Wiktor Wise
The first electric microphone was invented in the mid-1870s by several inventors working independently, including Emile Berliner and Thomas Edison, who created the first modern microphone for telephones. Although Edison was awarded the first patent in 1877, most historians credit British-American inventor David Edward Hughes with its invention, as he had demonstrated a working device in front of many witnesses some years earlier. The term microphone was first applied to the stethoscope by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1827, and the device was created at the same time as the telephone.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of invention | 1877 |
| Inventor | David Edward Hughes, Emile Berliner, and Thomas Edison |
| Type of microphone | Carbon microphone |
| Other names | Transmitters |
| Year of first patent | 1874 |
| Inventor of first patent | Ernst Siemens |
| Year of first patent after invention | 1877 |
| Inventor of the first patent after invention | David Edward Hughes |
| Year of first commercial success | 1877 |
| Inventor of the first commercially successful product | Emile Berliner |
| Year of the first condenser microphone | 1916 |
| Inventor of the first condenser microphone | E.C. Wente |
| Year of the first wireless microphone | 1957 |
| Inventor of the first wireless microphone | Raymond A. Litke |
| Year of the first uni-directional microphone | 1959 |
| Year of the first electret microphone | 1962 |
| Inventors of the first electret microphone | Gerhard Sessler and Jim West |
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What You'll Learn
The first electric microphone was invented in 1877
The term "microphone" was first used by David Edward Hughes in 1878. Before this, these devices were called "transmitters". The earliest devices used to amplify the human voice were acoustic megaphones. Some of the first examples, from fifth-century BC Greece, were theatre masks with horn-shaped mouth openings that acoustically amplified the voices of actors in amphitheaters.
In 1856, Italian inventor Antonio Meucci developed a dynamic microphone based on the generation of electric current by moving a coil of wire to various depths in a magnetic field. This method of modulation was also the most enduring method for the technology of the telephone. In 1861, German inventor Johann Philipp Reis built an early sound transmitter (the "Reis telephone") that used a metallic strip attached to a vibrating membrane that would produce an intermittent current. In 1876, better results were achieved with the "liquid transmitter" design in early telephones from Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray.
In 1877, Siemens and Halske designed the famous "moving coil" microphone, which is still used today. The next wave of innovation came after the development of voice radio broadcasting, which was launched in many countries between 1915 and 1920. The condenser microphone, often referred to as a capacitor or an electrostatic microphone, was patented by inventor E.C. Wente in 1916.
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David Edward Hughes demonstrated his working device before 1877
The invention of the electric microphone can be attributed to several people, including David Edward Hughes, who demonstrated his working device in front of many witnesses before 1877. Although Thomas Edison was awarded the first patent in mid-1877 after a long legal dispute, most historians credit Hughes as the inventor.
Hughes, a British-American inventor and music professor, developed the first carbon microphone in 1878. He used carbon granules loosely packed between two metal plates and discovered that sound pressure on the diaphragm caused the electrical resistance between the plates to change. This design was a significant improvement over previous iterations, although it had a limited frequency response and was quite noisy. Hughes is also credited with coining the term "microphone" to refer to these devices, which were previously called "transmitters".
The early development of the microphone was closely tied to the invention of the telephone. Before the microphone, scientists and inventors sought ways to amplify sound, with the earliest devices being acoustic megaphones dating back to fifth-century BC Greece. The dynamic microphone, which converts sound waves to electric waves, was created simultaneously with the telephone in the late 1870s by several inventors working independently. These pioneers included Johann Philipp Reis, Alexander Graham Bell, Elisha Gray, Amos E. Dolbear, and Thomas Edison.
Bell's microphone, often referred to as a "liquid transmitter", consisted of a small magnet attached to a flat diaphragm that was sensitive enough to vibrate when sound waves contacted it. The magnet's vibrations created a current in a nearby coil of wire through electromagnetic induction. Various variations of the microphone were developed in the late 1870s and 1880s, all intended to enhance the quality of telephone conversations.
One notable innovation was Thomas Edison's discovery in 1878 that a chunk of carbon could function as a microphone. By connecting wires and a battery to the carbon in a circuit, the carbon conducted the current with a certain amount of resistance. This carbon microphone, further refined by Edison in 1886, played a critical role in the development of telephony, broadcasting, and the recording industries.
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Emile Berliner and Thomas Edison developed the first modern microphone
The invention of the electric microphone can be traced back to the 1870s, with several inventors working independently on the technology. Among them was Emile Berliner, who played a crucial role in developing the first modern microphone.
Born in Hanover, Germany, in 1851, Berliner later moved to the United States. He was fascinated by Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, which was demonstrated in Washington, DC, in 1876 as part of the American centennial celebrations. Berliner identified weaknesses in the telephone's transmitter and set out to improve it. Working independently, he developed a new type of transmitter, which he called a “loose-contact" transmitter, a type of microphone that increased the volume of the transmitted voice. This innovation assured the future of the telephone, as without it, telephone calls may have sounded terrible and been limited to shorter distances.
Berliner's microphone, also known as the Berliner microphone, was a carbon microphone transmitter. It varied the contact pressure between two terminals as a voice acted against it, converting sound waves into electrical signals. This carbon microphone was critical in the development of telephony, broadcasting, and the recording industries. Berliner sold his patent for $50,000 (approximately $1.1 million in today's money) to the Bell Telephone Company, and his microphone was used in Bell's telephones.
