The first recording system ever invented was a cylinder phonograph in 1877. This invention opened up the doors to allow people to make recordings and send them. They also allow people to play music when they want to. Next came a Gramophone which was created about 10 years after the phonograph. This device would play records that had engraved songs on them. It wasn't until 1948 that a new recording device or music player was invented. A long-playing record was the next best thing that allowed whole albums to be put on one record. Then about 15 years later in 1962 a multi-track analog tape recording came around. This quickly became the most popular way that music was recorded. In 1963, the cassette tape and player came out. this opened up the world to portable music. By 1982 the CD was invented in Japan and then by 1983, it was sold in the United States. By 1999 CDs were sold to make recordings. lastly, in 2001 the iPod was able to store multiple albums and play them back to you whenever and wherever they want. then in 2003, iTunes was created which allowed people to listen to music on whatever Apple device they have.
Records, Tapes, and CD's
Cylinder Phonograph In 1877 Thomas Edison worked on creating a machine that would transcribe messages by indentions on paper tape. this machine went off the vibrations of the voices left triggering an embossing tool that would leave marks on a paper that could be played back at a later time. Edison was hopeful that his product could be essential to everyone's home. this system helped music boxes come about and was beneficial in helping people have family records. After this though there really was no more development for it because Edison decided to focus on another invention. The sound that is emitted from the cylinder phonograph isn't the best but amazing nonetheless. To hear what a Cylinder Phonograph sounds like
click here!
Gramophone
The gramophone was invented by Emile Berliner in 1887. It didn't have very good sound quality and it was only good for a one-time playback according to amale16.weebly.com. He became the first person to stop recording on cylinders and started recording on disks of records. The records were first made out of glass, then zinc, and plastic. The gramophone was first made with a hand crank but then once they became mass-produced in the 1900's a motor was made for it to keep it at a steady speed. I found when listening to it myself that the sound quality has definitely improved from the cylinder Phonograph although it was staticky I was pleasantly surprised by how much better it sounded. Click here to listen to a Gramophone.
Multitrack Recording
The Multitrack recording system was developed in the early 1960s. it was invented by Les Paul who was also a guitarist and composer. they were first introduced inside recording studios and quickly became the way that all music was recorded.
Click here to see how a multitrack recorder is used and what it sounds like. This system allowed for songs to be recorded in sections and for multiple chances to try and get the recording right. Watching them work with the recording machine did seem to be very time-consuming but I can see how when it was first invented it could change the world of recording studios.
Cassette Tape
Cassette tapes almost immediately followed the multitrack recorder by coming out the following year in 1963. This device opened up the opportunity for portable music. It was small enough to carry around and the sound was good. A lot of the static sounds that were previously in the recording devices have been eliminated for the most part. By the 70's it was made possible to record your own music with blank cassette tapes.
Click here to listen to a cassette tape!
CD
Compact disks were released about 20 years after the cassette tapes in 1982 in Japan and a year later they came out in the United States. Like most new devices do, this one took the market over in just 3 years. the sound continued to get better but the size compared to the cassette player I wouldn't say that one is necessarily smaller than another. CD's became recordable in 1999.
click here to listen to a 1990 boombox.
iPod
In 2001 Apple introduced iPods to us. According to
Apple.com the first iPod that was released could hold up to 1000 songs and had a 10-hour battery life. This was the first MP3 player. It seems that after about 20 years something new comes out that just takes the world by storm. this device opened so many doors to technology and what it is capable of. the first iPod's display was in a black and grayish color. I couldn't find an example of the sound but the main thing that really set the iPod apart from the others was the simplicity and how useful it is.
Over the years the way we listen to music has changed drastically. I think that there was beauty in the first types of recording devices. they hold a uniqueness to them. the sounds make you feel like you were back in the 1950s listening to your records. Learning more in-depth about the evolution of recording devices has been eye-opening because it seems like it happened so fast that more and more devices were developed in the blink of an eye.
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