Early Microphones and Their Impact on Recording and Singing Styles

This essay delves into the history of early microphones, examining their emergence and impact on the music industry and singing styles. It discusses the technological advancements, such as the introduction of microphones and valve amplifiers, and their influence on recording studios and radio broadcasts. The essay highlights the shift in vocal techniques and the rise of new singing styles that embraced microphone technology, contrasting them with the challenges faced by classical singers. It also explores the socio-cultural impact, including the Great Depression's effect on the recording industry and the rise of radio. The essay references key developments, such as the creation of electrical signal transmission, the evolution of recording sales, and the influence of commercial radio practices, demonstrating how microphones facilitated personal and expressive singing abilities.

Running head: THE ART OF RECORDING
THE ART OF RECORDING
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1THE ART OF RECORDING
Topic- History of early microphone signing
The rise of early microphones for singing style such was very much popular during its
initial stage. Americans wanted unique and innovative singers and sounds. It should be
democratic in nature. The feature of microphone singers was quite natural and good quality.
Volume and the pitch range including the production, phrasing of the written text able to get
download because of microphone facility. Lockheart was not that much specialize in the area of
music, rather the individual was fonder of classical singing and casual conversational speech. It
was one downfall on the volume of singers and this led to rise in other factors (Bode, 2017).
Microphones, an electronically sound signal, use for recording, addressing the public and
recording of sound. It became a serious business during that time. In the year 1925, microphones
and valve amplifiers created for radio in the recording studios. Electrical signal from
microphones was able to pass along with the wires without any damage. It includes feature like
less noise and better efficiency.
Great depression of 1929 led to market downturn including the recording companies.
The sales started reducing from 1925, owing competition from radio. As per the findings, only
two companies had survived until 1932. In the year, 1921, 100 million records sold and in 1939,
the sales growth decline to 6 million (Morgenstern, Rafaely & Noisternig, 2015).
This created more encouragement for the radio services and technology in the art of
recordings in 1920. It flourished with great depression, but in 1926 to 1930, there was a sharp
rise in the growth of radio-equipped homes, nearly 5 million to 12 million. In 1935, after the
depression effect, there was still increase in the growth of radio-equipped homes (Burns, 2017).

2THE ART OF RECORDING
Classical singers were unable to adjust with the new invention in the technology and
recording department. On the other side, the new and popular singers were comfortable with the
new technology and recording system. Radio studios lack the good singers that created a serious
downturn in the singing and recording business. Vocal style and methods led the crowning
achievement of microphone sound system. There was refinement in the process of art and music
due to this reason, not consider as early microphone singers.
There was repeated urge for the improvement in the quality of music offered to the
people. All favored best classical singers and opera music, compared to this there was less
encouragement for jazz and other types of music. Classical singers not able to adjust with the
modern technology and changes in the music system this made a serious issue for the music and
recording industry. From 1925 to 1939, creation of microphone made new singing style
including the vocal technique (Serene et al., 2017). The technical characteristics of microphone
include transmission, production and amplification of the music.
In addition to these characteristics, it also includes expansive dissemination, interaction
and introduction of new cultural esthetics. In case of socio cultural aspect, nearly 16 business of
music pertaining to commercial radio practice that strongly dominated the socio cultural sectors.
In sum, with unique creative attributes the resources and skills of each singer can create an
advantageous performance in the music industry with the use of modern technology effect as
microphones allows personal and expressive singing ability.

3THE ART OF RECORDING
References
Bode, L. (2017). Making Believe: Screen Performance and Special Effects in Popular Cinema.
Rutgers University Press.
Burns, E., Guthmann, M., Fein, A., Kraus, B., & Sullivan, T. (2017).
Morgenstern, H., Rafaely, B., & Noisternig, M. (2015, March). Joint Design of Spherical
Microphone and Loudspeaker Arrays for Room Acoustic Analysis. In 41th Annual
German Congress on Acoustics (DAGA) (Vol. 41).
Serene, G. W. L., Eng, L. L., Veronica, T. Q. Y., Zhong, X., Shung, L. Y., & Keen, L. K.
(2017). U.S. Patent No. 9,681,244. Washington, DC