The History of Recorded Music: The Re-emergence of the vinyl Record


I thought I would bring to the attention of fellow audiophiles a lecture given by the University of California Santa Barbara's library entitled The Redoubtable Disc record. It is sponsored by the UCSB's Early Recordings Initiative and is accessible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKBlvdOYpz8

This is a fascinating lecture that gives the history of recorded music, demonstrates the earliest playback machines and provides live demonstrations of what early recorded music sounded like at the turn of the 19th century.  There is also a segment on the re-emergence of the vinyl record and a discussion of why this medium, despite its primitive origins, continues to thrive.

Many of us take for granted the excellent sound of our personal stereos. The road to how we got there is an interesting study.

 

lubachl

“The great sounding stuff really is great sounding”

Exactly. The key is to find the great sounding records.

Thanks for sharing the vid.  
The whole process of putting music on to a spinning disc is indeed a fascinating thing.  
I was just listening to records with a friend last night.  
Not to be corny, but it’s still a strange thing to put a diamond tip transducer on to a spinning vinyl disc and…that music comes out.  
Vinyl is a PITA and flawed, but I still love it.  
The great sounding stuff really is great sounding, too.

Indeed, the lecture goes into some of the politics and corporate strategies used to establish a monopoly in the early days of the recorded music industry.  How little things have changed...

Edison mostly just stole ideas and attemptedvto perfect them while taking full credit .

And be a paranoid schizoid Jew hater.

"...turn of the 19th century ..." LOL! Thomas Edison invented the gramophone in 1877. So you are off by 77 years!

You should perhaps be not so quick to admonish others, because your claim is simply mistaken: Thomas Edison did not invent the gramophone. For that achievement we must recognize Emile Berliner.

 

"...turn of the 19th century ..." LOL! Thomas Edison invented the gramophone in 1877. So you are off by 77 years!

The technology and artistry go hand in hand. Before the LP, recordings were "short." All the significant blues records were singles; yes, you can now get them as compilations. Les Paul was cutting overdubs direct to disc before he had access to a tape machine. 

Some people prefer mono today as more authentic. I say play what makes you happy.