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Vinyl Records | Thomas Edison | Vinyl Track | History of Vinyl | The Bob Marley Teenager | Lee "Scratch" Perry | Tips On Record Care | History of Sound

 

WWW.Vinyl-Record-Collectors.net site is inundated with information on inventors, producers, recording industries, innovation of music, singers DJ's mobile discotheques known as sound systems in the Caribbean. The history of Ska leading to the initiation of Reggae . Vinyl record care. Four inventors are noted: Michael Faraday. Thomas Alva Edison. Emile Berliner and Lee De Forest. Of the recording industries, we take an in-depth look at HMV. Columbia. Victor. RCA along with the record labels, musicians and singers and the changes in music genres ranging from Mento a form of Calypso, blend with Rhythm & Blues to create the Ska, Rock Steady and Reggae produced in the island of Jamaica, West Indies. Features on Bob Marley the King of Reggae Music. Lee "Scratch" Perry; inventor of the Reggae beat. Claimed by the many Impresarios of the music world  to be the greatest recording producer of modern times. The record producer that inspired Paul McCartney and the Clash.

Introduction of  The Inventors who Made it all Possible

The Chosen Four > Michael Faraday : Thomas Alva Edison : Emil Berliner : Lee De Forest

Upon leading into the 'History of Vinyl", two great men come to mind first of all: Michael Faraday the Physicists and inventor of The Moving Coil. Thomas Alva Edison the inventor  of The Phonograph. Michael Faraday born an Englishman and Thomas Alva Edison born an American. Regardless what anyone might say. There's is no reasons for doubts. There are others, but the choice goes to Emil Berliner the German inventor of the flat disc and the Gramophone and Lee De Forest the inventor of the Audion Tube; known as the Valve Amplifier.  Michael Faraday, Thomas Alva Edison, Emil Berliner and Lee De Forest are seen as geniuses and heroes of their time, and role models for other inventors. The greatest of them all though, is the supreme master of inventions, Thomas Alva Edison who patent 1093 of his inventions.  

Links to Introduction of the Inventors Pages

Faraday, Edison, De Forest and Berliner

Thomas Edison Commerce Ventures

 Enjoyable, Humorous, Interesting

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Michael Faraday inventor of the Moving Coil

Michael Faraday was gifted with exceptional verbal articulated skills that  enabled him to introduced new words into the English langue such as ion, electrode, cathode, and anode. The” farad" which was named after Faraday, a type of apparatus that measures capacitance normally described as an amount of electrical charge. He discovered that electricity could be made by moving a magnet inside a wire coil and he also built the first ever electric motor. Michael Faraday was born on the 22nd September 1791 in Newington, Butts, Surrey , England. He died aged 76 on August 25th 1867 at his in Hampton Court London.  

Links to Michael Faraday Pages

Michael Faraday's law

Electro-Magnetic Force

The Electrical Charge

Horseshoe Magnet

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Thomas Alva Edison Inventor of The Phonograph

Thomas Alva Edison inventor of the tinfoil and wax cylinder phonograph. To some Thomas Edison is  famous for the  incandescent electric light bulb, but Edison real baby was the phonograph; it became his most cherished invention of the many he did. Indeed, he was a passionately productive inventor who patented more than 1093 of his inventions. Even to this day in the 21st Century: Thomas Edison is the real McCoy. Thomas Alva Edison was born on 11th February 1847 in Milan, Ohio, USA. He died on 21st October 1931 three days after his 84th birthday on the anniversary of the incandescent light bulb.

Links to Thomas Edison Pages.

Thomas Alva Edison

Edison Receives Gold Medal

Edison's Tinfoil Cylinder Phonograph

Thomas Edison The Real McCoy

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Emil Berliner Inventor of The First Flat Disc

Emile Berliner born in Germany and immigrate to America in 1870, where he seriously began his discoveries, investigations and innovations ranging from acoustics to telephones, record players, microphone, transformer, helicopters and airplanes, and even in the field of medicine for public health. Maybe his study of music was the stepping-stone towards his fascination of acoustics leading him on the path to his invention of the flat disc and the Gramophone. The subjects on Emile Berliner is mainly about his invention of the first flat disc and the Gramophone.  Born 20th May 1851 in Germany, died On the 29th August 1929 in Washington. He died the same year the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) acquired the Victor Company giving the amalgamated companies the name of  RCA Victor!   

