I love how formal Alec is in these older videos. It's like he's trying his best to be a PBS show but he still can't quite hide the manic exasperation of video production.
Nah , I think he just loosened up alot. I quite enjoy him as he currently is ....He's a brilliant "presenter" I think he just found his natural state. Especially with the hair and bubbly vibes.
supposedly John Phillip Sousa himself came up with that term, and intended it derisively; he really did not like the very limited dynamic range of early phonograph recordings
Whoa, it's true - in his 1906 essay "The Menace of Mechanical Music", Sousa warned that recorded music could be a "substitute for human skill, intelligence and soul."
Edison's original patent for the phonograph included a disc version. The reason for the cylinder was to keep the speed of the groove constant under the stylus.
Ive been watching Techmoan and 8-bit Guy for a while. For whatever reason TH-cam just now let me know your channel exists. I wish it had come earlier, these vids are great!
yup, same here ... working through the videos now :-) TH-cam recommended the VCR one and it is nice to see that quality went up compared to the earlier ones. Subscribed, thanks!
@debaser they're not as uncommon as you think. I was just randomly given one by my aunt and then researched it and found that you can purchase them online for around a thousand dollars
the phonograph itself can run you for around 600 dollars for a complete working one on ebay but the cylinders themselves are rather inexpensive. i remember seeing a deal on ebay that was 2 cylinders for $10
@@dguy0386 Yeah I just checked and they arent that expensive, I even found one for 450$ (+35 for shipping), it's really weird that they could be found just for few hundreds in working condition. I thought something vintage like this would have more value and will be in the thousands, but aparently they're quite cheap.
interesting fun fact about that style of governor, its where the term running "Balls out" comes from. Stationary steam engines commonly had one of a similar design except instead of sliding a disc against a brake they controlled a steam valve and were weighted with big iron balls. a steam engine at its max speed had the arms with these weights all the way out.
not just steam engines, old otis elevators had the same idea, two large balls ontop of the car would spin as the car got going if they spun too fast cause the elevator had lost control or the cables snapped the balls would drag out the emergency brakes which would bring the elevator to a stop then a technician would have to come and reset the emergency brake after fixing the elevator and the passengers had been rescued it wasnt so much of a governor as much as a fail safe speed control
zachary carlson i think there was an episode of mythbusters where they destroyed one by removing the pin and that let the elevator free fall for the experiment.
Years ago my wife and I were checking out the collection of antiques in Knott's Berry Farm, and they had an early juke box that played wax cylinders. It still worked, and they even let us try it. It was pretty amazing. It was called the Edison Multiphone. It had 24 wax cylinders mounted on a Ferris wheel sort of thing. When you put in your nickel and selected the song you wanted to hear, the Ferris wheel would rotate to move the correct cylinder into position to be played. By the time we returned a year or two later, they no longer allowed anyone to operate it due to its age.
When I used to work at Borders (remember them?), I had a customer bring back an Enrico Caruso CD complaining that the "sound was horrible". I tried explaining to him that there was only so much that could be done to recordings made nearly a century ago, but he insisted that is only sucked because the record label was lazy with the transfer and didn't care. In my years of retail, it's a tie between him and a lady that didn't understand what fiction was as my stupidest customers of all time.
I made a brief attempt at helping people with old reel-to-reel tapes, or old records, to transfer them to CDs. It was futile for the same reason. People expected CD audio from the transfer, even if the source material was severely limited. I just gave up in frustration.
I just can't get enough of these videos. You are incredibly thorough, but not at all dry. The ability to take apart seemingly complex subjects and make it not only palatable, but interesting to the layman, is a unique skill and the hallmark of a great teacher.
I can only imagine what this was like when it first came out, it must have been fantastic. The audio quality isn't up to par compared to our modern standards, on top of the thing being over 100 years old, but imagine what it must have been like having an entire band playing form a little box in your living room.
Thanks for the great video. I have a portable (20 pounds or so) Edison machine for two minute cylinders from about the 1900 - 1910 decade. The cylinders still sound surprisingly good even though many are well over 100 years old. I had a couple of cylinders deteriorate. One Edison wax cylinder was attacked by mold and another shattered when I slid it on the mandrel. The careful engineering in the machine is quite evident and there is a lot of attention to detail, even in the spring motor. The reproducer is very interesting. The stylus is a very carefully ground sapphire, and it is sort of club-shaped with a ball point. I have no idea how the stylus was machined, but it is probably one of if not the most expensive components in the machine. Over all it is a fascinating machine and nowhere as simple as you’d think at first glance. As far as I know, everything on the machine I have is original and it still works almost like it did 110+ years ago with essentially zero maintenance.
