Long playing record. History of vinyl
The year of birth of the recording industry is considered to be 1894, when Emil Berliner began producing gramophone records under the name of the company Berliner Gramophone. 100 years of the record's history have passed along with the technical and cultural development of the 20th century. There are several fundamental stages along this path:
1. pre-1920s Direct acoustic recording on a wax disc. licensed technologies, monopolized markets, home music playing
2. 1920-30s Electrical sound recording, microphone technology with natural acoustics, mass propaganda, the birth of mass musical genres, tube sound amplification technology, electromagnetic pickups, sound cinema, music radio, dance orchestras
3. 1930-50s Tape recording, editing with overdubbing and artificial reverberationWorld War, first experiments with electric musical instruments
4. 1950-60s standardization, HiFi and stereo micro-track recording on lacquer disc, household tape recorders, television, large-format multi-channel cinemas, pop culture, transistors, high quality analog circuitry
5. 1960-70s Multi-track recording, equalization, dynamic processing and reverberation, combo organs, synthesizers, noise reduction, musical subculture of stadium concerts and compact cassettes, microelectronics, operational amplifiers,
6. 1970-80s Multi-channel sound recording, digital mixing, recording on a metal disk, microprocessors and RAM, dolby stereo, synthetic music genres, discos, rhythm, light, boom box
7. 1980-90s Digital processing and computer editing home video, music television, samplers, trackers, sequencers, digital recorders, audio CD, walkman, computer workstations, data networks, multimedia. Licensed digital technologies, the erasure of national cultures and the globalization of music markets.
Recording has come a long way, but it started with a monopoly and ended with globalization. And okay, these are their morals. Another interesting thing is the nostalgic trend in recording technology of the 21st century.
Modern multi-channel studios purchase tube microphones, old microphones. At the output of digital signal paths high resolution magnetic tape saturation simulators, vintage compressors and tape reverbs are installed. Fashionable electronic musicians need old electromechanical instruments to realize their ideas; the original sound of combo organs from the 60s is in demand. Nostalgia has nothing to do with high sound fidelity; masters in their work want to enrich the world around them, and not just make a multi-pixel copy of it. In expensive studios, they pass the mixed material through an analog studer, killing “digital sound fidelity” by all possible means, as long as the sound is the same, human and familiar from childhood.”
What types of gramophone records are there?
Old 78-rev. gramophones, produced until the 60s. Modern records are all long-playing at 33 and 45 rpm. The old monophonic numbers with the letter “D” were the same size as gramophone numbers.
Grand - 10" (EP) - 250mm
Super minion - 200mm
Early stereo records were designated "SM", later ones "C". Both stereo and mono records are available in sizes:
Giant (LP) - 12" - 300mm (C60)
Minion (45,SP,single) - 7" 175mm (stereo C62 or mono M62)
You have to be careful about the letters in the record number designation. “D” and “SM” are records with micro-track recording from the 50s and 60s; for their correct playback, old pickups with 25-micron stylus are desirable. “C60”, “C62”, “M62” records are made for modern 18 micron heads.
Technical standards for Soviet gramophone records and equipment
GOST 1117-51 - Steel needles loud tone d1.4mm quiet tone d1mm r 30-60 µm
GOST????-52 - Radius of curvature for a needle 78 rpm = 60 µm, for a long-lasting one - 25 µm, width of an unmodulated groove 60 µm, constant pitch
GOST 7765-55 - Corundum needles for regular records d0.4mm r=60-61µm, for long-playing records d0.6 r=24-32µm
GOST 5289-56 - Long-playing records introduced
GOST????-60 - The radius of curvature of the needle for a stereo record is 13-18 µm, correction time constants 3180-318-75 µs, frequency range up to 63-15 kHz, channel separation > 40 dB non-linear distortions at maximum speeds 1%, variable distance between grooves and their depth, the width of the unmodulated groove is 40 µm, the modulation depth of each channel is reduced by 3 dB compared to single-channel
GOST 7893-61 - Mechanical sound recording on disk
GOST 5289-61 - D-NNNNN Gramophone records. General technical conditions
GOST 7765-61 - Diamond and corundum needles for pickups
GOST????-63 - “Flexible records” groove depth 30 microns, plate thickness 120 microns, written with a HF block, the frequency response of the GP, compared to the long-playing one, has a block reaching -6 dB at a frequency of 10 kHz (this block is compensated for when recording ), noise level -50dB
GOST 11157-65 - Household electrophones (input resistance for high-impedance pickup >0.5 MOhm, sensitivity at 1 kHz no worse than 250 mV, frequency range 60-15000 Hz)
GOST 5289-68 - 33Д-NNNNN 33C-NNNNN 33СМ--NNNNN
There is a problem with stereo records compatibility with pickups. Old mono pickups lack vertical flexibility and are unable to follow the groove of a depth-modulated stereo record. To solve this problem at low frequencies, Melody had to somewhat limit the vertical component of the signal recorded on a stereo record with the SM index. Monophonic pickups of the mid-70s already had sufficient vertical flexibility and reproduced a stereo record without distortion, so on records with the C index they no longer limited the vertical component.
GOST 7893-72 - C60-NNNNN Mechanical sound recording on disk (IEC stereo 45/45 degrees, correction time constants 3180-318-75 μs, 31.5-16000Hz +-2DB, THD< 1,5%, скорость +-0,5%, детонация 0,04%, 0дБ моно = 10см/с 0дБ стерео = 7,1см/с, радиус закругления иглы 18мкм, вертикальный угол записи 15град +-2)
GOST 5289-73 - C60-NNNNN Gramophone records. General technical conditions (center 7.24mm, eccentricity< 0,2мм, коробление < 2мм, шум -53dB относительно 1кГц при 10см/с)
GOST 18631-73 - Pickup heads
GOST 11157-74 - Household electrophones (input resistance for a high-impedance pickup 0.4-1 MOhm, capacity 180 pF, for a low-impedance one 38-56 kOhm, sensitivity 200-250 mV and 3-5 mV, respectively, 40-18000 Hz)
TU 43-03-48-73 "Flexible plates" (31.5-12000Hz)
According to GOST for EPU, the ability of the stylus to follow the sound groove is characterized by the flexibility of the pickup. The flexibility of class III pickups is 17 times less than the flexibility of premium class pickups. Unfortunately, back in the mid-70s, Melody had to take this circumstance into account and record with lower oscillatory speeds and lower amplitudes, based ONLY on mass-produced class III pickups. At the same time, the parameters of the highest class EPU were not fully realized.
