What was a major limitation of early acoustic recording methods regarding sound frequencies?
Answer
High or very low frequencies were often lost entirely
Acoustic recording systems relied on the physical vibration of a diaphragm triggered by incoming sound waves. Because the physical diaphragm could not vibrate with the speed or magnitude required to trace extreme high or low frequencies accurately, those parts of the audio spectrum were frequently missed. The recording quality was thus constrained by the mechanics of the system rather than the actual range of the performance being captured.
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