Reference desk · 253 files

Equipment index

A working catalogue of the transducers, amplifiers, microphones, consoles, loudspeaker systems, networks, measurement tools, and spatial platforms that changed live reinforcement.

253 matching files · 32 verified · page 1 of 5

Cutaway drawing of a carbon-button transmitter (Van Deventer, 1910s)

Multiple inventors · verified

Carbon transmitter

Cutaway drawing of a carbon-button transmitter (Van Deventer, 1910s)·H. R. Van Deventer·Public domain Open equipment file

De Forest / later developers · verified

Audion amplifier

First Audion amplifier 1914·Lee De Forest·Public domain Open equipment file

Alexander Graham Bell · documented

Liquid transmitter

Liquid transmitter. 10th of March, 1876. Replica·CodeName47km·CC BY-SA 4.0 Open equipment file

Johann Philipp Reis · documented

Reis telephone

Reis Phone·Science Museum Group·CC BY-SA 4.0 Open equipment file

US patent 463,569 (1891): loose-contact telephone transmitter

Emile Berliner · documented

Loose-contact transmitter

US patent 463,569 (1891): loose-contact telephone transmitter·Emile Berliner·Public domain (US patent) Open equipment file

Thomas Edison · documented

Carbon-button transmitter

Carbon-button microphone capsule from a Western Electric telephone·Gerry Ashton·GFDL Open equipment file

PSM V70 D409 Blake telephone transmitter

Francis Blake · documented

Blake transmitter

PSM V70 D409 Blake telephone transmitter·Popular Science Monthly, vol. 70 (1907)·Public domain Open equipment file

Henry Hunnings · documented

Granulated carbon transmitter

US patent 246,512 (1881): granulated-carbon transmitter·Henry Hunnings·Public domain (US patent) Open equipment file

Western Electric Bullnose Candlestick Telephone (53993129386)

Western Electric · documented

Candlestick telephone transmitter

Western Electric Bullnose Candlestick Telephone (53993129386)·Ethan Long·CC BY-SA 2.0 Open equipment file

Image not yet sourced

Siemens & Halske · documented

Horseshoe-magnet receiver

Open equipment file

Bell Telephone · documented

Telephone receiver

US patent 186,787 (1877): magnetic telephone receiver·Alexander Graham Bell·Public domain (US patent) Open equipment file

US patent 609,154 (1898): moving-coil apparatus

Oliver Lodge · documented

Moving-coil transducer patent

US patent 609,154 (1898): moving-coil apparatus·Oliver J. Lodge·Public domain (US patent) Open equipment file

Valdemar Poulsen · documented

Context (not live sound)

Poulsen arc converter

Poulsen's first arc converter·Valdemar Poulsen·Public domain Open equipment file

Marconi / J. A. Fleming · documented

Fleming valve

Fleming valve·Gerald F. J. Tyne·Public domain Open equipment file

Robert von Lieben · documented

Lieben-Reisz valve

LRS Valve·Drahtlos·CC BY-SA 4.0 Open equipment file

De Forest Wireless · documented

Three-electrode Audion

Audion tube·Paul Thompson·Public domain Open equipment file

Image not yet sourced

Western Electric · documented

101-B repeater tube

Open equipment file

US patent 957,403 (1910): telephone receiver

Nathaniel Baldwin · documented

Context (not live sound)

Mica-diaphragm receiver

US patent 957,403 (1910): telephone receiver·Nathaniel Baldwin·Public domain (US patent) Open equipment file

Image not yet sourced

S. G. Brown · documented

Context (not live sound)

Type A horn loudspeaker

Open equipment file

Turner / Kelley · documented

Dictograph acoustic system

US patent 927,230 (1909): Dictograph·William F. H. Germer·Public domain (US patent) Open equipment file

Automatic Electric · documented

Automatic Enunciator

Automatic Enunciator distributed P.A. at a yachting event, 1912 (FOH Fig. 1)·FOH magazine; photographer not credited·Rights retained by the rights holder; reproduced for historical commentary Open equipment file

Image not yet sourced

Automatic Electric · documented

Musolaphone stadium system

Open equipment file

Image not yet sourced

Electrophone Company · documented

Electrophone theatre relay

Open equipment file

Théâtrophone listening arrangement, Paris Electrical Exhibition 1881

Clément Ader · documented

Théâtrophone network

Théâtrophone listening arrangement, Paris Electrical Exhibition 1881·Clément Ader (1841-1926)·Public domain Open equipment file

Charles Parsons · catalogued

Auxetophone

US patent 677,476 (1901): sound-increasing device, the compressed-air amplifier later developed as the Auxetophone·Horace L. Short·Public domain (US patent) Open equipment file

EMG Mark Xb handmade gramophone, c 1934. (9660572765)

Victor / HMV · documented

Acoustic gramophone horn

EMG Mark Xb handmade gramophone, c 1934. (9660572765)·Science Museum London / Science and Society Picture Library·CC BY-SA 2.0 Open equipment file

Marconi · documented

Context (not live sound)

Magnetic detector receiver

Marconi magnetic detector·Archie Frederick Collins·Public domain Open equipment file

US patent 1,448,279 (1923): electrodynamic receiver, the Magnavox moving-coil driver

