# Home Record Recording **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2017, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242 "2017-07-01T00:16:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/1 "2017-07-01T00:16:39Z")
In the 1956 Honeymooners episode “A Matter of Record”, Ralph gets into a fight with Alice and she leaves to live with her mother. Norton owns a device to allow Ralph to make a phonograph record upon which Ralph can record an apology. What’s the story behind these devices? What were they primarily used for? Making records, obviously but what sort of length was available or what would a couple people like Ed & Trixie need/use one for? Although the Nortons had more money than the Kramdens, I don’t think they were particularly well off – would it have been reasonable for them to own one of these? Mainly, since the records it wrote on were one shots, it seems like a somewhat specialized device. In fact I’ve never seen one referenced anywhere except for this Honeymooner’s episode. Did a brief Google but the stories I saw were ironically about how exciting it was that hipsters could now make their own vinyl albums on some new recording devices. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/2 "2017-07-01T00:21:53Z")
Back in the 50’s when I was a wee lad a friend’s Dad had a TV repair shop. They had one of these in their house. We made a few records playing around with a few instruments. I don’t remember the recording time, but I believe the unit was 78 rpm, the standard for the time. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/3 "2017-07-01T00:39:28Z")
Here’s a story about a [home vinyl recording device](http://tapeop.com/interviews/87/recordio/)(full story only available to subscribers, but the intro is informative). Sounds like they were used for two purposes – to record voice messages (birthday greetings, messages to be sent to someone far away, etc.) and to record shows on the radio so that you could listen to them again. Many of these devices included a radio as well as the recorder. Many vinyl recorders from this period are still available on [ebay](http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Meissner-PHONO-RECORDER-Record-Player-PA-System-9-1065/122368268294?_trksid=p2047675.c100012.m1985&_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D41375%26meid%3D178d6e3d838647deac9cd7af75ef4a35%26pid%3D100012%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D280839446292). ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/4 "2017-07-01T00:46:09Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Here’s a story about a [home vinyl recording device](http://tapeop.com/interviews/87/recordio/)(full story only available to subscribers, but the intro is informative). Sounds like they were used for two purposes – to record voice messages (birthday greetings, messages to be sent to someone far away, etc.) and to record shows on the radio so that you could listen to them again. Many of these devices included a radio as well as the recorder. Neat, thanks. Since I’d only seen it the once and used to record fairly short messages, I wouldn’t have guessed it would be useful for recording an entire radio show. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/5 "2017-07-01T00:58:02Z")
ISTR that record stores also had booths equipped with such devices. Two popular uses were girls recording messages to their serviceman sweethearts, and parents dragging their kids in to record messages for the grandparents. In a few Honeymooners episodes it’s implied Trixie worked in burlesque before marrying Norton. I suppose she could have had one of those for recording auditions. Or maybe they just picked one up at a pawn shop. ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/6 "2017-07-01T01:26:41Z")
Minor additional note: there’s one of those in a recent film. The Kings Speech. Lionel uses a Silvertone unit to record the King speaking into a microphone, while wearing headphones that play very loud music so that he can’t hear himself speak. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/7 "2017-07-01T02:15:51Z")
My dad would occasionally bring home a recorder from work that used blue plastic disks. This was probably in the late 1950’s. It might have been something like the [SoundScriber 200](http://vintage-technics.ru/Eng-Soundscriber_200.htm), but I’m pretty sure the disks were blue and not green. This unit spun at 33 1/3 RPM, the standard for LPs (long playing). ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/8 "2017-07-01T04:03:01Z")
A recording—of some banter and a mildly bawdy ditty—made on such a unit by my late aunt and uncle ended up among my parents’ 78’s. Apparently during World War II, when aunt and uncle were stationed in New York City, they knew someone (some kind of musician, I think) who had such a device at home. We recently transferred the content to a digital file, as it’s probably the only recording of either’s voice. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/9 "2017-07-01T04:08:36Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > In the 1956 Honeymooners episode “A Matter of Record”, Ralph gets into a fight with Alice and she leaves to live with her mother. Norton owns a device to allow Ralph to make a phonograph record upon which Ralph can record an apology. > > What’s the story behind these devices? What were they primarily used for? Making records, obviously but what sort of length was available or what would a couple people like Ed & Trixie need/use one for? Although the Nortons had more money than the Kramdens, I don’t think they were particularly well off – would it have been reasonable for them to own one of these? Mainly, since the records it wrote on were one shots, it seems like a somewhat specialized device. In fact I’ve never seen one referenced anywhere except for this Honeymooner’s episode. > > Did a brief Google but the stories I saw were ironically about how exciting it was that hipsters could now make their own vinyl albums on some new recording devices. I don’t think the Nortons were any more well off than the Kramdens (just look where they lived), but I think Ed was more willing to take advantage of credit and Ralph was opposed to it. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/10 "2017-07-01T04:10:34Z")
