On Wax/Off Wax - Building an Edison Wax Cylinder Recorder Kit
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- In this video I’m assembling an educational kit from Japan. The end result should be a functional model of an Edison Cylinder Phonograph. Places to find Gakken Kits below...
1) Amazon
UK: amzn.to/2pxbGfS
US: amzn.to/2pA3zRR
2) ebay (click a country, ensure ‘International Search’ is turned on
UK: ebay.to/2qve4TT
US: ebay.to/2pOggtl
DE: ebay.to/2p069h4
CA: ebay.to/2quVw6g
AU: ebay.to/2quZzzm
NL: ebay.to/2oP1nqs
3) AdaFruit: www.adafruit.c...
Here is the Gakken Japan website otonanokagaku.n...
Q) Have you heard of a thing called the google translate app - you could use that - why didn't you?
A) I do use Google translate - you can see me using it in this video • Movies on Vinyl - VHD ... With any video there are hours of things that occur that were either not shot or were edited out because they didn't add anything of interest to the end video.
On this occasion - a translation app was only used once to confirm the meaning of a single paragraph in the instructions as the rest was easily understandable due to the pictograms.
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There is a new phrase I am going to start using "I am down to my last candle". Awsome.
MikePapaFoxtrot, certainly works as a statement on despair.
Pretty sure it was "a thing" back then.
Haha. Finally an alternative punchline to the two nuns in the bath joke.
I wonder if putting the candles in the fridge first might harden them enough to take a finer recording. I've always imagined wax to be a bit on the soft side.
You could send an audio love letter on a scented candle.
I'd love to know what the neighbours made of all the shouting! "I'M TALKING TO YOU THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF A WAX CANDLE!" Hilarious!
19th Century Spiritualism perhaps?
+Alex Powers EDGY
"The weird guy next door is at it again"; "That's nice dear"
sony missed a trick here the sony waxman
sam737373 It would need some skip protection, for when you are driving or running...
When I was in Japan around 2004 I saw a similar device in a music store. Instead of cutting on wax, it cut grooves on CDs. Kinda neat! Haven't seen one since though.
The fact that you got anything out of that was simply superb... when I heard the playback I had a big grin on my face... Edison himself would have heard something similar once upon a time and would have hot the roof with excitement. Thank you techmoan.... thank you.
I have one of these as well, and like yourself I didn't have much success. I never did get the candles that came with it to play, but I did try some large childrens Crayons and it played just well enough to understand. The colder the Crayons were, the better they sounded.
Grady Cochran The first thing that came to mind watching this was "hot glue stick.". No idea if they would work though.
I too thought about refrigerating the candles.
Pynaegan that was my first thought too. maybe even freezing
so what this could be is the ideal Christmas or birthday present for someone you know who is based at a polar or antarctic research station and has some spare time on the hands ....
Yeah, my first thought was maybe the "candles" were too old and either need to be tempered via heat or cold or just use something else. Crayons sound interesting - but maybe too soft (even if cold) and easily chipped. Did you try actual candles?
Englishman shouts into strange device and a Dalek replies. Par for the course.
I own one of the Gakken Plastic Cup Kits you spoke of.
I assure you, the results aren't much different than yours.
I'm listening to an English man shout at a children's toy, at 3 in the morning
>at a children's toy
Except the magazine is called "adult science" and I don't think it's about the science of sex aids.
At 3 in the morning? So go to bed because sleep is important and watch this video when you wake up!
Sleep is for the week im awake for 4 days.
maybe that's why you don't understand the difference between week and weak?
kinger2005 they meant sleep all week, duh
lol
These kits are available here in Taiwan, both the original Japanese versions and translated into Chinese, although it seems that the Chinese versions never keep up with the more interesting Japanese ones. If you're ever interested in one for a future video but can't find it in the UK please let me know, I could hop on down to the bookstore and try to hunt one down for a donation
lol that distorted barely understandable vocal sound would be great in a horror game
Darkvine Record really quietly on a cassette tape then turn the volume all the way up.