I was told that when these recordings were made, they'd line up a dozen or so recorders, side to side to most efficiently make multiples copies at one time. The cylinders were also numbered as to which machine they were recorded on. Much later, it was discovered that if you were to play back a cylinder from the first and last recorder simultaneously, you witness a true stereophonic playback!
My iPod that I had in Iraq in 2006, the OG 80gig one, still works to this day. It still has all the shitty music I listened to back then and I can't change it because the password for it is long forgotten.
I come back to this playlist from time to time. Its remarkable how you can relay information to make it easily understandable. You make great productions. Thanks
New to your channel and going back to watch old stuff, love it. One thing you missed out on to tell people was that if they didn't like how loud the music was they would muffle it by "sticking a sock into it" which is where you get that phrase that we still use today.
I got through most of this video before it dawned on me that you just have an antique phonograph. I mean, I've been binging your channel so I realize you've got a lot of cool stuff, but, just, "Hey, I'll whip out my antique phonograph and tell everyone about it." That's a level of cool that most of us will never reach, and I could never dream of.
Actually, medicine made only one recording that was a semi-available commercially and it was a diamond disc giving out to retailers in the early twenties.
I like old Alec, his haircut seems like tech geek, plus the studio seems more like classy & feels like warm environment. Hope sometimes in the future he will create a video in his old studio & old haircut again.....for nostalgia sake of course
Wow! I just rewatched this from several years ago. Amazing how much your hair has grown and to see how well your production value has stayed top notch!
I stumbled across one of your videos this morning about the vcr....an I was hooked. After 3 hours of viewing the evolution of home video media I had to leave for work. I could not get your presentations out of my head. Very educational and extremely enjoyable, they most certainly, have been! You remind me of a favorite Science Teacher I had in High School. Passionate in explaining, Brilliant in personality! I immediately found your show again upon returning home and immediately subscribed. Thank you for these videos. OUTSTANDING job! I've enjoyed each one immensely. ✌❤😊
I just found your channel today, and have checked a few things. I already knew about most of it, but at least I can say you did a fine job of explaining it to someone new to this old technology. Keep up the good work.
I've seen a lot of videos explaining the phonograph but yours is the most detailed and complete. Nice job! And I'm also enjoying all your other videos too!
I had to go waay back to middle school lessons of how sound waves work to wrap my head around how that reproducer works lol. Excellent videos and humor!
Awesome video. I was dismayed to see the number of views. Your VHS vid was recommended when I watched one of Techmoan's vids, and now I'm watching this.
Alec, Do not use a 4-minute reproducer to play 2-minute wax records. The 4 minute stylus is too small for the larger 2 minute record grooves and will damage them. You can safely play 4 minute wax and celluloid records with the H reproducer, but you need to have a model C reproducer to play the record demonstrated in the video
My younger brother lived in Savannah, GA and made extra money for years restoring old Edison's, Victrola's and even player pianos. Some years ago he gave me a Victrola & a 1905 Kimball Player Piano. Pretty great kid brother. We are adopting a 9 year old girl and just played the piano for the first time over Skype about two hours ago. She moves in in November and I cannot wait for her to hear the Victrola. Thanks for these videos. The presentation is great.
I am currently reading Bram Stoker's Dracula. So I needed to find out how tf were they able to record in 1897 and listen. I am speechless. Such simple technology and I can't understand it. Wow
Cats were commonly used for pest control at the time, so the inclusion of a cat hair made the machine smell like a cat, which kept vermin like rodents from damaging the sensitive mechanics.
WHOA! This is an "old" one~! I've recently started watching Alec's videos for a year now and just came across this one. The production is just as good.
Edison should have put his name on the cylinder case a few more times. There was almost an angle I could hold it at and not see his name, I never would have remembered who made it...
Loved the talking Edison cylinder, I still have an old Edison cylinder cover, which displays Edison's face all over my kitchen I think there's only so many people on earth who can appreciate that old techno nostalgia
@@theshamanite Tried to use duct tape on my moped after an accident a year ago and it all fell off. It isn't good for vibrating or moving parts. The scotch tape on my headlight is there to this day.
