I have used filters and equalizing to try and clean the sound of these recordings, yet a certain amount of white noise hissing and popping remains. These are old records, having been pressed between the 1930s and 1950s! There are a variety of record manufacturers represented in this collection and, likewise, a variety of materials used in the records' compositions. Rules governing the correct way to care for, and to conserve, the quality of these various records require that shellac, acetate, and Condensite - all common materials in 78 rpm recordings - each need a different method of care. For example, never use water to clean acetate or Condensite records, but only an alcohol based cleaning solution!
There are some good online reference guides regarding conservation of 78rpm records. See The 78rpm Home Page: http://78rpmrecord.com/repair.htm
After cleaning the records it's time to record them! There are several fine models of Crosley turntables currently on the market, with the ability to play records through your computer using the USB cord. But because those models don't usually come equipped with the proper needle to play the old 78rpm records, I used a Birmingham Sound Reproducers turntable with a brand new Tetrad T5HS stylus. The BSR turntable is my dad's, but I found the new needle online at Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor: http://www.needledoctor.com/ .
I have posted some recordings from this transfer-to-digital project on SoundCloud so that, maybe, I will get some feedback regarding the quality of playback. Check it out!
Dad's 78rpm Records: http://soundcloud.com/redmoonmedia/sets/dads-78-records.