It's amazing it actually even works.
Can you use this device as a dash cam...?
Only in braille......
To record video? It's technically possible to store a video-signal on wax, but obviously the device in the video can't do that. Suppose you can use it for audio-recordings but it'd be extremely inefficient.
Probably, you just have to extend the frequency spectrum of that machine to visible light. You'll be probably better off to use the candle as intended for at least a light-effect.
Greets from Germany.
Does it support loop recording?
John Ridley o
I think we reached peak-retro, unless you plan on reviewing 17th century automata next (which I'd love to see to be honest).
I could go for a video of a Gutenberg printing press :D
isn't progress amazing, we live in the best audio times in history, so many formats to choose from
Too bad you couldn't get more sound out of it... I was hoping you were going to set it up with your hifi equipment.
Exactly, it needs some lamp amps.
And stereo. But for that of course you can just use two phonographs.
"It's time to get the horn" Techmoan 2017
He was quoting James Joyce, to be fair.
I've got the Edison standard phonograph. They are built like some industrial sewing machine.
Brek Martin because they are quite a few companies who manufactured these also made sewing machines.
The playback sounded like the only clue for a detective in a murder suspense thriller.
The gadgets you come up with never cease to amaze me. Especially how you always manage to find just the right size rubber replacement belts.
I have an Edison model A home Phonograph and can highly recommend one especially if you wish to record your own cylinders. Additionally I would recommend you look out for one fitted with the 2/4 minute adapter so you can play the later 4 minute celluloid blue Amberol records.
Original Edison Phonographs preform very well when set up right and actually out preform 78rpm records :) especially Amberol records as they are more hard wearing. If however you find some good condition wax cylinders they tend to be very clear also.
I really most try one of the gaken sets seems fun!
Best Regards
I once almost drunkenly won an eBay bid on an actual wax cylinder recorder/player... 300 squid! Built like a tank, but also intricate and requiring much maintenance...
A beautiful piece of kit... machined gears, brass recording horn,wonderfully finished hard wood etc and a selection of blank cylinders thrown in (which by 1913 were oddly made of a curious resin "soap" hybrid)
Wax made you a Dalek.
A dying Dalek, to be more accurate.
I thought of a Dalek too!
Great video! I had an idea regarding translation. Next time you have a foreign manual, you could try the image recognition function of Google translate (available on smartphones etc). Its obviously not perfect, but can be pretty impressive and might give you enough information to figure out orders/or basic instructions for the manual, and it replaces the text in place, ie where it is on the page already, which should help.
GauravA42 I'm surprised he didn't I'm sure he's used it in other videos?
I did use it....I also took a break and had my lunch in the middle, spoke to my dad on the phone and the postman delivered a parcel. There's always *a lot* that happens off screen.
Techmoan did it work?
Techmoan I think people are saying because you didn't mention it as you hade in previous videos. Yo mean you have a life outside of what we seen on screen!?!! Gordon Bennett!! Lol
Love the channel
He did it already on another video
I was really hoping it would work better than that. But, I imagine Edison had a bit of trial and error making his contraption work, too.
There was a book about the history of recording that came out a number of years ago called Perfecting Sound Forever by Greg Milner. In that book he actually interviewed a fellow who still records onto cylinders professionally. In fact he actually recorded a live act at one of the Grammy awards which apparently came out very well. In the book he describes the process and apparently the wax has to be at the correct temperature for it to be able to take an impression correctly. They heat the wax to soften it. They then record Afterwards the wax is allowed to cool before playback. The book doesn't mention the correct temperatures for playback and recording, however you might be able to figure it out with a little trial and error.
I'm sorry to do this to you, but now that I've finished watching all your videos and I'm going to need you to pick up the pace a little. I'm afraid you will need to start making them daily now. Again, I'm sorry about that, but I just found the other one's too enjoyable and I finished them all. Thanks, and good luck.