There was also the automatic piano (my name). It worked on a scroll of paper with holes of various lengths. The scroll passed over a mechanism that was pedal powered. The mechanism linked in with the piano levers and reproduced the movement to move the levers and hammers that hit the piano strings. The scrolls were stored in boxes about 12” long by around 1” and 1/2.
I must say I love how you inject little bits of humour (yes,with a 'u'. "Maybe it's because I'm an Englishman!") Into what could otherwise be rather dry subjects.The perfect balance of sillyness and well reasearched and excellently written scripts.It' what makes Technology Connections my favourite Yt show/channel. Bravo,Alec.You are a natural writer/presenter (IMHO)
Brown-painted wall in the background - foreshadowing! The early years... before "the magic of buying two of them", but still with that exquisite dry humor - "slash conveniently placed in front of me".
It's so impressive because those folks were inventing devices in real time. Nowadays, new inventions are just a re juggling of circuits and components. Not as exciting, huh?
Tech Moan channel has the pleasure of owning a 2022 released cylinder by a current band which is a 4 minute cylinder. Awesome to watch these older videos. In 100 years they'll be looking back at TH-cam and its place in tech history.
The foil used was made of actual tin, not aluminum as now. Aluminum in Edison's time may have been known only to chemists as an element, and until extraction procedures were found so as to make it commercially available, was rarer and more costly than gold. Now, tin is a valuable metal whereas aluminum being plentiful and cheap. The stylus in Edison's first tinfoil phonograph was not a cutter but rather was a smooth boss stylus (writing pen) which incuses (without removal of material) it's shape into the foil surface as "hill-and-dale" modulations. Of whichever it may have been made, there would have been tendency to drag and tear at the surface, rather than indent it properly. Ideally, to duplicate a tinfoil recording experiment, an ordinary small-gauge ball point pen with ink acting as a lubricant, would prove ideal. (At the same time as embossing, it would we actually WRITING sound!) Edison was a peculiar man, to put it kindly. From the time of the invention of his Phonograph to Bell's taking-over with ozokerite coated cardboard cylinders, was all wasted, during which he could have exploited it to-the-max. As a result all the famous voices and instrumentalists of the mid-late 1800's were missed. Although he had a good go at it later, Columbia (who were mostly attorneys) kicked his behind really good in court, on many occasions. He was great with experimentalism but, not so hot with seeing the various possibilities within his discoveries. Had he treated Tesla with respect rather than impudence and contempt, we would have had the perfected 60hz. poly-phase electrical system way before Westinghouse, who DID treat him right and prospered thereby greatly on account. . : .
Funny that you chose "The Mouse and the Clock" It was the very first cylinder I owned and was in pristine condition and of course I BROKE it. Although I found another copy I have never found one in such good shape. That squeak of the mouse is a pretty high frequency... BTW the belt on your player needs replacement. you have a lot of flutter from that.
Are these cylinders expensive? I have a bunch of them from a grandparent. I plan on keeping them but there is damn near 150 of them not sure if there are duplicates or if they work
I'm so glad I finally started looking at your earlier videos. You began your channel in fine style, though I also like the way it developed later on. This is amazing, though - how did you get access to an original phonograph? Was it borrowed?
WOW! That sound quality is better then a SACD going through a tube amp into Rosso Fiorentino high end speakers. It was like the band was literally playing in front of me! I closed my eyes and it was just like being there! No distortion or his or clipping or noise or artifacts just clean sound waves hitting my ears! I like your subtle jokes. You have a good sense of humor and personality and intelligence you should be more yourself in your videos!
Actually, Edison's cylinder coupled with vertical recording gave a better sound than did Berliner's lateral recording on a disk. I suspect that this is because the sound waves coming from the horn were at 90 degrees to the diaphragm and this was the most direct connection to the rotating cylinder. With the Berliner system, a somewhat convoluted (and less direct) arrangement existed between the diaphragm and the recording stylus. With acoustic recording, this difference was very important as a consequence of the low amount of energy actually present in the sound waves coming into the horn and the Edison system being more direct was, therefore more efficient. This can be demonstrated today on U-tube by listening to well-reproduced recordings (preferably electronic) made on the two systems and extensively presented on U-tube. In most instances, cylinders outperform the disks, especially with 1890's and very early 20th century recordings. On this matter, it might also be mentioned that U-tube is providing a medium where collectors of early audio recordings can share their treasures without actually relinquishing them as can be demonstrated by the number of rare early recordings currently available on U-tube.