GOST 7893-79 - Frequency response of the recording channel (IEC 3180-318-75 µs, playback channel 7950-3180-318-75 µs)
GOST 5289-80GOST 23963-79 - Diamond needles for pickups
TU 43-03-48-78 - "Flexible plates"
TU 43-03-69-79 - "Set of original designs for gramophone records"
GOST 7893-??GOST 18631-87 - Pickup heads (20-20000+-1.5 dB, 0.7-2.0 mV/cm/s 10000 Hz, channel separation at 1 kHz 25 dB, clamping force no more than 1 mN)
GOST 11157-87 - Mechanical record playback devices (speed 0.55%, rumble 76 dB (weighted), detonation 0.05, frequency range 20-20000 Hz)
GOST 5289-88/94 - C60-NNNNN Analogue records IEC 98 (20-20000Hz, silent groove noise -60dB, warping 1.5%)
TU 43-03-88/89 Mechanical phonogram on copper disk DMM (20-20000Hz, 0dB mono = 10cm/s 0dB stereo =14cm/s, matrix noise 68dB) Central locking index means digital recording
Sound recording
When choosing a record, you should pay attention to the year of publication, preservation, recording studio and manufacturer.
Since the establishment of the Melodiya company, the process of preparing and publishing gramophone records in the USSR has been centralized. Boris Meerzon spoke about the history of the formation of the industry in the magazine “Sound Engineer”: Funds for training sound engineers of the required level, and for the purchase of modern equipment and, finally, for paying fees to performers were allocated only to Moscow, in particular, to the State House of Radio Broadcasting and Sound Recording, or the All-Union Studio recording company, part of the Melodiya company. All records for replication and state storage, “stock”, the most labor-intensive and expensive, throughout the entire territory of the former USSR (even in cities such as Leningrad and Kiev) had to be made only by teams of specialists sent specifically for this purpose from Moscow, and even to the equipment you brought with you.
Stock records in the USSR are a high mark, but it must be added that the procedure for transferring records between allied departments still existed. Melodiya received many popular recordings for publication from film studios, from Radio and Sound Recording Houses and the studio of Central Television (USSR State Television and Radio). By the 80s, Melodiya's own structure included well-equipped republican recording studios and centralization production process decreased significantly.
Many studio recordings were already made in the regional Melodiya studios. Interesting facts about the existence of private recording studios in the USSR have emerged in recent years. The famous works of David Tukhmanov and Alexander Zatsepin were made by them independently in home studios with session musicians. Larger versions of phonograms were handed over to customers at the film studio for Melodiya and radio.
Wherever and however the recording was prepared for release on records, it was auditioned, approved and included in the production plans of the all-Union company Melodiya. The tape was transferred to the Mechanical Recording Office of the Melodiya company, at VSG - the only place in the country where one varnish disk with a recording is cut and assigned a serial number of the recording.
Record production
Only now does the production process begin, the responsibility of the record factories. In the magazine "Science and Life" and the catalog-bulletin of the VFG Melodiya 80x, some production subtleties were told: Let's trace the production chain after recording a varnish disc at VSG until the release of gramophone:
The varnish disc from the VSG studio is transported to the Moscow experimental plant "Gramzapis". "MOZG" is a galvanic and pressing workshop in the city of Khimki, which in 1978 was separated from VSG. There, sequentially, using the galvanoplasty method, they produce:
1. one first original;
2. 7-10 second originals, which are listened to by the inspector; any detected defects are eliminated by engravers;
3. from several pieces to 140 third originals. At the Pilot Plant they are used as a matrix only when there is a small circulation and a particularly high quality of gramophone records is required, for example, digital, measuring ones.
4. For mass runs, the Pilot Plant produces several hundred fourth originals, which are sent to record factories.
5. Factories independently produce fifth copies, which serve as matrices. The standard is up to 20 matrices from each original received from Moscow.
6. In press shops, several hundred plates are printed from each matrix. Together with the matrices, a label of the established type is placed in the hot press. The first record from each press is checked and listened to. Subsequent ones are checked by appearance, listen only selectively to determine the suitability of the matrices.
As we can see, with mass runs, all factories are in the same position, everyone receives the same fourth originals in quantities corresponding to production plans and standards. In a planned socialist economy, factories can differ in the age of equipment, the batch of imported raw materials and... the culture of production.
Another interesting production scheme develops when regional studios prepare publications of national or local importance; for this purpose, the tape recording is sent to VSG, where, after monitoring its quality, a varnish disc is written to which a serial number of the recording is assigned.
1. at the Moscow experimental plant "Gramzapis", there is simply nowhere else in the USSR - the first original is being prepared from a varnish disc.
2. Several second originals undergo quality control and engraving.
3. Dozens of manufactured third originals can already be used as a matrix. They are sent to the customer in the required quantity. Surely, some amount remains in the central archive.
4. The regional record plant prints records from matrices received from Moscow. Such low-circulation records are a fourth copy; all other things being equal, they will be better than the mass editions of this plant.
What factories were these? Even limited-run recordings were distributed and approved at the Melodiya head office; there were probably orders from republican Ministries, and it is absolutely certain that the plant worked with recordings from its local recording studio:
Since 1959, the All-Union Recording Studio has had an experimental production of records, famous with blue labels. Since 1978, this production has been carried out by the Moscow pilot plant - the labels are red, blue and black. VSG and MOZG always mean high quality recording and printing of records.
