1.
Disc jockey
–
A disc jockey is a person who mixes different sources of pre-existing recorded music as it is playing, usually for a live audience in a nightclub or dance club or via broadcasting. DJs typically perform for an audience in a nightclub or dance club or a TV, radio broadcast audience, or in the 2010s. DJs also create mixes, remixes and tracks that are recorded for later sale, in hip hop music, DJs may create beats, using percussion breaks, basslines and other musical content sampled from pre-existing records. In hip hop, rappers and MCs use these beats to rap over, DJs use equipment that can play at least two sources of recorded music simultaneously and mix them together. This allows the DJ to create seamless transitions between recordings and develop unique mixes of songs, DJ equipment, notably the specialized DJ mixer, a small audio mixer with a crossfader and cue functions. The crossfader enables the DJ to blend or transition from one song to another, the cue knobs or switches allow the DJ to preview a source of recorded music in headphones before playing it for the live club or broadcast audience. Previewing the music in headphones helps the DJ pick the track they want to play. DJs may also use a microphone to speak to the audience, effects such as reverb to create sound effects, drum machines. The title DJ is also used by DJs in front of their real names or adopted pseudonyms or stage names as a title to denote their profession. Some DJs focus on creating a mix of songs for the club dancers or radio audience. Other DJs use turntablism techniques such as scratching, in which the DJ or turntablist manipulates the record player turntable to create new sounds. In many types of DJing, including club DJing and radio/TV DJing, there are several types of disc jockey. Radio DJs or radio personalities introduce and play music that is broadcast on AM, FM, club DJs select and play music in bars, nightclubs or discothèques, or at parties, raves, or even in stadiums. Mobile DJs travel with portable sound systems and play recorded music at a variety of events. Some mobile DJs also serve as the master of ceremonies at weddings or other events, directing the attention of attendees, there are also many competitions for DJs that specialize in different turntablism techniques, such as mixing, hip hop music-style scratching or other kinds of techniques. Other types of DJ use musical performance techniques that allow them to be categorized as performing musicians, hip hop DJs and are also often songwriters or music producers who use turntablism and sampling to create backing instrumentals for new tracks. In reggae, the DJ is a vocalist who raps, toasts, chants or chats over pre-recorded rhythm tracks, the individual who helps the DJ by selecting tracks or records to be played is called the selector. Many electronica artists and producers who work as DJs often perform music by combining turntablism with keyboards, digital musical instruments
2.
Electronic dance music
–
Electronic dance music is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres made largely for nightclubs, raves, and festivals. EDM is generally produced for playback by disc jockeys who create seamless selections of tracks, called a mix, EDM producers also perform their music live in a concert or festival setting in what is sometimes called a live PA. In the United Kingdom and in continental Europe, EDM is more commonly called dance music or simply dance. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, following the emergence of raving, pirate radio, at this time a perceived association between EDM and drug culture led governments at state and city level to enact laws and policies intended to halt the spread of rave culture. By the early 2010s the term dance music and the initialism EDM was being pushed by the US music industry. Early examples of dance music include the disco music of Giorgio Moroder. During the early 1980s, the popularity of disco music declined in the United States, abandoned by major US record labels. European disco continued evolving within the mainstream pop music scene. European acts Silver Convention, Love and Kisses, Munich Machine, and American acts Donna Summer, in 1977, Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte produced I Feel Love for Donna Summer. It became the first well-known disco hit to have a completely synthesised backing track, other disco producers, most famously American producer Tom Moulton, grabbed ideas and techniques from dub music to provide alternatives to the four on the floor style that dominated. The sound that originated from P-Funk the electronic side of disco, dub music. Much of the music produced during this time was, like disco, at this time creative control started shifting to independent record companies, less established producers, and club DJs. Other dance styles that began to become popular during the era include dance-pop, boogie, electro, Italo disco, house. In the early 1980s, electro emerged as a fusion of funk, also called electro-boogie, but later shortened to electro, cited pioneers include Zapp, D. Train, Sinnamon. Early hip hop and rap combined with German and Japanese electropop influences such as Kraftwerk, as the electronic sound developed, instruments such as the bass guitar and drums were replaced by synthesizers and most notably by iconic drum machines, particularly the Roland TR-808. Early uses of the TR-808 include several Yellow Magic Orchestra tracks in 1980-1981, the 1982 track Planet Rock by Afrikaa Bambaataa, and the 1982 song Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye. In 1982, producer Arthur Baker with Afrika Bambaataa released the seminal Planet Rock which was influenced by the Yellow Magic Orchestra using Kraftwerk samples, Planet Rock was followed later that year by another breakthrough electro record, Nunk by Warp 9. In 1983, Hashim created an electro funk sound which influenced Herbie Hancock, the early 1980s were electros mainstream peak
3.