Suddenly realizing it's called a phonograph because it's literally using a "phono" (sound) "graph" (image) - or an image of the sound. (Was this mentioned in the video and I missed it?)
I was just thinking the other night about how only the recording aspect should be called phonograph logically, then 'gramophone' should be what refers exclusively to the playback device but I don't think that's how it went
I love how formal Alec is in these older videos. It's like he's trying his best to be a PBS show but he still can't quite hide the manic exasperation of video production.
That and the hair! He's come a long way the good man.
I"ve watched more than a dozen of his recent videos and this the first time I've heard his name.
This is when he is still young and energetic🤣
@@lilbro93I’ve noticed that too. Was curious. Now I can think of him as Alec, rather then, “the Technology Connections guy.”
Nah , I think he just loosened up alot. I quite enjoy him as he currently is ....He's a brilliant "presenter" I think he just found his natural state. Especially with the hair and bubbly vibes.
In the 1900s: “hey jimmy! Go to the store and pick up a can of music!”
do da doo da da doo DOO!
Hahahahahaha
supposedly John Phillip Sousa himself came up with that term, and intended it derisively; he really did not like the very limited dynamic range of early phonograph recordings
Whoa, it's true - in his 1906 essay "The Menace of Mechanical Music", Sousa warned that recorded music could be a "substitute for human skill, intelligence and soul."
oh man, this whole time I thought the can WAS the wax cylinder. it looks very waxy...
Edison's original patent for the phonograph included a disc version.
The reason for the cylinder was to keep the speed of the groove constant under the stylus.
79th thumbs up
Which is the topic of the next video!
Yeah, although admittedly it was totally unnecessary since the machines couldn't reproduce sounds high enough pitch to matter anyway.
Edison filed patents, not the inventor.
Ive been watching Techmoan and 8-bit Guy for a while. For whatever reason TH-cam just now let me know your channel exists. I wish it had come earlier, these vids are great!
yup, same here ... working through the videos now :-) TH-cam recommended the VCR one and it is nice to see that quality went up compared to the earlier ones. Subscribed, thanks!
same here ...
Another same here from the VCR episode. Really amazing to see how much stuff is going on inside that "humble VCR" machine.
same here. Nice channel is this one
Yep, same. Got recommended the VHS tape one.
Its crazy hearing a recording that old. Even people who were newborns when that was new died of old age
@debaser they're not as uncommon as you think. I was just randomly given one by my aunt and then researched it and found that you can purchase them online for around a thousand dollars
the phonograph itself can run you for around 600 dollars for a complete working one on ebay but the cylinders themselves are rather inexpensive. i remember seeing a deal on ebay that was 2 cylinders for $10
@@dguy0386 Yeah I just checked and they arent that expensive, I even found one for 450$ (+35 for shipping), it's really weird that they could be found just for few hundreds in working condition. I thought something vintage like this would have more value and will be in the thousands, but aparently they're quite cheap.
interesting fun fact about that style of governor, its where the term running "Balls out" comes from. Stationary steam engines commonly had one of a similar design except instead of sliding a disc against a brake they controlled a steam valve and were weighted with big iron balls. a steam engine at its max speed had the arms with these weights all the way out.
not just steam engines, old otis elevators had the same idea, two large balls ontop of the car would spin as the car got going if they spun too fast cause the elevator had lost control or the cables snapped the balls would drag out the emergency brakes which would bring the elevator to a stop then a technician would have to come and reset the emergency brake after fixing the elevator and the passengers had been rescued it wasnt so much of a governor as much as a fail safe speed control
zachary carlson i think there was an episode of mythbusters where they destroyed one by removing the pin and that let the elevator free fall for the experiment.
The mechanism you are thinking of is called a Governor.
unherolike So called because it holds the highest governmental office in a state!
