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Scientists Play World's Oldest Commercial Recording
sciencehabit writes "The scratchy, 12-second audio clip of a woman reciting the first verse of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star doesn't sound like much. But the faint, 123-year-old recording—etched into a warped metal cylinder and brought back to life after decades of silence by a three-dimensional (3D) optical scanning technique—appears to belong to the first record intended for sale to the public. Made for a talking doll briefly sold by phonograph inventor Thomas Edison, the early record is the oldest known American recording of a woman's voice and may be the oldest known record produced at Edison's laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey."
This unauthorized duplication and public performance of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is in clear violation of the "Copyright Lasts For Fucking Ever Act of 2009" and we insist you pay residuals to the Sony/BMG Music Group, which has acquired copyright to all songs written or recorded before 1923.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Wow, nothing tech to restore lost tech, tho I doubt in 123 years time the lost mp3 codex will be able to be restored by taking photographs of a few broken hdds. Very cool that it was possible to get anything back.
Life is like untied shoe laces; it always tripping you up and getting in your way.
Forget MP3s, I wish it were possible to recover all the Microsoft ADPCM WAV music stuck on my inaccessible zip disks!
Scientists were surprised to find that the tin cylinder containing the lyrics "Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down". Lead investigator Hubert Hvarquhar explained that "the dolls were part of a short-lived gilded-age custom where well-to-do society members would give each other gifts that spontaneously started singing and could not be shut off. Many of the dolls were smashed in rage leading to their comparative rarity today."
Guffah! Obviously you didn't read Section 1497201-309.5 of the CLFFE Act regarding 3D optical scans of cylinder phonographs!!! Man, that thing is explicit.
Would have been better had they not recorded the cylinder during what sounds like a tornado, though. Also I am not sure I like her voice... seems a bit strained at points -- e.g. about half way through it sounds as though she struggles (possibly forgetting the lyrics)?
I would think RIAA would demand 3D scanner be illegal to own or operate as it is a device designed to circumvent "copy protection" known as "obsolescence."
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
It is strange how much I enjoy watching this . . .
Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
I can clearly hear the talking doll saying, "I don't like you. I'm going to kill you."
If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
No one in their right mind wants to recover anything with "microsoft" in the name.
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
of "Baa Baa Black Sheep".
Set your phasers on "funky"!
People had really scratchy voices back in those days...
I have a zip drive sitting in my closet doing nothing. Two of them in fact. Want one?
Where'd he record that, Silent Hill? Jesus, I won't sleep for days...
is there hidden messages if you play it backwards?
Frankly, I'm not convinced that is a woman's voice. Sounds like a man putting on a 'woman's voice'. They probably stopped turning the cylinder shortly before Edison's work crew started rolling around the floor laughing. They found that sort of thing funny back then. Being all manly an all of that...
http://www.acetonestudio.com
If people back in 1888 were debating if people in the 21st century would be even able to playback their records or not?
They weren't sure if people in the 20th century would be able to play back their recordings. No new technology is a sure thing in the marketplace, and without an accepted industry standard a "Beta Max" compatible version could have been produced but lost to the ages because it didn't win its format war.
Unless the disks are damaged, it is not even hard or expensive: you can still use a USB or SCSI (but not parallel) Zip drive with Windows 7, and use SC Audio Converter to convert the files into more accessible formats.
123 years? Oh, so THAT'S why the software is called "mpg123"
Hacker Public Radio is our Friend
So, which white rapper is going to sample this first?
Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
Sure. Now send me a computer with a parallel port...
I give you....MOD 10!
Own a computer with a PCI port? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815166006
ADPCM WAV is stupidly easy to decode. The WAV-RIFF container is well documented. ADPCM stands for adaptive differential pulse-code modulation which means it's just pulse code modulation but instead of storing the wave-form (like in raw PCM) it stores the differential. The adaptive part just means that you can scale the size of samples who's differential you are calculating. It's just basic compression techniques applied to PCM wrapped in a very straight forward header. Your only issue is going to come from the zip disks.
Did someone hear a DUCK???
I would have sworn I heard QUACKING.
Its funny how desperate you are to slide your quackery into any post you can.
But listening to the recording by bouncing light off its surface and receiving the reflections is a lot like viewing the real Mona Lisa by bouncing ambient light off its surface and receiving the reflections in your eyeballs. It's your brain's fault that you can't see sound or smell colors or hear scents.
It doesn't hurt to be nice.
No format will ever be lost again.
WE have the internet, where migrating from one to a news one is easier, and the old won always lingers around.
in 123 years, there will be 123 year of very accurate history, with all the information we need to use old files.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
trivial. Maybe if you tried you could get them? did you ever thing of that? trying?
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
It's exactly like playing the recording, don't be stupid. It's NOT playing the cylinder; which is different.
Why would anyone go through the pointless effort of rebuilding a player? It's not like it's technically new, challenging, or interesting.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Sony encourages its customers to only use wax phonograph cylinders employing their Extended Copy Protection System technology.