Technics SL-1200
–
Technics SL-1200 is a series of turntables originally manufactured from October 1972 until 2010, and resumed in 2016, by Matsushita under the brand name of Technics. S means Stereo, L means Player, when the use of slip-mats for cueing and beat-mixing became popular in hip hop music, the quartz-controlled high torque motor system enabled records to be mixed with consistency and accuracy. Since its release in 1978, SL-1200MK2 and its successors were the most common turntable for DJing and scratching, producers, DJs and MCs refer to the Technics turntable as the Tec 12s, Wheels of Steel, and Ones & Twos. Technics 1200s are commonly used in recording studios and for live music performance. More than 3 million units were sold and it is widely regarded as one of the most durable and reliable turntables ever produced. Many 1970s units are still in heavy use, in the autumn of 2010, Panasonic announced that the series was to be discontinued. However, at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, Panasonic announced that they would return in two models named Grand Class, one a run of 1200 globally, and the other a consumer product. A lighter and less expensive 1200GR model was announced, at the London Science Museum, a Technics SL-1210 is on display as one of the pieces of technology that have shaped the world we live in. SL-1200 features include, Magnetic, direct drive mechanism, high torque, which means the platter spins at the desired speed almost immediately, and rapidly reacquires the desired speed, without overshooting, if the platter is dragged or nudged. Low wow and flutter, implying that the platter stays within 1/100 of 1% of the desired speed, heavy base, and increased isolation of platter from base, reduced the likelihood of feedback or stylus jumping. Variable pitch control, allowing the speed to be adjusted from -8% to +8%. High reliability, many examples of SL-1200s lasting well over 15 years of heavy use, s-shaped tone arm, No longer popular on high end hi-fi turntables. It was dubbed The Middle Class Player System and it was delivered in two different versions, The SL-1200 came with a tonearm section. The SL-120 came without a tonearm section, an SME tonearm was the usual choice for the audiophile. MK2 models The SL-1200 Mark 2 was introduced in 1979 as an update to the SL-1200 and it represented a culmination of Technics Turntable Innovations. It was dubbed as The Middle Class Quartz Direct Drive, model numbers indicated colour, the 1200 and 1210. This was the same in the US and Japan initially, however later the 1200 was available in silver and matte black finishes. SL-1200MK2 came in silver and matte black
4.
