The Science Of The Laser Projector

Would it be a surprise if I told you about a display system that was coming so far advanced in color reproduction it would make a fool out of LCD’s and an OLED would blush? Throughout the last few decades we have gone from CRT, LCD, and are moving closer to OLED displays. There is something far more advanced coming in the next five to ten years – a laser projector. In 2008, Sony succeeded in developing the world’s brightest red laser diode array. Featuring 7.2W optical output power and a 635nm wavelength, this red laser diode array is ideal as a light source for projectors and so forth.

Generally speaking, displays combine red, green and blue light to create full-color images. Displays based on laser technology, therefore, use a tri-laser combination (one laser for each of these three colors). Laser displays in general offer key advantages in that they ensure advanced definition and a wide color gamut of 150% – far beyond that of LCD (70-90%) and OLED (100%). Of these three lasers, red laser diode arrays must be able to deliver high brightness along with efficiency and the ability to operate at room temperature in order to be used in projection equipment.

Lasers offer the following advantages in serving as display light sources.

• Excellent monochromaticity of laser light ensures excellent color reproduction. Imagine the most brilliant colors you’ve ever seen; a red so bright and crisp its comparable to a street light.
• Definition can be increased thanks to the excellent light-focusing characteristics of lasers.
• Because the light is polarized, excellent optical efficiency can be achieved without using optical elements to align polarity when lasers are used in conjunction with liquid crystal panels.
• Laser light sources last longer than lamps – about ten times as long, approaching 15,000 to 20,000 hours.

Creating a laser light source requires the combining of red, green and blue lasers (capable of generating optical output as high as several watts). Sony has remained a leader in the development of laser displays, including the development of compact laser light sources capable of high optical output power.

At Expo 2005 in Aichi, audiences were spellbound by the beautiful images displayed by Sony’s Laser Dream Theater, which was the biggest laser display system in the world – an 164 foot laser projection system using an 11-channel sound system, to screen short called “Voyage Around the Earth”. Sony has been very quiet about this technology until very recently, leading us to believe that it is still actively investing great resources into this method.

A laser “array” is composed of multiple light-emitting laser elements arranged side-by-side to form a single element and the array approach increases the optical output capacity achievable with a single device.

The diagram above shows the structure of the red laser diode array developed by Sony. To achieve a high optical output power from a single light-emitting unit, Sony increased the width of the laser stripes through which current flows to produce up to 60µm of light. By broadening the area of the laser stripes in this way, it is possible to reduce the light density at the emission end face. This reduces the possibility of catastrophic optical damage (COD), which occurs when the emission end face is destroyed by the intensity of its own light. Sony was able to raise output to several watts by arranging the laser elements in the array and broadening the laser stripes.

Within the high-output red laser diode array, layers of aluminum indium phosphide (AlInP) cladding are used to confine light inside the light-emitting layer. Previously this material tended to oxidize and was difficult to process, but Sony was able to develop new manufacturing and processing methods to prevent oxidation. A feature of AlInP is that its refractive index is significantly smaller than that of the gallium indium phosphide (GaInP) light-emitting layer (which emits red light). By using AlInP in the cladding layer, it is possible to confine the light produced by the GaInP light-emitting layer in the vicinity of that layer, which has a high refractive index. This means that even if the thickness of the cladding layer is reduced, it will still be possible to minimize the amount of light absorbed by the electrode and the substrate of the lasers. In general, cladding layers exhibit large thermal resistance when heat produced in the light-emitting layer escapes. Cladding layers also have their own electrical resistance, which means that any increase in the thickness of the layer will result in increased electrical resistance. The use of AlInP makes it possible to reduce the thickness of the cladding layers, resulting in lower thermal and electrical resistance overall.

These original Sony technologies have enabled engineers to increase laser oscillation to a level which achieves an optical output of 7.2W at a temperature of 45°C. The new device is also extremely reliable. Tests under extremely demanding conditions (35°C, 6.6W) showed that it could operate over 10,000 hours before optical output was halved.

