Comments on: Wax Cylinder: Occult Sonic Technology of a Bygone Age, Good as New http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 21 May 2013 00:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-973341 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-973341 My wife gave me a collection of the cylinders for my birthday several years ago. I have six of them in a metal sales display stand.Later I discovered that Edison patented his "gold moulded" records on what would become my birthday. My wife gave me a collection of the cylinders for my birthday several years ago. I have six of them in a metal sales display stand.Later I discovered that Edison patented his “gold moulded” records on what would become my birthday.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-971295 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-971295 An old cowboy told me that when Edison first introduced these, they did not sell well. Why listen to a tinny sound when there were live bands in every bar and on every second corner? So he found a sound that was not easy to hear- Hawiian music. And it became a huge craze. You can hear the influence in later American folk music (like Darby & Tarlington and all sorts of others). The old guy explained this to me as he was demonstrating his Edison cylinder. Spooky sounding thing, but exciting to see it get going. An old cowboy told me that when Edison first introduced these, they did not sell well. Why listen to a tinny sound when there were live bands in every bar and on every second corner? So he found a sound that was not easy to hear- Hawiian music. And it became a huge craze. You can hear the influence in later American folk music (like Darby & Tarlington and all sorts of others). The old guy explained this to me as he was demonstrating his Edison cylinder. Spooky sounding thing, but exciting to see it get going.

]]> By: Marc Weidenbaum http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-971554 Marc Weidenbaum Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-971554 @Anon That's a great anecdote. Thanks. One thing I wanted to add is a link to the website of the author of the Wire story: http://www.kenhollings.blogspot.com/ Marc @Anon That’s a great anecdote. Thanks.

One thing I wanted to add is a link to the website of the author of the Wire story:

http://www.kenhollings.blogspot.com/

Marc

]]> By: AlmostLucy http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-971058 AlmostLucy Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-971058 Ah, my university has a great Cylinder Preservation Project. The site might be US-only, but you can stream and download any of the digitized cylinders for free: http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/ Lots of fun, and a good research tool. Music of all types, comic routines, speeches and sermons, and interestingly, language instruction lessons! It's pretty cool some of these survive, as cylinders were pretty fragile and disposable. Ah, my university has a great Cylinder Preservation Project. The site might be US-only, but you can stream and download any of the digitized cylinders for free: http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/

Lots of fun, and a good research tool. Music of all types, comic routines, speeches and sermons, and interestingly, language instruction lessons! It’s pretty cool some of these survive, as cylinders were pretty fragile and disposable.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-971070 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-971070 I was just thinking it would be nice to have some kind of non-electronic music listening device that I can listen to during takeoff and landing... I was just thinking it would be nice to have some kind of non-electronic music listening device that I can listen to during takeoff and landing…

]]> By: Roy Trumbull http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-970851 Roy Trumbull Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-970851 The prototype of the recorder/reproducer was done by a machinist from a sketch by Edison. On the piece of paper was a dollar amount which provided a bonus over the hourly rate for completion in a given time. The machinist asked, "What is it?" Both he and Edison were surprised when it worked. Edison was always suspicious of anything that worked right off. For the makers out there I might add that I always observed the 3 unit rule when I made something. The first two could be pure accidents but by the third any inherent flaw usually showed itself. Edison took the cylinder recorder to the patent office in New York and they had to police how many people were in the room for fear the floor joists would collapse. Edison got a message from the White House and demonstrated it there until late in the evening. http://www.archive.org/download/EdisonLifeAndInventions/08_The_Phonograph.mp3 The prototype of the recorder/reproducer was done by a machinist from a sketch by Edison. On the piece of paper was a dollar amount which provided a bonus over the hourly rate for completion in a given time. The machinist asked, “What is it?” Both he and Edison were surprised when it worked. Edison was always suspicious of anything that worked right off.
For the makers out there I might add that I always observed the 3 unit rule when I made something. The first two could be pure accidents but by the third any inherent flaw usually showed itself.
Edison took the cylinder recorder to the patent office in New York and they had to police how many people were in the room for fear the floor joists would collapse. Edison got a message from the White House and demonstrated it there until late in the evening.
http://www.archive.org/download/EdisonLifeAndInventions/08_The_Phonograph.mp3

]]> By: DaveP http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-970853 DaveP Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-970853 and when you get tired of it, you can use it to install the new toilet in your bathroom remodel. and when you get tired of it, you can use it to install the new toilet in your bathroom remodel.

]]> By: eleventhvolume http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-971135 eleventhvolume Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-971135 Jed Davis released a wax cylinder version of his single Yuppie Exodus from Dumbo before the Touch release. It's featured here: http://www.hardformat.org/4935/jed-davis/ Jed Davis released a wax cylinder version of his single Yuppie Exodus from Dumbo before the Touch release. It’s featured here: http://www.hardformat.org/4935/jed-davis/

]]> By: Marc Weidenbaum http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-971146 Marc Weidenbaum Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-971146 Thanks, Colin. That is beautiful. I'll look up that ex-Waitresses thing, too. Thanks, Colin. That is beautiful. I’ll look up that ex-Waitresses thing, too.

