Discovering Sound (06:58)

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Stereo sound is two-channel sound, which is more pleasing because the sound comes from all directions; the sound revolution is what led to the invention of stereo sound. Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and phonograph which were the precursors to the electrical phonograph by Joseph Maxfield; Eugene Lauste was the first person to get sound on film.

Stereophonic Sound (04:20)

AC Keller reached an important breakthrough in sound technology when he found a better way to create high-quality sound recordings. Keller later discovered how to record audio onto a disk. The radio became very popular in America, leading the film industry to make movies with sound, beginning with Disney engineers.

A New Era in Sound (07:24)

German scientists working for Adolf Hitler during World War II laid the foundation for stereo tape recording with their wire recording device. Lower Manhattan had a high concentration of electronics stores which supported a thriving hobbyist tech community. The introduction of CinemaScope forced the movie industry to stereo sound; radio pioneer Edwin Armstrong is credited with creating AM radio and championing FM radio.

Developing the Stereo Industry (09:19)

Stereo Recording presented artistic and technical challenges for professional recording artists seeking to primarily record large ensembles. The British company EMI turned to Keller's invention to mass produce stereo records. Ed Velcher and Henry Close invented a new type of speaker box portable enough to be compatible with stereo called the acoustic suspension speaker.

Audio in the 1960s (06:52)

The invention of the transistor changed the audio industry by revolutionizing how stereo sound equipment used to power and replaced vacuum tubes which were heavy and often overheated. Henry Kloss was the co-inventor of one of the first portable audio systems. Rey Dolby found a way to edit audio recordings to eliminate tape noise.

Stereo Goes to the Movies (03:52)

Dolby and Yohan Allan were able to convince Hollywood that Dolby Noise Reduction worked, but they had to improve upon their system first with a new quadraphonic technique. "A Star is Born" was the first movie with quadraphonic sound and the "Star Wars" films were also released with the Dolby Stereo format.

Surround Sound Revolution (06:07)

Sony introduced the Walkman in 1979 and caused a revolution in the audio industry. During the digital revolution, Sony also released the compact disk which changed the way music was distributed. Audiences loved the way movies sounded in the theaters and began wanting to install surround sound in their own homes.

Credits: Stereos (01:06)

Credits: Stereos