stylus
Quick Summary
A stylus is a pointed instrument used for writing or marking. Historically, it was used by ancient Greeks and Romans to write on wax tablets. In modern times, a stylus has several applications, including cutting stencils for reproduction processes.
Crucially, a stylus is also a key component of a phonograph. In this context, the stylus is a needle that follows the groove on a rotating record. As the stylus moves along the groove, its vibrations are converted into electrical signals, which are then amplified and reproduced as sound. This technology, largely credited to Thomas Edison in 1877, revolutionized sound recording and reproduction, with later innovations like Emil Berliner's disc records and the development of long-playing (LP) and 45-RPM records further advancing the field.123
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phonograph…of the vibration of a stylus, or needle, following a groove on a rotating disc. A phonograph disc, or record, stores a replica of sound waves as a series of undulations in a sinuous groove inscribed on its rotating surface by the stylus. When the record is played back, another…
Read More…of the vibration of a stylus, or needle, following a groove on a rotating disc. A phonograph disc, or record, stores a replica of sound waves as a series of undulations in a sinuous groove inscribed on its rotating surface by the stylus. When the record is played back, another…
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sound recordingThe phonograph disc…minute, a tiny “needle,” or stylus, simultaneously moves along the groove and vibrates back and forth parallel to the surface of the disc and perpendicular to the groove, tracing out the sound wave. The upper end of the stylus is connected to a tiny magnet, which moves back and forth…
Read More…minute, a tiny “needle,” or stylus, simultaneously moves along the groove and vibrates back and forth parallel to the surface of the disc and perpendicular to the groove, tracing out the sound wave. The upper end of the stylus is connected to a tiny magnet, which moves back and forth…
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