Brief history of unusual music formats
The history of recording formats is not limited to vinyl records, compact cassettes, CDs and streaming audio . Today we will talk about other interesting media.
Andshel / CC Photo
The principles of magnetic sound recording were first discovered by American engineer Oberlin Smith. Smith could not develop a prototype of a recording device on his own, so in 1888 he shared the discovery with the scientific community. The first successful application of his ideas was the telegraph - a device for recording sound on a steel wire, developed by the Dane Waldemar Poulsen ten years later.
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After a successful demonstration of the device at the World Exhibition in 1900, Poulsen launched the production of the device - the telegraph was offered to be used as an answering machine. However, the European market reacted coldly to this, and in the United States telephone companies were prohibited from using the intended telegraph.
In the 1910s, Poulsen’s business went bankrupt — the device failed to compete with the available phonographs. The telegraph was forgotten for several decades.
Unexpected popularity came to him in the 1940s. During World War II, the media was ideal for creating audio recordings in field conditions — the wire withstood temperature drops and was resistant to mechanical stress.
After the war, wire recorders gained popularity among the civilian population. They were used by composers and musicians . People without professional interest in audio recorded radio broadcasts on them, performances by artists and the voices of loved ones.
Like many other recording devices, reel- to -reel tape recorders began to conquer the audio market from the professional segment. The massive popularity of reel began in the 1950s and lasted 20 years - with the advent of cassettes, interest in technology subsided. Convenience of use turned out to be more important for consumers than sound quality.
But, unlike wire recorders, reel-to-reel tape recorders have remained popular in professional circles. Those who can afford this expensive format continue to use it, while the rest emulate the “film” sound.
Recent releases recorded, mixed and mastered on reels are the work of Steve Albini and John Frusciante .
Photo of Wolle5810 / CC BY-SA
The format is also popular among music lovers, as close to the sound of studio master tapes. But the range of reels for sale is extremely small . New make to order, and they cost a fortune.
Already at the beginning of the 20th century, music began to spread on the records, and over time they became the leading mechanical audio format. But there were also alternative devices for mechanical recording and playback of sound.
A portable version of the device used to record sound effects in movies. For example, during the filming of the films of Dziga Vertov and Abram Rooma, with the help of it, the sounds of workshops and city streets were recorded. Also Shorinofona attracted the attention of radio professionals. They recorded concerts and performances for subsequent retransmission. He did not have time to become a massive shorinofon: its mass production began in 1940 and ceased a year later, with the start of the war. After the end of World War II, the attention of the public switched to tape recorders.
Teffiphones appeared on the market in the late 1940s. However, they were not able to overshadow the popularity of records. The first reason was the lack of recordings of popular artists: major labels did not publish music on cartridges. Owners of teffiphons had to be content with recordings of lesser-known musicians.
The second reason is the locality of the phenomenon. Until 1963, tefyfony sold only in Germany. When the devices were brought to the American market, it was too late - just a year later, popular 8-Track cassettes appeared on the market.
But the teffon was not the last mechanical audio carrier. In the 1950s, flexi discs appeared . Then the market was dominated by shellac plates - heavy (300 grams on average) and fragile as glass. New records weighed 60 times less and were resistant to mechanical stress. Moreover, their cost was significantly lower. Because of these advantages, flexible records began to spread as supplements to magazines and newspapers. In this capacity, the carrier was popular until the 1980s.
Photo of Swtpc6800 / PD
For example, in 1979, flexible records with records of "songs" of whales became an addition to the release of National Geographic, which drew attention to the problem of poaching. The media was also used to store software: in the 1970s, games and programs for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 were sent to it.
In the 1990s, interest in flexible records almost disappeared, and in 2000 their production ceased . However, the vinyl boom of recent years has resurrected the format. Flexible singles were released by musicians such as Jack White and Tame Impala .
One of the “youngest” mechanical formats is 8ban , introduced in 2004. Under this name, the Bandai company sold compact "turntables" on batteries designed to play miniature records of its own production. On a one-sided hard plastic carrier, four minutes of mono-channel audio were placed. Outside the Japanese market, the product was not advertised, and its target audience was anime lovers.
The 8ban records were made all year, but managed to attract the attention of The White Stripes. In 2005, the Americans released a box set with seven 8ban-singles - popular songs of the past years and an exclusive new track.
Additional reading - posts from our "World Hi-Fi" and Telegram-channel:
Trautonium: the German wave in the history of synthesizers
Vinyl is back and it's different
Eight audio technologies that will fall into the hall of fame TECnology in 2019
What you need to know before you start a career in the audio industry
How to turn a computer into a radio
Go
Johnny Trunk has released a book on flexi disks
Go Bjork has released nine studio albums on cassettes.
Andshel / CC Photo
Magnetic sound recording: telegraph and magnetic tape
The principles of magnetic sound recording were first discovered by American engineer Oberlin Smith. Smith could not develop a prototype of a recording device on his own, so in 1888 he shared the discovery with the scientific community. The first successful application of his ideas was the telegraph - a device for recording sound on a steel wire, developed by the Dane Waldemar Poulsen ten years later.
