Existing comment:
Audio equipment, 1965–1995
Loan from Dagmar Dolby
Audio engineer Ray Dolby worked with magnetic tape recording and processing years before working on theater sound. In 1965 he invented electronic circuitry that removed unwanted noise from tapes by processing the audio signal. Recording studios quickly adopted Dolby's system, and makers of cassette tape players soon followed. Want to learn more about sound recording history? Visit America's Listening, on 3 West.
Ray Dolby in his home workshop, 1981
Dolby used this rack of audio equipment in his home workshop in the 1980s as he worked to improve his noise reduction system. This equipment, and the testing devices seen in the photo of the inventor, are analog devices. They record and manipulate electrical signals produced when a microphone responds to sound waves. Today, most professional audio equipment uses digital techniques, storing sound as bits in computer memory. |