In this article, we will examine what stereo is, how such a sound differs from mono, and how to transmit mechanical vibrations from a carrier to speakers, and also learn the history of the origin of sound recorders and the intricacies of radio technology.
Differences in Sound Recording Methods
To begin, consider the main concept in this area. In acoustics, sound refers to mechanical vibrations in various environments and how they are perceived by animals or people. That is all that our ears hear.
Mono refers to a sound recording method in which all vibrations are applied to a data carrier with one track and one microphone. Simply put, it is similar to the perception of sound in one ear. In this case, the so-called "sound panorama" is not felt, everything is heard in one plane. This method was used everywhere until the 50s of the last century due to the technical complexity of implementing the recording of each individual instrument and combining the result in one track. Moreover, this recording method is cheaper than others and allows you to phonograph with just one microphone, so it is still used in various fields of activity. For example, in broadcasting.
Unlike mono, stereo allows you to use recording from two or more microphones, which gives a feeling of full presence when listening. There is another way to get this effect, for which a special hardware tool, called a mixer, is used. In this case, the effect of immersion is achieved due to the diversity of the monophonic recordings on different channels. Initially, the first way to achieve stereo was used, but due to the complexity of such sound recordings, since the beginning of the 60s of the last century, the mixing method, also called pseudo-stereo, was widely used.
Recording History
The pioneer in the field of applying sound to media is Thomas Edison. He invented an apparatus that was able to record mechanical vibrations on a foil with a needle and reproduce the result. This unit was called a phonograph. This invention served as a huge impetus for mono-recording, since what stereo was, at that time no one knew.
Before phonographs, mechanical musical instruments were used. They were able to reproduce melodies, but had great limitations: the instruments were not able to record extraneous sounds, such as a human voice. These inventions could “read” sounds recorded on various kinds of objects. So music was recorded on wood, paper and even metal plates.
The mechanism of mechanical inventions was driven mainly by human hands, but also third-party methods could be used for this: electricity, sand, water, etc.
Such musical instruments were replaced by a mechanical recording.
The first invention in this area is a phono-autograph, which is an experimental device that is not able to reproduce the recording. It was only at the end of the 19th century that T. Edison was able to solve this problem with his invention mentioned above.
Radio engineering (stereo system)
Technology does not stand still, and at the end of the 80s, the Radio Engineering stereo system appeared on the market. It has high quality reproduced sound. The manufacturers claimed power of this invention is 35 watts, but these numbers are not the end result that this “engineering miracle” is capable of. And correctly selected amplifiers will increase the volume of the device several times. The sound is so high-quality that even the most picky listeners will appreciate such a stereo.
This stereo system was famous not only for the quality of its sound, but also for its original design, which looked great in the interior of Soviet apartments.
Bluetooth stereo playback
But a real technical breakthrough is audio transmission via Bluetooth. This is a stereo sound propagation method through radio communication. A few years ago it seemed that such a stereo could not be reproduced. The range of Bluetooth has a relatively small distance, but it is enough to use a wireless headset. The main advantage of listening to music using Bluetooth technology is convenience. After all, this method of sound transmission frees the user from outdated and such uncomfortable wired headphones.