Technology

Since when did man begin recording, saving, and reproducing the world's sounds?

Nowadays, in the mass communication era, hearing sounds appears to be a natural action that we take for granted. Actually, we didn't learn the art of sound recording and reproduction until one hundred and fifty years ago. But from Edison's phonograph to the invention of the MP3 player, innovations came one after the other, with their own experiments, evolutions, and improvements.

In this section you can find an excursus of the sound carriers' history; a presentation of the numerous audio carriers and the equipment for recording and reproducing sounds; and eventually the principles of copying and restoration of the technology and computer department of the Phonotheque.

Sound memory
Sound carriers' history, from recording to reproduction

Tracing the timeline, we discover the history of sound carriers, double bonded with that of other inventions and the main events of the XX century.

1850-1900: Pioneers and first machinery

1900-2010: The sound carriers, from disc to MP3