The first gramophone records in the country appeared in 1898. They were 17 cm discs in appearance and had sound recording on only one side. Paper labels were not used then, and all information was engraved immediately on the central part of the disc.
How were the discs played?
In 1877, T. Edison invented a phonograph with cylinders for recording and reproducing sounds. In the same year, E. Berliner somewhat modified the invention and invented rubber discs for recording and reproducing sounds. This is how the gramophone appeared, where the gramophone needle was attached to the sound-receiving plate and applied the corresponding spiral grooves on the disk.
In the United States, a mechanical turntable had the terms graphophone, phonograph, or "talking machines" because of the "patent wars" with E. Berliner.
By means of the clockwork, the disc rotated and the needle moved along the spiral of the disc, causing the corresponding vibrations of the vibrating plate. In this way, the entire complex of recorded sounds was reproduced with good accuracy.
Already in the 40s-60s, the improvement of the gramophone achieved a fairly clear transmission of the sound of vocal and instrumental pieces. In Western Europe, the manufacture of gramophones was a powerful independent industry. As well as the production of disks (records) of a varied repertoire performed by outstanding singers and musical virtuosos, it has become a separate industry.
But, as you know, there is no limit to improvement …
Portable version
In the first half of the 20th century, the idea of a portable version of the gramophone emerged. So in 1913 a mechanical device for playing gramophone records appeared - a gramophone. Its invention belongs to the DECCA company. The gramophone itself was designed and patented by the Pathé brothers. The gramophone differed from the gramophone with a small horn built into the body and it was arranged in the form of a suitcase, which was carried by a special handle. But its main difference was in the method of forming the sound groove. In the gramophone, it was deep, not transverse.
The idea of a "portable gramophone" was intended to be used in the field for the British military.
In the gramophone, a spring motor was used as a drive, while sound reinforcement was carried out using a bell, which was hidden inside the case. The pickup had a membrane and a metal needle. The engine had a centrifugal speed regulator and one spring was enough to play one or two sides of the record.
The volume of the gramophone reached up to 80-100 dB, but the quality of sound reproduction depended on the worn-out needle and was by no means high - hoarse and with strong distortions. With the advent of the gramophone to replace steel needles, which had to be changed after playing one record, sapphire needles began to appear, already designed for multiple use.