Laptop
–
Laptops are folded shut for transportation, and thus are suitable for mobile use. Although originally there was a distinction between laptops and notebooks, the former being bigger and heavier than the latter, as of 2014, there is often no longer any difference. Laptops are commonly used in a variety of settings, such as at work, in education, Internet surfing using sites such as YouTube and for personal multimedia, most 2016-era laptops also have integrated webcams and built-in microphones. Laptops can be powered either from a battery or by an external power supply from an AC adapter. Hardware specifications, such as the speed and memory capacity. Design elements, form factor, and construction can also vary significantly between models depending on intended use, as portable computers evolved into the modern laptop, they became widely used for a variety of purposes. The terms laptop and notebook are used interchangeably to describe a computer in English. Regardless of the etymology, by the late 1990s, the terms were interchangeable, as the personal computer became feasible in 1971, the idea of a portable personal computer soon followed. A personal, portable information manipulator was imagined by Alan Kay at Xerox PARC in 1968, the IBM Special Computer APL Machine Portable was demonstrated in 1973. This prototype was based on the IBM PALM processor, the IBM5100, the first commercially available portable computer, appeared in September 1975, and was based on the SCAMP prototype. As 8-bit CPU machines became widely accepted, the number of portables increased rapidly, the Osborne 1, released in 1981, used the Zilog Z80 and weighed 23.6 pounds. It had no battery, a 5 in CRT screen, in the same year the first laptop-sized portable computer, the Epson HX-20, was announced. The Epson had an LCD screen, a battery. Both Tandy/RadioShack and HP also produced portable computers of varying designs during this period, the first laptops using the flip form factor appeared in the early 1980s. The Dulmont Magnum was released in Australia in 1981–82, but was not marketed internationally until 1984–85, the US$8,150 GRiD Compass 1101, released in 1982, was used at NASA and by the military, among others. The Sharp PC-5000, Ampere and Gavilan SC released in 1983, the Gavilan SC was the first computer described as a laptop by its manufacturer, while the Ampere had a modern clamshell design. The Toshiba T1100 won acceptance not only among PC experts but the market as a way to have PC portability. From 1983 onward, several new techniques were developed and included in laptops, including the touchpad, the pointing stick
5.
DJ mix
–
A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. DJ mixing is significantly different from live sound mixing, remix services were offered beginning in the late 1970s in order to provide music which was more easily beatmixed by DJs for the dancefloor. One of the earliest DJs to refine their skills was DJ Kool Herc. Francis Grasso was the first DJ to use headphones and a form of mixing at the New York City nightclub Sanctuary. Upon its release in 2000, Paul Oakenfolds Perfecto Presents, Another World became the biggest selling DJ mix album in the US, a DJ mix is often put together with music from genres that fit into the more general term electronic dance music. Other genres mixed by DJ includes hip hop, breakbeat and disco, four on the floor disco beats can be used to create seamless mixes so as to keep dancers locked to the dancefloor. Two of main characteristics of music used in DJ mixes is a dominant bassline, music mixed by DJs usually has a tempo which ranges from 120 bpm up to 160 bpm. A DJ mixset is usually performed live in front of an audience in a nightclub, party, mixsets can also be performed live on radio or recorded in a studio. Methods of mixing vary slightly depending on the genres being played. House and trance DJs tend to aim for smooth blended mixes while hip-hop DJs may use turntablism, scratching, some DJs, particularly those mixing Goa trance may prefer to mix during a break in which instead of beats, washes of synthesized sounds are combined. Further refinement to the quality can be provided with harmonic mixing which avoids dissonant tones during a mix. In live situations, the progression of the DJ set is a dynamic process, the DJ chooses tracks partly in response to the activity on the dance floor. If the dance becomes less active, the DJ will make a judgement as to what track will increase dance floor activity. This may involve shifting the tempo or changing the mood of the set. Track choices are also due, in part, to where the DJ wishes to take his or her audience, in this way, the resulting mixset is brought about through a symbiotic relationship between audience and DJ. Studio DJs have the luxury of spending time on their mix. Traditional DJ mixing with vinyl required the DJ sync tracks tempo, DJs can use a mixers crossfader to switch between tracks or use the volume control for each source with the crossfader permanently positioned in the middle. Mixing is usually done through the use of headphones and a speaker or foldback as basic aids
6.
