Microphones part 1 - The Carbon Era

  • Microphones part 1 - The Carbon Era 1915-1925
  • Microphones part 2 - The Electrical Era 1925-1945
  • Microphones part 3 - The Modern Era 1945-present
  • Return to Recording Technology History

    • 1915 Western Electric 323
    from Wilson House
    1915 single-button mic
    from AT&T Archives
    1915 single-button mic
    from AT&T Archives
    The single-button carbon microphone was widely used in the "candlestick" telephone made by Western Electric, models 299 and 323, from 1915 to the 1920s. This type of microphone was suitable for the limited voice range of telephones, but carbon produced too much noise for music recording.
    1915 Western Electric 387
    from Wilson House
    Hoover with radio mics
    from Literary Digest 1929/05/04
    The spring-mounted double-button carbon microphone was designed to keep the carbon granules inside the transmitter from moving and touching the diaphragm during operation.
    1925 WE 1B used by Hoover
    from Literary Digest 1925/12/19
    373-W in the WE 1B mount
    #25603 from AT&T Archives
    The Western Electric 1A or 1B housings enclosed the same carbon transmitters used in the spring-mounted versions. The spring-mounted and enclosed versions were widely used in radio broadcasting 1921-1931.

    Sources:

  • Microphones part 1 - The Carbon Era 1915-1925
  • Microphones part 2 - The Electrical Era 1925-1945
  • Microphones part 3 - The Modern Era 1945-present

    • © 1999 by Steven E. Schoenherr. All rights reserved.
    Return to Recording Technology History Notes | this page revised 8/16/1999