Evolution of Sound Recording Devices
This exhibition showcases the evolution of audio recording technology in chronological order. This exhibit should give you a better appreciation for the technological advancements that were undergone in order to create the technologies that we enjoy today.
Phonautograph (1857) by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville (1817 - 1879) in Paris, France
The Phonautograph was the first-ever audio recording device. It was made from a cone-shaped horn with a diaphragm at one end. Scott intended for the device to be used as a laboratory instrument for the study of acoustics. However, it eas adopted into American households for personal use.
Phonograph (1877) by Thomas Edison (1847 - 1931) in New Jersey, USA
The Phonograph consisted of a stylus track playing on a wax disk. The disk had grooves on them. When the stylus interacted with these grooves, sound would be played. The objective of this device was to record and play sound. At the time, this machine was involuntary to households because it allowed people to listen to whatever music they wanted when they wanted, where they wanted, and for as long as they wanted.
Théâtrophone (1881) by Clément Ader (1841 - 1925) in Paris
The Theatrophe worked by following the movement of singers on the stage. Earpieces connected to different microphones were held to the two ears. This early machine delivered broadcasts of opera and other musical events over telephone wires. The théâtrophone was important for its time because altered traditional boundaries of the theatrical event and social codes of theatre-going.
Gramophone (1898) by Emile Berliner (1851 - 1929) in London, United Kingdom
This device was used for the mechanical and analogue recording and reproduction of sound. the first vinyl record player, the was based off the phonograph. It lead the music recording industry and led the industry to its modern-day success.
Telegraphone (1898) by Valdemar Poulsen (1869 - 1942) in Demark
The Telegraphone's purpose was to use magnetism to record sound on long spools of metal wire. The telegraphone was primarily used for telephone answering machines, and office dictating systems.
Phonofilm (1920) by Lee de Forest and Theodore Case (1873 - 1961; 1888 - 1944) in New York City, USA
The Phonofilm's purpose was to provide sound synchronized with motion pictures. This is accomplished by graphically recording audio signals on photographic film. This device allowed people used to record vaudeville acts, musical numbers, political speeches, and opera singers.
The Magnetphone goal was to preserve voice and music on magnetic tape. The recorder worked by leaving a tape in a state magnetization proportional to the instantaneous audio electrical signals of the device. Its most notable role was becoming a powerful propaganda weapon for the Nazi party.
The purpose and the intended use of the cassette machine was to capture audio by encoding electrical audio signals onto magnetic tape via magnetized heads. The introduction of this device allowed people to make recordings without having the level of training or expertise required for reel-to-reel.
This audio unit was used to convert digital sound sequences to analog waveforms and vice versa. The PCM-1 encoder revolutionized digital sound recording and reproduction quickly and set the standard for professional recording studios and home hi-fi.
DR-40X (2019) by Tascam company in the USA
Captures a copy one's recording but at a lower level, as a safety track in case of sudden distortion. Versatile four track portable audio recorder. Records crisp highs and lows.
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