Edison tinfoil phonograph demonstration

25 Responses to “Edison tinfoil phonograph demonstration”

1. 
   #1
   akilli1453
   November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

   Beautiful! Most …
   Beautiful! Most people do not appreciate just how incredible this was. On the other hand, the underlying technology existed even during Roman times. What a shame!

2. 
   #2
   solidgold1988
   November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

   FAKE
   FAKE

3. 
   #3
   edisonphonographs
   November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

   Of course you know …
   Of course you know that sound is created by viberations through the air called sound waves. When sound waves enter the horn they hit a thin piece of metal called a diaphragm. Attached to the diaphragm is a sharp recording stylus that creates an indentation in the foil or wax. As the sound waves hit the diaphragm it viberates up and down causing the depth of the groove created by the stylus to change. When you play back the recoring the groves move the diaphragm and play back the origional sound.

4. 
   #4
   cullyvan
   November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

   Its Magic. Just …
   Its Magic. Just write that its magic.

5. 
   #5
   PlindyH
   November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

   I’m studying Music …
   I’m studying Music Technology at AS level, and, as you would expect, this came up in the development of recording technology. I’m curious, how exactly does this make or read the sounds? I understand that it is etched onto tracks, which are read by a needle, but how exactly does that end up as the sound?

6. 
   #6
   19smokey19
   November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

   sorry to hear of ur …
   sorry to hear of ur loss with bill… how were those machines made and did it take long to built them…

7. 
   #7
   volodya2
   November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

   GREAT!
   GREAT!

8. 
   #8
   Cjohnsonmyer014
   November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

   wow people probably …
   wow people probably crapped themselfs when they first saw this back then.

9. 
   #9
   woody558
   November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

   Do you have any …
   Do you have any other phonographs that you would consider selling?

10. 
    #10
    tayishere202
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    truly Amazing …
    truly Amazing thanks for sharing

11. 
    #11
    ReneRondeau
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    It was made by a …
    It was made by a very close friend, master machinist Bill Ptacek in 2001. It’s an extremely precise replica of the only surviving original, which is in a museum. Unfortunately Bill was killed in an accident in 2004. He only built 3 of these.

12. 
    #12
    woody558
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    Where did you get …
    Where did you get this?

13. 
    #13
    payaning2x
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    Ha Ha Haaaaaa!!!!!
    Ha Ha Haaaaaa!!!!!

14. 
    #14
    woody558
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    Can you use an …
    Can you use an aluminum can?

15. 
    #15
    danielgosson
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    Have you tried any …
    Have you tried any plastics such as vinyl sheet or celluloid overhead projector sheets? There is a video somewhere on youtube of someone recording onto a plastic party cup. The sound is bad but still there. Also, how many times could you replay your tinfoil before it wore out?

16. 
    #16
    ReneRondeau
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    I used to …
    I used to special-order it in quantity from a metal manufacturing company and offer it for sale to collectors. Unfortunately the price has gotten so high I had to stop buying it. I’m still working off my reserve stockpile for my recordings.

17. 
    #17
    ReneRondeau
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    Heavy duty aluminum …
    Heavy duty aluminum foil will work but it’s much harder and that results in a harsh, scratchy sound. But on the plus side, it is actually louder than real tinfoil as I used here. In the 1870s lead foil was sometimes used but I’ve never found any sources for that today.

18. 
    #18
    danielgosson
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    Amazing. The sound …
    Amazing. The sound was much clearer & cleaner than I expected. Have you tried any other substances besides tin? does anything else work at all?

19. 
    #19
    ThePhonograph
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    where do you get …
    where do you get the tinfoil from as done a google search and nothing came up

20. 
    #20
    19smokey19
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    its strange what …
    its strange what the human mind can invent..

21. 
    #21
    ReneRondeau
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    This particular …
    This particular machine was designed as a deluxe “drawing room instrument” with 40 grooves per inch. that is much finer than most, normal exhibition machines averaged 20 to 24 tpi.

22. 
    #22
    ReneRondeau
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    It will record …
    It will record music just fine, as long as it is loud enough and close to the horn. It is particularly impressive with cornet or trumpet.

23. 
    #23
    edisonphonographs
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    How many gooves per …
    How many gooves per inch do the recordings this machine makes have? What is the diaphragm made of? Very nice machine with a very clear and suprisingly lound sound!

    Thanks

24. 
    #24
    Shangas
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    That’s pretty …
    That’s pretty impressive. But how well does it pick up actual music?

25. 
    #25
    XOXOxoxoblackangel22
    November 2nd, 2009 6:49 am

    chooo
    chooo

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