Leningrad Recording Studio (from 1959) and the Record Factory (from 1953 to 1964, the Accord Plant) (RSFSR) - yellow labels for mono records until 1972, for stereo - white, red and black
Riga Recording Studio and Record Factory (Latvian SSR) - yellow labels for pre-1972 mono records, orange, red, blue, black and colorful
Tashkent recording studio and record plant (Uzbek SSR) - yellow labels, low quality paper
Tbilisi Record Factory (Georgian SSR) - some white and some black labels.
Tallinn and Vilnius studios were published at the Riga plant, Alma-Ata - at the Tashkent plant.
If a regional publication gained all-Union popularity and trade orders required an increase in circulation, it was possible in Moscow to produce additional originals and, in the usual manner, use the capacities of other factories of the All-Union company "Melodiya".
Not everywhere had its own republican recording studios of decent quality; there were not enough trained specialists and high-quality equipment. Many national recordings were made and published in Moscow. Belarusian Pesnyary, Ukrainian, Moldavian performers recorded records of excellent quality folk music in Moscow studios.
The Aprelevsky record plant found itself in the worst position in this structure. Obvious competition in the central region with VSG, and then with the Gramzapis plant, had its effect. It is unlikely that Aprelevka received ministerial orders for records for “Fisherman’s Day” and “Builder’s Day” for production :-) Maybe that’s why the most powerful plant in the country worked only on mass circulation. His records, with white, cream, red and rarely blue labels, were never particularly renowned for their quality.
A question that naturally arises among interested collectors is the circulation of VFG Melodiya records. Today even FSUE Melodiya does not know this Soviet official secret. The total release of records in the USSR in the late 80s reached 190 million copies. Technical capabilities Mass printing allowed the release of several million copies of the record. How to determine the volume of circulation printed from a specific matrix, where is the beginning of mass circulation? - There is no way for an ordinary buyer to determine it based on formal characteristics. There has never been a division of records by circulation type in the USSR. Of course, this meant that all domestic gramophone records are produced in strict accordance with technical standards and every single one meets the requirements for high-quality playback on first- and highest-class equipment.
Some guidance in the concept of first circulation can be given by data published in 1984 by the director of the Moscow experimental plant "Gramzapis". The number of copies of the first releases of the new product is determined by the company's circulation commission, which includes representatives of the Ministry of Culture, the Union of Composers, Trade and other interested organizations. The circulation of the first records is determined depending on the genre:
opera, symphony, chamber music - 3-5 thousand
Russian folk music - 5-10 thousand
national music of the peoples of the USSR - 1-2 thousand
songs of Soviet composers, original recordings of pop composers - 5-10 thousand
vocal and instrumental ensembles - 10-30 thousand
the most popular variety programs (“Happy New Year”, “For you, women”) - up to 100 thousand
literary and dramatic recordings - 1-3 thousand
children's records - 5-10 thousand
Subsequent circulations of gramophone records are entirely determined by trading organizations. The company operates on an order system. Quarterly, trading organizations, taking into account consumer demand, form orders to record factories.
More technical information first hand:
From one varnish disc you can get 1000 or more matrices. Of course, records from the third original come out better in quality (mainly in terms of noise) than records pressed from the fifth original. The problem can be solved by burning several varnish discs with one program. But for now, varnish discs are in short supply (they are bought for foreign currency).
The initial noise level of records is -55-57 dB, and after 50 plays the noise increases by only 2 dB.
They are constantly working to improve plastics. In the future, its quality will increase mainly due to the introduction of antistatic additives, which reduce the noise level and dust on the surface of gramophone records. Plastic with antistatic properties is primarily intended for records. classical music, having a large dynamic range(sold for foreign currency).
All the best in USSR sound recording was done to publish works of classical musical culture.
The quality of the recording on any record depends on the performer, sound engineer, recording studio and the sharpness of the cutter used for cutting.
Author's performance collections were often made from different studio recordings; the quality of the compositions on one record will be different.
The quality of record printing depends on the circulation and the manufacturer's plant.
A fashionable record purchased by you or trusted persons through an acquaintance or according to a nomenclature “extract”, most likely an early edition
Exotic one-off editions always have small circulations and a short production process.
If the record shows a pair like Leningrad Recording Studio - Leningrad Record Plant of the Order of the Badge of Honor, this is probably a small circulation.
VSG-MOZG is always good and excellent quality, regardless of the color of the label
All Soviet discs from the 60s and 70s in an art sleeve are early editions; additional prints were sold in “general” editions.
Since the mid-80s, rarely have any records been released with a circulation of more than 50 thousand. 15 thousand copies is already a large circulation.
The conclusion from numerous attempts at “color differentiation” of Melody labels is that it is impossible to build a practical collection selection strategy on this:
There were no technical specifications for what label to put on which edition, what they ordered from the printing house was what they put on.
Neither the price nor the grade of the record depended in any way on the label.
If there was a gradation in the labels, then each plant followed its own internal rules.
The bulk of records from the 80s are owned by all collectors with red labels, regardless of the manufacturer.
For the vast majority of Melodiev editions, no one has seen black and blue labels. There is no use looking for them.
Neither the color of the label nor the name of the manufacturer provides guarantees of high-quality performance and sound engineering. But there are no other edition options; the master tape and the matrix from it were given alone to the whole country. Whatever record you can find in the best condition, buy that one.
Assessing the condition of records
Mint is a fresh, new record, although it has been played a couple of times. Envelope with protective bag and original attachments.
NM/EX - good to excellent condition for carefully played records. Barely noticeable signs of use, light scratches with no audible defects. Clicks are possible on the introductory track, and an increased rustle of the groove is noticeable during pauses. The envelope has yellowed paper, a clean end, but there are minor signs of use: worn corners.
VG is a washcloth, a well-worked plate. There are traces of installation on the layback, on the surface small scratches and abrasions, the sound is generally good, there are rare clicks and crunches. The envelope has worn out spines and corners, but is not torn or wrinkled.