> [@JWT\_Kottekoe](#): > > My dad would occasionally bring home a recorder from work that used blue plastic disks. This was probably in the late 1950’s. It might have been something like the [SoundScriber 200](http://vintage-technics.ru/Eng-Soundscriber_200.htm), but I’m pretty sure the disks were blue and not green. This unit spun at 33 1/3 RPM, the standard for LPs (long playing). Interesting link, especially for the ads. Looks like it was primarily marketed for businessmen on the road to be able to dictate stuff and mail the disks back to the office (they even seem to sell specialty envelopes) or the occasional “I love you” to mail back to the family. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/11 "2017-07-01T10:50:37Z")
I haven’t seen the episode, but it is likely that they were actually recording on an acetate disc, not a vinyl record. Acetate disc recorders were fairly common both in business and home during that period. An acetate disc is a substrate disc (often metal) covered with lacquer. The cutting stylus (needle) scratches a groove in the lacquer similar to the groove(s) on a vinyl record. Acetates do not last very long, as the lacquer is damaged slightly each time it is played. Vinyl records are pressed from a biscuit of hot vinyl, so the groove in a vinyl record is not actually cut into the vinyl. Vinyl would not be a good material for use in the type of home recording described. You can find links to images of acetate recorders if you search for them. I have several acetate disc demo records from my favorite bands. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/12 "2017-07-01T13:54:45Z")
One could use X-ray film, as the Soviets used to use to bootleg forbidden American records. > **[Bones And Grooves: The Weird Secret History Of Soviet X-Ray Music](https://www.npr.org/2016/01/09/462289635/bones-and-grooves-weird-secret-history-of-soviet-x-ray-music)** > > In Cold War Russia, getting your hands on an American rock record was close to impossible. But a few bootleggers found a way to hide their contraband in the last place anyone would think to look. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/13 "2017-07-01T14:39:07Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > One could use X-ray film, as the Soviets used to use to bootleg forbidden American records. > [Bones And Grooves: The Weird Secret History Of Soviet X-Ray Music : NPR](http://www.npr.org/2016/01/09/462289635/bones-and-grooves-weird-secret-history-of-soviet-x-ray-music) Yes, a recording lathe will work with just about any material, but vinyl is a bit more challenging. It has some desirable characteristics when you want a record that can be played many times, but requires heat and pressure to reach that point. Trying to cut vinyl with a recording lathe would be quite frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/14 "2017-07-01T22:38:46Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > ISTR that record stores also had booths equipped with such devices… My dad still has a little record that he made in a record store booth, of him singing a song (badly). That had to be from the late forties or early fifties. I haven’t seen it in years, but I remember it feeling like hardened clay, much like an old 78. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/15 "2017-07-02T10:03:41Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Neat, thanks. > > Since I’d only seen it the once and used to record fairly short messages, I wouldn’t have guessed it would be useful for recording an entire radio show. Some (most?) of the radio shows were quite short, and broken by advertisements anyway. I agree that it would be a lot of work to put one on a 3 minute disk, but a 78 was longer than that wasn’t it? In any case, I’ve got the idea thatfor public use, the radio could by played normally, then the recorder used to record the live entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/16 "2017-07-03T03:49:57Z")
[Radio show transcriptions](http://www.radioarchives.com/Transcription_Discs_s/190.htm) were on larger (16-inch) disks than ordinary 78s. Also, by narrowing the frequency range (unimportant for AM radio) the grooves could be closer together than they were on music discs, allowing 15 minutes of audio on each side. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/17 "2017-07-03T05:56:30Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > My dad still has a little record that he made in a record store booth, of him singing a song (badly). That had to be from the late forties or early fifties. I haven’t seen it in years, but I remember it feeling like hardened clay, much like an old 78. I remember seeing a standalone ‘make your own record’ booth at an amusements arcade in the late 70s (it looked a bit like a photo booth). I wonder when they actually died out. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/18 "2017-07-03T06:20:31Z")
Just this year, a recording record player turned up in a local thrift store. It looked quite new. I kick myself for not getting it but I had no idea where to get discs. It was only $25! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/19 "2017-07-03T06:55:12Z")
I recently saw a review of a hobby kit to make a device that would supposedly record sound onto wax cylinders (actually candles without the wicks, in the kit). It didn’t work very well, but I have a mind to try to replicate it, but recording onto a section of PVC pipe. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242/20 "2017-07-03T12:46:34Z")
My mother subbed for a friend for a week on a cooking show on the local radio station long, long ago. (C. 1949.) The engineer made a record of one of her shows. It was a standard looking LP-size record except for one thing: the track was from the inside out. Not sure about the rpm. (Unfortunately the record got “lost” due to the stupidity of a family member. Ugh.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-record-recording/790242.md?page=2)