Am 15.07.2019 um 22:36 schrieb Steven Smolian: > I've a promotional bag for Grammophon Electrische Raumton-Platte. Can > anyone supply a translation for "Raumton"? My computer can't. > > > > Steve Smolian > In 1927 Deutsche Grammophon introduced their own electrical recording technology, and coined the term Polyfar (the trade mark had been protected since 1923 for other purposes. In the UK the trade mark was not registered until 1929). The records were labeled „Elektrische Aufnahme. Serie: Polyfar “R”, and on the Polydor export label thus: „Electrical Recording. Serie Polyfar R“. The „R“ was short for „Raumton“, which could perhaps best be translated as "surround sound", although this term has meanwhile been used in a different way. The apparent idea was to make clear that while acoustic recordings used a one-dimensional/directional horn, the electric microphones could pick up sounds anywhere in the studio (or room), thus creating a fuller sound. -- Dr. Rainer E. Lotz Rotdornweg 81 53177 Bonn (Germany) Tel: 0049-228-352808 Fax: 0049-228-365142 Web: www.lotz-verlag.de