Can someone please explain this?

In the book 'The Power of Film', it says:

Edison’s early recordings at the end of the nineteenth century were made by speaking into the large end of a big trumpet that used the pressure of sound waves to incise grooves in a spinning wax cylinder. It would surprise anyone today to find that Edison’s contemporaries praised these crude records for their astonishing “realism.”

I don't understand what the author means by "used the pressure of sound waves to incise grooves in a spinning wax cylinder." Can someone please say what this means or can you please direct me to a website that explains this?

Thanks.
 
In the book 'The Power of Film', it says:

Edison’s early recordings at the end of the nineteenth century were made by speaking into the large end of a big trumpet that used the pressure of sound waves to incise grooves in a spinning wax cylinder. It would surprise anyone today to find that Edison’s contemporaries praised these crude records for their astonishing “realism.”

I don't understand what the author means by "used the pressure of sound waves to incise grooves in a spinning wax cylinder." Can someone please say what this means or can you please direct me to a website that explains this?

Thanks.
I'm sure you used Google so there must be something else you are after.

I used your words "used the pressure of sound waves to incise grooves in a spinning wax cylinder"
http://bfy.tw/EiXz
and found several videos and articles about cutting wax cylinders. I found
THIS ONE to be very informative. Shorten your search to "wax cylinder"
may help a bit.

If that didn't help them maybe you can be more specific and we can help you.
 
Ever paid attention in physics class?
Sound is a longitubinal wave traveling through air, water (or even solids). You ears hear sound because it detects the vibrations of the waves, and those waves are changes in pressure.
That is why too load sound can damage you ears: to much pressure breaks the 'hairs'.

When you move air from a big volume through a small opening: the velocity increases, because there is less space for the same amount of air to travel through. This is how a pump for inflatables works.: not only does the speed increase: with it the pressure rises as well.

Now look at your ears: they are like a trumpet. Look at a cats ears: even more like a trumpet. That is used to amplify the waves, so we can hear sound better.

How old are?
Even look a closer look at a vinyl record?
The groves contain the vibrations ofthe recording. A needle in the grove is moved by them and that is translated into sound.

These 4 things combined allowed Edison to amplify sound and change it into usable pressure to record those vibrations on a disc.
 
Thank you both for your replies. That helped.

I have seen the vinyl record but never used it (I love it though). I have grown up in the CD player era.

Either way, now I understand the logic of how this works. Thanks.
 
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When rap artists used to say they put in out "on wax" this is what it referenced (a throwback to blues/folk). Wax recordings were around for awhile in fact.
 
Strictly anecdotal because I can't prove it, but my mom used to tell me how as kids in the 1930s, she and her brothers would yell into the horn of a gramophone at the end of playing a record and said the rudimentary sounds could be played back.

Maybe one day I'll try that one out!
 
You can actually "play" a vinyl record by forming a tube from a sheet of paper, look it up. Though, I wouldn't advise it because the sound quality is really horrible and you could damage the grooves. Just get a decent record player.

I'm saving up for some dj cartridges to start mixing vinyl, you know, the stuff DJ's used to play instead of usb's? :D
 
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