Spotted on the Dieselpunk site:

In 1910 Gaumont demonstrated his Chronophone system, which synchronised sound and film, at the Gaumont Palace in Paris. The compressed-air amplifier, which he called the Eglephone, was just a part of the whole system. The volume was enough for an audience of 4000. Initially the longest moving picture that could be made with synchronised sound was only 200ft, due to the limited playing time of the Gramophone record. (Projection was at 16 frames per second) Gaumont surmounted this problem by having two gramophone platters; a deft operator could switch between them to give a more or less continuous soundtrack.

Read more here.

BY Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelancer writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture, including the first book about the web (Mosaic Quick Tour) and the Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots. He is currently working on a best-of collection of his writing, called Borg Like Me.

5 Responses to Chronophone: First-Ever Mixer and Crossfader, 1910

  1. Pingback: First-Ever Mixer and Crossfader Dates Back Over a Century [Past Perfect] « VidenOmkring

  2. I believe this is in the Museum des Arts et Metier in Paris—a must-see for any makerheads visiting Paris.

    • Jon Danforth on said:

      I think this is in the Musee des Arts et Métier also, Sabrina. I seem to remember drooling when I saw it a few years ago. That museum alone is worth going to Paris for!

  3. Ooontini on said:

    Where it’s at?
    Got two turn tables on my Chronophone.

  4. Pingback: MAKE | Your Comments

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