One way to increase the brightness of a laser display is to raise the optical output power. Another method is to use a wavelength of light to which the human eye is extremely sensitive. In the red wavelength band, luminosity increases as the wavelength is shortened (Figure 5), resulting in higher brightness.

Relationship between wavelength and luminosity

The wavelength of the emitted light can be controlled by changing the percentages of gallium (Ga) and Indium (In) in the GaInP light-emitting layer. Sony’s challenge was to reduce the wavelength of its 645nm laser by 10nm to 635mm. However, when the wavelength is reduced below 640nm, heat output increases causing a rapid decline in the luminance efficiency of the GaInP light-emitting layer. This frustrated efforts to achieve laser oscillation at a high output level. Sony began developing new technologies to limit reductions in luminance efficiency. Now Sony has succeeded in oscillating a laser to produce an optical output of 7.2W at a temperature of 25°C and a wavelength of 635nm.

Before semiconductor lasers can be used as light sources for display devices, they must meet extremely demanding requirements, including not only high output, but also high brightness, operating temperatures, power conversion efficiency and reliability. However, these requirements are being tackled aggressively by several R&D departments in Sony and other companies. We are not very far off from the mass adoption of laser displays, especially laser projectors.

Sony Centre for the Performing Arts Getting Renovations, New Tower Addition

The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts has confirmed renovation and restoration plans that will see a revitalized theater open in the fall of 2010 to celebrate the building’s 50th anniversary. The theater, designated a historical site by the City of Toronto, will undergo major renovations and restorations starting in October 2009. The project will eliminate a number of architectural interventions added to the theater over the years, thus restoring the elegance and grandeur of Peter Dickinson’s original O’Keefe Centre, which opened on October 1, 1960. Iconic features such as the theater marquee canopy and York Wilson’s lobby mural “The Seven Lively Arts” will be preserved. Restoration of the wood, brass and marble that were hallmarks of the original facility will be undertaken, along with audience seating and flooring upgrades, new washrooms, re-configured lobby spaces and significant mechanical and electrical system changes.

The renovation will provide visiting entertainers and performers with a fresh and positive experience both backstage and onstage, and provide audiences with an upgraded and enhanced live entertainment experience.

Sony of Canada Ltd., the naming sponsor of the Centre, will further enhance the theater environment by providing state-of-the-art Sony entertainment solutions throughout the venue. In addition to the latest Sony Bravia panels, visitors can expect to see cutting-edge multimedia technologies like the new Sony Ziris Canvas, a high end feature application where high definition digital content stretches across numerous Sony LCD panels creating a spectacular video wall. This Ziris Canvas will greet visitors as they enter the main foyer of the Sony Centre, and in the north-west corner of the renovated building visitors can explore more Sony technologies in a new Sony Style retail store.

A complex real-estate transaction between the City of Toronto and Ferncastle Developments will provide the funding for the renovation project. Sony Centre C.E.O. Dan Brambilla, who has actively managed the negotiations and completion of the agreement with the developers says “I am very excited that the Sony Centre can benefit from these major improvements and I look forward to the opening of the venue next year, when we can delight our performers and audiences and further contribute to the cultural and commercial fabric of Toronto, Canada and the world. The Sony Centre has hosted many great performances and provided diverse and exciting programming over the past 49 years, and the breadth of these improvements will allow us to provide so much more in the years to come.”

Lowe’s, Canada’s New Home Improvement Warehouse, Sony Centre Building Sponsor, will provide select materials for the construction, and Vanbots Construction will oversee the renovation project.

Another interesting development is the addition of the L Tower to the building due for completion by 2011. The redevelopment of the 50-year-old Sony Centre for the Performing Arts boasts the new L Tower Condominiums and a new arts and cultural facility, which will be combined with the Centre’s existing theater. The entire development will offer a new strategy for 21st Century living, whereby inner city life is actively integrated with culture and the arts. SDL is working with Castlepoint Realty Partners Limited on this project.

