How does a vinyl record make a sound on a record player?
- 1. Needle detects the mechanical changes on the groove First, the stylus runs along with the record etching and reads the changes in the sound wave. ...
- 2. Conversion of mechanical energy to electrical signals The wire coil inside a cartridge and the magnetic field surrounding it are responsible for converting these vibrations into electric signals.
- 3. Output via the speakers
What does a phono stage do?
What exactly does a phono stage do? The physical limitations of vinyl mean that the original signal has to be altered before it can be recorded – low frequencies are reduced in level and the highs are boosted.
How are turntables made?
How a turntable is made. There are two types of cartridge: moving magnet and moving coil. They both work on the principle of using movement to induce current thanks to magnetic fields. But, as the names imply, in one the magnet moves to induce current while in the other the coil does so and the magnet is fixed.
What is the stylus tip made of?
More specifically, it is the job of the stylus tip to do so. The tip is made of a very hard substance, normally diamond. But don’t get too excited – it’s industrial diamond rather than the really valuable stuff. That means it lacks the purity of the gems you might find in jewellery.
How wide is a groove on a record?
The groove. A record's groove – and there is generally just one that spirals gently to the centre of the disc – is tiny, usually around 0.04-0.08mm wide (depending on the level of the signal). If you were to unravel it, the groove on a 12-inch LP would extend to a length of about 500 metres.
What do the two sides of a groove represent?
The two sides of the groove sit at right-angles to each other, with the point of that angle facing down. Each side of the groove carries what can only be described as wiggles that represent the right- and left-channel audio information. The side closest to the outside edge of the record carries the right-channel signal.
When was the first 12 inch LP made?
Columbia Records launched the first 12-inch LP in 1948, with the first public demonstration taking place on June 20th at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York. The rest, as they say, is history.
Is a phono stage an amplifier?
The result should be a tonally even presentation. A phono stage is also an amplifier. Cartridge signals can be as low as a thousandth of a volt (CD’s output is specified at 2V) so the signal has to be amplified massively before the line-level stage of an amplifier can take over. Phono stage reviews.
Sound Waves
To fully understand how a vinyl record actually works, you need to first understand how a sound wave works. Sounds are created by waves of vibrations that move through the air as vibrating particles. These vibrating waves carry energy from the source of the sound, outward in every direction and finally to our ears.
Spiral Grooves
When a final music playlist is created, it is played back in a studio while its signal is dispelled into a disc cutting lathe. This device transfers the audio signal into a continuous spiral groove of a coated master disc with a diamond needle, representing an analog version of a sound wave.
Playback With A Record Player
While the continuous spiral groove of the vinyl record creates this sound wave, it can’t play on its own. The grooves need to be transformed back into sound waves for our ears to detect music with a record player, commonly known as a turntable. A record player is an electromagnetic device that converts sound vibrations into electrical signals.
What is the father disc?
The electroplated master then gets pulled apart, creating two discs that are mirror images of each other. One is the original lacquer master with grooves; the other is its opposite, with ridges instead of grooves. The latter is called the “father” disc and it’s what gets used as a stamper for pressing the record.
What is the difference between a turntable and a lathe?
Whereas a turntable converts grooves on a record into sound, the electronics in the cutting lathe do the reverse: They turn the sound waves in the music into vibrations that the lathe’s stylus cuts into grooves on the master disc. The stylus gets so hot during the cutting process that it has to be cooled with helium gas the entire time to avoid a fire!
How many records does a vinyl stamper make?
Once the stamper is done, the pressing plant can begin making vinyl copies. One stamper is required for every thousand records. After that, the stamper starts to wear out, and the audio quality begins to degrade. Technicians can make additional copies of the stamper by electroplating and splitting the mother disc.
How does a stamper work?
When the pressing sequence starts, the two stampers come together , squeezing the biscuit and labels with heat and roughly 100 tons of pressure. The biscuit flattens out, and the ridges on the stampers create the grooves in the still soft vinyl. At the same time, the labels get squashed into their respective spots in the center.
Where do the stampers go in a pressing machine?
The stampers get loaded above and below the biscuit in the pressing machine — one for side one and one for side two. The record labels that go in the center of each side also get loaded between the biscuit and the stamper on each side. Technicians have to bake the labels in advance to get all the moisture out of them, so they don’t bubble when pressed onto the vinyl by the machine.
Why is the lacquer master not the father disc?
The lacquer master isn’t usable for that purpose, however — nor is the father disc because it has ridges instead of grooves. Instead, the father gets electroplated once more and split apart, creating a grooved “mother” disc.
What is mastering engineer?
After an album gets recorded and mixed to the artist and producer’s satisfaction, the final mixes go to a mastering engineer, who gives everything a final sonic polishing in terms of both frequency and dynamics, as well as making sure that both the levels and tonality are consistent from song to song. Mastering is crucial, regardless of whether the album will be pressed to vinyl or simply released digitally. (For more information, check out mastering engineer Pete Lyman’s series of blog articles .)
How Do Vinyl Record Players Work?
Vinyl record players are electromagnetic devices that change sound vibrations into electrical signals. When a record spins, it creates sound vibrations that get converted into electrical signals. These signals are fed into electronic amplifiers. Electric amps vibrate and feed the resulting sound into speakers, which amplify it and make it louder. Record players still use the whole needle and groove methodology that a phonograph used, although record players today are much more high tech.
What is a stylus on a record?
A stylus is made of an industrial gemstone (sometimes diamond) and is attached to the record arm. The stylus “reads” the grooves on the record by generating an electric signal and transfers the signal via the cartridge out to the ampli fier.
What is the purpose of a needle in a vinyl record?