However, controversy surrounded the patent, and it was eventually thrown out. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1892 that Thomas Edison was the inventor of the carbon microphone. Edison, a prolific American inventor, had been working concurrently on improving the telephone. He discovered in 1878 that a chunk of carbon could be used as a microphone. If wires and a battery were connected to the carbon in a circuit, the carbon conducted the current with a certain amount of resistance. This carbon-button transmitter, refined by Edison, was employed at the first-ever radio broadcast in 1910.
While the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling credited Edison with the invention, the history of the microphone's development is complex and involves multiple inventors. Most historians credit David Edward Hughes with the invention, as he demonstrated a working device in front of witnesses before Edison's patent was awarded in 1877. Additionally, the idea of transmitting speech by varying the current between two contacts was common knowledge in some circles before Edison and Berliner's claims in 1877.
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The carbon microphone was critical in the development of broadcasting
The carbon microphone, also known as the carbon button microphone, button microphone, or carbon transmitter, was critical in the development of broadcasting. It was invented in the 1870s by David Edward Hughes in England and Emile Berliner and Thomas Edison in the US. Edison was awarded the first patent in mid-1877, but most historians credit Hughes with the invention as he had demonstrated his working device in front of many witnesses some years earlier. The carbon microphone was the first microphone that enabled proper voice telephony.
The carbon microphone consists of two metal plates separated by granules of carbon. One plate is thin and acts as a diaphragm, facing the speaker. Sound waves cause the diaphragm to vibrate, exerting varying pressure on the granules, which changes the electrical resistance between the plates. A steady direct current is passed between the plates through the granules, and the varying resistance results in a modulation of the current, creating an electrical audio signal. This undulating current is directly passed through telephone wires to a telephone exchange.
The carbon microphone's high output and frequency response characteristics were well-suited for telephony. They were widely used in telephones from 1890 until the 1980s, and they could also be used as amplifiers. This capability was crucial in early telephone repeaters, enabling long-distance phone calls before the era of vacuum tube amplifiers. In remote locations with long telephone lines, carbon transmitter telephones continued to work with a fraction of a volt, whereas electronic telephones required at least three volts DC and suffered from the "cliff effect", abruptly stopping working when the voltage dropped below a critical level.
Carbon microphones were also used in early AM radio broadcasting systems due to their high output and low cost. They were pivotal in efficient long-distance voice signal transfer in broadcasting. However, their use in broadcasting declined by the late 1920s due to their limited frequency response and high noise levels. They continued to be used for low-end public address, military, and amateur radio applications for several decades afterward.
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The condenser microphone was patented in 1916
The history of the microphone spans nearly four centuries of research and advancements in sound engineering. The term "microphone" was first used in 1827, but the device's origins can be traced back to ancient Greece, where actors in amphitheaters used theatre masks with horn-shaped mouth openings to amplify their voices. The first modern microphone was created in the 1800s by Emile Berliner and Thomas Edison for use in telephones. However, it was not until 1916 that the condenser microphone, also known as a capacitor or electrostatic microphone, was patented by E.C. Wente of Western Electric.
Wente's invention built upon earlier advancements in microphone technology, such as the carbon microphone invented by David Edward Hughes in 1878 and the carbon-button transmitter developed by Edison in 1886. The condenser microphone represented a significant breakthrough, as it was the first to use a vibrating diaphragm as a capacitor plate to convert sound waves into electrical signals. This design improved audio quality for telephones and enhanced the overall performance of the microphone.
The development of the condenser microphone occurred during a period of rapid innovation in voice radio broadcasting, which was being launched in many countries between 1915 and 1920. The demand for improved microphone technology led to further advancements, such as the ribbon microphone invented by the RCA Company in the 1920s. The condenser microphone also played a crucial role in the evolution of broadcasting and recording industries, with its ability to provide clearer and more reliable audio reproduction.
Over the years, various inventors and companies have contributed to the development of different types of microphones, including dynamic microphones, contact microphones, and electret microphones. The work of E.C. Wente and other pioneers in the field has paved the way for the modern microphones we use today in various applications, from cell phones and smart devices to music and broadcasting industries. The condenser microphone, patented in 1916, remains a significant milestone in the evolution of audio technology.
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Frequently asked questions
The first electric microphone was created in the 1800s by Emile Berliner and Thomas Edison.
The first electric microphone was invented by several different people working independently, including Emile Berliner and Thomas Edison. Most historians credit David Edward Hughes with its invention, as he demonstrated a working device in front of many witnesses before Edison was awarded the first patent in 1877.
A microphone is a device that converts sound waves into electric waves.
Some important milestones in the history of the electric microphone include:
- 1861: German inventor Johann Philipp Reis builds an early sound transmitter called the "Reis telephone".
- 1876: Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray develop the "liquid transmitter" design for early telephones.
- 1877: Siemens and Halske design the famous "moving coil" microphone.
- 1878: David Edward Hughes invents the carbon microphone.
- 1916: E.C. Wente of Western Electric develops the first condenser microphone.
- 1962: James West and Gerhard Sessler of Bell Labs invent the foil electret microphone.
