[net.audio] Thomas A. Edison and electrical recording

jfs@petrus.UUCP (Jack Stanley) (05/08/86)

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       It is interesting to note that although Thomas Edison was very
involved in electrical matters, he was very negitive on electrical recording.
         Edison entered the record business(for home entertainment) in the
late 1880s, and of course all of his recording was done accousticly.
              
                       The accoustic method of recording was fine in 1890
or even in 1920, but, when electrical recording was developed by western
electric in 1924, it was quite easy to see that the accoustic method was
doomed.        

             The Victor Talking Machine Co. and The Columbia Graphophone
Co. both went to the electric method the next year, but Edison refused to
change.

               The best way to explain his reasoning is perhaps shown by
his only surviving son, Theodore Edison, who said,

          "My father was quite deaf you know, and to him electric reproduct-
ion was always compaired to his hearing aid.    He was always turning it up
and causing it to distort.   He would have it so loud that the magnets would
bang against the poles.      He thought that electrical recording would be
distorted as well.       So Edison remained accoustic on the recordings that
had to compete with the new electrically recorded Victors and Columbias.
                    The research on electrical recording was done pretty
much in secret by Walter Miller and his gang.    

                             A funny incident that occured around this time
was a fellow came up to me and said that Mr. Edison kept telling him to make
his hearing aid louder, and the fellow said I just couldn't do it.   I was
getting sparks around his ears and I was afraid I'd electrocute him!!!"


      I tried to remember to write this the way Theodore Edison told the 
story to me last year.      Anyway I thought it would make interesting
reading.       If anyone has some good Edison stories I for one would love
to hear about them.        

                     Thanks,       Jack Stanley