The Revolution of Duplicated Music Sonic Markers to Identify Early Phonograph Cylinder Copies in Archive Collections

Abstract

This article explores the evolution of early commercial music production and the shift from selling original recordings to duplicated copies. It focuses on the introduction of the pantographic duplication technique, which allowed for successful mass production of phonograph cylinders. The pantograph copied cylinders mechanically, using the same blank cylinders as original recordings. This made the two products difficult to distinguish. The music industry kept this process of duplication a secret, selling duplicated copies labelled “original” and “master” quality. Recent research reveals that mechanical duplication through the pantographic method was more extensive than previously acknowledged, with millions of copies produced in a short timeframe. The author commissioned the production of a contemporary pantograph copy of a cylinder recording. Its analysis uncovered characteristic sounds and defects, such as additional mechanical noise, deteriorated signal-to-noise ratio, errors in the time axis, and excess harmonic distortion. These signatures can help differentiate between original recordings and pantographic copies in archive collections. Understanding the implications of early duplication techniques also contributes to a better understanding of the development of the music industry and its recording practices.