')
After a successful demonstration of the device at the World Exhibition in 1900, Poulsen launched the production of the device - the telegraph was offered to be used as an answering machine. However, the European market reacted coldly to this, and in the United States telephone companies were prohibited from using the intended telegraph.
In the 1910s, Poulsen’s business went bankrupt — the device failed to compete with the available phonographs. The telegraph was forgotten for several decades.
Unexpected popularity came to him in the 1940s. During World War II, the media was ideal for creating audio recordings in field conditions — the wire withstood temperature drops and was resistant to mechanical stress.
After the war, wire recorders gained popularity among the civilian population. They were used by composers and musicians . People without professional interest in audio recorded radio broadcasts on them, performances by artists and the voices of loved ones.
By the early 1950s, the technology was out of mass use. She had important drawbacks: when listening, the wire was often torn, and the quality of the recording was inferior to coil tape recorders , which by then had become much cheaper.
Like many other recording devices, reel- to -reel tape recorders began to conquer the audio market from the professional segment. The massive popularity of reel began in the 1950s and lasted 20 years - with the advent of cassettes, interest in technology subsided. Convenience of use turned out to be more important for consumers than sound quality.
But, unlike wire recorders, reel-to-reel tape recorders have remained popular in professional circles. Those who can afford this expensive format continue to use it, while the rest emulate the “film” sound.
Recent releases recorded, mixed and mastered on reels are the work of Steve Albini and John Frusciante .
Photo of Wolle5810 / CC BY-SA
The format is also popular among music lovers, as close to the sound of studio master tapes. But the range of reels for sale is extremely small . New make to order, and they cost a fortune.
Mechanical sound recording
Already at the beginning of the 20th century, music began to spread on the records, and over time they became the leading mechanical audio format. But there were also alternative devices for mechanical recording and playback of sound.
One of them is Shorinofon , created by Soviet inventor Alexander Shorin in 1929. On the 35-mm film cutter was applied sound track. Replacing the cutter on the needle, the result could be heard.
A portable version of the device used to record sound effects in movies. For example, during the filming of the films of Dziga Vertov and Abram Rooma, with the help of it, the sounds of workshops and city streets were recorded. Also Shorinofona attracted the attention of radio professionals. They recorded concerts and performances for subsequent retransmission. He did not have time to become a massive shorinofon: its mass production began in 1940 and ceased a year later, with the start of the war. After the end of World War II, the attention of the public switched to tape recorders.
In the mid-1930s, German engineer Karl Daniel created another portable device for mechanical sound recording - teffon . The carrier in the PTFE was cartridges with PVC tape, into which the sound tracks were cut. As well as Shorinofon, the apparatus both recorded and reproduced audio.
Teffiphones appeared on the market in the late 1940s. However, they were not able to overshadow the popularity of records. The first reason was the lack of recordings of popular artists: major labels did not publish music on cartridges. Owners of teffiphons had to be content with recordings of lesser-known musicians.
The second reason is the locality of the phenomenon. Until 1963, tefyfony sold only in Germany. When the devices were brought to the American market, it was too late - just a year later, popular 8-Track cassettes appeared on the market.
But the teffon was not the last mechanical audio carrier. In the 1950s, flexi discs appeared . Then the market was dominated by shellac plates - heavy (300 grams on average) and fragile as glass. New records weighed 60 times less and were resistant to mechanical stress. Moreover, their cost was significantly lower. Because of these advantages, flexible records began to spread as supplements to magazines and newspapers. In this capacity, the carrier was popular until the 1980s.
Photo of Swtpc6800 / PD
For example, in 1979, flexible records with records of "songs" of whales became an addition to the release of National Geographic, which drew attention to the problem of poaching. The media was also used to store software: in the 1970s, games and programs for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 were sent to it.
In the 1990s, interest in flexible records almost disappeared, and in 2000 their production ceased . However, the vinyl boom of recent years has resurrected the format. Flexible singles were released by musicians such as Jack White and Tame Impala .
One of the “youngest” mechanical formats is 8ban , introduced in 2004. Under this name, the Bandai company sold compact "turntables" on batteries designed to play miniature records of its own production. On a one-sided hard plastic carrier, four minutes of mono-channel audio were placed. Outside the Japanese market, the product was not advertised, and its target audience was anime lovers.
The 8ban records were made all year, but managed to attract the attention of The White Stripes. In 2005, the Americans released a box set with seven 8ban-singles - popular songs of the past years and an exclusive new track.
Additional reading - posts from our "World Hi-Fi" and Telegram-channel:
Trautonium: the German wave in the history of synthesizers
Vinyl is back and it's different
Eight audio technologies that will fall into the hall of fame TECnology in 2019
What you need to know before you start a career in the audio industry
How to turn a computer into a radio
Go
Johnny Trunk has released a book on flexi disks
Go
Bjork has released nine studio albums on cassettes.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/445736/
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