Chapter 3 summeries

Chapter 3

1.) The Gramophone

In the 1880’s Thomas Edison invented the wax disc and figured out how to record and playback sound, this first turntable was called a gramophone. In later years, 1889, Berliner, a German inventor, discovered the flat disc which was a lot more advanced and easily produced. This enabled a “star system” and a new mass medium because it was used by artists to record songs and instruments. This is very convincing because there has been a lot of revolution for ways of recording music. This technique was also used by other countries besides the United States.

2.) Audiotape

In 1940 German engineers invented the audiotape, a plastic magnetic tape which made it possible for multi-track recording for instruments or vocals. Campbell supports these statements because he states that people were able to copy records onto the tape or record songs from the radio; this was called home dubbing. This is convincing because in the mid 1970’s sales for records dropped by 20% because people didn’t go out and buy music when they could record it for free.

3.) From Analog to Stereo to CD’s

In 1958 the stereo (stereophonic sound) was invented and made a huge impact on music because it made it possible to record from two separate channels of sound. From stereos came digital recording in the 1970’s.The stereo, developed by Thomas Stockham, this new invention translated sound waves into computer-like on/off impulses, transferring this information to discs in the form of binary code. This is convincing because Campbell states it replaced Edison’s analog recording which was much less advanced. This soon led to compact discs, better known as CD’s, which would soon replace audiotapes. In the late 1980’s CD sales surpassed LP record albums sales by double. I think people from other countries would be convinced because they used the same inventions and forms of media.