Links to Emile Berliner Pages.

Emil Berliner

Innovations and Inventions

The Gramophone

Technology of the CD

The Microphone

Industrial Technology

RCA Victor

Bell and Edison

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Lee De Forest  Inventor of the Valve Amplifier

  Lee De Forest founded the De Forest Wireless Telegraph Company in 1902. The 1920's saw the arrival of vacuum-tube amplifier invented by Lee De Forest first came into use. He had found a way to record sound on film using his discovery of the Audion vacuum tube (the Valve Amplifier). This then brought about the manifestation of change in the transition from mechanical to the electrical recording. The phonographic amplified player is a motor driven turntable that incorporated a record changing mechanism, a cartridge, and loudspeakers, similar to what is known as the rack set that we know of today. Lee De Forest was Born on the 26th August 1873 in Council Bluffs, Iowa USA. He Died at the age of  88 on the 30th June 1961 in Hollywood USA.

Links to Lee De Forest Pages.

Lee De Forest

Electro-Magnetic Wave

Radio Transmitter

De Forest The Valve Amplifier

The (CD) Compact Disc

Transistorised Circuits

De Forest and Radio Technology

Technological Revolution

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History Of Ska

History of  vinyl record would not be complete without a mention of the exuberance Ska music that captured the imagination of the music world gaining popularity throughout Great Britain Europe and the USA. This musical genre has spread it's influence around the rest of the world to countries like  Australia, Japan, China, Africa, and even India to name a few. It is now more than 5 generations since the Ska first appeared on the melodic scenario of the music world in the 60's. If you can comprehend the history of the vinyl records you must empathise with the viewpoints and mind-set of the time. The same is factual within the development relating to the Ska music rhythm, a mixture of the New Orleans main ingredient of rhythm and blues with a touch of mento and a blending of the Buru drums. The Ska was predestine to become the first actual commerce related music of Jamaica and in reality, the Ska was later espoused as the island's national music.  

Links to the History of Ska Pages

What Is It About The Ska?  The Blue Beat Shuffle  The Harder They Come  Ska, Rock Steady and Reggae   The Reggae Popularity

Ska Music Rhythm  A New After Beat Rhythm  Bob Marley, Peter Tosh  Rude Boy Anthems The Blue Beat label

Caribbean Island of Jamaica  Dance Hall Gate Crashers  Bob Marley and Chris Blackwell  Voice Of The People Ten Commandments

Ska Took Up Residence In The UK  Heineken Beer and Soda Pops  The R'n'B Rhythms  The US Billboard Magazine

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The Transcription of Sound

Thomas Edison's cylinder Phonographic player and its close technological relatives and corporate rivals, the Bell-Tainter Graphophone with the Berliner Gramophone, stood alone for several decades as the dominant modern innovations in sound reproduction. Emil Berliner: inventor of the gramophone was the first inventor to introduce the flat disc similar to the vinyl records we are acquainted with today. He also put into practice using electroforming to make negatives of the master disc, which could be served as moulds to make further copies of the same tunes as what's on the original recordings: this principle is no doubt still evidently in use today. The early sound recording and reproduction was solely reliable on acoustical means.

Links To The Transcription of Sound Pages

The Vibrating Stylus

The Vacuum-Tube Amplifier

King of Sound System Operators

Powerful Valve Amplifiers

Rhythm & Blues

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Early Recording Disc Speeds

Does anyone really know why the RPM rates for the various record sizes were chosen?  In the early days there was no specialised standards relating to rpm for recording of sound recordings and it was notable that there were speeds as low as 16 rpm and diameter ranging from 7 inches to 16 inches. There was recordings with speeds of 84 rpm and as high as 100 rpm, and most discs replayed at speeds varied well above the generally led to believed 70 rpm that was electively given as reference in the official recognition of that time, discs that was recorded at 80 rpm although most could play quite well at speeds of 85 rpm. It has been noted also, that playing times diversified from a ridiculous unrealistic diabolical 35 seconds to just over a minute.

