007 18:01 25 Hz power was pretty rare in the US by the late '30s. It hung on at the Niagara Falls power plant until pretty recently. There were areas in the U.S. with 50 Hz power as well. In the '30s there were still many rural areas with nominally 60 Hz power that wasn't closely frequency controlled. Laurens Hammond pushed power frequency standardization in the late '20s-early '30s by presenting power company executives with Hammond synchronous motor electric clocks. When they wondered why their clocks didn't keep time, the dependence of the clock on the power frequency was pointed out, and the bosses saw to it that the situation was fixed. (Hammond's organs that also rely on a synchronous motor were introduced in 1935.) It's certainly possible that a nonstandard power frequency is responsible for the discrepancy. It shouldn't be too hard to find out what power frequency was in use when Mr. Johnson's recordings were made. -- "A cheerful heart is good medicine." IP: Logged
drdanbern New Member Posts: 1 From: Philadelphia, PA, USA Registered: Jan 2008	posted 01-05-2008 06:20 Just finished reading this thread while listening to a bootleg entitled "Robert Johnson 32/20 Blues Speed Corrected." To my ear, most of the slowed-down versions sound much more real, while a few seem to drag too much. I wonder what is the origin of my bootleg, which I believe I received as a vine through the Yahoo Group All_Blues? My guess is this debate about RJ's music will go on for many years. Great posts from so many knowledgeable folks. Thanks a million! IP: Logged

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