We’re delighted to announce that the sound archive now has the privilege of housing one of only two Endpoint cylinder replay machines in Europe, expanding our capabilities for preserving historical audio recordings in the UK.

This exciting development was made possible by the Unlocking our Sound Heritage project, generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Endpoint cylinder machine is a state-of-the-art device designed to preserve historical audio recordings stored on phonograph ‘wax’ cylinders, using non-contact optical reading of the cylinder surface. It represents a significant milestone in the field of preservation, offering new possibilities for safeguarding historical sound recordings for the future.

What are wax cylinders?

The earliest way to record and play back sounds was by using a cylinder phonograph, perfected by American inventor Thomas Edison, in June 1888. Phonograph cylinders were a hollow tubes made of beeswax and other wax-like substances. Sound was recorded by using a stylus to cut grooves into the surface, creating a physical representation of the sound waves. Wax cylinders were used to record a variety of sounds, including music, speeches and field recordings. They were also popular for home entertainment and for capturing historical events. However, wax cylinders are prone to damage and deterioration, and they were eventually replaced by more durable and convenient recording formats like shellac and vinyl discs and magnetic tapes.

Wax cylinder recordings are unique artefacts of historical documentation, providing an invaluable window into the past, capturing sounds and voices, that would otherwise be lost to history. And as one of the very first vehicles for sound recording, they also hold unparalleled technological significance: they represent a significant milestone in the development of technology, providing insights into early methods and limitations.

Our earliest collections in the sound archive date back to the very first years of sound recording, and they’re incredibly fragile artefacts. Because early wax cylinders needed to be soft enough to be inscribed by a cutting stylus, they are now prone to cracks and deformation. This makes handling and contact replay for preservation difficult, and sometimes impossible.

How the Endpoint cylinder transfer machine works

With this new technology fragile wax cylinders can now be digitised safely and accurately. The Endpoint machine uses a specially designed mandrel to hold the cylinder securely in place, ensuring accurate playback and minimising damage. A laser system centres the cylinder on the mandrel, optimising playback quality and reducing distortion. The recorded signal is then read – either optically or with a stylus – and captured as a high-resolution digital audio file, for preservation and analysis. This minimises the risk of further damage to these important historical documents, ensuring their long-term preservation. It also allows us to digitise damaged cylinders that would be previously inaccessible by traditional playback methods.

Watch our Audio Engineer Karl Jenkins describe how this invaluable tool is helping to safeguard our cultural heritage and ensure that the sounds of the past can be enjoyed for generations to come: