Chapter XXVI: Edison's New Phonograph

As related in a preceding chapter of this work, the first commercial phonograph was of the wax cylinder type. Celluloid afterwards superceded wax as a material for the cylinder record, because of its indestructibility. Edison's work on the disc phonograph and record, invented by him in 1878, is related in the following pages.

From the time of his conception of the phonograph in 1877 to the present day Edison has had a deep conviction that people want good music in their homes. That this is not a conviction founded upon commercialism may be appreciated on reading his own words: "Of all the various forms of entertainment in the home, I know of nothing that compares with music. It is safe and sane, appeals to all finer emotions, and tends to bind family influences with a wholesomeness that links old and young together. If you will consider for a moment how universally the old 'heart songs' are loved in the homes, you will realize what a deep hold music has in the affections of the people. It is a safety-valve in the home."

Throughout the years that followed the advent of the earlier type of phonograph with the cylindrical wax records Edison never lost sight of his determination to make it a more perfect instrument, for, of all the children of his brain, the phonograph seems to be the one he loves most. He is the most severe critic of his own work and is never content with less than the best obtainable.

Thus it came about that, some thirteen years ago, having reached the apex of his dissatisfaction with what he thought were the shortcomings of the phonograph and records of that time, he began work on a long-cherished plan of refining the machine and the records so that he could reproduce music, vocal and instrumental, with all its original beauty of tone and sweetness--in fact, a true "re-creation." As the world knows, he has succeeded.

With his characteristic vigor and earnestness Edison plunged into this campaign, fully realizing the immense difficulties of the task he had undertaken. In order to accomplish the desired end he must, in the first place, devise entirely new types of recorder and reproducer which would have essentially different characteristics from any then in existence. In addition to this, an entirely new material must be found and adapted for the surface of the records, a material pliable, indestructible, and, above all, so exceedingly smooth that there should be no rasping, scratching sounds to mar the beauty of the music.

In planning this campaign Edison had decided to return to the disc type of machine and record, which he had invented away back in 1878, and which he now took up again, as it would afford him the greatest scope for his latest efforts.

While simultaneously carrying on a formidable line of experiments to produce the desired material for the records he labored patiently through the days and away into the nights for many months in evolving the new recorder and reproducer, pausing only to snatch a few hours of sleep, which sometimes would be taken at home and at other times on a bench or cot in the laboratory. After some thousands of experiments, extending over a period of more than ten months and conducted with the never-wearying patience so characteristic of him, he perfected his recorder and the diamond-point reproducer which gave him the results for which he strove so many years. This was on the eve of his departure for Europe in August, 1911.

When Edison thinks he has perfected any device his next step is to find out its weakness by trying his best to destroy it. Illustrative of this there may be quoted two instances of severe tests in connection with his alkaline storage battery. After completing it he rigged up a device by means of which a set of batteries were subjected to a series of 1,700,000 severe bumps in the effort to destroy them. When this failed, they were mounted on a heavy electric car, which was propelled with terrific force a number of times against a heavy stone wall, only to show that they were proof against injury by any such means.

His new phonograph reproducer was not exempted from this policy of attempted destruction, and before leaving for Europe he gave instructions for a grilling test, which was, of course, carried out faithfully, but the diamond point was found to be uninjured after playing records more than four thousand times. With such results he deemed it a safe proposition.

On his return from Europe in October, 1911, Edison resumed his attack on the evolution of the new indestructible disc record with a smooth surface, the main principles of which had been determined upon before his departure. In addition, there arose the problem of manufacturing such records in great quantities. The difficulties that confronted him completely baffle description. The whole battle was carried on with the aid of powerful microscopes, which even at their best would fail to reveal the obscure cause of temporary discomfiture. Differences in material, dirt, dust, temperature, water, chemical action, thumb marks, breath marks, cloth and brush marks, and a host of major and minor incidentals, were patiently and painstakingly investigated with a thoroughness that is almost beyond belief to the layman.

Day and night the work was carried on incessantly. During the height of the investigation, toward the close of this five-year campaign, Edison and a few of his faithful experimenters--facetiously called "The Insomnia Squad"--stayed steadily at the works for a period of over five weeks--eating, drinking, working, and sleeping (occasionally) there. During that time Edison went home only four or five times, and then merely to change his clothing. He and the men slept for short periods in the works or in the library, on benches and tables, resuming their labors immediately on waking up. Edison had arranged for an abundant supply of good substantial food which they themselves cooked, hence the inner man was well cared for. The wives of the men came around at intervals with changes of clothing for their husbands. This intense application to work left no time for shaving, with the result that all hands might well have been taken for a gang of traditional pirates from their unkempt appearance.

They were all happy, however, and, strange to say, all increased in weight, although a contrary result might naturally have been expected. The intense work has never ceased, but there has been no similar protracted siege since, as the main principles were practically settled at that time. The foregoing instance has been merely mentioned to illustrate the fierce vigor with which Edison works when he is seeking to complete one of his inventions. He has been, and still is, prosecuting his labors with the same energy to bring about the utmost perfection that is possible.

