{"id":14617,"date":"2018-12-12T01:44:14","date_gmt":"2018-12-12T01:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=14617"},"modified":"2018-12-13T01:46:23","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T01:46:23","slug":"how-stereo-was-first-sold-to-a-skeptical-public","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/how-stereo-was-first-sold-to-a-skeptical-public\/","title":{"rendered":"How stereo was first sold to a skeptical public"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jonathan Schroeder<\/a>, Rochester Institute of Technology<\/a><\/em> and Janet Borgerson<\/a>, DePaul University<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

When we hear the word \u201cstereo\u201d today, we might simply think of a sound system, as in \u201cturn on the stereo.\u201d <\/p>\n

But stereo actually is a specific technology, like video streaming or the latest espresso maker. <\/p>\n

Sixty years ago, it was introduced for the first time. <\/p>\n

Whenever a new technology comes along \u2013 whether it\u2019s Bluetooth, high-definition TV or Wi-Fi \u2013 it needs to be explained, packaged and promoted to customers who are happy with their current products.<\/p>\n

Stereo was no different. As we explore in our recent book, \u201cDesigned for Hi-Fi Living: The Vinyl LP in Midcentury America<\/a>,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

The rise of \u2018hi-fi\u2019 sound<\/h2>\n

In 1877, Thomas Edison introduced the phonograph<\/a>, 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. <\/p>\n

By the 1950s, record players, as they came to be called, had become a mainstay of many American living rooms. These were \u201cmono,\u201d or one-channel, music systems. With mono, all sounds and instruments were mixed together. Everything was delivered through one speaker.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Audio engineers had sought to improve the quality of recorded sound in their quest for \u201chigh fidelity<\/a>\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a>
\n A graphic detail, from an RCA inner sleeve, shows listeners how new stereo technology operates.<\/span>
\n From the collection of Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder<\/span>, Author provided<\/span><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

British engineer Alan Dower Blumlein<\/a> paved the way for two channel recording in the 1930s. But it wasn\u2019t until the 1950s that stereo technology was incorporated into movie theaters, radios and television sets. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

A sonic \u2018arms race\u2019 to sell the sound<\/h2>\n

When stereo records were introduced to the mass market, a \u201csonic arms race\u201d was on. Stereo was aggressively promoted as the latest technological advancement that brought sophisticated sound reproduction to everyone. <\/p>\n

Each of the era\u2019s 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\u2019s superior qualities were worth further investment. <\/p>\n

A key challenge for selling stereo was consumers\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

Something was needed to show people that this new technology was worth the investment. The \u201cstereo demonstration\u201d was born \u2013 a mix of videos, print ads and records designed to showcase the new technology and its vibrant sound.<\/p>\n

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