Magnavox · verified

Magnavox Telemegafone

US patent 1,448,279 (1923): electrodynamic receiver, the Magnavox moving-coil driver·Edwin S. Pridham & Peter L. Jensen·Public domain (US patent) Open equipment file

US patent 1,707,545 (1929): acoustic device, the compression-driver design used in the 555

Western Electric · verified

Western Electric 555

US patent 1,707,545 (1929): acoustic device, the compression-driver design used in the 555·Edward C. Wente (Bell Telephone Laboratories)·Public domain (US patent) Open equipment file

Large outdoor horn loudspeaker for stadium and park use (1920s)

Jensen · documented

Permanent-magnet dynamic driver

Jensen ad for Alnico 5 speakers·Jensen Radio Manufacturing Co. (1945 advertisement)·Public domain Open equipment file

Image not yet sourced

Shure · documented

Model 33N microphone

Open equipment file

Shure 55S Unidyne (later production of the Model 55 line)

Shure · documented

Model 55 Unidyne

Shure 55S Unidyne (later production of the Model 55 line)·Holger.Ellgaard·CC BY-SA 3.0 Open equipment file

RCA · documented

44-BX ribbon microphone

Restored RCA 44-BX ribbon microphone·Roadside Guitars·CC BY-SA 2.0 Open equipment file

US patent 1,869,178 (1932): moving-coil sound translating device of the 618A era

Western Electric · documented

618A dynamic microphone

US patent 1,869,178 (1932): moving-coil sound translating device of the 618A era·Albert L. Thuras (Bell Telephone Laboratories)·Public domain (US patent) Open equipment file

Marconi · documented

Marconi-Reisz microphone

Marconi Reisz microphone·Jan Kameníček·CC BY-SA 4.0 Open equipment file

Image not yet sourced

Commercial installers · documented

Press-box stadium PA

Open equipment file

Image not yet sourced

Western Electric · documented

Madison Square Garden PA

Open equipment file

Crowd surrounds television at RCA exhibit at 1939 World's Fair, where RCA sound systems were deployed.

RCA / Western Electric · documented

1939 World’s Fair PA

Crowd surrounds television at RCA exhibit at 1939 World's Fair·Unknown·Public domain Open equipment file

Image not yet sourced

AT&T / Western Electric · documented

Public-address telephone system, Victory Way

Open equipment file

Image not yet sourced

Siemens & Halske · documented

Riesenblatthaller

Open equipment file

Altec Voice of the Theatre catalogue family photograph — A4, A2, A5 and A8 variants, circa 1978

Altec Lansing · verified

A-series Voice of the Theatre

Altec Voice of the Theatre catalogue family photograph — A4, A2, A5 and A8 variants, circa 1978·Altec Lansing Technology, courtesy Paul Barello·© Altec Lansing Technology; used for identification and historical commentary Open equipment file

US patent 3,132,713 (1964): microphone diaphragm (Unidyne III)

Shure · verified

Unidyne III / Model 545

US patent 3,132,713 (1964): microphone diaphragm (Unidyne III)·Charles E. Seeler (Shure Brothers)·Public domain (US patent) Open equipment file

Watkins Electric Music · verified

WEM vocal PA

WEM PA columns and amplifier·21st CENTURY GREENSTUFF·CC BY 3.0 Open equipment file

Altec Lansing · documented

Voice of the Theatre A2

Row of Altec Voice of the Theatre systems of different sizes

Altec Lansing · documented

Voice of the Theatre A4

Altec Voice of the Theatre line-up, led by the double-15-inch A-4 (FOH Fig. 11)·FOH magazine; photographer not credited·Rights retained by the rights holder; reproduced for historical commentary Open equipment file

Era 01 · 1876–1915Origins of electrical sound27 equipment files

Carbon transmitter

Audion amplifier

Liquid transmitter

Reis telephone

Loose-contact transmitter

Carbon-button transmitter

Blake transmitter

Granulated carbon transmitter

Candlestick telephone transmitter

Horseshoe-magnet receiver

Telephone receiver

Moving-coil transducer patent

Poulsen arc converter

Fleming valve

Lieben-Reisz valve

Three-electrode Audion

101-B repeater tube

Mica-diaphragm receiver

Type A horn loudspeaker

Dictograph acoustic system

Automatic Enunciator

Musolaphone stadium system

Electrophone theatre relay

Théâtrophone network

Auxetophone

Acoustic gramophone horn

Magnetic detector receiver

Era 02 · 1915–1945The public-address age28 equipment files

Magnavox Telemegafone

Western Electric 555

Stadium and auditorium horn clusters

Telemegafone Type R2

1-A public-address system

10-A horn

12-A horn

13-A horn

15-A horn

594-A driver

596-A driver

Mirrophonic system

Photophone theatre system

PG-63 horn system

Shearer Horn system

Iconic loudspeaker

Imperial horn system

Permanent-magnet dynamic driver

Model 33N microphone

Model 55 Unidyne

44-BX ribbon microphone

618A dynamic microphone

Marconi-Reisz microphone

Press-box stadium PA

Madison Square Garden PA

1939 World’s Fair PA

Public-address telephone system, Victory Way

Riesenblatthaller

Era 03 · 1945–1965Postwar fidelity goes portable5 equipment files

A-series Voice of the Theatre

Unidyne III / Model 545

WEM vocal PA

Voice of the Theatre A2

Voice of the Theatre A4

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