Conduct the following experiment. Connect a tiny incandescent light bulb to the two leads from an ordinary cone-type speaker. If you tap the cone, you will see flashes of light from the bulb.
The record configuration for Variable Intensity Sound-On-Film recording (VISOF) is potentially as simple as that. Sound impinging on the transducer generates flashes of light that vary in accordance with the sound. These are recorded on a moving strip of film. During playback, a light source shining through the developed film strikes a photocell which sends impulses to the transducer via an amplifier.
Compared to magnetic tape recording, VISOF is more permanent and stable. The magnetic record can be erased or altered by any strong magnetic activity. But a film record is fixed by a chemical process and is not erasable. Because magnetic tape and vinyl recordings involve direct physical contact between the record/play element and the record itself, they are subject not only to noise, but also to loss of the recorded impressions due to physical wear and abrasion. The record/play elements do not touch the moving film with VISOF. The problem that is more or less significant to the audiophile of the wearing out of vinyl and tape recordings from frequency of use would be much less of an issue with VISOF. Likewise, VISOF is inherently free-er from noise than tape and vinyl.
For these reasons I am advocating the development of a VISOF technology which will provide accuracy (or 'fidelity') that is vastly superior to the existing analog technologies. I believe that with a convenient cartridge format, VISOF could be made suitable to ordinary customers.
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