What equipment do I need to transfer my records?
Below is a from-the-cuff listing highly incomplete list of equipment I like for 78s, ordered roughly from entry-level to professional-grade
Turntables
- Audio-Technica LP-120, other similar direct-drive tables with 78 settings, better if they have pitch control
- Technics SL-1200 mk 2 modified for 78 RPM or similar modern makes, e.g. mk 7, -G
- Technics SP-15. These are older and often suffer from bad pitch chips which can be replaced by a new one from Fidelis Analog. Proceed with caution and expect to spend some money.
- Technics SP-10 mk III (rare)
- Technics SP-10R
Preamps
- KAB Souvenir – No longer in production for good reason. Quite popular but colors the sound even when processing stages are turned off. Avoid.
- Owl 1. 1980s era early mono archiving preamp designed by the late great Tom Owen.
- Rek-O-Kut Re-Equalizer paired with the phono stage on a stereo receiver or similar. Only works in mono so not suitable for proper archiving.
- Any number of vintage units, e.g. Marantz Model 1, McIntosh C20, Harman Kardon Citation, Stanton 310
- Parks Waxwing or predecessor Parks Puffin. By far the best option in nearly any price range.
- Timestep T-03. Made by Dave Cawley in the UK.
- Millennia LOCi.
Cartridges
Most of these will require the stylus to be retipped by Expert Stylus in the UK. The primary characteristics you want for archiving are stereo and the ability to track at a heavy weight, ideally at least 4 grams if not more. There are a great many cartridges out there that feature stylii marketed for playing 78s but cannot track at the proper weight. Likewise, there are a great number of aftermarket stylii for Shure, Stanton, and other brands that are tipped with wide 78 RPM diamonds but feature a cheap, flimsy cantilever. Avoid these at all costs.
- Audio-Technica AT-VM95SP. While I have no experience with this, it’s one of the only remaining off-the-shelf 78 cartridges you can buy. I’ve heard from several users the stylus assemblies are rather fragile and prone to breakage, which is a big reason I haven’t yet invested in this platform.
- Ortofon DJ cartridge like the Pro S. I haven’t tried this, either, but it seems somewhat promising.
- Stanton 500 and Pickering twin Pickering V15. The workhorse and probably top-used archival solution. Highly rugged, tracks at up to 7 grams
- Shure M44
- Shure M75
- Shure V15 Vx paired with SS35C assembles
- Higher-end Stanton
- 681 and Pickering variant XV-15
- 881 and Pickering variant XSV-3000
- 981 and Pickering variant XSV-5000
Stylii
The stylus is the most critical component in the signal chain, and you need a lot of them to properly transfer the wide variety of 78s out there. While many swear by conicals for many records, I’ve found that ellipticals almost always get the best overall signal quality. While I can’t begin to publish an exhaustive list of best fits, below is a quick list of what I use most:
- 1.6 mil-2.3 mil – most acoustical Gennetts could be anywhere in this range
- 2.2-2.4 mil – acoustical Okehs
- 2.7-3.2 mil – most mid-20s electrical recordings. Brunswick and Okeh are usually in the middle at 2.8-3.0. 2.8 is a good starting size from which to work up or down.
- 3.5-3.8 mil – Most Victor electrics are around 3.8, some a bit smaller
- 4.0 mil – some Deccas and Victors, not too common.
Other Equipment
Amps and speakers aren’t terribly critical when it comes to 78s. The same considerations that apply to other music apply here. While the frequency range on 78s is a bit more constrained than modern music, it’s not quite as constrained as some would have you think. You still benefit from having great bass reproduction on some records, like the Fats Waller 1927 Victor organ recordings which have pedal tones as low as 30 Hz! The ribbon microphone recordings of the early 30s have sparkling crisp highs.