Twenty Thousand Hertz

Sound Firsts: Landmark recordings in history

Aug 8, 2017
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ANECDOTE

Edison's *Israel in Egypt*

  • For over 100 years, the oldest playable recording was thought to be an 1888 Edison recording of Israel in Egypt.
  • However, older recordings existed, but they couldn't be played back.
INSIGHT

Early Recording Methods

  • Early sound recording involved tracing vibrations of objects like strings or tuning forks.
  • These vibrations were recorded onto materials like tinfoil or wax.
ANECDOTE

Scott's Artificial Ear

  • Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville created an "artificial ear" to record sound waves.
  • His goal was to visually represent sounds, not play them back.
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