Bruce Perens commented on this development, "this is a rootkit!!, my American Graphophone(tm) was totally pw3n3d!!"
Something about "I buried Paul Revere". Weird.
Now, if they had resurrected a recorder/player device that actually "played" the cylinder, that would be different.
The articles doesn't say but they may even have an original player. It doesn't really matter:
1) The cylinder is warped so it may not be possible to play it on the original device without some dubious restoration.
2) Even if it wasn't warped, actually playing the recording with an original or reconstructed device would almost certainly cause further damage to the recording. That may not be a big deal for some old 45 where there may still be thousands of surviving copies but Edison's cylinder is a one of a kind historical artifact.
The cylinder likely sat around for many decades unplayed, not because it couldn't be done but because the artifact was too precious to subject to that kind of treatment. With the optical scan, we get the best of both world: We get to hear every note and scratch and we get to preserve the cylinder for future generations as it came to our own.
Restricting the phrase "play [the] recording" to some arbitrary subset of playback devices is not very helpful, correct, or interesting. Why is this modded up?
"Hello. My name is Teddy Ruxpin."
Gary Dunn
Open Slate Project
http://www.nps.gov/edis/photosmultimedia/talking-doll-record-hear-the-recording.htm
That's good, except that page contains a Flash-based mp3 player. If you really want to listen to the mp3, follow this link: http://www.nps.gov/media/ner/avElement/edis-tenhp_edison_c_E-821-8_edis-1279_20110523_minus-5-semitones-and-eqd.mp3
Nothing for 6-digit uids?
It's your brain's fault that you can't see sound or smell colors or hear scents.
I hear LSD can help with that.
Playing an optical scan of the worlds oldest commercial recording is not the same as playing the recording itself, any more than viewing a scan of the Mona Lisa is the same as viewing the real Mona Lisa, no matter how faithfully reproduced.
... methinks Dcnjoe60 has split an imaginary hair.
sc
The title says that "Scientists Play World's Oldest Commercial Recording." But actually, that's not true. From the summary: 123-year-old recording—etched into a warped metal cylinder and brought back to life after decades of silence by a three-dimensional (3D) optical scanning technique
Playing an optical scan of the worlds oldest commercial recording is not the same as playing the recording itself, any more than viewing a scan of the Mona Lisa is the same as viewing the real Mona Lisa, no matter how faithfully reproduced.
Now, if they had resurrected a recorder/player device that actually "played" the cylinder, that would be different.
I don't know. I think, by your logic, CD players don't actually play CD's. It might not play the cylinder the same way the original player did. But it's some kind of music player.
Edison probably stole the recording in the first place, much like he stole many other ideas and "IP".
Try digging in the junk bins at thrift stores or recycling centers for a USB model?
According to the first inflation calculator I pulled up online, $10 in 1890 is roughly $240 in 2010. That sounds about right. I bet there weren't too many of these made. They probably found their way into the homes of some rich kids. Perhaps there were also some collectors that appreciated the novelty and took good care of the lightly-used ones. I wonder how much it would go for on Antiques Roadshow (or in a real auction).
IIRC Grandmother (born 1880) had one of these, but a friend placed it near a fireplace and ruined it. The face was wax.
But listening to the recording by bouncing light off its surface and receiving the reflections is a lot like viewing the real Mona Lisa by bouncing ambient light off its surface and receiving the reflections in your eyeballs. It's your brain's fault that you can't see sound or smell colors or hear scents.
But bouncing light off the Mona Lisa doesn't require digital signal processing it just occurs. Playing the record with the original stylus also doesn't require any DSP. Bouncing light off of it does require DSP to convert it to sound that you can hear.
It's exactly like playing the recording, don't be stupid. It's NOT playing the cylinder; which is different.
Why would anyone go through the pointless effort of rebuilding a player? It's not like it's technically new, challenging, or interesting.
It is playing a copy of the recording, not the recording -- just like an mp3 is a copy of a recording and not the original. If it isn't the original, it isn't the oldest commercial recording, just a facsimile of it. Like I said in my original post, still interesting use of modern technology, but not quite what the title says.
The title says that "Scientists Play World's Oldest Commercial Recording." But actually, that's not true. From the summary: 123-year-old recording—etched into a warped metal cylinder and brought back to life after decades of silence by a three-dimensional (3D) optical scanning technique
Playing an optical scan of the worlds oldest commercial recording is not the same as playing the recording itself, any more than viewing a scan of the Mona Lisa is the same as viewing the real Mona Lisa, no matter how faithfully reproduced.
Now, if they had resurrected a recorder/player device that actually "played" the cylinder, that would be different.
I don't know. I think, by your logic, CD players don't actually play CD's. It might not play the cylinder the same way the original player did. But it's some kind of music player.
