[78-L] The stylus discussion has led me to a totally unrelated terminology question.

[Michael Biel]

David is correct that the verb "scratched" is inappropriate.  How the
groove is made has been the subject of patents which changed the entire
structure of the industry.  Yes, the groove is "cut" into wax.  But the
original tinfoil had the groove "embossed", not cut.  VERY important
distinction.  It is what put Bell & Tainter, and eventually Columbia,
into business.  Because of the patents Berliner could not either emboss
or cut a groove, so he "etched" a groove with acid.  What he did with
the wax coating on the zinc master to expose the place for the acid to
etch the zinc was not of real concern.  Later on, Pathe invented
recording and playing an un-coated aluminum disc, and this groove was
"knurled" or embossed, now that the original Edison tinfoil patent had
expired.  You can't "cut" un-coated aluminum -- no material is removed. 
Lacquer-coated aluminum discs ARE cut, because there is material removed
just like in wax.

This might seem to be nitpicking, but fortunes were made and lost with
the 
specifics of these words.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com  


-------- Original Message --------
From: David Breneman <david_breneman at yahoo.com>

 From: ERIC BYRON <bear128 at verizon.net>


> Does one use the same/similar terminology when
> describing how one records sound?  Would
> this description be correct?  Sound
> enters a horn and is transmitted to a diaphragm.  The diaphragm is connected to 
> a stylus bar.  The stylus bar is attached to a cutting
> needle.  The vibrating needle scratches
> the sound into the record.

That's basically correct, but the verb "scratches" implies a lot less
precision than is achieved in the actual process.  The groove is cut
into the surface of a thick wax disk which is later plated with metal
to produce a stamper, or a matrix for producing multiple stampers.  The
wax disk, whose surface does not survive this process intact, is then
shaved down to a smooth surface and re-used.