]]> By: eleventhvolume http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-971152 eleventhvolume Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-971152 PS Jed's version is an edition of 50, seems there's still copies available - and it's hugely cheaper at $30 rather than £85! http://music.jeddavis.com/album/yuppie-exodus-from-dumbo?auto=mp3-320 PS Jed’s version is an edition of 50, seems there’s still copies available – and it’s hugely cheaper at $30 rather than £85!
http://music.jeddavis.com/album/yuppie-exodus-from-dumbo?auto=mp3-320

]]> By: Tim R-J http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-971671 Tim R-J Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-971671 Thanks Marc - nice to see wax cylinders receiving commercial releases. <a href="http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/music/artists/aleks-kolkowski">Aleks Kolkowski</a> has been performing with wax for some years now: he's also producing a wax cylinder archive of electronic and free improv musicians, but if that ever goes beyond just a private collection I suspect it will be as a digital release ... Thanks Marc – nice to see wax cylinders receiving commercial releases.

Aleks Kolkowski has been performing with wax for some years now: he’s also producing a wax cylinder archive of electronic and free improv musicians, but if that ever goes beyond just a private collection I suspect it will be as a digital release …

]]> By: penguinchris http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-971164 penguinchris Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-971164 Wow, watching that really hit me emotionally, somehow. Hard to describe. I'm guessing the cylinder he broke wasn't actually one-of-a-kind, though - hopefully, anyway. In middle school (grade 7 I think) I had a "technology" class where we did some basic woodworking and electronics. At the time everyone thought the teacher was kind of a creep, but in retrospect, he's kind of a cool older guy. He had an Edison cylinder player and some cylinders, and brought it in to demonstrate in class once. Don't think I'll ever forget that, it was really cool. Not sure about the longevity of his cylinders - I'd be afraid to even touch them. I am a casual collector of vinyl records, and am paranoid about handling those - and vinyl records are indestructible in comparison to wax cylinders! Wow, watching that really hit me emotionally, somehow. Hard to describe. I’m guessing the cylinder he broke wasn’t actually one-of-a-kind, though – hopefully, anyway.

In middle school (grade 7 I think) I had a “technology” class where we did some basic woodworking and electronics. At the time everyone thought the teacher was kind of a creep, but in retrospect, he’s kind of a cool older guy. He had an Edison cylinder player and some cylinders, and brought it in to demonstrate in class once. Don’t think I’ll ever forget that, it was really cool. Not sure about the longevity of his cylinders – I’d be afraid to even touch them. I am a casual collector of vinyl records, and am paranoid about handling those – and vinyl records are indestructible in comparison to wax cylinders!

]]> By: snarf http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-970912 snarf Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-970912 Be careful though, these thing can be awfully/hilariously fragile : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBtaNMG_AiE Be careful though, these thing can be awfully/hilariously fragile : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBtaNMG_AiE

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-970918 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-970918 Don't mistake Edison as the sole inverter of any of his produce he a team of engineers working on most of his stuff. Don’t mistake Edison as the sole inverter of any of his produce he a team of engineers working on most of his stuff.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-970922 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-970922 There is a guy who uses the same technology as Edison, but, he does etchings onto beer cans. It is called direct to beer recordings. http://www.floka.com/direct2beer.html There is a guy who uses the same technology as Edison, but, he does etchings onto beer cans. It is called direct to beer recordings.

http://www.floka.com/direct2beer.html

]]> By: Nadreck http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-970954 Nadreck Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-970954 I think that both the Library of Congress and the British National Library have laser scanners to play these things by modelling the grooves. If you actually drop a needle on one of the super-fragile, early cylinders that could be the last time anyone hears it as the wax peels off behind the needle. I think that both the Library of Congress and the British National Library have laser scanners to play these things by modelling the grooves. If you actually drop a needle on one of the super-fragile, early cylinders that could be the last time anyone hears it as the wax peels off behind the needle.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-973018 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-973018 Just a quick comment -- wax cylinders specifically were developed ca. 1886 by Chichester Bell (Alexander Graham Bell's nephew) and Charles Sumner Tainter. The 1870s exhibitions that Edison and his jobbers held were with a machine that used tinfoil, a good medium for a number of things but not for permanance as the foil wore out after only five plays and/or when the foil was removed from the mandrel. UD Just a quick comment — wax cylinders specifically were developed ca. 1886 by Chichester Bell (Alexander Graham Bell’s nephew) and Charles Sumner Tainter. The 1870s exhibitions that Edison and his jobbers held were with a machine that used tinfoil, a good medium for a number of things but not for permanance as the foil wore out after only five plays and/or when the foil was removed from the mandrel. UD

]]> By: Phart http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-971230 Phart Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-971230 They Might be Giants recorded a song to wax cylinder on the Daily Show in 1999: http://tmbw.net/wiki/I_Can_Hear_You They Might be Giants recorded a song to wax cylinder on the Daily Show in 1999:

http://tmbw.net/wiki/I_Can_Hear_You

]]> By: mdh http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-970977 mdh Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-970977 nice, especially his expletive mash-up. nice, especially his expletive mash-up.

]]> By: David Carroll http://boingboing.net/2010/12/16/wax-cylinder-occult.html#comment-971236 David Carroll Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-971236 If Edison was alive today... He would sue their asses off. If Edison was alive today…

He would sue their asses off.

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