1898

The Danish inventor Valdemar Poulsen developed the Telegraphone in 1898.
It was the first device capable of magnetically recording sound.
Instead of mechanical grooves, the sound was stored on a thin steel wire.
An electromagnetic recording head converted sound into magnetic signals.
These signals were stored as magnetic variations along the wire.
During playback, they were converted back into electrical and acoustic vibrations.
This marked the first electrical method of sound recording.
The system allowed longer recordings and repeated reuse of the recording medium.
Wire recorders later became popular for dictation machines and voice recordings.
Poulsen’s invention is considered an important precursor to magnetic tape technology.
It laid the foundation for tape recorders, cassettes and modern audio systems.