Here at the Turntable and sheds, the past resonates. These ruins whisper tales of innovation. They speak of a time when sound itself was being captured and reborn. The Turntable represents a key device in this evolution.
Let’s talk about the phonograph’s journey. The phonograph later became known as the gramophone and then the record player. Now it is often called a turntable. It is a device for mechanically reproducing sound. Sound vibrations are recorded as physical deviations. These deviations form a groove on a rotating cylinder or disc. This disc is called a record. To recreate sound, the surface rotates. A playback stylus traces the groove and vibrates. Early phonographs used this vibration. It vibrated a diaphragm. This diaphragm produced sound waves. These coupled to the open air through a horn.
Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. Alexander Graham Bell’s Volta Laboratory made improvements in the 1880s. They introduced the graphophone. This included wax-coated cardboard cylinders. It also featured a cutting stylus that moved side to side. Emile Berliner transitioned to flat discs in the 1890s. He coined the term gramophone.
Improvements continued through the years. These included changes to the turntable and the stylus. They also modified the pickup system and the sound systems.
The disc record became the dominant audio format. Phonographs became the first home audio devices. Alternatives like cassette tapes emerged later. However, records have seen a revival since the late 2000s.
The term phonograph means sound writing. It comes from Greek words. Gramophone has roots in Greek as well.
In Australia, record player was the common term. Turntable was more technical. Gramophone meant old mechanical players. The phonograph was first demonstrated in Australia in 1878. Alex Sutherland presented it to the Royal Society of Victoria.
Before Edison, there was the phonautograph. Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville invented it in 1857. It traced sound but did not play it back.
Charles Cros conceived of reproducing sound from tracings. He devised a method for doing so. He called his device the paleophone.
Edison conceived of recording and reproducing sound in 1877. His first experiments used waxed paper. His phonograph was demonstrated in 1877. It spoke the words Good morning. How do you do? How do you like the phonograph?
Early phonographs recorded onto thin metal sheets. These sheets wrapped around a grooved cylinder. Sound vibrated a diaphragm. This diaphragm connected to a stylus. The stylus indented the foil.
By 1890, manufacturers mass-produced records. Live performers recorded into tubes. These tubes led to blank cylinders in other phonographs.
Alexander Graham Bell modified Edison’s phonograph. He used wax instead of tinfoil. The Volta Graphophone Company was created in 1886. It commercialized these inventions.
Discs were easier to manufacture than cylinders. Berliner began producing disc records and gramophones. His phonograph record was the first disc record for the public.
In 1955, Philco made the first all-transistor phonograph. There are three main turntable designs today. These designs are belt-drive, direct-drive, and idler-wheel.
Linear tracking tonearms were developed. These include a cue lever. This lever lowers the tonearm onto the record.
Pickups or cartridges convert vibrations into electrical signals. These signals are amplified into sound. Some turntables use laser pickups. This avoids physical contact with the record.
Since the late 1950s, the RIAA equalization standard has been used. This ensures consistent sound quality.
Today, record albums are making a comeback. Turntables with USB and Bluetooth are available. These offer modern features.
The Turntable and sheds here stand as a testament. They showcase the ingenuity. They embody the enduring appeal of recorded sound. The echoes of innovation remind us of the power of human creativity. They echo within these very walls.