Effects unit
–
An effects unit or pedal is an electronic or digital device that alters how a musical instrument or other audio source sounds. In the 2010s, most effects use solid state electronics and/or computer chips, some vintage effects units from the 1930s to the 1970s and modern reissues of these effects use mechanical components as well or vacuum tubes. Musicians, audio engineers and record producers use effects units during live performances or in the studio, typically with electric guitar, electronic keyboard, while guitar effects are most frequently used with electric or electronic instruments, effects can also be used with acoustic instruments, drums and vocals. Rackmounted or audio console-integrated reverb effects are used with vocals in live sound and sound recording. Examples of common units include wah-wah pedals, fuzzboxes and reverb units. A stompbox or pedal is a metal or plastic box placed on the floor in front of the musician and connected to the instrument. Pedals are usually the least expensive format, a rackmount device mounts on a standard 19-inch equipment rack and usually contains several types of effects. Rackmount effects typically have buttons and/or knobs on the face of the chassis for controlling the effects, an effects unit is also called an effect box, effects device, effects processor or simply effects. In audio engineer parlance, a signal without effects is dry, the abbreviation F/X or FX is sometimes used. A pedal-style unit may be called a box, stompbox. When a musician has multiple effects in a rack mounted road case, Effects units are available in a variety of formats or form factors. Stompboxes are usually the smallest, least expensive, and most rugged effects units, rackmount devices are generally more expensive and offer a wider range of functions. An effects unit can consist of analog or digital circuitry or a combination of the two, during a live performance, the effect is plugged into the electrical signal path of the instrument. In the studio, the instrument or other sound-sources auxiliary output is patched into the effect, form factors are part of a studio or musicians outboard gear. Stompboxes are small plastic or metal chassis which usually lie on the floor or in a pedalboard to be operated by the users feet, pedals are often rectangle-shaped, but there are a range of other shapes. Typical simple stompboxes have a single footswitch, one to three potentiometers for controlling the effect, and a single LED that indicates if the effect is on, depending on the type of pedal, the potentiometers may control different parameters of the effect. For a chorus effect, for example, the knobs may control the depth, some pedals have two knobs stacked on top of each other, enabling the unit to provide two knobs per single knob space. An effects chain or signal chain is formed by connecting two or more stompboxes, effect chains are typically created between the guitar and the amp or between the preamplifier and the power amp
7.
Headphones
–
Headphones are a pair of small electronic or electric listening devices that are designed to be worn on or around the head over a users ears. They are electroacoustic transducers, which convert a signal to a corresponding sound in the users ear. Headphones are designed to allow a user to listen to an audio source privately, in contrast to a loudspeaker. Headphones are also known as earspeakers, earphones or, colloquially, circumaural and supra-aural headphones use a band over the top of the head to hold the speakers in place. The other type, known as earbuds or earphones consist of units that plug into the users ear canal. In the context of telecommunication, a headset is a combination of headphone and microphone, the first headphones were developed in the late 1800s for use by telephone operators, to keep their hands free. Initially the audio quality was mediocre and a forward was the invention of high fidelity headphones. Headphones are made in a range of different audio reproduction quality capabilities, headsets designed for telephone use typically cannot reproduce sound with the high fidelity of expensive units designed for music listening by audiophiles. Headphones that use cables typically have either a 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch phone jack for plugging the headphones into the audio source, some stereo earbuds are wireless, using Bluetooth connectivity to transmit the audio signal by radio waves from source devices like cellphones and digital players. Due to the spread of wireless devices in recent years headphones are used by people in public places such as sidewalks, grocery stores. The latter two types of employees use headphones with an integrated microphone, Headphones originated from the earpiece, and were the only way to listen to electrical audio signals before amplifiers were developed. The first truly successful set was developed in 1910 by Nathaniel Baldwin, some very sensitive headphones, such as those manufactured by Brandes around 1919, were commonly used for early radio work. These early headphones used moving iron drivers, with either single ended or balanced armatures, the requirement for high sensitivity meant that no damping was used, thus the sound quality was crude. These early models lacked padding, and often produced excessive clamping forces on the wearers head and their impedance varied, headphones used in telegraph and telephone work had an impedance of 75 ohms. Those used with wireless radio had to be more sensitive and were made with more turns of finer wire. Impedance of 1000 to 2000 ohms was common, which suited both crystal sets and triode receivers, in early powered radios, the headphone was part of the vacuum tubes plate circuit and carried dangerous voltages. It was normally connected directly to the high voltage battery terminal. The use of electrical connections meant that users could be shocked if they touched the bare headphone connections while adjusting an uncomfortable headset
8.