CD players do play CDs. However, a CD is not the original recording, at least not usually, but a copy of the multi track digital recording that has been mixed down. Even still, if I took an original CD and ripped it to mp3 files, they would be a facsimile of the the CD, but listening to them is not the same as listing to the original recording. It is similar, though. Effectively, they took a tin platter and converted it to a digital representation much like ripping a CD to mp3s.
Think of a movie restorations. If at all possible, they try to restore the original copies of films and only use copies of the originals if they must. The reason being is that the copy is not quite the same as the original. It may be good enough for the average person, but from a technical perspective it is different. Same with a digital copy of the original recording.
I love being a synæsthete. Sometimes.
Stupid unicode. [facepalm]
I've got a couple of SCSI zip drives....
Forgot to mention that I also have a SyQuest drive with three disks. That one hasn't seen much use in quite a while. I don't know if I have any music on it though.
But bouncing light off the Mona Lisa doesn't require digital signal processing it just occurs.
What do you think your brain does with data that comes in via the optic nerves? Just because it's done with synapses doesn't make it any less signal processing.
When information is power, privacy is freedom.
It is an advertisement
(FTW)
Dood you don't have to listen to that, theres AdBlock and NoScript you know /s
Also, regarding you constant selfpromotion and stuff, you're doing it right, I'd like to hear how good but I bet the ROI from you post is over 9000% - I may not be your target because I don't have use for Doctors in my normal life and maybe thats why I find them funny. But it's dangerous to go alone, use this.
I'm not feeding a troll, in all PHB style let me spin that as "I'm empowering the trolls"
No, it's just a different way of playing the same info. It's still an old recording being played back. If they said it was the "oldest playback using original equipment", that would be a different thing.
Table-ized A.I.
You know, I've never seen someone defend their (wrong) argument so strongly before on /.. However, this reproduction of the recording is likely MORE accurate than could be made by the original device. The needle that recorded this cylinder is quite likely different than any surviving needle that could be used to replay the cylinder. Indeed, the recording needle itself was likely different, if even just slightly when the recording ended than when it started.
An optical examination, later processed - even digitally - by a computer will have a higher resolution and more data available to it than playback ever could have by any method in the past. They have indeed played the recording. It would be as if a quadrachromat viewed the mona lisa.
Rights & Access
This recording is protected by state copyright laws in the United States. The Library of Congress has obtained a license from rights holders to offer it as streamed audio only. Downloading is not permitted. The authorization of rights holders of the recording is required in order to obtain a copy of the recording. Contact jukebox@loc.gov for more information.
The funny part is that you didn't own that record, according the label it was leased to you for the purpose of producing sound directly from the record. And that was the state of the nation in the year 1900 A.D.
When the copyright term is "forever minus a day", live every day like it's the last.
Right on! Just like scanning a CD with a laser isn't playing it. Oh, wait ...
Nice try, but if you want to win this year's "Obvious Pedantic Faggot" award you're going to have to try to bring your pedantry up to the level of your cocksucking. The judges really look for the whole package.
I tried hard to discern her accent. I'm curious if the North Jersey or NY accent has changed in 122 years. It sounded like the "ar" in star is drawn out like a New England accent. Of course, it's all made the more difficult by her trying to make a baby voice.
slightly off topic, but so long as we're discussing edison recording cylinders, i remember watching this poor guy crush an historic, irreplaceable cylinder record on tv. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqZWsJ2oO_E
three can keep a secret, if two are dead - benjamin franklin
Around here, the secondhand stores won't accept any computer-related parts, after someone complained that a donated computer had private information on it. Not just hard drives, but printers, monitors, cords, keyboards, etc., are only accepted at an annual event where everything goes straight into a recycler. I think the whole thing was cooked up by the local retailers.
Every time someone is successful with an invention or innovation, you get a million blowhards and runners-up shooting their mouths off to their buddies "He stole that shit from *ME* man!" But it really only goes to show that an invention is only as good as the much harder work that goes into taking that invention and making it useful and practical, then effectively deploying it so that it actually gets USED.
So you get ten different people working on inventing a light bulb. That doesn't mean all ten are going to be equally skilled at making it practical, building factories to make it, getting it to market, promoting it, getting the general public to accept it, etc. So nine people may claim theft, but the fact is that the tenth just had something that they didn't: follow-through.
And John Ford didn't invent the car either. But he did put one in every driveway.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
That's because with enough legal wrangling, you can actually claim copyright on the MP3 itself. The original phonograph and recording isn't copyrighted, but the *MP3 version* is. It's absolutely bizarre, but such is the state of copyright in a country where Disney gets to write our copyright law.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Stupid unicode. [facepalm]
When a synæsthete [facepalm]s, which other sense is affected? Do you smell it?
Three minutes later, the RIAA filed suit against the scientists, claiming "unauthorized public broadcast."
but such is the state of copyright in a country where Disney gets to write our copyright law.
Yeah, I and so many others wish that instead they would right our copyright laws...
I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
This made me laugh. I'm glad I went back to check on replies to my old comments.
It doesn't hurt to be nice.