Mm, balls of steel
Years ago my wife and I were checking out the collection of antiques in Knott's Berry Farm, and they had an early juke box that played wax cylinders. It still worked, and they even let us try it. It was pretty amazing. It was called the Edison Multiphone. It had 24 wax cylinders mounted on a Ferris wheel sort of thing. When you put in your nickel and selected the song you wanted to hear, the Ferris wheel would rotate to move the correct cylinder into position to be played. By the time we returned a year or two later, they no longer allowed anyone to operate it due to its age.
When I used to work at Borders (remember them?), I had a customer bring back an Enrico Caruso CD complaining that the "sound was horrible". I tried explaining to him that there was only so much that could be done to recordings made nearly a century ago, but he insisted that is only sucked because the record label was lazy with the transfer and didn't care. In my years of retail, it's a tie between him and a lady that didn't understand what fiction was as my stupidest customers of all time.
I want to hear about this lady who didn't know what fiction was.
I made a brief attempt at helping people with old reel-to-reel tapes, or old records, to transfer them to CDs. It was futile for the same reason. People expected CD audio from the transfer, even if the source material was severely limited. I just gave up in frustration.
People generally refer to non-fiction as "novels". Does that clear it up?
That guy better watch himself or Fitzcarraldo is gonna punch him in the face
@@ferociousgumby if people refer to fiction or non-fiction as a novel then they need to be re-educated China style...because I am a prick
I just can't get enough of these videos. You are incredibly thorough, but not at all dry. The ability to take apart seemingly complex subjects and make it not only palatable, but interesting to the layman, is a unique skill and the hallmark of a great teacher.
I can only imagine what this was like when it first came out, it must have been fantastic. The audio quality isn't up to par compared to our modern standards, on top of the thing being over 100 years old, but imagine what it must have been like having an entire band playing form a little box in your living room.
Thanks for the great video. I have a portable (20 pounds or so) Edison machine for two minute cylinders from about the 1900 - 1910 decade. The cylinders still sound surprisingly good even though many are well over 100 years old. I had a couple of cylinders deteriorate. One Edison wax cylinder was attacked by mold and another shattered when I slid it on the mandrel. The careful engineering in the machine is quite evident and there is a lot of attention to detail, even in the spring motor. The reproducer is very interesting. The stylus is a very carefully ground sapphire, and it is sort of club-shaped with a ball point. I have no idea how the stylus was machined, but it is probably one of if not the most expensive components in the machine. Over all it is a fascinating machine and nowhere as simple as you’d think at first glance. As far as I know, everything on the machine I have is original and it still works almost like it did 110+ years ago with essentially zero maintenance.
Recording sessions were amazing! The whole band had to gather around a cone to capture the sound.
I was told that when these recordings were made, they'd line up a dozen or so recorders, side to side to most efficiently make multiples copies at one time. The cylinders were also numbered as to which machine they were recorded on. Much later, it was discovered that if you were to play back a cylinder from the first and last recorder simultaneously, you witness a true stereophonic playback!
Later on they would use a pantograph, basically a reproducer/recorder combination head so they could be copied in better quality.
16:12 "I'm not counting on my iPod working in 2115."
My iPod didn't even live past 2015
No shit. That's why mechanical stuff will always win eventually.
Cause Apple Designed this way,so you need to buy the newest one every year. Shitty brand.
My iPod that I had in Iraq in 2006, the OG 80gig one, still works to this day. It still has all the shitty music I listened to back then and I can't change it because the password for it is long forgotten.
I so wish I had a time capsule iPod to perfectly re-live my shitty music library of years past.
People in 2020 already: What's an iPod?
I come back to this playlist from time to time. Its remarkable how you can relay information to make it easily understandable. You make great productions. Thanks
New to your channel and going back to watch old stuff, love it. One thing you missed out on to tell people was that if they didn't like how loud the music was they would muffle it by "sticking a sock into it" which is where you get that phrase that we still use today.
"This one looks interesting slash it's conveniently placed in front of me!" ... excellent videos... and quite funny from time to time
This is amazing, the genius, and I just imagine the people who heard a recording like this for the first time thinking it was magic lol
I got through most of this video before it dawned on me that you just have an antique phonograph. I mean, I've been binging your channel so I realize you've got a lot of cool stuff, but, just, "Hey, I'll whip out my antique phonograph and tell everyone about it." That's a level of cool that most of us will never reach, and I could never dream of.
But does he have jams? I've been searching high and low for Blue Danube.
