The Portland daily press., 1888-06-06
THE PHoNocRAPhIc MUSIC.
Some Difficulties to be Overcome
Recent Changes and Improve
mentS.

N \. Post
An exhibition of Mr.. Edsons new phono-
graph, especially in the reproduction of
singing and the sounds of musical instru-
ments, was given recently at the Orange
laboratory the inventor. Experiments
were made with piano, violin, cornet, and
clarinet, and with all four instruments to-
gether' According to the promises held out
by Mr.. Edison, the monograph will become
the singer, the pianist, and the violinist for
the million, enabling the poorest farmer and
his family, living on the outskirts of civiliza-
tion, to hear an echo Of the worlds great
players and singers. If nothing more. For
recording the music of the piano funnel of
cardboard, five feet long and two feet in
diameter at the bell, was placed with the
bell above the strings of the piano and the
small end at the mouth-piece of the phono-
graph. The monographs version of some
chords and polka was clear, distinct and
musical; even the ring" or vibration, of
the strings when chord was struck was
perfectly audible. The result was loud
enough and musical enough to give pleasure
to a sensitive ear. With funnel for magni-
music sounded as the music of piano might
sound coming through a thick partition
every note could be heard, but much of the
musical effect was lost The photography
reproduction OF music was invariably q trifie
sharper in pitch than the original, owing to
| the fact that the indenting stylus offered
more resistance to the motor than the repro
ducing stylus. and the motor therefore moved
faster and impaired more vibrations to the
diaphragm in the same space of time. OF
the different instruments tried, the cornet
| gave back the loudest and clearest tones.
The cornet air given out by the photograph
could be easily distinguished twenty or
| thirty feet away from the instrument.
Within the last month Mr. Edison has
| made several improvements in the phono-
Il OrQnh IN which bQ attaches 0rpaf imn0rf-
| ance. Formerly, when it was desired to use
one of the cylinders over again for new mat
ter, much time was wasted in passing 1t
through the apparatus while a little blade
teok thin shaving off, leaving smooth sur
face ready for new work. Mr., Edison now
arranges minute knife upon the same arm
which bears the diaphragm-stylus; the knife
cuts off the shaving and the diaphragm
stylus follows. in its wake, both opera
tons being thus accomplished at once.
The wax cylinders are made thick
enough to allow the indented surface
to be planed off fifteen times, so that
the same cylinder can be used for fifteen diff
ferent letters.
Another new device of Importance is the
perfectiug of a method of duplicating the
phon0grams containing matter which may
be worth selling, such as books, music, plays,
etc. When phonogram is obtained which
gives out its message with particular dis
tinctness, it is coated, electrically, with nick
Ell until thick plate is obtained; this plate,
when detached from the wax and pressed
against fresh sheet of warm wax, gives an
exact reproduction of the original phono-
gram, and such duplicates may be made so
easily and rapidly as to cost scarcely any,
thing. To obtain the first phonogram of a
book or piece of music may REQUIRE care
and special skill, but once obtained million
can be made from this one nickel mould. So
far as the countless experiments in the Orange
laboratory show, there is no perceptible or
audible wear in the wax phon0gram, no mat
ter how frequently it is made to repeat its
message.
Mr.. Edison has announced so often that
the monograph would be ready for sale
within a few weeks that he is now some
what averse to saying anything about the
future. The factory at Bloomfield is turning
out the instruments at the rate of twenty a
day, however, and unless something unex-
pected interferes, the first orders will be
filled by the June or sooner. There are some
| 1000 orders now on the books, some Of them
| from as far as Japan. The price finally set
| tied upon is S85. This will be for the ordi-
| nary 'commercial' photograph, which Mr..
Edison expects will take the place of the
sten0grapher in business offices. Some tests
made at the laboratory have failed, however,
| to show that every word of dictation could
| be distinguished in the monographs version.
| There was good deal of noise in the labra-
| tory. A better device for excluding outside
| noises than the ordinary earphone, and some
| method of deadening the rattle made by the
| electric motor which revolves the cylinder,
will have to be devised before the phono-
| graph can be used by everyone-judging at
least from tests already made.