When a vinyl record is made, a needle is used to create grooves in the vinyl that is basically recorded information of the desired sound or music. A needle (or stylus) is also used to read the information contained in the grooves, playing it back so that we can hear the recorded information.
How is a master copy of a record made?
A master copy of a record is made using a stylus to cut grooves into a round disk. It’s sent off to be formed into a master copy of the record. The master copy is ridged instead of grooved. It’s basically the “negative” imprint of the record which is formed into a stamp of sorts. The stamp is pressed into steam-softened vinyl, using a hydraulic press. The vinyl disc is cooled with water and viola… a finished vinyl record is born.
How does a phonograph record sound?
Essentially, the phonograph recorded and stored sound mechanically by etching sound waves (or more accurately, the electrical signal of the sound waves) with a needle, onto tinfoil cylinder. The cylinder was rotated by a hand crank and the needle moved to cut a groove into the tinfoil, recording the sound wave signal.
What was the purpose of the needle and amplifier?
A needle and amplifier were used to reverse the process (in the case of the phonograph, the amplifier was a horn) and the recorded sound was then played back. Of course, the phonograph had many limitations, but it was the early vision of what would later become known as the record player.
Why did Thomas Edison create the phonograph?
Originally, Thomas Edison created the phonograph as a way to record dictation, with intentions for using it in office work and as a way for teachers to record lessons. His very first recording was said to be a recording of the nursery rhyme “Mary had a Little Lamb.” Unfortunately, phonograph recordings weren’t very practical as the tinfoil didn’t last very long and the phonograph device itself was too complicated for most people to use.
What is the metal layer removed from a vinyl record?
And there you have it; the removed metal layer is our stamper that will be used to press shiny new vinyl records.
How to press vinyl records?
To press vinyl records, the manufacturer first pours Polyvinyl Chloride pellets into a hopper, which feeds the material into an extruder that condenses them into a small puck shape referred to as a biscuit. The machines hold these vinyl biscuits in place as the labels are placed above and below. The biscuit and labels are then moved to the press where 100 tons of pressure is applied at very high temperatures to melt and mold the biscuit into a new vinyl record. Once cool, the excess vinyl is ready for a final trim.
What is the process of electroplating a disc?
Electroplating simply involves immersing the silver-plated disc into a liquid tank of dissolved nickel. When immersed, the nickel is fused to the silver surface by an electrical charge.
What is Nitro finish?
Once dry, the nitro finish becomes a thick coating similar to nail polish. (The guitar players among us lucky to enough to own a nitro finished guitar will be very familiar with the look and feel of nitro lacquer). Before the discs can progress to the next stage, they must first undergo inspection for flaws.
What is nitro finish on guitars?
Rollers catch the excess run-off lacquer, which is re-used. Once dry, the nitro finish becomes a thick coating similar to nail polish. (The guitar players among us lucky to enough to own a nitro finished guitar will be very familiar with the look and feel of nitro lacquer).
How to make vinyl records from master disc?
To create vinyl records from the master record, we must first create the stamper. The process begins by washing the master disc before spraying it with tin chloride and liquid silver. Any silver that does not stick is washed away.
How to secure a master disc?
First, the master disc is placed onto the lathe and the protective strips are carefully removed. To secure the disc, the engineer places a vacuum line at the center. Next, a microscope and cutter are moved to the disc’s outer edge ready to perform a test cut. The microscope is used to assess the test groove for any issues.
What is a record player made of?
Records are recorded onto a master, and then pressed into vinyl. Record players have a stylus, usually made from diamond or sapphire, which is attached to a tone arm (the thing you pick up and move to start playing a record).
Who was the first person to record the human voice?
In the 1870s, Thomas Edison was the first person to successfully record the human voice and play it back. He attached a thin membrane to a needle touching a cylinder covered with tin foil. Sound waves hit the diaphragm and jiggled the needle which etched the vibrations into the cylinder.
Who invented the ear drum?
In the 19th century, as scientists were just starting to figure out how sound waves move through the air and how our ears were able to hear them, a French scientist named Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville tried to re-create the ear drum by attaching a stylus to a thin membrane.
Who invented the gramophone?
In 1887, Berliner invented the gramophone, which pretty much how analog sound is played today.
How Does Vinyl Work?
To understand why vinyl sounds better, you have to understand how it actually works. We’ve written on this in the past if you want to learn more about how vinyl works, but here’s the simple version.
What About Music Streaming?
For the companies that offer a streaming service, their goal is to stream audio as cheaply and quickly as possible.
What is dynamic range in music?
This “dynamic range” allows the artist to really put emotion and feeling into the song, building with varying audio levels. This is present on vinyl records and some lossless digital formats, but it’s completely lost in an MP3.
What was the first solution to store audio files that could be played back far easier than a vinyl record?
The first solution to this was the 8-track, followed by the cassette. These were compact ways to store audio files that could be played back far easier than a vinyl record. Shortly after this came the invention of the compact disc (CD).
Why are CDs cheaper than vinyl?
CD’s could hold more information than a tape or a record, and they were a lot smaller, too. This was a perfect solution to the problem of the time. It provided a simple, convenient way to store music, take it on the go, and CDs were cheaper to manufacture than vinyl records, too.
Why did people have a record player?
Anyone who loved music had a record player because it was the only way to own music for yourself. This was mostly an inconvenience at the time. Consumers wanted a way to store their music that didn’t have to take up so much space.
What is a master disk made of?
First, the musicians record the tracks that they want to press onto the record. Then, a master disk, usually made of metal , is created with all of the musical information that was initially recorded. That is used to actually press the vinyl “biscuits” that will eventually make their way onto your turntable.
