Les débuts de l'enregistrement - Les folles inventions musicales

Have you ever heard... a singer recording in a studio? But... without a microphone? How did people record when the microphone hadn't been invented yet? Jump cut left, in profile: Well, we didn't record. Jump cut right: Well, actually, we did. Jump cut left: Seriously? Right: Absolutely. Left: What a story. Right: I don't need you to tell me. Credits! PV is in old-fashioned bookseller mode, with glasses, a plaid vest, a pipe, etc. He's at the piano. Let's put the story back in context. It's 1857. Martinville, a French inventor, files a patent for the first device allowing sound recording. The phonautograph! Better yet! So, you sing into the cornet and it records the graphic representation of the sound produced on a piece of paper. An annoying little detail: the phonautograph records sound, but, uh... it can't reproduce it. Which means that the good Martinville never got to hear what is probably the oldest recorded sound in the world: himself, singing "Au clair de la lune." Oh dear, I would have loved to listen to that. Well, we'll do it right away. But you said that... Yes, but in 2008, scientists succeeded, 150 years later, in reproducing the sounds recorded by the phonautograph. Let's listen to this marvel! 20 years later, the famous Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. Same system, but this time the device allows you to listen to the result, that's not bad. 10 years later, it was Emile Berliner who developed the gramophone. Oh dear, progress never stops. As you can see, the gramophone allows you to record the result on a disc. This is the beginning of studio recordings. So let's not kid ourselves, it was a pain. First of all, as you've heard, the sound reproduced is very weakened, so for the result to be audible, you had to sing very loudly! Optic Deuuuuux… sorry. Second problem: the cornet doesn't capture all the frequencies. If it's too high, it's not good. If it's too low, it's not good. That's why we record a lot of tenors, singers with a voice that fits perfectly through the cornet. There you go: very good. The first recording star is called Caruso, and unsurprisingly, he's a tenor. Perhaps at the time, those who weren't tenors could have had success too, except... we couldn't hear them, which was a problem. Fortunately, in 1925, we moved on to electrical recording, and finally, the microphone. It was a revolution! Everyone started using a microphone! Um, no, I prefer the cornet. But... the microphone allows you to convert the sound signal into an electrical signal, and therefore amplify it. Yeah, but I prefer the... Plus, it captures a much wider frequency range and finally allows all types of voices to be properly recorded. Yeah, I don't know, in my opinion, the cornet... Yes, the microphone has definitely replaced the cornet. One two, one two, test, test (with a little feedback). The incredible story of recording is underway! Test, studio line, studio! And above all, the big advantage of the microphone: it can be turned off. One two, one two... And there you have it, it's broken. Okay everyone, see you soon for the next episode, bye! ####################################### This series traces the wild artistic, technical, and technological adventure of music. Presented by PV Nova (THE essential music YouTuber), the program focuses on tracing part of the history of music through the evolution of technologies and techniques. In other words: how has music been influenced by these discoveries? In three to four minutes, PV shows how certain advances have opened the door to a whole world of new possibilities. How the sound reinforcement of instruments has changed the role of musicians within the orchestra. How recording techniques have allowed us to approach the concept of the album in a new light... ######################################## Even more content on: https://education.francetv.fr/ Join us on: Facebook:   / francetveducation   Twitter:   / francetveducation   Instagram:   / francetveduc   Snapchat:   / francetveduc