Nonetheless, these inventors and scientists were the pioneers, much respect must be given to their inventive efforts Nonetheless, these inventors and scientists were the pioneers, much respect must be given to their inventive efforts and achievements, for where a thing of worthiness has begun, there will be continuous effort and commitment towards further development and improvement. Emil Berliner's first gramophone records were turned by hand at speeds from between 60 and 100 rpm. The 7-inch discs lasted a minute or so and had low sound quality. Berliner and his assistant Fred Gaisberg realised that unless the speed was governed the gramophone would never be more than just a novelty. The first practical sound films produced in the US in the late 1920s had their sound on separate disc records and it was more important for the sound to be continuous. A reel of film might run for 11 minutes, so a rotational speed of about 32 rpm was required to make the sound match the picture. History doesn't tell us why precisely 33 1/3 was chosen. It appeared that CBS engineers developed the first LPs in 1948 by simply experimenting with an old machines that was lying around in their workshop. They then developed new groove dimensions which gave an acceptable signal-to-noise ratio with the new plastic material vinyl in the late 1920s had their sound on separate disc records and it was more important for the sound to be continuous. Gaisberg visited a young mechanic who was making clockwork machinery. The mechanic was hoping that his machine performed its duties as a sewing machine, but indeed, that idea was a futile one. Instead, it was found to be a practically useful apparatus suitable for the gramophones as it rotated at a speed of 78 rpm. |
