What is The Multiplex?

At the 1904 World’s Fair, a young ostrich, who eventually grew to be the Floss Boss, followed the sugar-sweet air and found Fairy Floss. In a sugary trance, he followed the music, dancing his way into the marvelous brass Multiplex where he vanished. Rumor says he still spins in there, spun out on fairy floss as the music moves through him...

It should come as no surprise that sound and story both play a huge role in the Spun Out brand. We've incorporated different ways to share and showcase stories and songs into what we do. If you're curious, be sure to connect with us, there is so much more yet to come... Think of this as the overture—the rest of the story is still being spun.

So, what is The Multiplex?

At the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition (St. Louis World’s Fair) known as the Multiplex machine, The Columbia Graphophone Company exhibited a remarkable prototype of the “Multiplex” phonograph—or multi-track, multi-horn music machine—from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.

This device aimed to amplify sound by multiplying it: specifically, it used four reproducer horns to broadcast audio from a single record, delivering quadruple volume without compromising sound quality .

It’s called “Multiplex” due to the multi-output design—i.e., multiplying the sound output rather than altering the content. It was a technical demonstration rather than a commercial product. The Columbia Graphophone Company had previously showcased a “Multiplex” cylinder machine in Paris before bringing an updated version to St. Louis.

(Disclaimer: Please note that there are no surviving photographs or diagrams of the legendary Multiplex phonograph. The experimental nature and the fact that it was built for short-term display at World's Fairs meant that Columbia did not produce them commercially, and no intact models are known to have survived. The images we present are realistic renditions based on what we know about this marvelous machine) 

The Floss Boss' Origin Story is soon to come, we promise! Sign up to get notified when this magnificent tale is published and be among the first to follow the flock. Stay tuned!