The idea of music playback came from Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, a bookseller, and trader from Paris. In 1857, Scott obtained a fascination for the human ear which led him to invent the Phonautograph, an instrument primarily used to study acoustics in laboratory research. The construction of the phonograph was heavily inspired by the anatomy of the human ear. Consisting of three main components that replicated the build of the ear canal, eardrum, and ossicles. Sound waves would be transcribed by a very lightweight bristle attached to a thin membrane (the ossicles) that moves in accordance with the sound waves around it. The movements of the needle are then etched onto a lampblack-coated parchment surface.
It wasn’t until 1871 that the realization hit that the Phonautograph could, in theory, playback the music it recorded. This would be accomplished by replicating the lamp coat-parchment transcription into a metal surface through photoengraving. The photo engraved metal replication would then be placed underneath the bristle of …show more content…
Due to their intricate mechanics and their fragile materials, they were not exactly cheap. According to the Library of congress, a phonograph was priced at around $150 in 1898. However, when adjusted for inflation rates until 2017 the price becomes a whopping $4,166.33!
Music Consumption didn’t become available to the American masses until the invention of the record player in the late 1920s. Due to their elementary design and cheaper manufacturing, they were widely adopted by the American public. The original discs used for record players were made of glass but later switched to vinyl plastic, due to the sole reason that it was less expensive and easier to manipulate. Alongside the 78 rpm record player was also the 8-track cassette player in 1964. The cassette excelled in portability and affordability compared to its substitute but took a step back in audio
It wasn’t until 1871 that the realization hit that the Phonautograph could, in theory, playback the music it recorded. This would be accomplished by replicating the lamp coat-parchment transcription into a metal surface through photoengraving. The photo engraved metal replication would then be placed underneath the bristle of …show more content…
Due to their intricate mechanics and their fragile materials, they were not exactly cheap. According to the Library of congress, a phonograph was priced at around $150 in 1898. However, when adjusted for inflation rates until 2017 the price becomes a whopping $4,166.33!
Music Consumption didn’t become available to the American masses until the invention of the record player in the late 1920s. Due to their elementary design and cheaper manufacturing, they were widely adopted by the American public. The original discs used for record players were made of glass but later switched to vinyl plastic, due to the sole reason that it was less expensive and easier to manipulate. Alongside the 78 rpm record player was also the 8-track cassette player in 1964. The cassette excelled in portability and affordability compared to its substitute but took a step back in audio