I've got a 1920's HVM gramophone, always a hoot to spin up a 78, especially since it's all mechanical/acoustic. The sound quality is often better and louder than you'd think, and everyone smiles when they hear it.
Techmoan-man, you are one of the best RUclipsrs out there, keep it up!
Omg I really love idea of taking old cutting edge technology and years later once the industry has advanced so far the materials and such are easy to come by and using it as a teaching tool / demo awesome stuff
His Master's Garbled Mumble
What good timing for this video! I visited the Thomas Edison Nation Historic Park just a few days ago (in New Jersey). They played one of these cylinders as well as a "diamond disc" - both of which were close to 100 years old. I was amazed at how loud the player was (powered by a hand-cranked spring) and how good they sounded- even with being that old.
You have to be the best youtuber. I'm more excited for your new videos to come out than any others. Thanks for awesome videos. Cheers
He's definitely the best British RUclipsr that reviews old pieces of audio equipment.
Gakken kits is totally something you could make a series of, i'd love to watch that!
Geez Techmoan. How far back are you going to go? Morse Code recorders? :p
That ending was amazing Techmoan. It's like... Here is the past, it looks amazing, and here is all the people who make it possible.
Thanks for sharing, half expecting you to perform "Mary had a little lamb".
Dennis Smith Jr. Mary had a little lamb, performed by the RUclips audio library
I had the Gakken Ex150 Electronic Block kit when I was a kid. When I saw a picture of it in this video, I felt so excited that I I placed a bid on one on ebay. Hope I win.
8:46 you can hear the message from Alien movie
I thoroughly enjoy the lengths we go together to try out a wonderfully silly piece of tech. Well done!
Does it have USB typeC?
id104335409 Nothing does.
Nope, it is obviousely completely wireless.
My phone does
Jacob Kelly Same, which can be very frustrating at times.
UNKNOWNGAM3r Ikr I literally have one cable to charge
"Mr. Techmoan, I need you" You find the coolest things my friend.
That's seem like a gadget that the green fella could justifiably complain about...
Ahhh I would have loved to hear his commentary on this!
M would probably praise it
He would swear candles sound better than CDs and digital files.
Edmo Suassuna They sound a lot warmer
d610 Budum Shiiiiiisst
I love all of your videos, but this one is truly one of your best. It's a look at a new take of one of the oldest forms of audio recording technology - I was utterly transfixed the entire time!
11:30 It sounds like its time to rebuild him, make him stronger than before....... :)
Better... Stronger... Faster
Thought I better scroll down a couple of pages to check if anyone else noticed.
funny how you can remember a little blip of audio like that after so much time innit?
I used to record the episodes on cassette tape. So I know the audio sound effects like the back of a fembot's hand. :)
We have the technology.
I am staggered and amazed with what you come up with ........ fascinating and a real shame it does not give better quality playback, but what can you expect from a candle!
8:48 is a DALEK VOICE! EXTERMINATE!
This review is the best Gakken review I've seen. More please
I have a portable wax cylinder phonograph.
Its called a wax man
In the world of digital media where you often dont even have an idea about which format you are listening to, it is so fascinating to see sound being recorded on something as simple as a candle.
Now for extra credit, retrofit a headphone diaphragm to the record head, and transcribe a FLAC file. 😎
You might try heating the candle before/during recording to make it softer, by using a heat lamp or something above the machine. Cylinder recordists typically do that, and it helps. Mapleson, who famously recorded some fragments of Metropolitan Opera performances in the early 1900s (the earliest such "live" recordings) would heat the wax cylinders in an oven at a low temperature before recording.
7:44 HELLO THERE!! lol
That made me laugh so much!
Some of these are pretty fun projects for kids. I picked up the pinhole planetarium issue for my 8 year old niece and she loved it. That one was really easy to do and I only had to physically help her through a couple steps.
Never clicked so fast. Gotta go fast.
