1. Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, which was the first device capable of recording and playing back sound. It used a tin foil cylinder to record sound vibrations. 2. The transition to disc recordings in the 1890s by Emile Berliner made reproduction and distribution more efficient. 3. In the 1920s, electrical recording using microphones replaced mechanical recording, improving sound quality. However, speakers could not reproduce low bass frequencies well until the invention of the subwoofer in the 1960s to add deeper bass to the audio experience.

1. History of Sound and Light
By: Mikhaela Mariano and Mary Gale Soan

2. THE ACOUSTIC ERA
• The history of modern sound technology begins
with a familiar name: Thomas Edison. When he
wasn't busy inventing the light bulb, Edison was
working on the first phonograph. Upon finishing it,
he recorded the iconic ditty “Mary Had a Little
Lamb” in 1877 (he patented the device in 1878). His
initial invention featured a layer of tin foil wrapped
around a cylinder; sound waves caused Edison's
phonograph to make grooves in the foil, recording
the sound. The machine was then able to reproduce
the sound by “reading” the grooves.

3. Today
• Of course, the phonograph couldn't measure
up to today's sound reproduction standards,
especially since only mid-range frequencies
could be recorded by this early technology—
there was no bass at all to provide depth
and power.
• Furthermore, the sound quality was
abysmal, and the longevity of recordings was
limited. Nonetheless, his invention spurred
an era of development for sound recording
and reproduction technology.

4. • Alexander Graham Bell, another widely known historical
figure, arrived on the sound technology scene a decade later
with the invention of the graphophone. With the help of
several assistants, Bell improved upon Edison's design by
using a different material to record on; wax proved to be more
effective than tin foil, and produced a better sound (though
the bass was still missing). Before offering the graphophone
for sale, Bell's distribution company reached out to Edison in
an attempt to bring him in on the business; stubbornly
rejecting their offer, he continued his own research and
provided some competition for Bell in the marketplace.

5. • Ultimately, Edison's aim was to make his
phonograph a feasible product for home
entertainment, but his work was impeded by
litigation as other inventors claimed wrong-doing.
• Skip forward another decade (almost), and
you'll find the next big innovation in sound: the
transition from cylinder to disc. German by birth
but American by residence, Emile Berliner
began selling his disc players, called
gramophones, in the mid-1890s. The switch to
discs made commercial distribution more
efficient, as the discs were easier to make and
ship; also, they were louder than cylinders.

6. • This new recording format dominated the marketplace
for the duration of the acoustic recording era, and was
improved upon by such companies as the Victor Talking
Machine Company (which made Victrolas). Edison
grabbed a (small) piece of the disc market as well, and
his cylinders were phased out.
• Up until this point, sound recording and reproduction
was still mechanical, rather than electrical. Bass still
wasn't a consideration, and it would be another 70
years before sound players could provide low-range
frequencies to round out the sound; still, a revolution
was imminent.

7. THE ELECTRICAL ERA
• Electrical sound technology using microphones
took over in the 1920s, influenced by increased
use and development of radio technology in
WWI. Technological leaps in the field of
electrical sound reproduction included Edwin
Armstrong's many contributions such as the
Super heterodyne circuit, which greatly
improved the quality of electronic sound
recording and reproduction.
• He also invented FM radio, a medium that
spurred further innovation and development.

8. • So far we've seen lots of inventions, but still no bass
(at least, nothing approaching the kind of bass
available in home theaters today). The decades that
followed saw copious inventions related to movie,
radio and home sound reproduction; for instance,
Columbia released its first LP (long-playing record)
in the 30s, 45s bearing the RCA logo came out in the
40s, and magnetic recordings became viable around
the same time.
• However, the speakers of the day simply couldn't
reproduce the low frequencies that quality audio
demands.

9. BRING ON THE BASS
• Finally, in the mid 1960s, the scene was set
for the birth of the subwoofer. It was 1966:
the Beatles were dominating the music
charts, the Cold War was in full swing,
and Rick Astley had just been born. Most
importantly, audio enthusiasts had noticed
something missing in the sound systems of
the day. Their speakers may have been high-end,
but they couldn’t reproduce the low-end-
of-the-spectrum frequencies that were
vital to a satisfying audio experience.

10. • Enter Arnold Nudell, Cary Christie and Ken Kreisel, a
few of the earliest creators of the subwoofer.
Responding to existing speakers’ inadequate
reproduction of the lowest sound frequencies,
Nudell and Christie created the first subwoofer in
1966. A short time after, Kreisel answered the cries
of his business partner’s customers, who bemoaned
the inadequate bass in even the high-end audio
products. Thus, the sub was born.

11. • Not long after the invention of the subwoofer,
the motion picture industry capitalized on the
raw power of a sub to create a more engaging
experience for movie-goers. The movies played
a key role in driving the popularity of
subwoofers; while the technology was originally
motivated by audiophiles’ demands for better
bass, the 1974 film Earthquake took the
technology to the next level by putting it into
action in movie theaters across the country.
• Released in Sensurround, the movie literally
shook the earth beneath the audience’s feet,
relying on specially installed subwoofers to
create the thrilling rumbles.

12. • This is where David Hall, founder and owner of
Velodyne, enters the picture. Subwoofers of the
1960s and 70s could produce earth-shaking
vibrations, but the levels at which they distorted
sound were unacceptable, and they couldn’t quite
get low enough. David’s answer to these problems
was the revolutionary accelerometer-based High
Gain ServoÔ system, which controlled the woofer
cone movement and slashed distortion levels 20 to
30 times over while hitting the lowest of the low
end of the sound spectrum.

13. • His subs were also even louder. Furthermore, he didn’t
stop inventing new subwoofer technologies: since then,
Velodyne has used new advances such as the Dual
Tandem Voice Coil, the Energy Recovery Amplifier,
Digital High Gain Servo-Control and the Digital Drive
Room Bass Equalization System to bring subwoofer
sound performance to new levels.
• These advancements bring you the sound quality you
enjoy today in the privacy of your home theater. No
matter what kind of sub you own, each of these sound
recording and reproduction inventors played a part in
bringing it to you. So the next time you pump some
bass, remember the masterminds that helped bring it
into being.

14. Difficult Words or Additional Info
• "Mary Had a Little Lamb," this is perhaps the most
widely quoted test recording in the early history of
recorded sound, but for many years nobody had
been able to listen to it.
• Phonograph or record player, is a device introduced
in 1877 for the mechanical recording and
reproduction of sound.The sound vibration
waveforms are recorded as corresponding physical
deviations of a groove engraved or impressed into
the surface of a rotating cylinder or disc.

15. • Graphophone was the name and trademark of an
improved version of the phonograph. Also Simply
known as phonograph.
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