Phonograph record

A record is a flat disc.

It has a tiny line cut into it. This line is a spiral. It goes from the edge to the middle.

A needle plays the line. This makes the music sound loud.

Long ago, records were made of shellac. Now, many are made of vinyl. They come in different sizes. Some are big and some are small. It is fun to hear music!

A phonograph record is a flat disc.

It has a tiny, wiggly line called a groove. This groove is a spiral. It starts at the edge and ends in the center.

To hear music, you play the disc on a record player. A tiny needle follows the groove. This makes the sound come out.

Long ago, discs were made of shellac. These were called "78s" because they spun at 78 rpm. The rpm is the speed of the spin.

Later, people began using vinyl. Vinyl is a type of plastic. Most vinyl records are 12 inches wide. These are called LPs, or long-playing records.

Some vinyl records are small. They are 7 inches wide. These are often called "45s."

Early records used a big horn to catch sound. This was called acoustic recording. Later, engineers used microphones. This was called electrical recording. It made the music sound much clearer and fuller. Even today, many people still love to collect and play vinyl records.

A phonograph record is a flat disc used to store music.

It works by using an analog storage method. This means the sound is kept in a tiny, wiggly spiral groove.

The groove usually starts near the outer edge of the disc. It travels all the way to the center. To hear the music, you must play the disc on a record player. A needle follows the path of the groove to turn the patterns into sound.

How a record works depends on how the sound was captured. In the early days, people used acoustic recording. Musicians had to play near a large horn to catch the sound.

This horn moved a tiny part called a diaphragm. The diaphragm then moved a cutting tool to make the groove. Later, engineers developed electrical recording. They used microphones and vacuum tubes to catch sound.

This new way made the music sound much fuller and clearer. It could even capture very soft or distant sounds.

People have been making these discs for a long time. In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the first phonograph. His machine used cylinders instead of flat discs.

Later, Emile Berliner created the first commercial disc records in the 1880s. His work helped the disc become more popular than the cylinder. In Camden, New Jersey, Eldridge R. Johnson improved the machines. He added a spring motor to help them run smoothly.

Their companies eventually joined to form the Victor Talking Machine Company.

There are many different types of records to know. For many years, discs were made of shellac. These were called "78s" because they spun at 78 rpm.

After the 1940s, most records were made of vinyl, which is a type of plastic.

You might see 7-inch discs that play at 45 rpm. These are often called "45s" and are used for single songs. You will also see 12-inch discs called LPs.

LPs are "long-playing" records used for full albums. These are the most common format used today.

Records were the main way people listened to music during the 20th century. They stayed popular even when newer things like cassette tapes arrived.

By the 1980s, digital discs called CDs became more common. This caused records to leave the mainstream in 1991. However, records did not disappear forever.

Since the 1990s, they have seen a new rise in popularity. Many people, including DJs and music lovers, still collect them today. They remain a special way to enjoy music in the 21st century.

A phonograph record is an analog sound storage medium shaped like a flat disc.

It uses an inscribed, modulated spiral groove to hold audio information. This groove typically begins near the outer edge and travels toward the center of the disc. To listen to the music, a person plays the record on a device called a phonograph, a gramophone, or a turntable. These discs were the primary way people reproduced music throughout most of the 20th century. Even as new technologies like compact cassettes arrived, records maintained a large market share.

The mechanism of a record relies on how the sound was originally captured and etched. In the early days, engineers used acoustic recording methods. Sound was collected through a large horn and piped to a diaphragm. This diaphragm vibrated a cutting stylus to create the groove. Because this method had a poor frequency response, singers often had to place their faces directly into the recording horn.

Later, electrical recording changed everything. Engineers developed technology to capture sound with a microphone and amplify it using vacuum tubes. This amplified signal drove an electromechanical recording head. This breakthrough allowed for a much broader and smoother frequency response. It enabled the capture of soft or distant sounds that were previously impossible to record.

There are several distinct formats and types of records. For about fifty years, discs were commonly made from shellac. These were often called "78s" because they rotated at a speed of 78 revolutions per minute (rpm). After the 1940s, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or vinyl, became the standard material. Vinyl records come in various sizes and speeds. The 7-inch disc is often played at 45 rpm and is called a "45" or a single.

The 12-inch disc is typically played at 33 1/3 rpm and is known as an LP, or long-playing record. LPs are the most prevalent format used for full-length albums today.

There are also Extended Play (EP) records, which can be 7-inch or 12-inch discs played at 45 rpm.

The history of the record involves several key inventors and companies. In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the first phonograph, which used cylinders instead of discs.

However, Emile Berliner created the first commercially sold disc records in the 1880s. His associate, Eldridge R. Johnson, improved the gramophone mechanism using a spring motor and a speed regulating governor. This made the sound quality equal to Edison's cylinders. In 1901, their separate companies reorganized to form the Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey. This company dominated the market for many decades.

Speed and precision were vital to the development of the industry. Early disc recordings used many different speeds, ranging from 60 to 130 rpm. The 78 rpm standard was eventually set by the Gramophone Company in 1912. This speed became standardized across the industry by 1925. Interestingly, the exact speed varied slightly depending on the local electricity supply. In areas with 60 Hz alternating current, the speed was 78.26 rpm. In areas with 50 Hz, the speed was 77.92 rpm.

Records have experienced several shifts in popularity and use. By the 1980s, digital media like the compact disc (CD) gained a larger market share. This caused the phonograph record to leave the mainstream in 1991. However, records did not disappear entirely. During the 1990s and early 2000s, they were commonly used by disc jockeys (DJs), especially in dance music.

In the 21st century, the phonograph record has seen a niche resurgence. It has grown increasingly popular throughout the 2010s and 2020s among audiophiles and collectors alike.

Understanding records also involves knowing how they are described. They are often categorized by diameter, rotational speed, and time capacity. They can also be described by their level of fidelity, such as high-fidelity or full-range. Users might also note the number of audio channels, such as mono or stereo. A common phrase in this culture is "broken record." This refers to a malfunction where the needle skips or jumps back to a previous groove. When this happens, the same section of music plays over and over again indefinitely.