posted
So he made a machine that made squiggles on paper. Big whoop. It's not like he had any hope of playing it again. Edison et al. made replayable recordings (i.e. not requiring exhaustive computer reconstruction).
I mean it's neat and all to hear, but it doesn't shorten Edison's historical swinging pecker a single millimeter.
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Daniel Butler
I'm a Singapore where is my boat
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posted
Pfft. Edison's phonograph was almost the only thing he actually invented. He took the credit for what the people in his lab invented, or else he's credited with something that he didn't invent at all but only improved upon. For example, the light bulb, his most famous 'invention,' was fairly well established by the time he got to it:
quote:In addressing the question "Who invented the incandescent lamp?" historians Robert Friedel and Paul Israel [1] list 22 inventors of incandescent lamps prior to Swan and Edison. They conclude that Edison's version was able to outstrip the others because of a combination of factors: an effective incandescent material, a higher vacuum than others were able to achieve and a high resistance lamp that made power distribution from a centralized source economically viable.
quote:Originally posted by Guardian 2000: So he made a machine that made squiggles on paper. Big whoop. It's not like he had any hope of playing it again. Edison et al. made replayable recordings (i.e. not requiring exhaustive computer reconstruction).
I mean it's neat and all to hear, but it doesn't shorten Edison's historical swinging pecker a single millimeter.
You're right. I doubt that anyone will ever connect this guy's name with anything significant, everyone will still remember Edison when it comes to recordings, but it is still nice to know that Mary had a little lamb was not the first thing someone thought to record. Actually, the possibility remains that there are more of this guy's paper recordings out there. I doubt anyone would want to find them though.
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Daniel Butler
I'm a Singapore where is my boat
Member # 1689
posted
I would. I too had a problem with a nursery rhyme being the first thing recorded. I was like, why not the President reading a speech or something?? Mary Had a Little Lamb?? Srsly??
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
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posted
Because it's simple & has harmonics. Best testing element available.
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Yeah, but Edison said it in probably the most monotonic way possible. WHy not a song? Or a major scale? That has harmonics, and I'm pretty sure Edison could pull it off.
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
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posted
When you do a baseline testing, you don't go for complex.
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posted
I think he was just testing the principle. Not every "historical event" is appreciated for what it is (or will become) in the years to come. Neil Armstrong being the exception of course.
posted
I dont think a major scale is that complex. It wouldn't it also show if the machine could detect different tones and pitches? 8 notes up and down isn't that hard-for most people, who knows, maybe edison was tone deaf.
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quote:Originally posted by Sean: I dont think a major scale is that complex. It wouldn't it also show if the machine could detect different tones and pitches? 8 notes up and down isn't that hard-for most people, who knows, maybe edison was tone deaf.
Well, yeah. He was almost completely deaf from adolescence. Duh.
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