G/F - killed, sawn, plate - gray surface, scratches and abrasions, continuous abrasions. Formally, the record is still playable (from the English Good/Fair), but it is listened to with constant crackling and sand, jamming and track skipping are possible. The envelope has tears and is significantly worn.
P/B - none at all - the record is unsuitable for playback. But even in this condition, the rarity has a collectible value
On practice:
honest VG+ of the first editions is better than the mint reissue of the 80s on a thin and lousy mass.
Sealed are sealed records purchased without guarantees, it is unknown what, but most likely a manufacturing defect intended for destruction.
The fact that sellers today give out EX for mint is a widespread practice and it is especially developed on our favorite website, eBay.
Record cleaning
"Record cleaning" does not mean digital signal processing. We will talk about outdated, but still effective technologies for removing dust and dirt from the surface of a record.
We need:
Antistatic brush for removing dust from the record and the stylus.
Recommended for everyday use
A hard nylon brush and isopropyl alcohol for cleaning the needle.
It is recommended to inspect and clean the stylus after listening to 3-4 records, depending on the condition, of course.
Record cleaning solution. “Classic” is a weak 1:7 solution of isopropyl alcohol in distilled water (from a car store or just well filtered) with a drop of rinse aid. This is a wetting fluid for photographic film (Kodak Photo Flo AGFA Agepon) or a rinse aid for dishwasher(Henkel Somat)
Old, heavily soiled plates are first washed in warm water with a high-quality dishwashing detergent such as Bagi Champolish. Using a shaving brush, thoroughly wash the surfaces of the strip. The foam is washed off under the tap and a final rinse is done in a “classic” solution. Then you need to shake off the drops, wipe the plate with a clean lint-free cloth Bagi “Miracle Rag” and place it on the laid out newspapers to dry. Don't worry about the labels, they are usually strong, they are hot stamped into the vinyl when stamping. But there is no need to rub labels unnecessarily.
If after a test listening a dense gray coating like frost has formed on the tip of the needle, it means there are residues of detergents in the sound grooves. This kind of residue always remains after washing records with Ferri. After a few listens, the stylus will clear the groove, but for now the sound of even good records will be quite muddy.
To control the cleanliness of records, you must periodically inspect the condition of the pickup stylus using a strong magnifying glass.
Yes! Isopropyl alcohol is used not out of economy, but because, unlike ethyl alcohol, it dissolves fat and pieces of lard from old tattered records. Alkaline plates at 78 cannot be washed with any alcohol, the labels on them cannot be wet at all.
And lastly, in very severe cases - glue, paint comes off easily with a cotton swab moistened with vegetable oil. This plate must be washed immediately in a washing solution.
Buying a vinyl record player in the 21st century can indicate one thing: either you are a connoisseur of antiques, or a true audiophile.
The peak of vinyl's popularity occurred in the middle of the last century. The record has long remained one of the most popular media of music. A beautiful insert album with the image of the artist, a neat transparent bag that protects the surface of the record from scratches, deteriorating needles, the eternal problem - fuses and the indescribable sound of a warm, gentle crackling in the speakers... Few could have predicted that the advent of magnetic tape drives and the digital era of sound recording (read the article:) will never be able to break the listeners’ love for vinyl sound.
Where it all started
The principle of sound recording, which will become the standard for creating vinyl records for many years, was discovered back in 1857 Edward Leon Scott de Martinville. The phonautograph device, patented in France, proposed recording a sound wave on a glass roller covered with soot or paper. The sound itself was captured through a large horn, at the end of which a needle was installed.
Twenty years later, another significant development will appear on the path to improving the sound recording system. While serving at the telegraph office, inventor and scientist Thomas Edison noticed a certain pattern while observing the operation of punched cards. Each contact that touched the holes on the card produced sounds of different pitches. A few months later, in 1877, a description of a device appeared in the US Patent Office, which would become the real progenitor of vinyl record players.
Principle of operation Edison's phonograph consisted of playing sound from small tin or wooden rollers covered with foil or a sheet of paper soaked in wax. The production of such rollers required a lot of effort, and the sound carriers themselves were not ready for even minimal deformation and were too sensitive to the storage environment.
The search for a simpler device for recording sound and the development of a medium capable of withstanding transportation and more severe operating conditions prompted the American inventor Emil Berliner refuse to use the method proposed by Martinville and then modified by Edison. In 1897, Berliner became the author of patents for two devices: recorder and gramophone.
For the first time, as a medium on which sound recording was carried out, it was used flat zinc disc. This solution made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of the entire record production cycle. Using a recorder, a “sound image” was applied to the surface of the zinc disk, and the resulting print was already used as a mold for creating copies.
The engineers of that time faced a difficult task - to find material suitable for duplicating sound recordings. Among the main requirements for the composition are low cost and wear resistance.
In search of the perfect material
To make the first gramophone records, a dark brown vulcanized rubber called ebonite. This material vaguely resembles plastic and lends itself well to processing, which was especially noteworthy when creating duplicates. Alas, the material has not stood the test of time due to its tendency to oxidize when exposed to daylight and ebonite is being replaced by organic material - shellac.
For the next thirty years, record production technology remains unchanged. Thick and weighty “shellac” records are gradually taking root in the homes of beginning music lovers. Gramophone, and its successor, published in 1907, mechanical gramophone, become not only regulars at clubs, restaurants and educational institutions, but also confidently enter the life of the average consumer.
In large cities, stores began to appear offering a wide range of “music albums” (all records were presented in a cardboard book box resembling a photo album). Alas, the imperfection of recording technology and the specifics of the material used for production made it possible to store only one composition on one side of the record. Due to short term Due to the life of the record and its high level of depreciation during playback, the same song was recorded on both sides.
The one-song barrier was only broken in 1931, when pioneers of sound engineering discovered single-groove stereo recording technology. The stereo record began to hold up to six songs of average length. Nevertheless, the life cycle of a shellac record was only a few months of active use. In the mid-thirties, the record appears new competitor- magnetic tape. Chemical technologists entered the fight for a potential buyer, and in 1948 the first batch rolled off the assembly line of the Columbia plant. vinyl records.
