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EARLY AUDIO RECORDING

“Electrical Recording” came into practice about 1925 and provided a decent platform for studio recording and distribution.  It would be a few years before a practical version could be taken into the field.  The idea of radio-program recording for program distribution was anathema to the networks who feared recordings shipped by mail would do an end-run around wire-based transmission (i.e. the existing networks).  Yet something had to be devised to delay programs for later rebroadcast and to get programming to those stations not connected to a network.  Early radio-recording technology was similar to that used by the music industry, but then record-cutters were adapted for long-form recording (slower speed; bigger platters: the venerable “ET”).  But the quality was constricted by the performance of the disc system. Recording-quality improvements followed the introduction of the tape machine and tape was first used for program-enhancement purposes in the later 1940’s.

It’s all laid out in the pages below…in no particular order at the moment.  And there’s more at this page.  Enjoy!

This material is provided for use by Educators and Researchers.

No copyrights or usage rights are implied or granted.

Recorded programs  Aug, 1930
Earliest radio recording  Feb, 1931
Instantaneous recording  Jun, 1931
Recording equipment  Aug, 1931
Electrical transcriptions  Jan, 1932
Magnetic recording  Mar, 1936
Sound-on-wire tape  May, 1939
Steel tape recording  Apr, 1942
Lib of Congress recording lab  Aug, 1944
Silent recording methods  Nov, 1944
Noiseless recordings  Feb, 1945
Wire recording  Mar, 1945
Magnetic recording  Jun, 1945Postwar recorders  Dec, 1945ABC radio on tape  Apr, 1950
Disc-cutting Noise Reduction  May, 1941Portable Recording  Sep, 1941Recording History 1888 to 1954   Jul, 1954
BSTJ:  High-quality recording
20 Years’ Recording History  1967
BSTJ: Tape Recording
Disc Recording  1937
RCA Tape Recorder
Wire-steel ribbon recording: BLOG
WWII Recording–Michael Biel
Recording before Tape–Blog
Audio Pioneers–Radio World
Der Bingle’s technology
Les Paul on Tape Recording
William Palmer story
History of the cart machine
Library of Congress Rec Labs  Aug, 1944Recording on Film  Feb, 1945
Silent Recording Methods  Nov, 1944
Brush Sound-Mirror  May, 1939  P. 1 missing
Hi-Fi Recording  May, 1935
Les Paul's "Garage"Stokowski-Olsen Interview MP3
Magnetic Recording–Clears  Feb, 1948
Mag Tape Recording–Winter  Jun, 1945
Mag Recording 1881-1954  Jul, 1954
Jack Mullin's Views
RCA Recording Manual 1940Post-War Recording  Dec, 1945
Recording Equipment  Aug, 1931
Steel Tape Recording  Apr, 1942
Recorded Programs  Aug, 1930
Recording on Wire  Mar, 1945
Wire Recorder  Feb, 1948
ABC Tape Story  Apr, 1950
Earliest Radio Recording  Feb, 1931
Electrical Transcriptions–Radio  Jan, 1932
Instant Recording  Jun, 1931
Rec. on Magnetic Material  Mar, 1936
Time Compression  Jun, 1953
"Once There Were Giants"The Wax Museum Pt 1 MP3The Wax Museum Pt 2
MP3
Billy Murray on Early Mass Record Production MP3Columbia "Double-Disc" 1912 MP3AFM Strike