SDL’s design proposal for the cultural component of the L Tower and Sony Centre for the Performing Arts Redevelopment is conceptually engaged with the programmatic and experiential intentions of the ArtsLab. It achieves this via a formal and spatial strategy articulated through a central void in the building. This collective space, in the form of a semi-sphere, is a cultural hub, both symbolic and functional, evoking in form the global diversity of cultures present in Toronto and celebrated throughout the program. The residential tower component comprises the majority (428,000 sq.ft.) of the overall redesign. Situated atop the cultural facilities, it will contain approximately 470 units and rise to a height of 57 stories, providing stunning views over downtown Toronto and Ontario. The tower will assert the Sony Centre not only as an icon of the city skyline, but also of cultural institutions within the city. Here is a render of that vision:

Pictures From The Sony VAIO Experience At Guastavino’s In NYC

Sony unveiled three new laptops yesterday in NYC, including the CW Series laptop, L Series touchscreen desktop PC, and the 13.9mm X Series notebook. The setting was perfect for high style, glamor and incomparable panache at New York’s architectural masterpiece, Guastavino’s. The sprawling 25,000 square foot private event space is a designated New York City interior landmark notably situated under the Queensboro Bridge (also known as the 59^th Street Bridge). In Style, Page Six and New York Magazine heralds Guastavino’s as the “it spot” for the most prestigious private affairs catering to A-list celebrities, fashionistas, moguls and socialites. The decor is overwhelmingly impressive taking your breath away from the moment you step into the awe-inspiring cavernous space. Soaring granite arches, Catalan vaulted ceilings and expansive 40′ glass windows boasting city views accent the vast multi-level space.

Sony has updated their flickr page with some photos from the event and they are really great. Check out these few I selected and the many more at the flickr page.

The location was perfect for a VAIO debut, and had several celebrities including Mischa Barton, Star Jones, Jill Zarin and even a Cirque Berzerk performance.

Tatoo artist Thomas Pendleton of A&E’s “Tattoo Highway” inked a VAIO-inspired design on someone.

Zulu Kingz graffiti artist, Damet, also created a live mural alongside the new CW-Series notebooks inspired by the CW’s five bold new colors.

Sony’s Attractively Priced CW Series Has Smart Features, Colors, And Windows 7

Sony has launched the new CW Series VAIO laptop with Windows 7 due on October 22nd, which is very similar to its existing CS series in terms of price and specifications. There are a few key differences though and I think that this offering will be a strong play for what is Sony’s largest PC lineup in years. The VAIO CW series boasts a lustrous, high-gloss exterior and opens up to a subtle gradient of matching color on the palm rests.

The pricing schemes vary on what model you are looking at, but for the USA here is the plan according to SonyStyle:

As you can see standard specifications start at an Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 (2.2GHz) on a Mobile Intel PM45 Express Chipset (there will be options for a 2.80GHz T9600), 4GB RAM (8GB maximum; PC3-8500), 320GB SATA HDD (500GB available, both at 5400rpm), and HDMI out (1920×1080). There’s also a built in Motion-eye camera and microphone. Pony up a little more and you can get a Blu-ray player/burner and more graphics power.

Three USB ports are included, along with a VGA output (2048×1536), and firewire. Estimated Battery Life with Standard Battery (included) – Productivity: Up to 4 hours, DVD Playback: Up to 2.5 hours. Estimated Battery Life with Extended Battery (sold separately) – Productivity: Up to 6 hours, Max. Brightness: Up to 12 hours.

The 14.1 inch display is a LED backlit LCD (16×9, 1366×768) powered by a NVIDIA GeForce GT230M GPU with 512MB VRAM or if you prefer to spend a little less a GT210M with 256MB VRAM. The GT230M is a pretty solid graphics card, with is a 40nm chip, DirectX 10.1 and has PhysX, CUDA support amongst other things.

Connectivity is a breeze with 802.11a/b/g/n Wifi, Bluetooth (2.1, stereo A2DP), up to Gigabit Ethernet, and a HDMI output. There’s also support for Memory Stick DUO, ExpressCard/34, and a SD memory card. Here are some specifications courtesy of SonyStyle:

Sony has also included one-touch access to the web without the need for the operating system to be on, a feature first found in the VAIO NW series. I’m glad to see Sony extending this feature to more of their laptops, and I think it will be a strong selling point for them.  Touch another button and the LCD display is turned off, reducing power drain while you’re listening to music or watching movies on your connected HD TV.

