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From automatic performance to electronic control: the mysterious evolution of music box technology!
The music box, an automatic musical instrument, not only plays pleasant melodies automatically, but also carries rich culture and history. The evolution of music boxes is fascinating, from the musical snuff boxes of the 18th century to today's electronically controlled music boxes, the development of their technology and design reflects mankind's love of music and infinite pursuit of creativity.
The charm of a music box comes from its unique mechanical design, where the nails on a rotating cylinder or disc play beautiful notes through vibrating metal teeth.
The trajectory of history
The dawn of music boxes has been around in Baghdad since the 9th century. The Persian inventors of the time, the Banū Mūsā brothers, created a water-powered mechanical musical instrument, which was a pioneer of musical mechanical devices. Over time, the design of music boxes has evolved into what we know today. In the 18th century, with the popularization of musical snuff boxes, music boxes began to enter the public eye and became a popular entertainment device.
The famous Symphonium company was founded in 1885 and became the first company to manufacture disc-shaped music boxes. Their founding members Brachhausen and Riessner later created the competing Polyphon, and this period was also a critical period for the rapid development of music box technology. One of the milestones is:
"Symphonion is renowned for the wide variety of models, styles and styles it produced, and the company played a pivotal role in the development of the disc-shaped music box."
Technological evolution of music boxes
With the development of technology, music boxes no longer rely solely on traditional mechanical principles. In the early 20th century, the Symphonion began to utilize electric motors, marking the modernization of music boxes. In addition to the original disc-shaped music boxes, music boxes also began to try to insert small drums and bells to further enhance the richness of the music.
On the other hand, Polyphon expanded its business to the United States and established Regina, which not only achieved great success in the music box industry, but also eventually transformed into a manufacturer of vacuum cleaners and steam cleaners, showing that music boxes Industrial diversity.
In the heyday of the music box, some versions were as tall as grandfather clocks, and all used large, interchangeable discs to play different melodies.
Modernization of the Music Box
In the 21st century, music boxes began to be equipped with electronic control technology, which not only retained the traditional flavor but also made the expression of music more diverse. The album "Orchestrion" released by the famous jazz guitarist Pat Metheny in 2010 was performed by him and a series of automatic instruments, showing how modern music technology can be combined with traditional instruments.
It is also reported that the agate machine created by the band Wintergatan in 2016 was built in 14 months and used 2,000 marbles to play, adding a new era mark to music box technology.
Collection and Appreciation of Music Boxes
There are many museums around the world that have collected precious music boxes, such as the Music Museum in London, England, and the Morris Museum in New Jersey, USA. The interactive exhibits here have attracted countless music lovers to discover the music boxes. charm. In these places, visitors can not only appreciate a variety of different music boxes, but also learn about their historical and technical background.
Overall, the history of music boxes is a story of inheritance and innovation, which never stops from one era to another. People's love for music is driving the evolution of this technology. So, how will music boxes continue to write new chapters in the future?