Mixing console
–
In the 2010s, a mixer is able to control analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer. The modified signals are summed to produce the output signals. A typical, simple application combines signals from two microphones into an amplifier that drives one set of speakers simultaneously, a DJ mixer may have only two channels, for mixing two record players. A coffeehouses tiny stage might only have a six channel mixer, a nightclub stages mixer for rock music shows may have 24 channels for mixing the signals from a rhythm section, lead guitar and several vocalists. A mixing console for a large concert may have 48 channels, a mixing console in a professional recording studio may have as many as 96 channels. In practice, mixers do more than simply mix signals, some mixers have onboard electronic effects, such as reverb. Some mixers intended for small venue live performance applications may include a power amplifier. A mixing console is also known as a mixer, audio console, mixing desk, sound mixer, sound board. A typical analog mixing board has three sections, Channel inputs Master controls Audio level metering The channel input strips are usually a bank of identical monaural or stereo input channels. Each channel has rotary knobs, buttons and/or faders for controlling the gain, the master control section is used to adjust the levels of the overall output of the mixer. The master control section has sub-group faders, master faders, master auxiliary mixing bus level controls, in addition it may have solo monitoring controls, a stage talk-back microphone control, muting controls and an output matrix mixer. On smaller mixers the inputs are on the left of the mixing board, in larger mixers, the master controls are in the center with input faders and channel strips on both sides. The audio level meters may be above the input and master sections or they may be integrated into the input, the audio level meters indicate when the signals are clipping. Each signal that is plugged into the mixer has its own channel, depending on the specific mixer, each channel is stereo or monaural. On most mixers, each channel has an XLR input, the smallest, least expensive mixers may only have one XLR input with the other inputs being line inputs. These can be used by a singer-guitarist or other small acts, below each input, there are usually several rotary controls. The first knob is typically a trim or gain control, the inputs buffer the signal from the external device and this controls the amount of amplification or attenuation needed to bring the signal to a nominal level for processing. This stage is where most noise of interference is picked up, balanced inputs and connectors, such as XLR or phone connectors, reduce interference problems
9.
Foldback (sound engineering)
–
Monitor speakers often include a single full-range loudspeaker and a horn in a cabinet. The sound at popular music and rock concerts is amplified with power amplifiers through a PA system or sound reinforcement system. With the exception of the smallest venues, such as coffeehouses, the main or front of house system is a PA system/sound reinforcement system which amplifies the onstage sounds for the main audience. The monitor system consists of monitor speakers aimed at the performers rather than the audience. Monitor systems have a range of sizes and complexity. In most mid- to large-size venues, there is a sound engineer. The monitor mix is different from the front of house mix. In the most sophisticated and expensive monitor set-ups, each onstage performer can ask the engineer for a separate monitor mix for separate monitors. For example, the singer can ask to hear mostly her/his voice in the monitor in front of her/him. Without a foldback system, the sound that on-stage performers would hear from front of house would be the reverberated reflections bouncing from the wall of the venue. The naturally reflected sound is delayed and distorted, which could, for example, in situations with poor or absent foldback mixes, vocalists may end up singing off-tune or out of time with the band. Each system consists of a board, sound processing equipment, power amplifiers. The two systems usually share microphones and direct inputs using a splitter microphone snake, there is disagreement over when to call these audio systems Sound Reinforcement systems or Public Address systems. This distinction is important in regions or markets, while in other regions or markets the terms are interchangeable. A large club may use several power amplifiers to provide 1000 to 2000 watts of power to the main speakers, an outdoor rock concert may use large racks of a number of power amplifiers to provide 10,000 or more watts. The monitor system reproduces the sounds of the performance and directs them towards the performers, to help them hear the instruments. The monitor system in a coffeehouse or singer-songwriter stage for a bar may be a single 100 watt powered monitor wedge. In the smallest PA systems, the performer may set their own main, the simplest monitor systems consist of a single monitor speaker for the lead vocalist which amplifies their singing voice, so that they can hear it clearly
10.
