Development of Electrical Recording

[Fletch]

With the advent of the microphone in 1931

:eusa_doh: Holy ned, who wrote that?!

The mic replaced the acoustic "horn" in 1925 when electric recording came in. The next advance was the switch from carbon to ribbon mics - in 1932 in America and several years later in England.

I've often heard it said that the carbon mic sound made the Ray Noble HMV band (and Al Bowlly to a great degree). It was a "warmer" sound with its limited high range and more studio tone. RCA had to experiment to make Noble's Victor band sound anything like that, and mostly failed to do so. They'd gone to a much "deader" studio acoustic after the ribbon mic, which picked up way too much reverb.

Ray also claimed that when he first worked with Bowlly, late in 1930, Al sang in published keys - always pitched to a high baritone-tenor. They soon found Al's real range was about a 3rd lower. That surely made his voice more intimate - and it would have happened sometime in '31.

__

Now playing on the meatbox: My Song Goes Round the World (no apostrophe in British English), by Noble & Bowlly in 1933. Then Tom Coakley's slower, heart-in-throat version of 1934, with the mysterious Armand Camgros on lead tenor sax and vocal, and a playlet plugging Hills Bros Coffee.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

:eusa_doh: Holy ned, who wrote that?!

The mic replaced the acoustic "horn" in 1925 when electric recording came in. The next advance was the switch from carbon to ribbon mics - in 1932 in America and several years later in England.

I've often heard it said that the carbon mic sound made the Ray Noble HMV band (and Al Bowlly to a great degree). It was a "warmer" sound with its limited high range and more studio tone. RCA had to experiment to make Noble's Victor band sound anything like that, and mostly failed to do so. They'd gone to a much "deader" studio acoustic after the ribbon mic, which picked up way too much reverb.

Ray also claimed that when he first worked with Bowlly, late in 1930, Al sang in published keys - always pitched to a high baritone-tenor. They soon found Al's real range was about a 3rd lower. That surely made his voice more intimate - and it would have happened sometime in '31.

Yes you are correct:On April 4, 1925, Fred Waring recorded “Collegiate” at the Victor Talking Machine Company studios in Camden, New Jersey. It was one of the first electrical recordings of a song, using an electrical microphone instead an acoustic horn. So much for not checking my research from several different resources. Thank you.

However, at Bell a number of attempts had been made to develop electrical recording that involved microphones and electrical disk cutting to replace the acoustic or mechanical recording technique used since Edison. Lionel Guest and Horace O. Meriman in Britain developed and demonstrated an electrical recording system using a moving coil recording head 15. Their system produced the earliest issued electrical recording which has come down to us. This was the 1920 recording of the burial of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey, London November 11, 1920 14. Guest and Meriman placed 4 carbon microphones inside Westminster Abbey 15, with their recording apparatus outside. The resulting recording was issued by Columbia Graphophone Co. However, the sound quality of the Guest and Meriman system was not satisfactory, and British recording companies, including Columbia Graphophone, after evaluation decided not to adopt the Guest and Meriman system. They subsequently went to the U.S., but with similar results, and their system died.

The sound quality of the 1920 Westminster Abbey recording is sufficiently poor that it is difficult to discern if only instruments are playing, or if there is also singing. The result is significantly poorer than an acoustic recording of the period, except perhaps that it would be difficult for the acoustic horn to capture such a large group. This reproduces the music 'Abide with Me' from this 1920 Westminster Abbey service
http://www.stokowski.org/sitebuilderfiles/1920_Guest_Meriman_Elect_Abide.mp3

Also Fletch I have been running around the Fedora Lounge attempting to congratulate you on your choice of returning to school; especially for English. I think that is great. (so if you see my notes please disregard):eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Shangas]

1931?!? Gee-whizz, I'd love to know the source of that info...

The mic as we know it today came out in 1925, and it revolutionised the music-recording and radio-broadcasting industry. One of the finest inventions in the world.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

1931?!? Gee-whizz, I'd love to know the source of that info...

The mic as we know it today came out in 1925, and it revolutionised the music-recording and radio-broadcasting industry. One of the finest inventions in the world.

The source of the correct information is in the post right above you and the post before that. The source of the incorrect info was Wikipedia I did not cross reference. [huh] Does this mean I am now banned from the "What are you listening to?" thread or does this mean the error is being blown out of proportion?

Actually this little tune may assist you in this matter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sjCcg123Y8

 

[LizzieMaine]

We listen to a lot of things in this thread, but we don't listen to sniping, so no more of it please.

So far as electrical recording is concerned, it was indeed going on well before 1925. Western Electric was doing extensive experimenting in 1923-24, and independent engineers like Frank Capps at Pathe and Orlando Marsh of Marsh Laboratories were developing workable systems of their own around the same time. The first electrically-recorded discs in the US were released by Marsh's Autograph label in 1924, a full year before Victor and Columbia licensed the Western Electric system and began electrical recordings of their own.