A third button, the “VAIO” button, launches Media Gallery, letting you browse and enjoy your digital photos, videos and music tracks. Media Gallery effortless organizes your personal media collection by date or events, making it easy to track down that picture or clip from a wedding, party or special occasion. It even learns what you like, suggesting other files and links to related content on the web based on your browsing history and preferences.

Playstation Network Comes To Amazon

Sony Computer Entertainment America and Amazon.com have announced that digital access codes for more than 200 PlayStation Network games and game-related content for PS3 and PSP entertainment systems are now available in the Amazon.com Video Game Store Playstation Network Hub. The new collaboration between PlayStation and Amazon broadens PlayStation’s reach and gives consumers another option to purchase digital access codes for download via PlayStation Network, with popular titles such as Flower, PAIN, PixelJunk Eden, Wipeout Pure and classics like Twisted Metal: Head-On.

“We are excited to expand our current library of video game platform downloads,” said Paul Ryder, vice president of consumer electronics for Amazon.com. “PlayStation Network games are an important addition and we plan to continue making it easier for customers to instantly enjoy new content as well as their favorite games from the comfort of their living rooms.”

Digital access to PlayStation Network games works on a code-redemption system. Amazon.com customers who wish to purchase a PlayStation Network game or game-related content are able to purchase a digital access code for downloading content on PS3 or PSP systems with their US PlayStation Network accounts. Amazon.com customers will receive the code immediately after purchase or they can choose to email the code to themselves or send the code as a gift. Additionally, this code will reside in the customer’s Your Games & Software Library so they can retrieve it at any time.

“With more than 600 million pieces of content downloaded to date, consumers are turning to PlayStation Network more than ever for digitally distributed entertainment content,” said Peter Dille, senior vice president of Marketing and PlayStation Network. “We are excited to team with Amazon.com to expand our reach with Amazon’s market leading ability to target current and future PlayStation consumers.”

Joystiq also has a great interview with SCEA’s Eric Lempel about the new offering.

Rogers Plus And Sony Canada Brighten The Days Of Hospitalized Children

Rogers Plus and the Sony Canada Charitable Foundation have revitalized the Jolly Trolley program with the eager help of young patients in Canadian hospitals coast-to-coast. For the past 16 years, the Jolly Trolley program has brought colorful mobile entertainment units to young patients across the country in hopes of generating smiles and providing a welcome distraction during their hospital stay. The revitalized Jolly Trolley comes equipped with a 32” BRAVIA high definition LCD TV, the latest Sony PS3 game console and a vast library of exciting movies and games on Blu-ray Disc and DVD that will be updated on a monthly basis with new releases.

“This new investment in the Jolly Trolley program affirms Rogers commitment to brightening the days of Canadian children,” said Linda Sanderson, Vice President, Human Resources, Rogers Plus. “By bringing the latest and greatest entertainment systems that Rogers and Sony have to offer directly into hospital rooms, we’re helping ensure young patients still have the opportunity to participate in a fun and engaging experience.”

Ceremonial launches, featuring presentations by Rogers and Sony representatives, were held in five hospitals to introduce the new generation of Jolly Trolleys to young patients and their family and friends. After sitting patiently through a rundown of the Trolley’s exciting new features, children were given the opportunity to try out the Trolleys for the first time. This year, 40 Jolly Trolley units will be distributed to 35 children’s hospital wards from coast-to-coast in Canada.

“The Sony Canada Charitable Foundation is happy to be partnering with Rogers Plus for this fantastic initiative,” said Tony Smith, VP Marketing Communications, Sony Canada. “It’s one way we can show the strong dedication we have to our communities.”

Sony Wants You To Touch Its New VAIO L Series PC

A beautiful match for any living space, VAIO L Series delivers all the power of a premium entertainment PC in a slim, stylish all-in-one design that saves on cables. Center stage is a big, beautiful 24” widescreen X-black LCD with Multiple Lamp Technology for a sumptuous view of your photos, camcorder clips, movies on Blu-ray Disc and more in Full HD. In a VAIO first, the stunning display is also an ultra-high resolution touchscreen that makes the most of touchpanel support that’s featured in Windows 7.