Public address system
–
Simple PA systems are often used in small venues such as school auditoriums, churches, and small bars. Intercom systems, installed in buildings, have both speakers throughout a building, and microphones in many rooms allowing the occupants to respond to announcements. Sound reinforcement systems and PA systems may use some similar components, Sound reinforcement systems are for live music or performance, whereas PA systems are primarily for reproduction of speech. A short time later the Automatic Enunciator Company was established in Chicago in order to market the new device, in August 1912 a large outdoor installation was made at a water carnival held in Chicago by the Associated Yacht and Power Boat Clubs of America. Seventy-two loudspeakers were strung in pairs at intervals along the docks. The system was used to announce race reports and descriptions, carry a series of speeches about The Chicago Plan, and provide music between races. Four years later, in 1915, they built a dynamic loudspeaker with a 1-inch voice coil, a 3-inch corrugated diaphragm, the electromagnet created a flux field of approximately 11,000 G. Their first experiment used a carbon microphone, when the 12 V battery was connected to the system, they experienced one of the first examples of acoustic feedback. They then placed the loudspeaker on the roof, and claims say that the amplified human voice could be heard 1 mile away. Jensen and Pridham refined the system and connected a phonograph to the loudspeaker to be able to broadcast recorded music and this demonstration was official presentation of the working system, and approximately 100,000 people gathered to hear Christmas music and speeches with absolute distinctness. The first outside broadcast was one week later, again supervised by Jensen. Jensen oversaw the governor using the microphone while Pridham operated the loudspeaker, the following year, Jensen and Pridham applied for a patent for what they called their Sound Magnifying Phonograph. Over the next two years developed their first valve amplifier. In 1919 this was standardized as a 3-stage 25 watt amplifier, wilsons speech was part of his nationwide tour to promote the establishment of the League of Nations. It was held on September 9,1919 at City Stadium, as with the San Francisco installation, Jensen supervised the microphone and Pridham the loudspeakers. Wilson spoke into two large horns mounted on his platform which channelled his voice into the microphone, similar systems were used in the following years by Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt. By the early 1920s, Marconi had established a department dedicated to public address, in 1925, George V used such a system at the British Empire Exhibition, addressing 90,000 via six long-range loudspeakers. This public use of loudspeakers brought attention to the possibilities of such technology, the 1925 Royal Air Force Pageant at Hendon Aerodrome used a Marconi system to allow the announcer to address the crowds, as well as amplify the band
11.