Since 1950, vinyl records have also been produced in the USSR. Polyvinyl chloride was distinguished by a high level of wear resistance, and the production process itself made it possible to significantly reduce the final thickness of the plate from 3 to 1.5 millimeters. The principle of recording records, established at the end of the last century, turned out to be simple for “folk craftsmen” to master. In the mid-50s and 60s, entire handicraft factories appeared for the underground production of records.
As a material for making the desired disc with “inhumane songs” banned by the authorities, it was used x-ray film. In the private collections of vinyl fans you can find albums by The Beatles and jazz compositions recorded “on bones” - developed X-ray films.
Battle of “formats”
The entire evolution of gramophone records is shrouded in disagreements in the world of standards: sizes, recording principles, manufacturing materials, recording speed.
Size. In the late 1890s, there was a single approved standard - the 7-inch high-speed record. In 1903, a new standard came into use - “giant” with a diameter of 12 inches. A few years later, another option appeared - 10-inch records. In the CIS market, the generally accepted sizes are plates with a diameter of 175, 250 and 300 mm.
Recording technology. Until 1920, the only method of sound recording remained mechanical. The frequency range for such recording was a meager 150 – 4000 Hz. In 1920, the era of electroacoustic recording began, and a microphone was used as a sound pickup. It is this year that the era of gramophone records receives a new “sound breath” with the ability to reproduce BH from 15 to 10,000 Hz.
Limit capacity. Rotational speed. Another characteristic of the entire recording era that experienced constant change was the speed of rotation of the record. The generally accepted “Soviet standard” of 78 rpm allowed for up to 12 minutes of sound. To record a conversation for a long time, “slow records” were used with a rotation speed of 8 and 1/3 revolutions per minute. Another standard is 45 rpm. The final point in the battle of speeds was the release of 33 1/3 rpm long-playing records.
Mono-stereo-quad. The principle of playing gramophone records is based on “reading” with a needle the sound pattern located in multiple grooves (tracks) of the record. Until 1958, mono records were produced: the stylus read only vertical vibrations. Then stereo plates appear: the vertical is responsible for the left channel, and the roughness placed horizontally is for the right. There were also options for quadraphonic sound, but the technology never justified itself.
Vinyl today
Since the advent of Edison's phonograph until today, the principle of recording records has remained virtually unchanged. Using a recorder, sound vibrations are converted into mechanical vibrations that are fed to a cutter, which puts the image of the composition on steel disc with copper plating. The resulting template is transferred to nickel copies and only then does the pressing of vinyl records begin.
The principle of operation of playback devices - players from a mechanical point of view has also remained virtually unchanged. The same rotating disk, the same pickup needles.
The cost of modern “vinyls” directly depends on several factors:
- design;
- installed preamplifier;
- form factor.
The advent of the compact disc in 1980 seriously undermined the demand for vinyl. For more than 20 years, records disappeared from the attention of music lovers, and bulky players gave way to compact CD players. But history confidently adheres to the boomerang principle: since 2005, there has been an era of vinyl revival. Vinyl has become a subject of experimentation and a sought-after medium among DJs. Warm, soft sound with almost complete absence harmonic distortion and incredible detail - this is not only the sound that a sophisticated music lover or audiophile deserves. This is a sound that everyone should hear and this opportunity does not require a significant financial investment.
What to choose?
A true audiophile is no stranger to the world of vinyl sound. In his mind, the horizon of “sane” record players starts at a price point of several thousand dollars. However, the choice of such expensive equipment is more like a ritual and a kind of tribute to sound, but you can join the world of records with a much smaller amount.
Japanese company Audio-Technica in the audio equipment market can rightfully have the status of a veteran. It was vinyl record players that became a fateful product in the life of the brand. In 1962, Audio-Technica introduced two high-quality pickups (popularly referred to as "stylus") AT-1 And AT-3. The stunning success of the firstborn was supported by the model AT-5, and 7 years after its founding, the Japanese company enters the world market.
Audio-Technica's influence on the world of turntables cannot be overstated. The company was the first to manufacture ultra-pure monocrystalline copper PCOCC pickups; behind her shoulders are the legendary portable vinyl players Mister Disc And Sound Burger, and three years ago the Japanese announced a specialized “turntable” player AT-LP1240 equipped with a DJ module.
One of the most popular “workhorses” that can serve a person just getting acquainted with the world of records can be an entry-level player from the company Audio-Technica AT-LP60 USB.
If your evolution as a music lover began with MP3 and OGG, smoothly transposing into listening FLAC formats and ALAC, and your old CD player is no longer fun, the Audio-Technica AT-LP60 USB is ready to introduce you to the sound of vinyl. This player will be an ideal choice for a beginning listener.
Unlike its little brother AT-LP60 USB, vinyl players AT-LP120USBC And AT-LP120-USBHC have a more impressive list of capabilities. Both models have three speed modes of 33.45 and 78 rpm, which opens up to the listener a number of records that came out of the assembly line of the Soviet Melodiya plant.
Professional cartridge AT95E allows you to achieve the purest quality of playback with a significantly lower level of detonation, and sound conversion using the built-in DAC allows you to obtain high-quality recordings that are many times superior to CD-quality music. Being one of the most authoritative representatives of the pickup market, the Japanese manufacturer equipped the Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USBHC model with the legendary pickup HS10 Headshell ( 5.00 out of 5, rated: 1 )
Only a true connoisseur of high quality and detailed sound will be able to appreciate the signal from a vinyl record player. No other device in this category can compare with it. modern technologies. Audiophiles often choose a device of this type because it is capable of generating high-quality analog sound. Additionally, digitization is performed with the addition of quantization noise.
Vinyl players allow you to reproduce and convey the mood of all the unique compositions that were specially created for them. Digital media unable to fill the signal with depth. That is why each composition is additionally released in an analogue version. The design of the device takes us back to the past, which every listener characterizes with comfort, romance and warmth.
Vinyl record player: how does it work?
