History of Audio Recording

Introduction

• Audio recording allows capturing sound and playing it back.
• Various technologies enable us to hear recorded voices through devices.

Early Innovations

1857: First Sound Recording Device

• Inventor: Édouard Léon Scott de Martinville
• Device: Phonautograph
  • Recorded sound visually, no playback capability.

1870s: Phonograph

• Inventor: Thomas Edison
• Features: Recorded sound vibrations on wax cylinders.

1880s: Graphophone

• Inventor: Alexander Graham Bell
• Improvements: Allowed longer recordings and easier use.

1890s: Transition to Vinyl Discs

• Shifted from cylinders to vinyl discs.
• Acoustic Era (1890-1925): Defined by mechanical devices without electrical amplification.
  • Artists performed into a flared metal horn.
  • Limitations: Narrow audible spectrum (250 Hz - 2500 Hz).
  • Artists preferred loud instruments (trumpet, trombone, etc.).

Notable Recording

• 1860: Oldest known intelligible recording of human voice - "Au clair de la lune."

Electrical Era (Post-1925)

Innovations

• Introduction of electrical microphones and signal amplifiers.
• Mechanical recording remained but increased fidelity and range (60 Hz - 6000 Hz).
• Allowed for better sound balance for instruments like guitar and bass.

1930s: Sound on Film Technology

• Audio recorded to modulate light, imaged onto film.
• Transformed into electrical signals for amplification.

Magnetic Era (Post-1945)

Major Advances

• Invention: Magnetic tape recording (1930s, public after WWII).
• Advantages: Higher audio fidelity; allowed editing and manipulation of recordings.
• Became standard medium in music industry and radio.

New Formats

• Birth of technologies like VHS and cassette tapes.

Digital Era (Post-1975)

Rapid Evolution

• All previous technologies became outdated quickly.
• Digital Recording: Captured sound as discrete samples, played back for continuous sound.
• 1979: First all digitally recorded popular album - "Bop Till You Drop."
• 1982: Introduction of Compact Discs (CDs).
  • Small, portable, durable; perfect sound reproduction.
  • Structure: Polycarbonate disk with encoded data, read by a laser.

Digital Audio Files

• Late 20th century: MP3s, WAVs revolutionized music consumption.
• Led to the rise of devices like iPods and services like iTunes.

Present Day

• Streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music) dominate music access.
• Despite digital advancements, vinyl remains popular.
• Future advancements in audio technology remain uncertain.

Conclusion

• Continued evolution of audio recording reflects technological progress.