The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I’ve been wondering why Edison went from copper Diaphragms in the earlier reproducers to rice paper and cork in the diamond reproducers. While the diamond reproducers sound fine, it does beg the question why and I don’t recall ever hearing why they did this. When I use my model N on a blue amberol I would say that it almost sounds better to some degree.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Gerald.

VictorVV-X wrote:I’ve been wondering why Edison went from copper Diaphragms in the earlier reproducers to rice paper and cork in the diamond reproducers. While the diamond reproducers sound fine, it does beg the question why and I don’t recall ever hearing why they did this. When I use my model N on a blue amberol I would say that it almost sounds better to some degree.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Gerald.

Using cork as diaphragms is something I didn't know and I am surprised. I imagine they were 'compacted' and rock hard ?

Interesting indeed.

poodling around wrote:

VictorVV-X wrote:I’ve been wondering why Edison went from copper Diaphragms in the earlier reproducers to rice paper and cork in the diamond reproducers. While the diamond reproducers sound fine, it does beg the question why and I don’t recall ever hearing why they did this. When I use my model N on a blue amberol I would say that it almost sounds better to some degree.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Gerald.

Using cork as diaphragms is something I didn't know and I am surprised. I imagine they were 'compacted' and rock hard ?

Interesting indeed.

It was not completely cork. From what I understand cork was use to stiffen the main diaphragm made from rice paper.

VictorVV-X wrote:

poodling around wrote:

VictorVV-X wrote:I’ve been wondering why Edison went from copper Diaphragms in the earlier reproducers to rice paper and cork in the diamond reproducers. While the diamond reproducers sound fine, it does beg the question why and I don’t recall ever hearing why they did this. When I use my model N on a blue amberol I would say that it almost sounds better to some degree.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Gerald.

Using cork as diaphragms is something I didn't know and I am surprised. I imagine they were 'compacted' and rock hard ?

Interesting indeed.

It was not completely cork. From what I understand cork was use to stiffen the main diaphragm made from rice paper.

Very interesting indeed !

For some reason, this reminds me of when I was at school and we made a Kazoo out of a comb and tracing paper

Anyway, thanks for the information.

Here's a pic of a Diamond Disc diaphragm:

https://www.phonographs.org/product/p-3 ... eproducer/

52089 wrote:Here's a pic of a Diamond Disc diaphragm:

https://www.phonographs.org/product/p-3 ... eproducer/

52089, do you have any idea why Edison went to this kind of diaphragm when they introduced the Diamond cylinder reproducers? What was the advantage over copper used in the earlier reproducers?

I rather assume the paper and cork diaphragm was produced first in 1911 as part of the diamond disc development, the removal of any metallic tone on the diamond discs was possibly desirable and the development closely parallels the disc recording principle applied to the disc where pumping air with a flexible edge and stiff light center was preferred to an inherently resonant diaphragm.
The transfer of the technology to cylinder reproduces with the introduction of the celluloid blue amberol where also more weight can be applied to the record must have seemed sensible and possibly reduced any increased surface noise that might be noticed with the change from wax (wax being smoother when new).

recordmaker wrote:I rather assume the paper and cork diaphragm was produced first in 1911 as part of the diamond disc development, the removal of any metallic tone on the diamond discs was possibly desirable and the development closely parallels the disc recording principle applied to the disc where pumping air with a flexible edge and stiff light center was preferred to an inherently resonant diaphragm.
The transfer of the technology to cylinder reproduces with the introduction of the celluloid blue amberol where also more weight can be applied to the record must have seemed sensible and possibly reduced any increased surface noise that might be noticed with the change from wax (wax being smoother when new).

recordmaker, thank you for your insight. For some reason I did not completely comprehend that diamond discs and blue amberols were developed around the same time. For some reason I thought that blue amberols came much earlier.
I suppose I understand the desire to cut down on resonance do to a metal diaphragm with the added weight from a diamond reproducer.
That being said, has anyone experimented and installed a metal diaphragm in a diamond reproducer, just to see the affect on performance?