Today, all modern USB players work on the basis of node interaction. The same system existed 30 years ago. The main components of any vinyl disc player:
- table;
- universal disk drive;
- disk with flywheel;
- pickup;
- needle;
- tonearm;
- other.
Sound from records generated by correct use laws of physics. The work of the first models back in the USSR was based on this. The sound is produced as the needle moves along the outer surface of the disc. This produces vertical and horizontal vibrations of the profile. They are converted into a special electrical signal. Preamplifier necessary to transmit the required sound to the speakers. In modern models this element may be missing. It was replaced by AV amplifiers and AV receivers.
Previously, aluminum was used to produce the flywheel and disc. Today, manufacturers have switched to using complex mixtures and compounds, vinyl, acrylic and carbon fiber. Thanks to the correct proportion, it was possible to significantly increase all the acoustic properties of the device.
Models with a roller or belt drive system are very popular. Their main characteristics:
- High-quality devices do not use a roller system and direct drive. Their interaction creates a large number of vibrations and electromagnetic field.
- The location of the engine plays an important role. Experts recommend choosing a device in which this element is moved outside the housing. To improve playback conditions, it is placed on a special shock-absorbing suspension. The compartment is made with thick walls.
- Phono stage necessary for each model to create perfectly accurate, spacious and high-quality sound. Please pay attention to its availability when purchasing a device of the selected model.
Basic rules of use
Every audiophile knows that only the correct operating conditions for any device can produce a high-quality signal:
- The player should be placed on a flat surface, thus reducing the likelihood of noise and vibration.
- If the model includes an external motor, the power supply should be placed on a separate shelf.
- During assembly, all manufacturer's instructions and requirements must be followed exactly. Only in this case will it be possible to achieve perfectly accurate transmission of the sound signal.
- The tonearm should be positioned so that the cable runs down and does not touch the turntable. If there are contacts, vibrations increase. This picture negatively affects the purity of sound.
- Settings should be made while the vinyl disc is installed.
You can plunge into the world of high quality sound only with a properly installed and configured vinyl player. Enchanting music will literally envelop you from all sides. The audiophile will be able to fully enjoy the detailed signal transmission.
Alexander Gerasimenko, specialist in vinyl players Audiovideomir.com.ua
Record(from gramophone record, more often just plate) - an analogue audio information carrier - a disk, on one or both sides of which there is a continuous spiral groove (track), the shape of which is modulated sound wave. For a long time (from about the end of the 19th to the end of the 20th century) it was the most popular medium for musical recordings, inexpensive, suitable for mass replication, providing high quality sound recordings and suitable for playback on relatively simple and cheap equipment.
To “play” (reproduce sound) gramophone records, devices specially designed for this purpose are used: gramophones, gramophones, and hereinafter referred to as electric players and electrophones.
When moving along a record track, the player's needle begins to vibrate (since the shape of the track is uneven in the plane of the record along its radius and perpendicular to the direction of movement of the needle, and depends on the recorded signal). The vibrations of the needle are transmitted either, which directly reproduces the sound, or to a converter of mechanical vibrations into electrical vibrations (pickup), the signal of which is fed to an amplifier.
The main advantage of the gramophone record was the convenience of mass reproduction by hot pressing; in addition, gramophone records are not subject to the action of electric and magnetic fields. The disadvantages of a gramophone record are its susceptibility to temperature changes and humidity, mechanical damage(appearance of scratches), as well as inevitable wear and tear due to constant use (decrease and loss of audio performance). In addition, phonograph records provide less dynamic range than more modern sound recording storage formats.
Historical reference[ | ]
The most primitive prototype of a gramophone record can be considered a music box, in which pre-registration The melody uses a metal disc on which a deep spiral groove is applied. In certain places of the groove, pinpoint depressions are made - pits, the location of which corresponds to the melody. When the disk rotates, driven by a clock spring mechanism, a special metal needle slides along the groove and “reads” the sequence of applied dots. The needle is attached to a c, which makes a sound every time the needle hits the groove.
The oldest sound recording in the world is believed to have been made in 1860. Researchers from the recording history group First Sounds discovered it on March 1, 2008 in a Paris archive and were able to play an audio recording of a folk song made by the French inventor Edouard Leon Scott de Martinville using a device he called a “phonautograph” in 1860. It is 10 seconds long and is an excerpt from a French folk song. The phonautograph scratched sound tracks onto a piece of paper blackened by smoke from an oil lamp.
Thomas Edison's phonograph, 1899
In 1877, the French scientist Charles Cros was the first to scientifically substantiate the principles of recording sound on a drum (or disk) and its subsequent playback. In the same year, namely in the middle of 1877, the young American inventor Thomas Edison invented and patented a device called the phonograph, in which sound is recorded on a cylindrical roller wrapped in tin foil (or paper tape coated with a layer of wax) using a needle (cutter) , associated with the membrane; the needle draws a helical groove of variable depth on the surface of the foil. His wax roller phonograph was not widely used due to the difficulty of copying the recording, the rapid wear of the rollers and Bad quality playback
In 1892, a method was developed for galvanic replication of a zinc disk from a positive, as well as a technology for pressing ebonite records using a steel printing matrix. But ebonite was quite expensive and was soon replaced by a composite mass based on shellac, a wax-like substance produced by tropical insects from the family of lac bugs that live in southeast Asia. The plates became of better quality and cheaper, and therefore more accessible, but their main drawback was their low mechanical strength - they resembled glass in their fragility. Shellac records were produced until the middle of the 20th century, until they were replaced by cheaper and unbreakable ones - made from vinylite (a copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate), the so-called. vinyl records . The name of the polymer gave rise to a widespread misconception that records were made from pure polyvinyl chloride. This is not so - pure polyvinyl chloride is not suitable for this due to its mechanical properties (hardness and wear resistance).
One of the first real gramophone records was an LP released in 1897 by Victor in the USA.