There's one at my work, but as far as I know, they don't operate it. (It's a decoration in the lobby.)
I like that his background 5 years ago was still conceptually similar to current one, despite being quite different in implementation.
Wow its crazy how good even his old videos are
_"Do you have Prince Albert in a can?"_
"Sorry, we only have Thomas Edison left."
Actually, medicine made only one recording that was a semi-available commercially and it was a diamond disc giving out to retailers in the early twenties.
It’s crazy even us watching this video hearing sound back. We’re experiencing everything he’s talking about now.
I like old Alec, his haircut seems like tech geek, plus the studio seems more like classy & feels like warm environment.
Hope sometimes in the future he will create a video in his old studio & old haircut again.....for nostalgia sake of course
Wow! I just rewatched this from several years ago. Amazing how much your hair has grown and to see how well your production value has stayed top notch!
I stumbled across one of your videos this morning about the vcr....an I was hooked. After 3 hours of viewing the evolution of home video media I had to leave for work. I could not get your presentations out of my head. Very educational and extremely enjoyable, they most certainly, have been! You remind me of a favorite Science Teacher I had in High School. Passionate in explaining, Brilliant in personality!
I immediately found your show again upon returning home and immediately subscribed.
Thank you for these videos. OUTSTANDING job! I've enjoyed each one immensely.
✌❤😊
Yeah he is kinda awesome isn't he?
You Tube algo brought this to my home screen. awesome to see your earlier videos!!! Always fun and always something to learn.
I just found your channel today, and have checked a few things. I already knew about most of it, but at least I can say you did a fine job of explaining it to someone new to this old technology. Keep up the good work.
I've seen a lot of videos explaining the phonograph but yours is the most detailed and complete. Nice job! And I'm also enjoying all your other videos too!
The most interesting thing about this to me is the fact that these people are no longer with us and essentially we’re listening to ghosts play music
I had to go waay back to middle school lessons of how sound waves work to wrap my head around how that reproducer works lol. Excellent videos and humor!
Your humour is on point. Keep it up!
The minutia of your channel/videos in general is astounding. Love it.
Going through your back logs, great content. Thank you for delivering this information in a interesting way.
Some of the best videos on TH-cam, great work and so informative.
Have you ever considered doing a video on player pianos? The world of mechanical music is, in my opinion, part of the story of sound recording.
Seconded.
Awesome video. I was dismayed to see the number of views. Your VHS vid was recommended when I watched one of Techmoan's vids, and now I'm watching this.
Fantastic explanations! This channel has been consistently great for years. Keep up the good work! 👍 👏
Alec,
Do not use a 4-minute reproducer to play 2-minute wax records. The 4 minute stylus is too small for the larger 2 minute record grooves and will damage them.
You can safely play 4 minute wax and celluloid records with the H reproducer, but you need to have a model C reproducer to play the record demonstrated in the video
My younger brother lived in Savannah, GA and made extra money for years restoring old Edison's, Victrola's and even player pianos. Some years ago he gave me a Victrola & a 1905 Kimball Player Piano. Pretty great kid brother. We are adopting a 9 year old girl and just played the piano for the first time over Skype about two hours ago. She moves in in November and I cannot wait for her to hear the Victrola. Thanks for these videos. The presentation is great.
I am currently reading Bram Stoker's Dracula. So I needed to find out how tf were they able to record in 1897 and listen. I am speechless. Such simple technology and I can't understand it. Wow
Omg the analog quality. It’s so great. I love being a snob about it. Like a cat screeching in yer ear. Analog. Gold.
You didn't explain what the cat hair was for.
I thought it was the stylus at first, then realized it was hair. Should have figured that concept was too advanced for edision.
Obviously a cat's-whisker diode for his crystal set
Snack?
Cats were commonly used for pest control at the time, so the inclusion of a cat hair made the machine smell like a cat, which kept vermin like rodents from damaging the sensitive mechanics.
@@Abou47Pandas I'm not gonna lie, I thought the same thing
WHOA! This is an "old" one~! I've recently started watching Alec's videos for a year now and just came across this one. The production is just as good.
You have come so far from these older videos. You are one of my favorite channels. Good job!
Edison should have put his name on the cylinder case a few more times. There was almost an angle I could hold it at and not see his name, I never would have remembered who made it...
