Whether we are aware of it or not, almost all of the recorded music we hear today is all digital. To most of us, when listening to music we are concerned about the artist and the quality of sound. We rarely give a thought to how that sound is produced and replicated so it is on hand for us to listen to at our convenience.
In the past, all music was live, and many people learned to play instruments and sing so as to be able to entertain themselves and others. The early recording of music started in the late 19th century when Thomas Edison invented an early phonograph in 1877. Ten years later came the first flat disc gramophone, making multiple copies and wide distribution of recorded music possible. Radio broadcasts began around 1910 enabling people to hear music and other live shows in their homes.
Music production and recording technology continued to develop. Flat discs, or records, were easily damaged, and heavy and cumbersome to store and transport. The first tape recordings began around 1925, using various materials to store sound. This technology developed rapidly with the development of motion pictures which made the ability to reproduce soundtracks essential.
The first experiments in digital tape recording began only as recently as 1969 and it was not until around 1975 that it began to take hold in professional studios as the preferred recording method. In fact, it revolutionised the recording of multi track music and began the trend of smaller and smaller recording and listening devices, beginning with the Sony Walkman, through to personal CD players until today’s MP3 and iPods.
In the past, all music was live, and many people learned to play instruments and sing so as to be able to entertain themselves and others. The early recording of music started in the late 19th century when Thomas Edison invented an early phonograph in 1877. Ten years later came the first flat disc gramophone, making multiple copies and wide distribution of recorded music possible. Radio broadcasts began around 1910 enabling people to hear music and other live shows in their homes.
Music production and recording technology continued to develop. Flat discs, or records, were easily damaged, and heavy and cumbersome to store and transport. The first tape recordings began around 1925, using various materials to store sound. This technology developed rapidly with the development of motion pictures which made the ability to reproduce soundtracks essential.
The first experiments in digital tape recording began only as recently as 1969 and it was not until around 1975 that it began to take hold in professional studios as the preferred recording method. In fact, it revolutionised the recording of multi track music and began the trend of smaller and smaller recording and listening devices, beginning with the Sony Walkman, through to personal CD players until today’s MP3 and iPods.