The oldest recognizable sound recording was made by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville in the 1850s. Scott, inspired by the workings of the human ear, created a device to capture sound waves visually rather than play them back.
His device consisted of a sound collector, a membrane acting as an artificial eardrum, and a stylus that traced sound vibrations onto soot-covered paper. These early recordings were only intended for studying sound, not playback. In 2008, researchers discovered these recordings in a Paris archive and developed a method to play them. One notable recording was of Scott singing "Au Clair de la Lune" on April 9, 1860.
Initially, the recording was played too fast because historical methods of counting vibrations differed from modern ones. After correcting the speed, it was found that the recording was of a man singing slowly. This work represents the earliest known playback of a human voice.
Vocabulary:
• Recording: The process of capturing sound or images on a medium for later playback.
• Membrane: A thin layer that covers or connects parts of a structure, often used here as an artificial eardrum.
• Stylus: A pointed instrument used for writing or making marks, such as on a recording device.
• Distorted: Altered or misrepresented sound, often unclear or inaccurate.
Source: BBC Ideas