First revolution[ | ]
The first mass-produced records had a diameter of 6.89 inches (175 mm) and were called 7-inch records. This oldest standard dates back to the early 1890s. Such gramophone records are designated as “7″”, where “″” is the inch sign. At the beginning of their evolution, gramophone records had high speed rotation and a larger track width, which significantly reduced the duration of the sound - only 2 minutes on one side.
Double-sided gramophone records became available in 1903, thanks to the developments of the Odeon company. In the same year, the first 12-inch (12″) gramophone records with an actual diameter of 11.89″ (300 mm) appeared. Until the early 1910s, they released mainly excerpts from the works of musical classics, since they contained a total of up to five minutes of sound.
The third and most popular size was 10 inches (10″), or 250 mm. These records held one and a half times more material than a standard 7-inch record.
The fourth format (used in the USSR until the mid-1960s for the production of regular and long-playing discs) is 8 inches (8″), or 185 mm.
The three main sizes of records - 12″, 10″ and 7″ - are traditionally called “giant”, “grand” and “minion”, respectively.
The “life” of the first records was short-lived - the pickup weighed more than 100 grams and quickly wore out the track. The steel needles had to be changed after each play of a side, which was sometimes neglected, and if already played needles were used, the record would deteriorate even faster. Sometimes, in order to extend the life of favorite works, the same track was recorded on both sides of some records.
In the 1930s, records were released with one track on one side, and often a single concert by one artist was sold as a set of multiple records, usually in cardboard or, less commonly, leather boxes. Due to the external similarity of such boxes with photo albums, they began to be called record albums (“albums with records”).
Second revolution[ | ]
Single recorded on a 45 rpm record
With the advent of long-playing gramophone records with a rotation speed of 45 and 33⅓ rpm, the circulation of conventional gramophone records (78 rpm) began to decrease, and by the end of the 1960s their production was finally curtailed (in the USSR, the last gramophone record was released in 1971).
In the USSR, from the early 1950s to the mid-1970s, grand was the most common long-playing record format. Matrix numbers of long-playing discs, unlike regular ones, acquired the letter index “D” (“long-burning”) - used for monophonic discs) with the designation of playback speed (33D, 45D). After 1956, previously released records were reissued with new matrices and marked with the index “ND” while maintaining the old number. With the advent of stereophonic discs, they were assigned the index “C” (33C, 45C). According to the numbering of the “vinyl” catalog of VSG “Melody” (and its predecessors since 1951), adopted before 1975, the grandee was assigned a number in the form XXД(C)-ХХХХХ, a giant disc - XXД(C)-0ХХХХХ, an 8″ record - XXД (C)00ХХХХХ, minion - XXД(C)-000ХХХХХ. Until the early 1970s, the practice was to release the same records in parallel in two versions - mono and stereo. Then they stopped making separate mono discs, and until 1975, stereo records produced with improved compatibility with mono players were designated “SM” (stereo-mono).
For discs produced from the second quarter of 1975, the indexing principle was changed. By new system the first three characters of the record number had the following semantic function:
- index “C” or “M” - stereo or mono;
- the second index (numbers from 0 to 9) symbolized the genre of the recording;
- the third index (numbers from 0 to 2) served to indicate the format of the record: 0 - giant, 1 - grand, 2 - minion (production of long-playing 8″ discs was discontinued in the mid-1960s).
However, by this time the “grand” format was almost replaced by the more capacious “giant” and was used only for children's recordings.
Present tense [ | ]
Modern record player
2nd class player "Accord-201" 1974
Towards the end of the 20th century, the production of phonograph records and turntables began to decline, not least due to the development of the market for music compact discs. In the USSR, the use of gramophone records continued until its collapse; Until the mid-1990s, records were produced by former branches of the state-owned company Melodiya in the former Soviet republics, which were completely converted into commercial structures, albeit with significantly smaller circulations.
In certain areas, vinyl long-playing stereophonic records with a diameter of 30 cm (eng. LP) are still used:
On modern records intended for DJs, about 12 minutes of music are “cut” on one side - in this case, the distance between the grooves is much larger, the record is more wear-resistant, and is not afraid of scratches and careless handling. In addition, special records are produced for scratching, on which not the sound is recorded, but a special synchronization signal that is fed to the computer, which allows you to expand the capabilities of the DJ - for example, use sound fragments recorded directly during performance.
Since 2006, sales of vinyl records have been growing every year: for example, in 2007, sales growth was 37%, and this is against the backdrop of a 20% decline in CD sales in the same year. One of the largest American research companies, Nielsen SoundScan, estimates that 2 million vinyl records were sold in the United States alone in 2009; in 2012, 4.6 million records were already sold there, which is 17.7% more than in 2011.
In 2013, sales in the United States amounted to 6.1 million records. In addition to the US, the effect was noticeable in the UK and Australia. In 2016, more than 3.2 million records were sold in the UK (in 2007, when vinyl was the least popular, just over 200,000 records were sold in the country). Records still make up a small portion of the recorded music market (2% in the US in 2013 vs. 57% for CDs).
In record sales, both nostalgia plays a role (in 2010 the Beatles' album Abbey Road was the top seller) and other unclear factors: the first two places in 2013 were taken by the new albums Random Access Memories (Daft Punk) and Modern Vampires of the City (Vampire Weekend). Theories for the new popularity of records include both a desire to hear a richer and warmer sound, and a conscious rejection of the digital world.
In addition, an important role in the “vinyl renaissance” is played by the urban legend that modern cheap CD players do not reproduce sound well. In fact, the 16-bit quantization used in CDs is vastly superior to LP quality (equivalent to about 11 bits for the highest quality pressing).
The gramophone record as an element of culture[ | ]
Typically, vinyl records refer to the later ones, designed to be played on electric turntables rather than mechanical gramophones, and at a rotation speed of 33⅓ rpm or (less commonly) 45 rpm.
Flexible plates[ | ]
There are rare supplement records that were included in computer magazines in the late 1970s and contain computer programs. [ ] (later, before the mass distribution of floppy disks, compact cassettes were used for these purposes). This record standard was called Floppy-ROM; such a flexible record could hold up to 4 KB of data at a rotation speed of 33⅓ rpm.
