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Re: Speaker Vs. Microphone



Panzers!

I always wondered (but didn't do the library search) about the origin of the electric piano (as opposed to the Yamaha electronic one). In the electric piano, electrodes dipped in mercury actuated
the recording device (similar to a piano roll but, the point, includes dynamics) which then operates a player (box with mallets that match the keys of the piano). I've heard recordings of such
played pianos. Not being a musician, I can't tell the diff. Not incidentally, long dead great pianists did those recordings -- These recording are, of course, very much better than the contemporary
phono' recordings!

bc

P.s. As a rather young kid. (Ca. '46) I made a carbon mich. using two D -- cell carbon electrodes and a mechanical pencil "lead." Cut notches in the middle of the electrodes, fix the electrodes to
the top of a cigar box lid with twists of medium gauge wire (#18?, two for each carbon rod.. Lay the lead in the notches. "phones", #6 cell (in those days), and the two rods (solder to one each of
the twists) complete the mich. The book I got the instructions from, made the (verified by me) claim that one could hear a fly walking on the lid!

Also, how many of you are old enuff to know to bang the old transmitters when their output dropped?

brian whatcott wrote:

At 20:50 8/11/00 -0400, Tom McCarthy wrote:
Hello all,
I have a question concerning the invention of the microphone and, its
inverse, the speaker. AG Bell invented the telephone, which I would think
would make him the inventer of the microphone. After doing a little

cut
Thanks, as always for your knowledgeable replies.

Tom

cut

The memorable "Mr. Watson come here..." was transmitted by a sender of
a later type: (Watson made this sender a month or so after the patent
filing - Bell was manually inept.)
It had an electrode dipping in a liquid to provide variable resistance
when vibrated with sound. This provided more signal than the feeble
moving iron type microphone.

cut

The generalization of the trembling contact with many frictional
contacts in a carbon granule capsule was due to Edison
who was contracted to provide improvements to the microphone.

Very soon, pairs of telephone sets could be rented for points
approaching two miles distant.

brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net> Altus OK
Eureka!