Links to Early Recording Disc Speeds Pages

Early Recording Disc Speeds

First Gramophone Records

British Gramophone Company

 First Long Playing Recorded Disc,

Groove Dimensions Developed

 CBS Vinyl Groove Dimensions

Columbia Phonograph Company  

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The History Of RCA

The American Navy Assistant Secretary Franklin D. Roosevelt found out that the British Marconi Company was about to buy-out of General Electric. Franklin Roosevelt did some negotiating with General Electric and not only purchased American Marconi, but proceeded to take control of the association of the American radio in October of 1919. They  later merged with Westinghouse because that was the obvious thing to do and hey presto: The RCA Multi-Corporation was born. 1892 General Electric (GE) formed through merger of Edison General Electric & Thomson-Houston Electric.1919 Radio Corporation of America (RCA) incorporated to control patents of General Electric, AT&T, Westinghouse, United Fruit.1919 David Sarnoff becomes General Manager of RCA.1926 NBC established by RCA (50%), General Electric (30%), Westinghouse (20%).1926 NBC radio network established 1928 first regular schedule of US television programming begun by RCA in Schenectady broadcasts Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. 1929 RCA and Victor merge. 1931 NBC puts TV transmitter atop Empire State Building. 1932 RCA demonstrates all electronic television system.1932 General Electric sells RCA.

Links to The History Of RCA Pages

The RCA Story

The RCA Multi-Corporation

Franklin D. Roosevelt

General Electric

The 7-inch 45rpm Record

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The Red - Seal Label

The idea that really caught on  to glue a paper label to flat disc records. --- The deliberation was not entirely new as disc records of the 1890's were of such poor intelligibility that labels were used to type out the lyrics even for the spoken recording of "The Lord's Prayer." On the other hand, the shellac and celluloid used for early discs did not form a bond with paper glue.  The first Red Seal Label was placed on operatic records that  was then imported to the USA in 1903. England on the other hand refused to register a colour as a trademark, but regardless of England's refusal; registrations were secured in France and the U.S.A. These 10" and 12" records became a viable source of income for the Victor Talking Machine Company. Columbia Records lawyer was a man of great determination who had other ideas up his sleeves. At the court hearing he stood up from his seat with the disc in question raised high above his head, and in a dramatised line of attack, asked this question; "If we are to be restricted to one side of the record, which side shall it be?"  

Links To The Red-Seal Label Pages

The First Circular Label

Europe and The U.S.A

Victor Records Sues Columbia

A Special Breed of Men

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The Art Of Sound Reproduction

In 1948 Columbia Records introduced the 12-inch unbreakable vinyl discs that had a playing time of between 25 to 30 minutes. The standard shellac disc had revolved at 78-rpm.  the 12-inch  78-rpm disc had to be changed whether automatically or manually, every five minutes, thus breaking up the continuity of longer moving parts. However  the new format 12-inch LP, revolving at 33and 1/3 rpm, could hold the average symphony, sonata, or quartet on a single side. RCA Victor soon counteracted with its own microgroove records; the 7-inch 45-rpm vinyl disc and each 45-rpm disc contained approximately as much music as the 12-inch 78-rpm disc, but the package was smaller. The mid-1950s was the year that gave the impression that most of the significant musical output was of Western culture. Then music from Asia and Africa was made available to the average record buying public.  In 1947 there were  recording companies known mainly as the big six. These recording companies consisted of Capitol, Columbia, Decca, Mercury, MGM and Victor. The 1950s saw a reorganizations of recording  companies coalitions (merging).

