Posted on 12/12/2018 9:31:34 AM PST by ETL
When we hear the word "stereo" today, we might simply think of a sound system, as in "turn on the stereo."
But stereo actually is a specific technology, like video streaming or the latest expresso maker.
Sixty years ago, it was introduced for the first time.
Whenever a new technology comes along – whether it's Bluetooth, high-definition TV or Wi-Fi – it needs to be explained, packaged and promoted to customers who are happy with their current products.
Stereo was no different. As we explore in our recent book, "Designed for Hi-Fi Living: The Vinyl LP in Midcentury America," stereo needed to be sold to skeptical consumers. This process involved capturing the attention of a public fascinated by space-age technology using cutting-edge graphic design, in-store sound trials and special stereo demonstration records.
The rise of 'hi-fi' sound
In 1877, Thomas Edison introduced the phonograph, the first machine that could reproduce recorded sound. Edison used wax cylinders to capture sound and recorded discs became popular in the early 20th century.
By the 1950s, record players, as they came to be called, had become a mainstay of many American living rooms. These were "mono," or one-channel, music systems. With mono, all sounds and instruments were mixed together. Everything was delivered through one speaker.
A graphic detail, from an RCA inner sleeve, shows listeners how new stereo technology operates.
Credit: From the collection of Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder, Author provided
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Stereophonic sound, or stereo, was an important advance in sound reproduction. Stereo introduced two-channel sound, which separated out elements of the total sound landscape and changed the experience of listening.
Audio engineers had sought to improve the quality of recorded sound in their quest for "high fidelity" recordings that more faithfully reproduced live sound. Stereo technology recorded sound and played it back in a way that more closely mimicked how humans actually hear the world around them.
British engineer Alan Dower Blumlein paved the way for two channel recording in the 1930s. But it wasn't until the 1950s that stereo technology was incorporated into movie theaters, radios and television sets.
With stereo, the sound of some instruments could come from the left speaker, the sound of others from the right, imitating the setup of a concert orchestra. It also was possible to shift a particular sound from left to right or right to left, creating a sense of movement.
Although Audio-Fidelity Records offered a limited edition stereo record for industry use in 1957, consumers needed to wait until 1958 for recordings with stereo sound to become widely available for the home.
A sonic 'arms race' to sell the sound
When stereo records were introduced to the mass market, a "sonic arms race" was on. Stereo was aggressively promoted as the latest technological advancement that brought sophisticated sound reproduction to everyone.
Each of the era's major record labels started pushing stereo sound. Companies like Columbia, Mercury and RCA, which sold both stereo equipment and stereo records, moved to convince consumers that stereo's superior qualities were worth further investment.
A key challenge for selling stereo was consumers' satisfaction with the mono music systems they already owned. After all, adopting stereo meant you needed to buy a new record player, speakers and a stereo amplifier.
Something was needed to show people that this new technology was worth the investment. The "stereo demonstration" was born – a mix of videos, print ads and records designed to showcase the new technology and its vibrant sound.
Stereo demonstration records showed off the innovative qualities of a new stereo system, with tracks for "balancing signals" or doing "speaker-response checks." They often included compelling, detailed instructional notes to explain the new stereo sound experience.
Stereo's potential and potency stormed retail showrooms and living rooms.
Curious shoppers could hear trains chugging from left to right, wow at the roar of passing war planes, and catch children's energetic voices as they dashed across playgrounds. Capitol Records released "The Stereo Disc," which featured "day in the life" ambient sounds such as "Bowling Alley" and "New Year's Eve at Times Square" to transport the listener out of the home and into the action.
A particularly entertaining example of the stereo demonstration record is RCA Victor's "Sounds in Space." Appearing a year after the successful launch of the Soviet's Sputnik satellite in 1957, this classic album played into Americans' growing interest in the space race raging between the two superpowers.
"The age of space is here," the record begins, "and now RCA Victor brings you 'Sounds in Space.'" Narrator Ken Nordine's charismatic commentary explains stereophonic sound as his voice "travels" from one speaker channel to another, by the "the miracle of RCA stereophonic sound."
Record companies also released spectacular stereo recordings of classical music.
Listening at home began to reproduce the feeling of hearing music live in the concert hall, with stereo enhancing the soaring arias of Wagner's operas and the explosive thundering cannons of Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture."