You do an incredible job explaining how things work. Thank you for taking the time to put this video together. It was very insightful.
Loved the talking Edison cylinder, I still have an old Edison cylinder cover, which displays Edison's face all over my kitchen
I think there's only so many people on earth who can appreciate that old techno nostalgia
The quality of your videos is exemplary, man! I wish you had more viewers, you certainly deserve them :)
Oh he blew up all right!
Tin foil is the answer to everything
lol -- light em' up!
Duct tape disagrees
@@theshamanite Tried to use duct tape on my moped after an accident a year ago and it all fell off. It isn't good for vibrating or moving parts. The scotch tape on my headlight is there to this day.
i bet you've never touched tin foil
@@nabman11 Nice, I did not know that.
Old technology will never fail to amaze me
I love your contextually orange wall mate.
Beautiful.
My MCS tape deck from Penney's is a bit older than is yours. Mine has analog meters.
Alec, you have come a long way!
Considering this is the 2nd format for replayable audio it sounds pretty damn good.
haha your Creepy Edison Face and Talking is brilliant, well done
There was also the automatic piano (my name). It worked on a scroll of paper with holes of various lengths. The scroll passed over a mechanism that was pedal powered. The mechanism linked in with the piano levers and reproduced the movement to move the levers and hammers that hit the piano strings. The scrolls were stored in boxes about 12” long by around 1” and 1/2.
Your knowledge about human technology from beginning unimaginable.
Is fascinating to hear voices from people that existed 100 years before us
This channel is gold. So glad I found it today.
I must say I love how you inject little bits of humour (yes,with a 'u'. "Maybe it's because I'm an Englishman!") Into what could otherwise be rather dry subjects.The perfect balance of sillyness and well reasearched and excellently written scripts.It' what makes Technology Connections my favourite Yt show/channel.
Bravo,Alec.You are a natural writer/presenter (IMHO)
Brown-painted wall in the background - foreshadowing!
The early years... before "the magic of buying two of them", but still with that exquisite dry humor - "slash conveniently placed in front of me".
A treasure trove of information on how things work there, marvellous.
"Vinyl? Pssht. You can't call yourself a true hipster if all your music isn't on wax cylinders."
All your videos are so freaking amazing. Keep going, Alec!
13:40 the phonograph concept was initially a recorder/player, so they have to differ between the recording and the playback stylus.
comparing this to what the channel has become now... simply amazing.
The fact that this is 100% analog, makes it more impressive to me, than modern devices
It's so impressive because those folks were inventing devices in real time. Nowadays, new inventions are just a re juggling of circuits and components. Not as exciting, huh?
Tech Moan channel has the pleasure of owning a 2022 released cylinder by a current band which is a 4 minute cylinder. Awesome to watch these older videos. In 100 years they'll be looking back at TH-cam and its place in tech history.
_TH-cam_ being _TH-cam,_ I am surprised you not get a copyright strike when you began playing that cylindrical record.
😊😊😊
I know these are a lot of work but I could watch for hours on a day.
Wow... Just found your recent stuff, now this. Well done fella. You deserve the success you have got already in 2020!
Omg you just gave me a new idea on how to introduce my trig students to sinusoids!! Bless this channel!
Both music and technology has come a long way since then
Another excellent video.. Definitely deserves more views
When I like a channel I go right back to the first videos to see how they started...
This channel has sure changed in last 5 years
I had to pause at 4'40" because I begun imagining the sound of a stylus dragging through tinfoil. I CAN'T GET OVER IT
i
hate
you
I JUST FORGOT ABOUT IT
Damn it's been almost six years.
Love the talking Edison graphics! 😁
What an amazing channel! Seriously good work and like others now subbed along side Techmoan and 8 Bit Guy
Woah that description of push and pull on our ears by the sin wave was so simple but so effective
his videos from 2015 were better than his videos in 2018 but his videos now are best
2:01 Clutch Cargo animation
Recording sessions were amazing! The whole band had to gather around a cone to capture the sound.
Great presentation!
That is so fascinating. To think that this how we had to first hear music.
The foil used was made of actual tin, not aluminum as now. Aluminum in Edison's time may have been known only to chemists as an element, and until extraction procedures were found so as to make it commercially available, was rarer and more costly than gold. Now, tin is a valuable metal whereas aluminum being plentiful and cheap.
