History of Audio Recording
The modern audio recording industry can trace its roots back to ninth century Baghdad when the Banu Musa brothers created the first mechanical organ. Since then mechanical instruments have evolved into the phonograph, audio and DAT tape, CD and digital recording technology. Learning about the history of audio recording can also help us determine what new technologies will evolve in the future.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
Until the 19th century inventors created "mechanical instruments" that were programed to play pre-recorded music. These instruments included hydro-powered organs, automatic flutes and the popular player piano.
Phonograph
-
Thomas Edison invented the first audio recording device in 1877 and named it the cylinder phonograph. In 1889 Emily Berliner built on this invention with her disk phonograph that became immensely popular throughout the world.
-
Electrical Recording
-
The mechanical phonograph was used up until the 1920s when the microphone, loudspeaker and mixing desk all came into popular use. These three items brought audio recording into the electrical age.
Sound on Film
-
The 1927 film "The Jazz Singer" was the first movie to use photovotaic cells to record music directly onto the film itself. This revolutionized the movie industry and created a new market for soundtracks.
Tape
-
The Ampex company began selling personal tape recorders in the 1940s. Audio tape was to become the standard recording medium from the 1950s through to the 1980s.
Stereo
-
Disney's 1940 film "Fantasia" was the first movie to use stereo sound. This was one of the first times that recording engineers solved the problem of synchronizing two tapes to create the stereo effect.
Digital Recording
-
The compact disc and digital recording technology was invented in 1982. Since then this has become the standard medium for audio recording and has lead to the development of Mp3 technology.
-
Resources
- Photo Credit www.freerangestock.com