Phonograph
–
The phonograph is a device invented in 1877 for the mechanical recording and reproduction of sound. In its later forms it is called a gramophone. To recreate the sound, the surface is rotated while a playback stylus traces the groove and is therefore vibrated by it. In later electric phonographs, the motions of the stylus are converted into an electrical signal by a transducer. The phonograph was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison, while other inventors had produced devices that could record sounds, Edisons phonograph was the first to be able to reproduce the recorded sound. His phonograph originally recorded sound onto a sheet wrapped around a rotating cylinder. A stylus responding to sound vibrations produced an up and down or hill-and-dale groove in the foil, in the 1890s, Emile Berliner initiated the transition from phonograph cylinders to flat discs with a spiral groove running from the periphery to near the center. Later improvements through the years included modifications to the turntable and its system, the stylus or needle. The disc phonograph record was the dominant audio recording format throughout most of the 20th century, from the mid-1980s on, phonograph use on a standard record player declined sharply because of the rise of the cassette tape, compact disc and other digital recording formats. Records are still a favorite format for some audiophiles and DJs, vinyl records are still used by some DJs and musicians in their concert performances. Musicians continue to release their recordings on vinyl records, the original recordings of musicians are sometimes re-issued on vinyl. Usage of terminology is not uniform across the English-speaking world, in more modern usage, the playback device is often called a turntable, record player, or record changer. When used in conjunction with a mixer as part of a DJ setup, the term phonograph was derived from the Greek words φωνή and γραφή. The similar related terms gramophone and graphophone have similar root meanings, the roots were already familiar from existing 19th-century words such as photograph, telegraph, and telephone. In British English, gramophone may refer to any sound-reproducing machine using disc records, the term phonograph was usually restricted to machines that used cylinder records. Gramophone generally referred to a wind-up machine, after the introduction of the softer vinyl records, 33 1⁄3-rpm LPs and 45-rpm single or two-song records, and EPs, the common name became record player or turntable. Often the home record player was part of a system that included a radio and, later, from about 1960, such a system began to be described as a hi-fi or a stereo. In American English, phonograph, properly specific to machines made by Edison, was used in a generic sense as early as the 1890s to include cylinder-playing machines made by others
12.
Microphone
–
A microphone, colloquially nicknamed mic or mike, is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Several different types of microphone are in use, which employ different methods to convert the air pressure variations of a wave to an electrical signal. Microphones typically need to be connected to a preamplifier before the signal can be recorded or reproduced, in order to speak to larger groups of people, a need arose to increase the volume of the human voice. The earliest devices used to achieve this were acoustic megaphones, some of the first examples, from fifth century BC Greece, were theater masks with horn-shaped mouth openings that acoustically amplified the voice of actors in amphitheatres. In 1665, the English physicist Robert Hooke was the first to experiment with an other than air with the invention of the lovers telephone made of stretched wire with a cup attached at each end. German inventor Johann Philipp Reis designed an early sound transmitter that used a strip attached to a vibrating membrane that would produce intermittent current. Better results were achieved with the transmitter design in Scottish-American Alexander Graham Bells telephone of 1876 – the diaphragm was attached to a conductive rod in an acid solution. These systems, however, gave a poor sound quality. The first microphone that enabled proper voice telephony was the carbon microphone and this was independently developed by David Edward Hughes in England and Emile Berliner and Thomas Edison in the US. Although Edison was awarded the first patent in mid-1877, Hughes had demonstrated his working device in front of many witnesses some years earlier, the carbon microphone is the direct prototype of todays microphones and was critical in the development of telephony, broadcasting and the recording industries. Thomas Edison refined the carbon microphone into his carbon-button transmitter of 1886 and this microphone was employed at the first ever radio broadcast, a performance at the New York Metropolitan Opera House in 1910. In 1916, E. C. Wente of Western Electric developed the next breakthrough with the first condenser microphone, in 1923, the first practical moving coil microphone was built. The Marconi Skykes or magnetophon, developed by Captain H. J. Round, was the standard for BBC studios in London and this was improved in 1930 by Alan Blumlein and Herbert Holman who released the HB1A and was the best standard of the day. Also in 1923, the microphone was introduced, another electromagnetic type, believed to have been developed by Harry F. Olson. Over the years these microphones were developed by companies, most notably RCA that made large advancements in pattern control. With television and film technology booming there was demand for high fidelity microphones, electro-Voice responded with their Academy Award-winning shotgun microphone in 1963. During the second half of 20th century development advanced quickly with the Shure Brothers bringing out the SM58, digital was pioneered by Milab in 1999 with the DM-1001. The latest research developments include the use of optics, lasers and interferometers
