Really cool - sound captured from 1860

FRwL · 03-27-08, 07:58 PM

In 1860, a frenchman developed a device to trace the sound waves of a woman singing a french folk song onto paper darkened with soot, with the intention of creating a visual representation of sound. That trace of a sound wave still exists, so researchers at berkeley converted it back into sound. (The frenchman did not envision this sound ever being replayed, this was 17 years before edison.) And so, at http://www.firstsounds.org/sounds/index.php , you can hear the voice of a woman from 1860, long before people ever envisioned sound recording.

Brent L · 03-27-08, 08:09 PM

That is incredibly interesting, not to mention haunting. I love things like this, so thanks for the post!

KillerCannibal · 03-27-08, 08:24 PM

Very cool, and slightly creepy. Thanks!

DeputyDave · 03-27-08, 08:31 PM

No DTS, no sale.

Nick Danger · 03-27-08, 08:32 PM

Coooooool!

jack999 · 03-27-08, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FRwL

you can hear the voice of a woman from 1860, long before people ever envisioned sound recording.

So I'm wondering, was the representation of the sound good enough to recreate a woman's voice, as this was, or did the researcher's help it out a little. I'm hoping it's the former.

Now I'm also wondering if it would be possible to run this "sound" through an enhancement process to make it clearer?

jack999 · 03-27-08, 08:50 PM

This part is really cool:

Quote:

The essence of the Berkeley technology, which was developed in collaboration with the Library of Congress, is to apply non-contact digital imaging to any material containing a recorded “groove”. The imaging results in a digital representation of the record which can then be played on the computer with a virtual stylus. Being non-contact, the technology protects delicate samples from further damage or degradation. This approach has been used successfully on many phonograph discs and cylinders, and its application to the phonautograph recording was a straightforward extension. It is novel however that the phonautograph recordings were never meant to be played.

A virtual groove and needle, far out man

Bandoman · 03-27-08, 09:03 PM

Tres cool!

Bandoman · 03-27-08, 09:05 PM

...and before anyone else does this:

wishbone · 03-27-08, 09:10 PM

Very cool but I wish they would have used less scratchy paper for the recording.

Chrisedge · 03-27-08, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jack999

So I'm wondering, was the representation of the sound good enough to recreate a woman's voice, as this was, or did the researcher's help it out a little. I'm hoping it's the former.

Now I'm also wondering if it would be possible to run this "sound" through an enhancement process to make it clearer?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Press Release

Feaster, Giovannoni, and First Sounds audio engineer Richard Martin jointly undertook the final steps of audio interpretation and restoration. They removed speed fluctuations inherent in the hand-cranked recordings, adjusted the speed of playback, and patiently coaxed the voice from behind a curtain of noise. Like the subjects captured in the earliest photographs, the sounds are ghostly but immediately recognizable.

...sounds like it was tweeked to bring the voice out...

Incredible find though...thanks for posting...

Bronkster · 03-27-08, 09:16 PM

Very awesome!

dork · 03-27-08, 09:25 PM

Yeah, I'm sure this has absolutely nothing to do with a vengeful spirit trying to escape centuries of torment by finding a human host to possess.

Numanoid · 03-27-08, 09:55 PM

That woman sucks!

Dr Mabuse · 03-27-08, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FRwL

In 1860, a frenchman developed a device to trace the sound waves of a woman singing a french folk song onto paper darkened with soot, with the intention of creating a visual representation of sound. That trace of a sound wave still exists, so researchers at berkeley converted it back into sound. (The frenchman did not envision this sound ever being replayed, this was 17 years before edison.) And so, at http://www.firstsounds.org/sounds/index.php , you can hear the voice of a woman from 1860, long before people ever envisioned sound recording.

what a cool post man...

VinVega · 03-28-08, 07:40 AM

Amazing, it does sound a lot like paper.

Thor Simpson · 03-28-08, 07:50 AM

Sadly, crazy scratchy paper voice lady was voted out last night.

This morning William Hung showed up at Berkeley with a stack of post-it notes, demanding, "Do these! Do these!"

Groucho · 03-28-08, 08:01 AM

How long until the RIAA demands their cut?

Mopower · 03-28-08, 08:09 AM

They can clean up the audio all they want but at the end of the day it's still French.

Tracer Bullet · 03-28-08, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Groucho

How long until the RIAA demands their cut?

atlantamoi · 03-28-08, 08:31 AM

Wow, that's incredibly cool. Thanks for posting.

General Zod · 03-28-08, 08:45 AM

[Simon Cowell]That was terrible.[/Simon Cowell]

Charlie Goose · 03-28-08, 09:04 AM

Better than Bjork.