The stylus in Edison's first tinfoil phonograph was not a cutter but rather was a smooth boss stylus (writing pen) which incuses (without removal of material) it's shape into the foil surface as "hill-and-dale" modulations. Of whichever it may have been made, there would have been tendency to drag and tear at the surface, rather than indent it properly. Ideally, to duplicate a tinfoil recording experiment, an ordinary small-gauge ball point pen with ink acting as a lubricant, would prove ideal. (At the same time as embossing, it would we actually WRITING sound!)
Edison was a peculiar man, to put it kindly. From the time of the invention of his Phonograph to Bell's taking-over with ozokerite coated cardboard cylinders, was all wasted, during which he could have exploited it to-the-max. As a result all the famous voices and instrumentalists of the mid-late 1800's were missed. Although he had a good go at it later, Columbia (who were mostly attorneys) kicked his behind really good in court, on many occasions.
He was great with experimentalism but, not so hot with seeing the various possibilities within his discoveries.
Had he treated Tesla with respect rather than impudence and contempt, we would have had the perfected 60hz. poly-phase electrical system way before Westinghouse, who DID treat him right and prospered thereby greatly on account.
. : .
Damn, this video left a great impression on me
But don't put me on a spinning dowel and drag a needle across me
Funny that you chose "The Mouse and the Clock" It was the very first cylinder I owned and was in pristine condition and of course I BROKE it. Although I found another copy I have never found one in such good shape. That squeak of the mouse is a pretty high frequency... BTW the belt on your player needs replacement. you have a lot of flutter from that.
Are these cylinders expensive? I have a bunch of them from a grandparent. I plan on keeping them but there is damn near 150 of them not sure if there are duplicates or if they work
@@skizzik121 you should sell me some. I've got an original edison phonograph but nothing to play on it.
I'm so glad I finally started looking at your earlier videos. You began your channel in fine style, though I also like the way it developed later on. This is amazing, though - how did you get access to an original phonograph? Was it borrowed?
Thats impressive! Just found your channel and I'm watching it allllLllll
I expected to hear some incantations to the Old Ones, recorded by old Akeley in the Vermont woods in the night...
WOW! That sound quality is better then a SACD going through a tube amp into Rosso Fiorentino high end speakers. It was like the band was literally playing in front of me! I closed my eyes and it was just like being there! No distortion or his or clipping or noise or artifacts just clean sound waves hitting my ears!
I like your subtle jokes. You have a good sense of humor and personality and intelligence you should be more yourself in your videos!
Actually, Edison's cylinder coupled with vertical recording gave a better sound than did Berliner's lateral recording on a disk. I suspect that this is because the sound waves coming from the horn were at 90 degrees to the diaphragm and this was the most direct connection to the rotating cylinder. With the Berliner system, a somewhat convoluted (and less direct) arrangement existed between the diaphragm and the recording stylus. With acoustic recording, this difference was very important as a consequence of the low amount of energy actually present in the sound waves coming into the horn and the Edison system being more direct was, therefore more efficient. This can be demonstrated today on U-tube by listening to well-reproduced recordings (preferably electronic) made on the two systems and extensively presented on U-tube. In most instances, cylinders outperform the disks, especially with 1890's and very early 20th century recordings. On this matter, it might also be mentioned that U-tube is providing a medium where collectors of early audio recordings can share their treasures without actually relinquishing them as can be demonstrated by the number of rare early recordings currently available on U-tube.
Holy f these videos are so damn delightful!
Great this channel has been here 5 years!
Yes I'm just trying to find all your videos, that are fantastic with such with such knowledge
7:30 I was fully expecting the hand to move, but moving the paper is much more cleverer.
Suddenly realizing it's called a phonograph because it's literally using a "phono" (sound) "graph" (image) - or an image of the sound.
(Was this mentioned in the video and I missed it?)
I was just thinking the other night about how only the recording aspect should be called phonograph
logically, then 'gramophone' should be what refers exclusively to the playback device
but I don't think that's how it went
That music is remarkably clear for its age. Sounds better than most drive-thru comms
HEY! A COPY OF PEG O' MY HEART! I have the original 78. I also have several of Fiore's original Chord Harmonicas used to record Peg over the years.
I have an LP of Jerry Murad and the Harmonicats "Peg o' My Heart."