The hardware specs for the new L series varies in the USA, with these configurations ranging from $1,299 all the way to $1,999 (from SonyStyle):

Some of the various hardware difference include Single, Dual and Quad Core Intel processors, 4-6GB RAM, 320GB to 1TB hard drives, Blu-ray Player and Burners, improved graphics and HDMI/TV Tuner options. We were hoping to see Sony push forward and adopt Core i7 processors, but unfortunately they aren’t. This is still one fully loaded all in one desktop though with options that totally blow away the HP Touchsmart.

This desktop has 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth (2.1 and A2DP stereo), Motion-eye camera and microphone for all of your connectivity needs. The VAIO L Series also delivers a premium audio experience to enhance enjoyment of movies, videos, games and music. Integrated 5.5W + 5.5W speakers and S Master Digital Amplifier technology deliver a richly-detailed soundstage without the clutter of additional cables.

Analog video and HDMI inputs let you enjoy games on your PS3 and other consoles on the big, bright, high resolution 24” screen. You don’t even need to boot up the computer for a dazzling, detail-packed HD gaming experience.

The big, photo-realistic touchpanel is also a brilliant showcase for Media Gallery, an easy-to-use new VAIO application that puts incredible HD entertainment experiences at your fingertips. This immersive graphical interface adds a new dimension to your digital life, offering exciting new ways to explore your media collection. With Media Gallery it’s a pleasure to browse through digital images, videos and music tracks with effortless touch, flick, drag and rotate gestures on the LCD touchscreen.

It’s easy to find your favourite memories in an instant without hunting through confusing folders. Photos and videos can be viewed on a timeline, or as Events that cluster together all your images and clips from the same day – like a birthday or wedding.  Media Gallery even learns about your preferences, suggesting other images, videos and music based on your browsing history and content metadata.

VAIO Movie Story automatically selects and splices together highlights from your HD camcorder footage, ready for burning to Blu-ray Disc or DVD for sharing with friends and family. A brand-new Music Player offers a friendly environment for enjoying your favourite sounds, with SensMe technology that automatically analyses your music collection, sorting tracks into channels to suit any mood. Media Gallery can be accessed by VAIO Gate, an intuitive new on-screen launcher that’s your entry point to all your favourite Sony and third-party applications.

Sony Touts Its New VAIO X Series As “World’s Lightest Notebook”

Sony shocked everyone back at IFA 2009 with the introduction of the X series VAIO notebook, which is the direct successor to the TT series in the USA. It appeared super slim at the time and in its delicious teaser video courtesy of Sony Europe some people got extremely curious about its arrival. Well, in a special event (we were invited, but couldn’t make it) at Guastavino’s in NYC, Sony revealed the full details on the new VAIO X series and has called it the world’s lightest notebook – at 1.6 pounds with standard battery, measurements at its narrowest point: 10.95″ (W) x 0.55″ (H – about half an inch thin aka 13.9mm) x 7.29″ (D). Check out the VAIO X pre-order at SonyStyle.

The VAIO X, due October 22nd, in black and champagne features a durable carbon fiber casing, seamless aluminum keyboard panel and a touch pad with multi-touch functionality. This allows you to easily zoom in and out, flip through pictures, rotate items and scroll vertically and horizontally without ever touching your mouse. There’s also a Motioneye web camera built-in.

To compliment Windows 7 Home Premium, Sony has went with an Intel Atom Z550 2.0ghz with 2GB of DDR2/533Mhz RAM. That is pretty strong considering how tiny this laptop is, but some early critics wanted more power for the price. Some have pegged it simply as a bigger VAIO P, since the hardware specs are similar. Well let me say that this is definitely much more sleek. Men are from VAIO X, women are from VAIO P. Although, I could see a hot chick wielding this thing and winning my heart forever. If I ever run into you oh woman of my destiny with a VAIO X and a warm smile, be easy on me.

