Pallophotophone
Encyclopedia
The pallophotophone was an audio recording device developed by General Electric
researcher Charles Hoxie ca. 1922. Hoxie took the name of the device from the Greek words for "shaking light sound".
The pallophotophone was a sound-on-film system which could record and replay multiple audio tracks on unsprocketed 35mm Kodak monochrome film using a photoelectric process that captured audio wave forms generated by a vibrating mirror. It is thought to be the world's first effective multitrack recording
system, predating magnetic tape multitrack recording by at least 20 years.
The pallophotophone was developed as part of GE's ongoing research into creating a workable sound system for motion pictures, and GE experimented with the system by recording many early radio broadcasts from its Schenectady, New York
radio station WGY in the 1920s and early 1930s. In the mid 1920's, RCA (then a GE subsidiary) released the pallophotophone as a commercial product called the RCA Photophone. However the system was inherently incapable of producing time-aligned stereo original track negatives and was eventually superseded by the Western Electric
which could. Western Electric would later take over the RCA Photophone trademark as well.
It is believed that none of the original pallophotophone machines built by GE have survived to the present day, although a few reels of pallophotophone recordings of radio broadcasts still exist. In 2008, thirteen reels were rediscovered in the archives of the Schenectady Museum
by curator Chris Hunter and John Schneiter, a former GE researcher and board member at the museum. The film was labeled "radio programs of 1929-1930” and had many unique features that differentiated them from early movie films. Schneiter then contacted his former colleague, Russ DeMuth, a mechanical engineer at GE Global Research
to help decipher the mysterious film. Unlike movie film
, the discovered reels did not contain sprocket
s. Hunter, Schneiter and DeMuth studied the original patents and photographs of the original pallophotophone and built a new player from scratch using modern components that was able to recover the audio from the reels.
Among the material on the surviving reels is the earliest known recording of the NBC chimes
, a broadcast of a high school basketball match (believed to be the world's second-oldest recording of a sports broadcast) and an historic 1929 recording of the 82-year-old Thomas Edison
, with Henry Ford
and President Herbert Hoover
, speaking on a broadcast commemorating the 50th anniversary of the invention of the incandescent light bulb.
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
researcher Charles Hoxie ca. 1922. Hoxie took the name of the device from the Greek words for "shaking light sound".
The pallophotophone was a sound-on-film system which could record and replay multiple audio tracks on unsprocketed 35mm Kodak monochrome film using a photoelectric process that captured audio wave forms generated by a vibrating mirror. It is thought to be the world's first effective multitrack recording
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
system, predating magnetic tape multitrack recording by at least 20 years.
The pallophotophone was developed as part of GE's ongoing research into creating a workable sound system for motion pictures, and GE experimented with the system by recording many early radio broadcasts from its Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
radio station WGY in the 1920s and early 1930s. In the mid 1920's, RCA (then a GE subsidiary) released the pallophotophone as a commercial product called the RCA Photophone. However the system was inherently incapable of producing time-aligned stereo original track negatives and was eventually superseded by the Western Electric
Western Electric
Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering company, the manufacturing arm of AT&T from 1881 to 1995. It was the scene of a number of technological innovations and also some seminal developments in industrial management...
which could. Western Electric would later take over the RCA Photophone trademark as well.
It is believed that none of the original pallophotophone machines built by GE have survived to the present day, although a few reels of pallophotophone recordings of radio broadcasts still exist. In 2008, thirteen reels were rediscovered in the archives of the Schenectady Museum
Schenectady Museum
The Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium is a museum and planetarium located in Schenectady, New York. Its mission is "to inspire a sense of wonder about extraordinary scientific and technological developments: past, present, and future." The museum's Executive Director is Kerry Orlyk....
by curator Chris Hunter and John Schneiter, a former GE researcher and board member at the museum. The film was labeled "radio programs of 1929-1930” and had many unique features that differentiated them from early movie films. Schneiter then contacted his former colleague, Russ DeMuth, a mechanical engineer at GE Global Research
GE Global Research
GE Global Research is the research and development division of General Electric.GE Global Research's primary facility is located in Niskayuna, New York. The Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Center is a satelite facility located in Van Buren, Michigan...
to help decipher the mysterious film. Unlike movie film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, the discovered reels did not contain sprocket
Sprocket
A sprocket or sprocket-wheel is a profiled wheel with teeth, cogs, or even sprockets that mesh with a chain, track or other perforated or indented material. The name 'sprocket' applies generally to any wheel upon which are radial projections that engage a chain passing over it...
s. Hunter, Schneiter and DeMuth studied the original patents and photographs of the original pallophotophone and built a new player from scratch using modern components that was able to recover the audio from the reels.
Among the material on the surviving reels is the earliest known recording of the NBC chimes
NBC chimes
The NBC chimes, named for the radio and television network on which they have been used, consists of a succession of three distinct pitches: G3, E4, and C4 , sounded in that order, creating an arpeggiated C-major chord in the second inversion, within about two seconds time, and reverberating for...
, a broadcast of a high school basketball match (believed to be the world's second-oldest recording of a sports broadcast) and an historic 1929 recording of the 82-year-old Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
, with Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
and President Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
, speaking on a broadcast commemorating the 50th anniversary of the invention of the incandescent light bulb.