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The phonograph was the first device for voice recording and reproduction, invented by Thomas Alva Edison in 1877. The original phonograph used a rotating cylinder made of metal, with a helical groove engraved into it to guide the needle. The cylinder was wrapped in tinfoil, which was later replaced by a wax layer in more advanced phonographs. To record sound, a metallic funnel was used, with a membrane (originally made from a fish gas bladder) at the bottom that amplified the sound. A stylus (needle) was connected to the membrane. During recording, the acoustic vibrations from the sound caused the membrane to vibrate, and these vibrations were transmitted to the stylus, which then engraved the pattern into the tinfoil or wax layer on the cylinder. During playback, the process was reversed: the needle followed the grooves in the cylinder, causing it to oscillate. These oscillations were transferred back to the membrane, which reproduced the original sound vibrations, allowing the sound to be heard again.