He has not confined his work to the refinement of the merely mechanical parts, such as the instrument and the records, but during the last ten years he has devoted an immense amount of time to music itself. Becoming convinced that the public desired really beautiful music, he set himself to a thorough study of the subject, not only of compositions, but also of the human voice, its powers and limitations, and of different effects of various styles of orchestration. He determined to hear for himself music of all kinds, and with this object in view hired a number of sight-reading players and singers to render musical selections by the hour.

In the past ten years he has heard upward of twenty-five thousand compositions of a wide range, from grand opera to ragtime. As he hears them he indicates his opinions, which range from "beautiful" to "punk," according to his idea of availability for the phonograph. An elaborate card system preserves these indications for further application in selecting music for the phonograph.

It might seem dogmatic to have the reproduction of musical compositions depend upon his opinion, but it must be said that he is not entirely committed to such drastic measures if there is a real demand for some musical selection which does not seem to merit his good opinion. His decision as to a composition is not based on a merely personal whim or fad, but upon his opinion of it from the standpoint of an inventor. He has said to the writer more than once: "There is invention in music just as much as in the arts. Composers such as Verdi, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti were inventors. They did not copy, nor did some of the other great composers. But the rank and file of musicians are not inventors; they have copied the ideas of the others, consciously or unconsciously. If you will sit down for a few hours and have a lot of miscellaneous compositions played you will be convinced of it."

Edison has had no musical training, as the term is generally understood, and the writer must confess that before hearing the above expression he failed to comprehend the true basis of the inventor's opinions of the various compositions played or sung for him. On several occasions he therefore arranged (unknown to Edison) to have one or more compositions played or sung again after a lapse of some weeks, to see whether or not there would be any similarity of opinion to that first indicated. In every case Edison's judgment was practically, and in some cases precisely, the same as before, thus proving that the opinion first given was not merely a whim, but was based upon some definite line of thought in the inventor's brain.

His excursion into the musical realm has also included the personal hearing of many singers so as to determine their fitness for making phonograph records. This proved to be a wonderfully interesting field of investigation, and he has given a great deal of time to it, listening critically to each voice, good, bad, or indifferent, and patiently writing out his criticism in each case. Not only has he heard a large number of singers who have visited the laboratory for the purpose, but he also had a representative scouring Europe for voices several years ago. This man visited the principal cities and towns of Europe and took phonograph records of the voices of the operatic and other prominent singers in each place and shipped them over to Edison, who listened to each one and recorded his opinion in a series of note-books kept for the purpose. He has in the laboratory at Orange nearly two thousand voice records of this kind. All this is done with the object of securing the really best voices in the world. Probably this is the most unique "voice library" in existence.

He is very deaf, but has a wonderfully acute inner ear, which, being protected by his deafness from the ordinary sounds of life, will catch minute imperfections that are imperceptible to the person of ordinary hearing. In listening to a voice he uses a peculiarly shaped horn which is held close to the ear, and such is the acuteness of his hearing that he at once distinguishes minute changes of register, extra waves, tremolo, non-periodic vibrations, and other minor defects that detract from the true beauty of vocal sounds. In addition, he can immediately recognize the number of overtones and rate of tremolo, which may afterward be verified by a microscopic examination of a record of the same voice.

Edison contends that the phonograph will give the "acid test" of a voice, for it will record nothing more and nothing less than what is in the voice itself, and the record is unchangeable. In his judgment, operatic voices are not necessarily the most perfect ones, for, as he says: "the vocal cords of opera singers are always at the straining-point. They usually sing on roomy stages in large theaters with a large orchestra in front of them, and their voices must go out above all these instruments so as to be heard to the farthest limits of the house. Consequently, they are always doing their utmost and their vocal cords become adapted to heavy work only. People often wonder why their favorite operatic singers do not charm them as much in concert or through the phonograph as they did at the opera, but do not stop to think of the difference between the opera-house and the concert-hall or parlor. I don't mean to say a word of detraction in regard to operatic singers, for I have a great admiration for their wonderful art and for many of their voices, and a great number of them have now recognized the value of special effort to acquire the distinct art and technique of singing for the phonograph (which is a parlor instrument), and have made some really beautiful records."

The writer was one day discussing with Edison the temperament of singers generally and the good opinion that each one usually has of his or her own voice irrespective of any artistic use he or she could make of it. He said: "I don't see what they have to be conceited about. The Almighty has given them a little piece of meat in their throats that differs slightly from the corresponding piece of meat in somebody else's throat. They can take no credit for that, but if they use their brains to interpret and perfect the use of what has been given them, they have accomplished something. What I want is voices that will stand the test of the phonograph and give permanent pleasure to people, irrespective of stage environment, or the press agent, or pleasing personality."

This chapter could be extended to a great length in setting forth the results of Edison's deep study of music which he undertook solely for the purpose of bringing his latest achievement up to the high standard which he set for it so many years ago, but enough has been said to indicate the immense amount of work he has done and the trend of his ideas. That he has been able, amid the round of his multitudinous duties and work, which occupy his time and attention from sixteen to eighteen hours a day, to delve into the subject so profoundly and to evolve ideas that are confessedly awakening the musical world is sufficient to indicate that in spite of his years and herculean labors in the past he has not lost any of the vim or pertinacity that have so distinguished him in days gone by.