I did a search and didn’t come across a mention of these old uilleann pipe recordings. The sound is pretty decent considering. Interesting, there seem to be no drones playing, but he does use the regulators:
Thanks for the link Bonequint, amazingly clear.
John S
Yes, the reason no drone sound shows up, alot of the time, is the multi-recording factor, where Edison would have at least 4 Horns pointed toward the singer or individual instrumentalist.
Each performer was expected to work a 2 hour (or more) recording session, which would mechanicaly “crank-out” the same song, producing Four copies ( 4 minutes duration per cylinder) at a time, over the 2 hours. A very slow process of manufacture, compared to the modern electronic methods of “duplication”.
Some of the Horns would “pick-up” more of the chanter and regulators, than the 3 drones, as the 3 drone “sound envelope” actualy pointed away from the Horn , in a different plane of direction.
One of the most plentiful of all Edison’s commercial cylinders, were the ones in the brass band category, as many more Recording Horns could be used for the band, which, with it’s great volume of sound energy, made for a better “blend” for the machines to record.
Thus, the band would repeat the same tune selection, over, and over again making it very productive, and more profitable as each cylinder sold for “only” One dollar ( in the days when two dollars a day was the normal wage).
Please see www.tinfoil.com For the photos of the U.S. Marine Corps Band going at it, in a business-like manner !
For James C. McAuliffe http://www.tinfoil.com/mcauliffe.htm
There’s a Photograph of James C. and a humourous story and a belated obituary, printed at Hoosick Falls, New York, where James lived, some of the time, when he wasn’t “On the Road”, touring the vaudeville curcuits.
Sean Folsom