Available through Esoteric Sound, Ramses is a belt-drive, DC motor turntable capable of playing records recorded at 33.33 and 45 rpm; it also contains presets for 71.29, 76.59,78.26 and 80 rpm. The design is fairly simple, with an S-shaped tone arm, manual cueing, RCA (phono) outputs and a continuously variable "8% pitch control. Ramses' removable cartridge shell allows users to
have several phono cartridge/styli combos available at any time, using standard interchangeable head-shell assemblies, and the top of the turntable has an indent for storing a second shell. Other features include a built-in strobe light for speed calibration, hinged dust cover, and a target light that
illuminates the needle-drop area. Another option is a vertical/lateral switch adjustment for playing records with vertically cut grooves, such as Edison and Pathe.

So what's the big deal about 78 rpm record speeds, anyway? Well, its a little- known fact that record labels adopted a number of standard speeds for 78 rpm discs, ranging from 71.29 to 80 rpm. In fact, the standard for a modern 78s (spanning the period from the mid-1920s through the 1950s) was actually 78.26 rather than 78 rpm. Play an early Victor disc (intended for 71.29 rpm playback) on a typical modern turntable, and the pitch change is nearly +10% approximately over a step and a half. I cringe every time I hear a 78 reissue where the engineers or producers didn't bother to play back the disc at the right speed. Yuk!

Now, a few words about the difference between a acoustic and a electric recordings. Originally, all recordings were made using the acoustic process, whereby audio signals entered a sound horn pointed at the source; the vibrations within the horn would vibrate a diaphragm attached to a needle that etched a groove in the wax record master.

In the early 1920s, the perceived (or actual) threat of competition from the fledgling radio industry sent record companies on a quest to improve the quality of discs. Radio at that time was low-fi at best, but record labels felt that they needed a competitive edge. The result was electric recording, which debuted circa 1925. Actually, the electric recording process was a two- fold revolution: Along with motor-driven record players (as opposed to the hand-cranked Victrolas) came the then-farfetched concept of using micro bones, vacuum tube amplifiers and electrically driven disc cutters to capture and reproduce sounds.

Eventually, the acoustical recording proponents gave in, and 78.26 rpm became the standard playback speed. Here are some guidelines:

71.29 rpm: Berliner, Zonaphone, early Victor.

76.59 rpm: Victor acoustic (through the mid-1920s).

78.26 rpm: The a electric recording standard, eventually adopted by all labels from the mid-1920s onward. Early examples of electrically recorded discs included Victor's Orthophonic and Columbia's Viva-tonal releases.

80.00 rpm: acoustic Columbia, Edison, Pathe, Emerson, Brunswick, Okeh.

Setup of the Ramses turntable was straightforward, although adjusting the weight of the cartridge can be difficult, as the tracking weight requirement for many 78 styli tends to be in the four-plus-gram range. Ramses uses the rotary-style weight adjustment dial found on most turntables, but as the
indicator only goes up to three grams, you have to interpolate the additional weight. A little trial and error goes a long way here, so it's best to experiment on some non critical records before putting your prized possessions on the platter. And after burning my hand a couple tunes on the hot outer case
of the target light, I learned to activate the light only when I needed it.

'.....'  The Ramses turntable is an excellent choice for listening to or archiving discs at the speed they were originally recorded. Esoteric and other companies such as Lyle Cartridges, (800) 221-0906 offer a selection of phono cartridges and still specifically designed for playing 78 rpm
records.. For micro groove discs, vinyl LPs and 1950s 78s I switched to my usual choice, a Shure V-15.
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Esoteric also markets a number of other record restoration tools, such as the Re-Equalizer. This '...' phono compensatory has selectable EQ curves to match various equalization curves used by record companies in the days before the Recording Industry Association of America established its standard disc equalization curves in the 1950s.

Esoteric Sound, 1608 Hemstock Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187; voice! fax: (630) 933-9801.

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