Saaaaanic!
Elie Tutone gotta go fest
Hi, have just built my kit. Like you, no luck the first time but after looking at the angle of the needles and adjusting the screws recognisable results. Good enough for showing my class how the principle works and much easier with your video. Many thanks!
Does this work under water?
what? clearly ya didnt watch the video yet
You clearly came to kill John Connor.
Of course it works under water, just drive your thorium powered car on the plastic solar roadway to the ocean and dive on in ;)
No it won't. The batteries will short out, and the spindle won't move. But suppose you're making a recording by turning the spindle by hand, then it will work! But you'll run in to some major problems, for example the needle-pressure will be significantly lowered so you need to compensate for that. Also the membrane will obviously be submerged which makes it very difficult for it to move... but if you were to yell at it you could probably get something on there, like an anomaly.. it'll probably sound very alien. But it's a very interesting question, we need answers!
@AAAZ2A - yes it would "work" for a time underwater. Simple low voltage electric motors and their batteries can be submerged in fresh water and still function for a time. May not work at all the next day, but it will work immediately upon submersion. I had a toy battery electric tank when I was a kid, I was tired of it, and wanted to see if it would work underwater. And it did in the apartment complex's pool, until the batteries ran out, about the same amount of time they'd take if it were dry. Motor didn't work very well the next day, even though I had dried it out fairly well, so I took it apart to scavenge parts, and it wasn't too bad, the water had washed out some of the grease lubrication, but other than that it was fine. Salt water on the other hand, nope, not long at all, salt water is far more conductive so the batteries died pretty quickly. And all the steel parts will rust quickly.
I would subscribe to an English Gakken catalogue in an instant. Somebody needs to get on that.
Gotta groan at that pun in the title (not your fault).
I discovered these sorts of kits on my first trip to Japan. Great little gifts for for friends and family upon returning home.
BTW: if you ever get another kit and get stuck with the Japanese instructions, I'd be willing to help translate ... Far from fluent, but normally can stumble through it.
What a pile of wax.
I'll second the recommendation for Gakken kits. I ordered the Gakken-Flex twin lens reflex 35mm camera kit a few years ago. It was a ton of fun to assemble, and though photography with it was quite rough, it was an interesting experience.
build a pinhole camera
James _h you literally put a small hole in a price of paper. Boring, and this channel is not about assembling ridiculous kits, it's about retro audio equipment
Fantastic and informative video! I almost got the Gakken kit myself, and it's too bad that it is discontinued.
I collect antique phonographs and records. I also make videos of my collection and rare recordings, some of which date back to the 1890s. If you are interested videos regarding this subject please feel free to check them out.
This has got to be the only channel where a review can end in total disaster and still has an overall positive and entertaining tone to it. One thing seems to be clear, there are folks who belong in the 'cup half full' section of an optimist's version of heaven, and then there is Techmoan. As long as there is some humidity on the walls of his cup he is happy!
My only complaint... no candle related commentary from the muppets :-)
Ah ah ah !!! exactly what i expected from a audio recording on a candle!!! Sounds like the movie "mission to mars"
These are so neat. I had a couple of them that I got at yardsales in the late 1980s and early 90s. Sadly we had a house fire and I lost them and even worse my video games collection which would cost me over 100 000 to replace today. I have been trying to get my video games collection back for the last few years and I'm on 1/10th the way back to having all my consoles back and 1/100th the way back to getting my games back. I have 32 consoles now including handhelds and about 350 games but I'm having a hard time affording the more rare consoles and games. The old computers which I include in my collection is the really hard thing to find working.
This is definitely something I would bring to James May for his birthday.
very interesting I used to build electronic kits all the time and had so much fun
Good effort on this one. Honestly, I was almost more intrigued by Gakken's kits than I was this specific one, but it's neat to see what they were able to accomplish with a budget kit.
And we all know that, somewhere out there, someone is using wax stick recordings to add ambiance to an indie horror film!
