phonograph

The phonograph was originally invented by Thomas Edison in the mid 1870's. This time was before we had any electronics or high tech devices. The phonograph was a device invented to allow people to record music and replay the music with this device. In order to store and replay musical sounds Thomas Edison used a wax covered pipe. He then used a needle to engrave the wax. The vibrations from any sound would move the needle up and down creating different sized bumps in the wax. These bumps recorded the sound vibrations and could be replayed by running the needle across the bumps causing the needle to vibrate producing sound waves creating a replica of the original recorded sound. With this new revolutionary invention sound could be recorded and replayed any time. With further developments the wax pipe evolved into a round flat disc made not from wax but a form of soft plastic. The phonograph or record player was widely used for over a century until more high tech devices such as DVD's. So in the end we all have to thank Thomas Edison  for the original advent of recorded music, "thanks Tommy!"