Hobbies And Interests
History of
The technology to record and replay sound began to be researched in the 1850s, and in 1877, Thomas Edison created the phonograph, the first device that was able to do this. Technology advanced and eventually acoustic recording became electronic recording, where sound enabled an electronic device to scratch a signature into a record that could be read and played back later. The vinyl record wasn't made until 1920, but it was such a great material that it became the most popular type of record. They are still made today, and little has changed in their design, though they dropped out of popularity in the 1980s, when CD technology was developed.
Features
Vinyl records are, of course, made of vinyl, though the quality of the vinyl varies from record to record. Some are made of recycled plastic. New vinyl records have a slick, shiny, mirror-like appearance, though this wears with age on original records, not on pressings. Grooves are pressed into the surface, which are read when played on gramophones. These grooves represent specific songs that have been recorded earlier.
Benefits
Vinyl records offer a cheap alternative to other record materials. They are very easy to reproduce, and once a stamper is made for them a few hundred vinyls can be pressed. Vinyl records are also much stronger than other records. They are bendable and will withstand normal wear and tear. However, if enough pressure is put on them they will break. Still, they are less likely to than any other type of record.
Risk Factors
Many vinyl records are made on used or recycled plastic, which means that they are going to have small impurities in them, even in brand new records. These impurities need to be filtered through during production as much as possible, or else they will create noises such as cracks or clicks. Vinyl also has a unique property that gives them a static charge. Because of this, they get dusty easily, which is hard to clean. In order to keep vinyl records playing, they need to be dusted and cleaned regularly.
Size
There are three main sizes of vinyl records, though others were produced at various times in history. The common sizes are: 7, 10 and 12 inches. These sizes represent the diameter of the record. Theoretically, vinyl records can be made in any size, though the 12 inch was most common. However, radio shows in the 1940s often pressed recordings on 16-inch vinyl records. The smallest vinyl record ever pressed was 2 1/2 inches.