The microphone existed well before 1925, in the sense of various types of carbon microphone that evolved from those used in telephones. The big breakthru in 1925 was the development of the *condenser* microphone, which had a far superior frequency range to the carbon mikes then in use. It became the standard for phonograph records by 1926, was widely used in talking pictures beginning in 1926, and became dominant in radio by 1929 -- only to be supplanted by velocity mikes from 1932 on.

A carbon mike has a thin, hollow sound -- but condenser mikes for the first time made it possible to fully capture the lower tones in a singer's voice -- which made it idea for crooning purposes. Bowlly, Bing Crosby, and Russ Columbo all took full advantage of this capability.

 

[Shangas]

The source of the correct information is in the post right above you and the post before that. The source of the incorrect info was Wikipedia I did not cross reference. [huh] Does this mean I am now banned from the "What are you listening to?" thread or does this mean the error is being blown out of proportion?

Actually this little tune may assist you in this matter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sjCcg123Y8

Absolutely not. I was just curious. This is proof that Wiki is not always right.

 

[Fletch]

The first electrically-recorded discs in the US were released by Marsh's Autograph label in 1924, a full year before Victor and Columbia licensed the Western Electric system and began electrical recordings of their own.

And Marsh was openminded enough to bring King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, and Muggsy Spanier's Stomp Six before the mics.

The big breakthru in 1925 was the development of the *condenser* microphone, which had a far superior frequency range to the carbon mikes then in use.

Ahhh, I see where I went wrong. The aging 1st generation Noble fans of the 70s - who communicated more or less via the sleeve notes on Monmouth-Evergreen Lp reissues - got carbons and condensers confused, and I perpetuated the error.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

So far as electrical recording is concerned, it was indeed going on well before 1925. Western Electric was doing extensive experimenting in 1923-24, and independent engineers like Frank Capps at Pathe and Orlando Marsh of Marsh Laboratories were developing workable systems of their own around the same time. The first electrically-recorded discs in the US were released by Marsh's Autograph label in 1924, a full year before Victor and Columbia licensed the Western Electric system and began electrical recordings of their own.

The microphone existed well before 1925, in the sense of various types of carbon microphone that evolved from those used in telephones. The big breakthru in 1925 was the development of the *condenser* microphone, which had a far superior frequency range to the carbon mikes then in use. It became the standard for phonograph records by 1926, was widely used in talking pictures beginning in 1926, and became dominant in radio by 1929 -- only to be supplanted by velocity mikes from 1932 on.

A carbon mike has a thin, hollow sound -- but condenser mikes for the first time made it possible to fully capture the lower tones in a singer's voice -- which made it idea for crooning purposes. Bowlly, Bing Crosby, and Russ Columbo all took full advantage of this capability.

It appears Bell Labs were on this as well: Bell Labs had been working since at least 1914 on technologies that provided the ingredients of what later became electrical recording. This included the condenser microphone, developed in 1916 by Edward Christopher "E.C." Wente, which became possible with the advent of the vacuum tube (valve) to act as an amplifier of the low signal output. The condenser microphone has an electrical charge on two plates, the front one moving with the audio signal, and the rear one fixed.

http://www.stokowski.org/Development_of_Electrical_Recording.htm

 

[LizzieMaine]

It appears Bell Labs were on this as well: Bell Labs had been working since at least 1914 on technologies that provided the ingredients of what later became electrical recording. This included the condenser microphone, developed in 1916 by Edward Christopher "E.C." Wente, which became possible with the advent of the vacuum tube (valve) to act as an amplifier of the low signal output. The condenser microphone has an electrical charge on two plates, the front one moving with the audio signal, and the rear one fixed.

http://www.stokowski.org/Development_of_Electrical_Recording.htm

Quite true -- Western Electric was the manufacturing arm for the Bell System, while Bell Laboratories did the theoretical research. They were both parts of the same organization working toward the same goal -- even though that goal had also been reached by others, like Marsh and Capps, working completely outside the Bell organization and using entirely different technology.

General Electric also had a hand in the pie, using the photo-electric processes developed by Charles Hoxie. Their Pallophotophone was making electrical recordings on film as early as 1922-23.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Breaking off a bunch of off topic material from the What Are You Listening To thread...

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Quite true -- Western Electric was the manufacturing arm for the Bell System, while Bell Laboratories did the theoretical research. They were both parts of the same organization working toward the same goal -- even though that goal had also been reached by others, like Marsh and Capps, working completely outside the Bell organization and using entirely different technology.

General Electric also had a hand in the pie, using the photo-electric processes developed by Charles Hoxie. Their Pallophotophone was making electrical recordings on film as early as 1922-23.

Absolutely...thank you for clarifying that Lizziemaine...