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EnglandMusic Technology

The development of recording technology

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How did sound recording begin, and what changed when electrical recording replaced acoustic recording?

Early recording technology: the phonograph and acoustic (mechanical) recording, the limitations of the acoustic process, the arrival of electrical recording in the 1920s with the microphone and amplifier, and the leap in fidelity and control this brought.
A focused answer to the Edexcel 9MT0 history content, covering the phonograph and acoustic recording, the limitations of the mechanical process, the arrival of electrical recording in the 1920s with the microphone and amplifier, and its gains.
11 min answer →

Why was magnetic tape such a turning point, and how did it change what a studio could do?

Magnetic tape recording: how tape stores sound magnetically, its arrival as the studio standard in the late 1940s, tape editing and splicing, the move from direct-to-disc, and tape effects (delay, flanging) and noise reduction.
A focused answer to the Edexcel 9MT0 tape content, covering how magnetic tape stores sound, its arrival as the studio standard in the late 1940s, editing and splicing, the move from direct-to-disc, tape effects and noise reduction.
12 min answer →

How did digital technology, MIDI, sampling and the DAW transform recording and production?

The digital revolution: the move from analogue to digital audio, the compact disc (1982), MIDI (1983), the digital sampler, hard-disk recording and the rise of the DAW, and software pitch correction such as Auto-Tune.
A focused answer to the Edexcel 9MT0 digital history, covering the move from analogue to digital, the compact disc (1982), MIDI (1983), the digital sampler, hard-disk recording, the DAW, and Auto-Tune.
13 min answer →

How did multitrack recording change what records could be, and why did track counts keep growing?

The multitrack revolution: recording parts to separate tracks, Les Paul, sel-sync and overdubbing, the growth from 4-track to 8, 16 and 24-track, the rise of stereo, and how multitrack changed the studio into a creative instrument.
A focused answer to the Edexcel 9MT0 multitrack history, covering recording to separate tracks, Les Paul, sel-sync and overdubbing, the growth from 4 to 24-track, the rise of stereo, and the studio as a creative tool.
12 min answer →