[D8818APL], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to Montague Roby, July 17th, 1888
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/D8818APL
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Title
[D8818APL], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to Montague Roby, July 17th, 1888
Editor's Notes
Your letter under date 2d instant has been duly received and I have referred the same to Gouraud, 'Little Menlo,' upper Norwood, Surrey, who controls the Phonograph in England. # In Reply to your question regarding the Phonograph I would say that the machine is capable of rendering complete harmonies to perfection and they can be repeated ad libitum. In a quartet the run of each voice is given and in an orchestra piece the Phonograph will show not only each instrument and the notes played, but will also record to perfection the peculiar sound and difference between two violins in a duet, or with four cornets every different instrument can be distinguished, the richness of tone in different instruments is consequently recorded to perfection. The quality and Klangefarb (tone color) of all notes is represented in the waves which float through the air, and as these waves are recorded accurately on the cylinder of the Phonograph, the machine necessarily repeats them again, thus preserving every peculiarity of pitch and tone of every sound recorded on the phonographic cylinder.
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1888-07-17
Type
Folder/Volume ID
D8818-F
Microfilm ID
122:443
Document ID
D8818APL
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University