What’s really nice is that it comes with a 64gb SSD standard. That’s the kind of power play that makes a person who is evaluating this compared to a Macbook Air say “Hey, wait a minute.” For a little more, the Signature Collection VAIO X (in Black or Champagne) comes with a 128gb SSD and is priced $200 more.

The LED backlit 11.1 inch widescreen (1366×768) is powered by a Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500. I believe Sony went with the GMA500 because it is low power consumption and fits accordingly with their overall implementation and design. Audio is covered with Intel HD Audio, which I have always found to be satisfactory.

Wireless capabilities are abundant with 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth (2.1, Stereo A2DP), GPS, and Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband Built-in (for the USA, other territories will have similiar WWAN offerings). An ethernet jack is also included, supporting up to Gigabit ethernet. Other I/O include Headphone, Microphone, and 2 USB ports.

Sony has blown me away with the news that this notebook will have a standard battery and an extended battery (picture courtesy of engadget) included in the price. This is great news and really puts them ahead of anything else on the market. Who else offers you two batteries? If your trying to keep it nice and light with the Standard Capacity Battery the VAIO X can be used for 3 hours, or if you prefer pop on the Large Capacity Battery for a stunning 12 hours of run time. Great move Sony.

I think that when you purchase a PC like this it will find most of its use in ultraportable situations. A business person would love to have something like this for a myriad of situations – plane, office, meeting, lunch. A college student could pull this off. The nice thing is that it doesn’t have an explosive price like the VAIO TT did. I think Sony will do well with the X Series because it’s $1,300 – not $2,000 – 3,000 like the TT. This is a direct competitor to the Macbook Air in my eyes and wins in several segments. Don’t try and tell me Snow Leopard is better than Windows 7, either. I’ve used both and they are both excellent operating systems.

Sources: Engadget – Sony VAIO X announced, starts at $1,299, VAIO X spotted in champagne, propped up by extended battery, ripped apart; Sony USA – X Marks The Spot: Sony Delivers World’s Light Notebook; Sony Japan – Vaio X Announcement; VAIO Community Blog – VAIO Breaking News: New X and CW Series Notebooks Announced in NYC. Thanks to the Girls at @SonyElectronics, too.

Oh yeah, we’ll be doing a hands-on with this beast soon at SonyStyle.

Sony Ericsson Partners with Comverse on Visual Voicemail

In a press release recently announced, Sony Ericsson has partnered with Comverse to bring visual voicemail to their line of handsets. Given the popularity of visual voicemail on the iPhone, offering this to the Ericsson line of phones will make customer’s extremely happy.

No details yet on availability or on which devices this is set to launch.

Press Release:

Comverse Teams Up with Sony Ericsson on Visual Voicemail

WAKEFIELD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Comverse today announced that it is working with mobile handset manufacturer Sony Ericsson to provide visual voicemail on its handsets for residential and business users.

Visual voicemail’s global popularity is growing because it enhances the traditional voicemail experience. All voicemail messages are displayed in an in-box, whose email-like interface provides such key information as date, time, length of message, caller number and identity, when available. Users can scan the messages, click to hear new and previously heard messages in any order, and then reply, forward, or save messages.

“Because of visual voicemail’s global appeal, it has become a high priority to make the service available on new handsets,” said Chief Marketing Officer John Bunyan at Comverse, the world’s leading supplier of software and systems enabling value-added messaging and content services, converged billing and active customer management, and IP communications.

“Our strategic cooperation with handset leaders like Sony Ericsson,” Bunyan said, “helps ensure that new handsets can offer the most attractive and user-friendly visual voicemail experience to the broadest number of people.”

Telecom operators of all sizes have launched visual voicemail to meet the fast-paced needs of their users, and Comverse is working hard with operators, handset vendors and the standards bodies to bring the best visual voicemail to market.

“Visual voicemail’s success comes from providing users a richer array of capabilities and choice,” said Bunyan. “Its value to operators is underscored by solid global take-up figures showing that it can increase voicemail usage and penetration in key segments.”

With more than two thirds of commercial launches worldwide, Comverse is the visual voicemail market leader. Comverse Visual Voicemail is part of the Comverse HUB Value-Added Services, spanning voice, messaging, mobile Internet and mobile advertising. Comverse HUB is a synergistic framework that enables service providers to maximize their business performance and augment their position in the market.

