You may love vinyl records but not know much about how they work so in this weeks blog post I will take you through it and give you an understanding on how they work. It can seem a bit abstract, but it’s a man made abstraction, abstarctoin all the same. Like what eaxclty are sound waves? And how are they etched and records onto a record so they can be played back? Sounds like witchcraft to me.
But relax, its not withcraft. Its simply technology and huge leaps and developments in this technology that has happened overt many years.
In simple terms a record spins on a record player while the stylus moves through the record's grooves. The stylus is made of an industrial gemstone (like a diamond) and is attached to the record arm. The stylus “reads” the grooves on the record by generating an electrical signal from the variations of grooves within the circular grooves and transfers that signal via the cartridge out to the amplifier. Please note, there are record player cartridges that use piezoelectricity and some that use magnets, but in the end they both direct the signal to the amplifier.
Now that you understand how records work, you may want to find out the actual record player to get a better overall understanding of how Vinyl records work.
How Do Vinyl Record Players Work?
Vinyl record players are electromagnetic devise which change sound vibrations into electrical signals. When a record rotates, it created sound vibrations that get converted into electrical signals. These signals are directed into electromagnetic amplifiers. Electric amps vibrate and direct the resulting sound into speakers, which amplify it and make it louder. Record players still use the whole need and groove methodology that a phonograph uses, although record players today are much more advanced in terms of tech.
So how exactly does the record player work? The needle, or stylus of a record player is one of several parts that make up a transducer. A transducer is what changes mechanical energy (analogue) into electrical energy (digital) and vice versa. The entire system contains: a stylus, magnets, coils, cantilever, and a body within a cartridge. The mechanical energy from the sound waves is converted into electrical energy via the transducer which is then directed to the amplifier and out to the speakers.
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 held within the grooves. On the left side of the groove and on the right side are channels of audio that make up stereo sound.
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 record. The master copy is ridged instead of grooved. Its basically the “opposite” imprint of the record which is made into a kind of stamp. This stamp is pressed into a steam softened vinyl, using a hydraulic press. The vinyl disc is cooled with water and there you have it, a vinyl record is born!
After its creation, a record player is played on a record player. A record player is sometimes referred to as a turntable. Turntables rotate wheels using an electric motor. Some are named direct-drive turntables, which use a rubber belt and central axle to turn the table. It’s important that the turntable spins at just the right speed because a turntable that spins to fast makes a sound that is like The Chipmunks, and a turntable that spins to slowly makes a sound resembling Eeyore.
Comments