Flexible records on which pop music was recorded were widespread in the USSR. They were small in size and usually held only 4 songs - 2 on each side. Such records with music recordings were also often released as supplements to youth magazines and inserted between the pages. The most famous example of such a publication is the Krugozor magazine, in each issue of which until 1991 a flexible gramophone record was published.
Flexible records are also recorded on old x-rays (“music on the ribs”).
Flexible postcard records were also previously produced. Such souvenirs were sent by mail and contained, in addition to notes, handwritten congratulations. They came in two different types:
Souvenir and decorative plates[ | ]
“Sound souvenir” - a photo card with a recording. They were made in the presence of the customer in small semi-makeshift recording studios in resort towns of the USSR.
The usual color of gramophone records is black, but multi-colored ones are also available. There are also gramophone records where, under a transparent layer with tracks, there is a paint layer that repeats the design of the envelope or replaces the information on it (as a rule, these are expensive collector's editions). Decorative plates can be square, hexagonal, in the form of a circular saw blade, in the shape of animals, birds, etc.
Handicraft records. "Music on the ribs"[ | ]
Recording on X-ray film
Stereo players can also play monophonic recordings, in which case they perceive them as two identical channels.
In early experiments in recording a stereo signal onto one track, they tried to combine more traditional transverse and depth recording: one channel was formed based on horizontal vibrations of the stylus, and the other based on vertical vibrations. But with this recording format, the quality of one channel was significantly inferior to the quality of the other, and it was quickly abandoned.
Most stereo records are recorded at 33⅓ rpm with a track width of 55 µm. Previously (especially in a number of countries outside the USSR), records with a rotation speed of 45 rpm were widely produced. In the USA, their compact versions were especially popular, intended for use in jukeboxes with automatic change or selection of records. They were also suitable for playback on home players. To record speech programs, records were produced with a rotation speed of 8⅓ rpm and a playing time of up to one and a half hours on one side. On the territory of the USSR, such records, as well as jukeboxes, were rare.
Stereo records are available in three diameters: 175, 250 and 300 mm, which provides an average duration of sound on one side (at 33⅓ rpm) of 7-8, 13-15 and 20-24 minutes. The duration of the sound depends on the cutting density. A tightly cut record can hold up to 30 minutes of music on one side, but the stylus on such records can jump and be generally unstable. Also, records with compacted recording wear out faster due to narrower groove walls.
Quadrophonic records[ | ]
Quadraphonic records record information on four (two front and two rear) audio channels, which allows you to convey the volume of a musical work. This format gained some, rather limited, distribution in the 1970s. The number of albums released in this format was very small (for example, a quad version of the famous album of the rock group Pink Floyd “Dark Side of the Moon” of 1973 was released), and their circulation was limited - this was due to the need to use for their reproduction rare and expensive special players and amplifiers for 4 channels. By the 1980s, this direction was curtailed.
Manufacturing [ | ]
Press mold for stamping gramophone records
Plate tracks under a microscope
Tracks with recording of one composition are separated from another by transitional sections without recording and a larger track pitch (they look like dark stripes)
Using special equipment, sound is converted into mechanical vibrations of a cutter (most often sapphire), which cuts a spiral sound track on a layer of material. At the dawn of recording, tracks were cut on wax, later on phonographic foil coated with nitrocellulose, and later phonographic foil was replaced by copper foil. In the late 1970s the company technology was developed Direct Metal Mastering), according to which the tracks are formed on a thin layer of amorphous copper covering a perfectly flat steel substrate. This made it possible to significantly increase the accuracy of reproduction of the recorded signal, which led to a noticeable improvement in the sound quality of phonographic recordings. This technology is still used today.
From the disk obtained in this way, using galvanoplasty, in several successive stages, the required number of nickel copies is obtained, both positive and negative (when the grooves are soundtrack look like protrusions above the surface of the disk) displaying a mechanical phonogram. The negative copies made at the last stage, which serve as the basis in the process of pressing vinyl records, are called; All intermediate nickel copies are usually called originals.
The production of originals and matrices is carried out in the galvanic workshop. Electrochemical processes are carried out in multi-chamber galvanic installations with automatic step control electric current and nickel buildup time.
Mold parts are manufactured on CNC machines and undergo high-temperature soldering in vacuum ovens using special technology. The molds themselves ensure high uniformity of the temperature field on the forming surfaces and low inertia temperature regime, and therefore high productivity. A single mold can produce tens of thousands of records.
The material for making a modern gramophone record is a special mixture based on a copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate with various additives necessary to give the plastic the necessary mechanical and temperature properties. High quality mixing of powdery components is achieved using two-stage mixers with hot and cold mixing.
In the press shop, a heated portion of vinyl with labels already glued on top and bottom is fed into the press, which, under pressure of up to 200 atm, spreads between the two halves of the mold and, after cooling, forms a finished gramophone record. Next, the disc edges are trimmed, inspected, and packaged.
Many will agree that the vinyl record is, without exaggeration, a symbol of the 20th century. Several generations of people grew up on them. And although this information carrier was supplanted over time by cassettes and CDs, it still has its connoisseurs and admirers all over the world. Why does this seemingly bygone thing still attract people?
It is logical that the history of not only vinyl, but also other gramophone records is inextricably linked with the development of equipment that could reproduce them. In 1877, the young scientist Thomas Edison patented his invention - the phonograph - a device that allows you to record and reproduce sound. The recording was made using a needle, which left a mark on a cylindrical roller wrapped in tin foil or wax tape. At that time it was truly a fantastic invention. In the same year, the French poet and inventor Charles Cros scientifically substantiated and explained the principle of recording sound on a drum and its subsequent playback. 10 years later, based on these discoveries, the American inventor Emil Berliner proposed a new method for recording and reproducing sounds and patented a recorder and gramophone. It was Berliner who proposed giving the sound information carrier the shape of a round disk.
