sound spectrograph
Date1969-1975
Inventory Number2015-1-0001
ClassificationSpectrograph
Subject
Maker
Kay Electric Company
1948 - 1970
User
Museum of Comparative Zoology
founded 1859
Cultural Region
Place of Origin
Place of Use
Material
DescriptionThe sound spectrograph controls are housed in a pale olive metal box with two silvertone handles on the front (similar to those found on racked instruments). Drop handles are located on each side of the housing, between the ventilation slits.
The front panel of the spectrograph has many tear-shaped black plastic switches to adjust the instruments settings. These are labeled:
50~ / 500~ / 1 KC
FREQ SCALE / LIN / LOG
FL-1 / H-S
RECORD / REPRODUCE
SECTIONER / OFF / ON
INPUT SELECTOR / MIC INPUT / 200 Ω / 600 Ω / HIGH LEVEL / 10K Ω
Other round knobs adjust the monitor level, recording level, reproduction level, marking level, and band width.
The panel has an index scale divided -20-0-+3 and 0-100. It is labeled "VU."
There are sockets for the input from the microphone and external speaker. Also switches for calibration and base line adjustment.
On top of the rectangular housing is a polished stainless steel drum that rotates and a pen-holder assembly for recording on a paper that would be wound on the drum.
An accessory with the instrument is a microphone on a table stand. It is made by Altec. and is model 681A. It is catalogued separately as 2015-1-0005.
The front panel of the spectrograph has many tear-shaped black plastic switches to adjust the instruments settings. These are labeled:
50~ / 500~ / 1 KC
FREQ SCALE / LIN / LOG
FL-1 / H-S
RECORD / REPRODUCE
SECTIONER / OFF / ON
INPUT SELECTOR / MIC INPUT / 200 Ω / 600 Ω / HIGH LEVEL / 10K Ω
Other round knobs adjust the monitor level, recording level, reproduction level, marking level, and band width.
The panel has an index scale divided -20-0-+3 and 0-100. It is labeled "VU."
There are sockets for the input from the microphone and external speaker. Also switches for calibration and base line adjustment.
On top of the rectangular housing is a polished stainless steel drum that rotates and a pen-holder assembly for recording on a paper that would be wound on the drum.
An accessory with the instrument is a microphone on a table stand. It is made by Altec. and is model 681A. It is catalogued separately as 2015-1-0005.
Signedon lower left of front panel: KAY PINE BROOK, N.J.
on panel for plug-in accessories: KAY ELECTRIC CO. PINE BROOK, N.J.
on white dial: KAY ELECTRIC CO.
on top panel: KAY PINE BROOK, N.J.
Inscribedon metal label on front panel, upper left: Sona-Graph 6061B / 85-16000 Hz SPECTRUM ANALYZER
on front panel, upper left: PAT. NOS. 2,615,078 - 3,301,212
on top panel: Sona-Graph / 6061-B / SOUND SPECTROGRAPH / PAT. NO. 2,615,078
ProvenanceOrnithology Collections, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University; transfer to CHSI, 2015.
Historical AttributesThis instrument was used by the Ornithology department of the Museum of Comparative Zoology to analyze and record on paper the sound spectrum of bird calls. The charts produced by the instrument were known as sonograms.
Altec Lansing
Date: 1960-1965
Object number: 2015-1-0002
Armour Research Foundation
Date: 1942-1945
Accessories: microphone with separate stand and cord; LS-12X microphone line transformer
Object number: WJ0315
General Radio Company
Date: circa 1943
Object number: 1997-1-0362
Western Electric Company
Date: 1900-1930
Object number: RS0160
George Washington Pierce
Date: circa 1926
Accessories: 8 batteries (removed during FAE inventory).
Object number: RS1275
American Radio and Research Corporation
Date: 1920
Object number: RS0749
Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory
Date: 1947-2002
Object number: 2003-1-0291
Date: 1890-1930
Object number: RS0470
Allen B. Du Mont Laboratories, Inc
Date: 1940-1960
Object number: 1999-1-0003
See also/See also