Have you tried warming the wax stick to around 90° F just before recording? It may help smooth things out and allow for deeper cutting (which should equate to higher amplitude). Just be sure to cool it down to room temp before payback.
I think it shows the proof of concept very clearly ... great video!
Man, Japan comes up with crazy stuff.
I enjoy watching this retro stuff. although I don't want to buy and setup it myself, because it's so expensive and so much work
That magazine looked great. So much information.
Looking forward to more of these kit videos in the future,fun to watch.
That was still cool and proves the concept. I would have had fun experimenting with different types of wax as well. Great vid.
Recently got a GAKKEN nsx-39 evocaloid stylophone. great fun to play with! planning to use it (either rip the chip out of it or via USB) as a vocal synthesiser for one of my projects.
Fascinating. The recording sounded like you were talking to us from the 1800's or something.
Too bad the real things are so expensive because I would love to hear how they sound.
I forgot about these. I look forward to the cup version.
love your work, great stuff, the level of detail you go into, technical, historical, anecdotal, is very interesting and very much appreciated... you have a very good calm and informative style of delivery, I was sure.you are an engineer but you say you are not...? also.your selection of rare historical kit for review on occasion is extremely interesting, for its.own sake,. and also from the point of view of 20th century mass market.applied technology progress... in.short very much enjoy watching your work, well done, please keep it up...!
Interesting from an historical viewpoint, but I can't imagine enjoying it.
Gakken is also the manufacturer of the EX-System, the old transistor radio looking educational electronic kit some of you might remember. It's still getting reissued in Japan but seems to have vanished from the western market, outside of imports.
I love these kinds of models.
I actually have one of these. Very fun to listen to, and watch how it works.
great outro ending. always great to watch your shows 😊
It's probably already been mentioned, but the term "Mook" is a japanese portmanteau of "Magazine" and "Book" - which is very fitting for that type of specialized publication. Thanks for a great video also 😊
The Gakken Strandbeest kits are very cool.
Loved this kit and video! Would be really interested in seeing you put together and review more!
The same Gakken who made all those home computer games in the 1980s? The VFD-display ones, and perhaps a few with LEDs too, Astro Wars prob being the most famous. Over here they were re-branded Grandstand and the like, but Gakken made hundreds of the buggers. Great to see they're still alive, hope they're doing well and not _just_ relying on the lucrative replica phonograph market.
You could try the plastic tubing used nowadays for water cooled computers, instead of candles. I believe they might have it in a similar size to those candles and that might work better for this device.
I have the Strandbeest and that works superb. I even got a second one as the first missed a vital part and made a longer Strandbeest :-)
Nicely done on the new outro. Massive improvment.
Edison went thru all this in the 1870s. By 1877 he came up with the idea of putting tin foil on a grooved cylinder that he hand cranked. This worked. Later he tried lead (with screechy results). Finally hard wax was developed which produced good results. By Oct of 1912 a good moulded cylinder (Blue Amberol) was developed which was in production until Spring of 1929. Edison's production run produced about 2 million cylinder players. Many still exist today (I have 4 in my collection).
More of these kits please! I enjoy watching your trouble shooting. Too bad this did not work a little better. It's a little different than you other videos. In a good way.
Thanks for the great videos sir!!
That wax recording was... haunting 😳😅
How Edison figured out that this would work is beyond my imagination, such a genius!! Hey, maybe the first one didn't work bc you didn't try reciting "Mary had a little lamb" which was Edison's 1st recording if I remember correctly. I used to have one of the wax cylinders titled "a negro wedding" but I never had a player for it and after a few years it broke as they were fragile after time.
I saw this exact kit on eBay, should have gotten this
123 456 there still on eBay . £60 to £90.
Bloody hell that is better designed and made, even better assembled than some cars I've worked on! But come on, 'now it's time to get the horn' I don't think it's quite that good!
Techmoan is updating! Best day in this week.