An instrument for imprinting the vibrations of sound on a moving surface of tinfoil or wax in such a form that the original sounds can be suitably reproduced by suitable mechanism. Many attempts have been made by earlier experimenters to obtain tracings of the vibrations of bodies emitting sound, such as tuning-forks, membranes, glass or metallic disks. In 1807 Thomas Young described a method of recording vibrations of a tuning fork on the surface of a drum. His method was fully carried out by Wilhelm Wertheim in 1857 by the invention of the phonautograph which may be considered the precursor of the phonograph. Thus down through the years successful efforts were made to record graphically on moving surfaces the vibrations of sound but the sounds so recorded could not be reproduced.This was accomplished by THOMAS ALVA EDISON, the first patent in 1877.  The TINFOIL PHONOGRAPH was an imperfect instrument. Many improvements were attempted. From 1877 to 1888 Edison was engaged in working out the details of the wax-cylinder phonograph. The improvements made by Edison consisted chiefly 1) substituting cylinders of waxy substance for tinfoil; 2) in substituting a thin glass plate for the parchment membrane; 3) in improving the mechanical action of the marker; 4) in driving the drum carrying the wax cylinder at a uniform and rapid speed by electric motor placed below the instrument. Click here to read how it worked.

The person making the record sings or pays in front of a horn or funnel used for the purposes of focusing the sound waves upon the diaphragm. The artist and the funnel are on one side of the screen, and the recording apparatus in charge of an operator on the other. The arrangement of the various instruments, horns, violins, etc in the recording room at proper relative distance from the horn is of the utmost importance.  Cylinder records are duplicated by taking a plaster cast, electroplating, then using it as a matrix. The disk record admits of similar treatment. After dusting with graphite it is electroplated to about 9mm thick. This forms the permanent or master record, from which the working negatives are made by taking wax impresses of it. The matrix is then nickel plated and polished and is ready for use in pressing out the commercial records by means of an hydraulic press.