About Comverse

Comverse is the world’s leading provider of software and systems enabling value-added services for voice, messaging, mobile Internet and mobile advertising; converged billing and active customer management; and IP communications. Comverse’s extensive customer base spans more than 130 countries and covers over 500 communication service providers serving more than two billion subscribers. The company’s innovative product portfolio enables communication service providers to unleash the value of the network for their customers by making their networks smarter. Comverse’s solutions support flexible deployment models, including in-network, hosted and managed services, and can run on circuit-switched, IP, IMS or converged network environments. Comverse is a subsidiary of Comverse Technology, Inc. (CMVT.PK). For more information, visit www.comverse.com.

The Sony C-37A Condenser Microphone Was One Of A Kind

The term “hi-fi,” short for high fidelity, became popular in the late fifties. In February 1958, a Hi-Fi Show was held in Los Angeles. Sony, through Superscope, exhibited the TC-555 home-use “Sterecorder,” the CP-13 three-channel deluxe recorder, and the C-37A condenser microphone. The tape recorders were hailed as the “Rolls Royces” of the trade, while the C-37A was considered to have overtaken Germany’s Neumann microphones, which until then had dominated the field of condenser microphones.

Neumann’s previously unrivaled products had been coveted around the world. Their outstanding characteristics in term of sensitivity and frequency were proven, but they had one shortcoming. Over time they would give rise to noise.

The first condenser microphone made by NHK’s Nakajima was a copy of the Neumann product. In 1951 Nakajima had attended a research conference in northwest Germany, and there he saw the Neumann microphone for the first time. He brought back the technology and worked hard on a prototype. Following that, world-famous conductor Herbert von Karajan was in Japan to conduct the NHK Symphony Orchestra. While Karajan rehearsed with the orchestra in NHK Studio 1, Nakajima’s sound engineers obtained an excellent recording with the prototype microphone. Director Shima of the NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories suggested they tell Ibuka of their progress, and Nakajima was sure he would be astonished when he heard the sound quality.

With this background, Ibuka and Nakatsuru were overjoyed at the news that the C-37A was considered to have surpassed the Neumann.

“Never before have I seen such a wide frequency band or such a smooth response in the upper range.” This praise came from William Robinson, chief recording engineer for Capitol, America’s leading record company — a man recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on recording technology.

Many musicians and singers preferred the microphone, too. Here are a few examples:

Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole both demonstrated the advantages of the C-37A. If Sinatra did not like what he heard played back, he would walk out of the studio leaving the record company to foot the bill for the session. This tended to happen two or three times before he was satisfied and re-recording was expensive. When studios introduced the C-37A, they would “get it in one take,” and Sinatra would go home happy. Capitol’s experiences led them to install the C-37A in all their studios. They were so proud of recording with the C-37A microphone that they even had it featured in photos on their album jackets.

Singer Izumi Yukimura, after a series of appearances on U.S. television, had this to say: “When RCA Victor heard me sing Love Is a Many Splendored Thing on TV, they signed me to record. I sang fifteen numbers in all. The accompaniment and everything else was superb. The recording was 3-D stereo, and although the studio equipment was basically the same as we have in Japanese studios, there was one difference — the microphone. Over there they nearly always use the Sony C-37A from Japan. When the microphone descended in front of me I was surprised to find the name Sony before my eyes. In the U.S., Sony’s microphone is considered superior to the Neumann or the Telefunken, yet here in Japan we’re still using western-made products. We don’t really appreciate what our own manufacturers can do.”

In another related note, one of the most famous conductors of the 20th century, Bruno Walter (September 15, 1876 – February 17, 1962) was in his eighties and had retired from his active career. But after hearing stereo recordings made with the C-37A, he took up the baton once again and actually re-recorded all of Beethoven’s Symphonies with the Columbia Philharmonic Orchestra. The picture above is Bruno standing at a podium and using baton during performance with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1930 a few decades before.

Text from the story “The Day Sony Outold Neumann” from Sony History.