Today, rousing orchestral works from the early stereo era, such as RCA Victor's "Living Stereo" albums from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, are considered some of the finest achievements of recorded sound.
Visualizing stereo
Stereo demonstration records, in particular, featured attractive, modern graphic design. Striking, often colorful, lettering boasted titles such as "Stereorama," "360 Sound" and "Sound in the Round."
Some stereo demonstration records focused on the listening experience. The ecstatic blond woman on the cover of Warner Bros. Records' "How to Get the Most Out of Your Stereo" sports a stethoscope and seems thrilled to hear the new stereo sound. World Pacific Records "Something for Both Ears!" offers a glamorous model with an ear horn in each ear, mimicking the stereo effect.
These eye-catching design elements became an important part of the record companies' visual branding. All were deployed to grab the attention of customers and help them visualize how stereo worked. Now they've become celebrated examples of midcentury album cover art.
By the late 1960s, stereo dominated sound reproduction, and album covers no longer needed to indicate "stereo" or "360 Sound." Consumers simply assumed that they were buying a stereo record.
Today, listeners can enjoy multiple channels with surround sound by purchasing several speakers for their music and home theater systems. But stereo remains a basic element of sound reproduction.
As vinyl has enjoyed a surprising comeback lately, midcentury stereo demonstration records are enjoying new life as retro icons – appreciated as both a window into a golden age of emerging sound technology and an icon of modern graphic design.
Explore further: The Beatles Return to Mono
I had a Marantz receiver very similar to that one. I bought it in the ‘70s and paid extra for the optional walnut cabinet. Great sound. I used it for over ten years until, sadly, it was severely damaged by a lightning strike. I miss that analog tuning wheel.
>No, it isn’t a “quirky, jittery variant”, it is a MISTAKE.
True, but perhaps expresso just means a quick cup of instant coffee.
Out West, we had Fred Rated (Shadoe Stevens)
That was the first song I ever listened to on my first Quadrophonic system back in the 70s.
Yeah, I might buy that, but for the fact that no company that makes an "espresso" machine, calls it "expresso."
I don't know, maybe there's a "quirky, jittery" coffee shop somewhere that sells the beverage under the name "expresso", but no one makes an "expresso" machine, as far as I know.
I'm sticking with the "many people are ignoramuses" angle... Far too much supporting evidence all around me to conclude otherwise.
The thought of a Pioneer SX-1980...
“I remember my sister buying a stereo record player console. It was mid 60’s. It was a regular piece of furniture...mahogany with the speakers in the front.”
In the summer of 1970, I had a job with a furniture moving company. Those stereo consoles were awkward to move, not because of the total weight, but because they were much heavier on one end than the other.
Ping
Note that Merriam-Webster cites the ‘expresso’ mistake by Charles J. Lazarus, The New York Times, 27 Nov 1955.
Component stereo systems produced during the last half of the 1970s remain the pinnacle of high fidelity. Kids today have no idea what they are missing.
IIRC, if the cartridge was the slightest bit off, you could end up destroying the quad groove-within-the-record=groove, severely impacting the listening experience of the higher priced record.
Yes. The groove was finer, IIRC..........
My dad had that same receiver. It was in his office hooked up to some huge speakers.
He’d get mad when I’d go in and change it from Easy listening with treble and bass at 1 to something better with some bass and treble turned up a bit.
Couldn’t play loud since we were at work.
Later, he brought it home where it got stolen in a burglary
I sometimes ran Ampex AVR 2 and 6 videotape machines.
There is a Victrola player at home that still works. I had to get a handle made.
I forgot to mention the time frame......I acquired my system while assigned in Japan in 1972 - 73 so my selection of tapes was probably limited. When the Japanese electronics manufacturers brought out new models, they sold their “old” stuff at a big discount so I got most of my equipment at fire sale prices. I remember paying less than $100 for a linear tracking turntable with three motors and Akai tape decks were real bargains.
“Mr. D’s Machine” is a good example of that genre. You can find the tracks (pardon the pun) on YouTube.
1983 Techniques Turntable, Nakamichi cassette deck, Kenwood Integrated amplifier, JBL-50 2 way loudspeakers
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