Sir Wheatstone was a prominent English physicist, and conducted a variety of experiments that helped us gain our current knowledge of how sound works. He was raised by a family that manufactured musical instruments, and therefore was familiar with acoustic variations and sound-producing sources. In fact, one of his inventions was the concertina. He discovered that sound is created by waves transmitting through a medium, and experimented with ways to amplify and transmit these sound waves.
He went on to invent the electric telegraph and the stereoscope, and his findings on the functions of sound and sound waves were the basis for all of the discoveries and inventions that led to the modern microphone. The first instance of a microphone being employed specifically for the purpose of sound amplification and transmission is found in the Reis Telephone.
Born in Gelnhausen, Germany, Philipp Reis was obsessed with the quest to create an artificial ear. His experiments began in , when he was just 18 years old. Reis built his inventions around knowledge of the anatomy of the human ear, as well as the findings of Sir Wheatstone. His first attempts were primitive, yet effective, and he made use of objects that were readily available around the house. His first model included a violin case, a beer can, and a sausage casing! As his experiments were refined, Reis learned that he would need to improve his microphone device in order to accurately transmit sound.
As part of the Reis Telephone, his microphone included a parchment diaphragm and two brass strips on top of a closed wooden box, which had a speaking horn on one side of the box. One brass strip was fitted with a drop of mercury and glued to the parchment. The other was mounted above that strip, and had a platinum contact that met the mercury droplet. When sound entered the speaking horn, the sound waves would vibrate the parchment, and the two contacts would experience a variation in resistance.
Unfortunately, spoken word included too many delicate variations in frequency, which made it difficult to understand. The statement is accurate, however: the horse does not eat cucumber salad. Once news of the Reis Telephone hit the scientific community, the race was on to create a better, more refined microphone that offered more power and better frequency response. At this time, the market for microphones on their own was quite low; however, the idea of transmitting sound through a telephone, or being able to record and store sounds, was both astounding and promising.
The Water Microphone was introduced in , and as the name suggests, used water to transmit sound waves. It was never very successful in its intended purpose, but this invention is credited as an inspiration in the field, as inventors furthered their work in the field of sound technology in order to invent something…anything! This device gave inventors great insight into how microphone works and workings needed to be set up to allow sound waves to vibrate more accurately.
The transformer itself was a metal cup filled with water and sulphuric acid, which helped with electric conductivity. The diaphragm was stretched across a small horn, with a needle attached, which was also submerged in the liquid without touching the cup itself.
As sound vibrated against the diaphragm, the needle would vibrate within the water, causing the resistance within the water to fluctuate. A wire that was submerged in the liquid would then carry the resulting electric signal to a speaker. This device was one of the most successful attempts at sound amplification, and had several of the advantages of modern microphones, such as high output, low impedance, and a reasonable cost to produce.
Of course, early models had limited frequency response, and thus low reproduction quality, but carbon microphones became the standard for telephones and radio broadcasting until the condenser microphone was invented in the s. Like the previous inventions, the carbon microphone uses variable resistance to manipulate sound waves into electrical audio signals. The internal mechanism is comprised of two metal plates and carbon granules. Later models had a carbon button in between the plates instead of granules.
A number of miniature mics were also developed during this decade. These microphones are still popular today. The trend for miniature mics continues with applications such as wearable devices, smart home, and automobile technology,. This allowed for greater control when editing and rendering sound. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content.
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The Microphone Book.
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