Links to the Sound Reproduction Pages

The 7-inch 45-rpm Vinyl Disc  The 8 Track Stereo Cartridge  The Vinyl LP Records

The 60's Golden Era of The 45rpm  First Long-playing (LP) Record  The 33 1/3-rpm LP Records,

The Record Industry  The Loud Speakers  Philips Electronic Company

Small US Record Companies   Industrial Diamond Stylus  The Discovery Of The Vinyl

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Thomas Edison Diamond Disc Phonograph

Cylinders had peaked in popularity around 1905. After this period, Berliner discs and disc players, most notably the Victrolas, began to take dominance of the market.  Thomas Edison the  competitor, had stopped marketing cylinders in 1912. The Edison Company had been fully devoted to cylinder phonographs, but later became concerned with the flat discs' rising popularity. Edison associates began developing their own disc player and discs in secret. The new Thomas Edison's Diamond Disc Phonograph was shown in Milwaukee Wisconsin for the first time at the Fifth Annual Convention for the National Association of Talking Machine Jobbers on July 10-13th, 1911. The National Tabloids gave a testimonial description of the new machine. In the summer of 1929, the Edison Company gave in to the fashionable trends and introduced the Edison Portable Diamond Disc Phonograph.

Links To Thomas Edison Diamond Disc Phonograph Pages

Thomas Edison's Chief Chemist

Thomas Edison's Diamond Disc

Edison's Phonograph Monthly

Edison's Radio Phonographs

History Of The Phonograph

Edison's Diamond Flat Disc

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The Poly Vinyl Acetate Record

Acetates are records is more or less often recorded at 78-rpm, and are, in general, 10 inches in size, recorded on primal disc recorders which had been on widespread sale during the 1940's. These records are of aluminium metal base coated with black lacquer and the recording stylus scores the groove while recording. RCA Victor took to marketing these records at a lower price than usual until 1944, when they smashed the label's printing plates and destroyed the label stock. Nonetheless, since the groove moved the recording stylus instead of a feed screw, it only made a small imprint on the groove wall. Outside in, is like most records, but inside out the needle works its way from the centre of the recording, and to cop it all: inside out playing records indeed, are extremely rare. A chipped stylus will rip up an acetate with only one play in some cases they never played out to the end. This was due to the lower sound levels, and mostly due to the stylus pressure of one ounce, or about 30 grams. Radio stations used acetates for commercials and other "spots."

Links To The Acetate Record Pages

Acetate Recording

Vinyl Pressing.

Victor and Columbia Records

CDRs and The CD Acetates

The CDs, Acetate and The Vinyl.

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Tips On Record Care

Foreign matter deposits which are not part of the original object, such as grease from fingerprints, soot, stains, adhesives, etc., causes alterations to the originality of the vinyl record material through chemical reactions. There are often salts such as sodium chloride carried in from sea spray or on skin fragments, and sharp gritty silica crystals. In this chemical mixture are the spore of countless moulds, fungi and micro organisms that live on the organic material in the dust fingerprints on the records. Dust including fingerprints will harmfully affect sound recording preservations in quite a number of ways.

Links To Tips On How To Care Vinyl Records Pages

Tips On Record Care 1 - 4

Tips On Record Care 5 - 8

Tips On Record Care 9 - 12

Tips On Record Care 13 - 15

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History of Sound

The first music is put on record: cornetist Jules Levy plays "Yankee Doodle." Inspired by a visit to Thomas Edison's laboratories in Menlo Park, New Jersey, a prominent American mechanical engineer named Oberlin Smith conceived the idea of recording the electrical signals produced by the telephone onto a steel wire. Elvis Presley born  8th January 1935 and died in 1977 after selling 41 million albums, recording 107 Top 40 hit songs, while making 33 movies. Bing Crosby who also died in 1977 recorded 1600 hit songs, sold 500 million records and made 61 movies. The History of Sound is presented in chronological order

Links  To The History of Sound  Pages

1820 - 1925  1947 - 1955

1925 - 1935  1955 - 1965

1935 - 1947   1965 - 1976

 1976 - 1984  1985 - 2004

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