The Evolution of The Microphone

By april hurley

  • The Begining

    The Begining
    The word "microphone" was developed by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1827. He used it to describe an all-mechanical vibration stethoscope.

  • The Turner 77

    The Turner 77
    The first microphone was invented by Emile Berliner in 1876. This microphone was used as a telephone transmitter by the Bell company.

  • The Carbon Microphone

    The Carbon Microphone
    In 1878 the carbon microphone was invented by David Edward Hughes.Hughes discovered that a loose contact in a circuit containing a battery and a telephone receiver created a situation where sounds in the receiver matched the vibrations upon the diaphragm of the telephone mouthpiece or transmitter.

  • The Ribbon Microphone

    The Ribbon Microphone
    The ribbon microphone was invented in 1942 for radio broadcasting. When radios were created, they needed a certain type of microphone specially created for the radio's use.

  • Electric Microphones

    Electric Microphones
    The electric microphone was invented by James West. The electret microphone offered greater reliability, higher precision, lower cost, and a smaller size.

  • Citations

    Klapholz, Jesse. "History & Development of Microphone." History & Development of Microphone. Testa Communication, n.d. Web. http://www.lloydmicrophoneclassics.com/mic_history.html.
    Bellis, Mary. "The History Of Microphones." About.com Inventors. About.com, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. http://inventors.about.com/od/mstartinventions/a/microphone.htm.