CPA-ESQ. · 03-28-08, 09:21 AM

That song sucks

I wouldn't pay to download it.

TallGuyMe · 03-28-08, 11:56 AM

Well, we've confirmed that women have been whining since at LEAST 1860.

03-27-08, 07:58 PM	#1
FRwL DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: California Posts: 2,444	Really cool - sound captured from 1860 In 1860, a frenchman developed a device to trace the sound waves of a woman singing a french folk song onto paper darkened with soot, with the intention of creating a visual representation of sound. That trace of a sound wave still exists, so researchers at berkeley converted it back into sound. (The frenchman did not envision this sound ever being replayed, this was 17 years before edison.) And so, at http://www.firstsounds.org/sounds/index.php , you can hear the voice of a woman from 1860, long before people ever envisioned sound recording.

03-27-08, 08:09 PM	#2
Brent L DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Upstate, SC Posts: 13,162	That is incredibly interesting, not to mention haunting. I love things like this, so thanks for the post! __________________ "Would I rather be feared or loved? Ummm, easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me."

03-27-08, 08:24 PM	#3
KillerCannibal DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Behind the Orange Curtain Posts: 17,054	Very cool, and slightly creepy. Thanks! __________________ DVDAf Horror Movie Challenges: 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

03-27-08, 08:31 PM	#4
DeputyDave DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 12,564	No DTS, no sale. __________________ DVDSpot, RIP

03-27-08, 08:32 PM	#5
Nick Danger DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 14,449	Coooooool! __________________ Originally Posted by TallGuyMe: hoorah for Nick!

03-27-08, 09:03 PM	#8
Bandoman DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: a small cottage on a cul de sac in the lower pits of hell. Posts: 27,797	Tres cool! __________________ "...Bando...you are perfect and awesome." - 4KRG

03-27-08, 09:05 PM	#9
Bandoman DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: a small cottage on a cul de sac in the lower pits of hell. Posts: 27,797	...and before anyone else does this: __________________ "...Bando...you are perfect and awesome." - 4KRG

03-27-08, 09:10 PM	#10
wishbone DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,699	Very cool but I wish they would have used less scratchy paper for the recording. __________________ "Wishbone is spelled with an E not a 3..... Be gone" - Minor Threat

03-27-08, 09:16 PM	#12
Bronkster DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: AnaheimLand, SoCal Posts: 9,753	Very awesome! __________________ this looks nothing like my signature

03-27-08, 09:25 PM	#13
dork DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 9,960	Yeah, I'm sure this has absolutely nothing to do with a vengeful spirit trying to escape centuries of torment by finding a human host to possess.

03-27-08, 09:55 PM	#14
Numanoid DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Down in 'The Park' Posts: 27,004	That woman sucks!

03-28-08, 07:40 AM	#16
VinVega Moderator Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Stuck in the middle with you Posts: 24,056	Amazing, it does sound a lot like paper. __________________ History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity. - Cicero

03-28-08, 07:50 AM	#17
Thor Simpson DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 35,019	Sadly, crazy scratchy paper voice lady was voted out last night. This morning William Hung showed up at Berkeley with a stack of post-it notes, demanding, "Do these! Do these!" __________________ I'm not a fan of people quoting others and saying "This," but... This. - VinVega

03-28-08, 08:01 AM	#18
Groucho DVD Talk Godfather Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 62,117	How long until the RIAA demands their cut? __________________ Xbox Live: Runner Groucho PSN: RunnerGroucho "The Borg is a species" -- Tracer Bullet (Citation)

03-28-08, 08:09 AM	#19
Mopower DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: The Janitor's closet in Kinnick Stadium Posts: 15,717	They can clean up the audio all they want but at the end of the day it's still French.

03-28-08, 08:31 AM	#21
atlantamoi DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Atlanta Posts: 7,876	Wow, that's incredibly cool. Thanks for posting.

03-28-08, 08:45 AM	#22
General Zod DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Where it all happens - SoCal Posts: 15,823	[Simon Cowell]That was terrible.[/Simon Cowell] __________________ "Kneel Before Zod"

03-28-08, 09:04 AM	#23
Charlie Goose DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Sesame Street (the apt. next to Bob's) Posts: 19,348	Better than Bjork. __________________ Ohwa Tagu Siam

03-28-08, 09:21 AM	#24
CPA-ESQ. DVD Talk Platinum Edition Join Date: Jul 1999 Posts: 3,993	That song sucks I wouldn't pay to download it.

03-28-08, 11:56 AM	#25
TallGuyMe DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 10,346	Well, we've confirmed that women have been whining since at LEAST 1860.