Whether you’re a beginner or a hobbyist when it comes to vinyl records, you probably wondered how vinyl records work. You were likely curious about vinyl record creation and the mechanics of its sound output at one point, so we’ll talk about them here.
Vinyl records work by converting sound vibrations into electrical signals, which reach electronic amplifiers that produce the music you hear. Generally speaking, placing a record and spinning it on the plate allows the record player’s stylus to read the music.
This article will explain everything you need to know about how vinyl records work. Hence, you can expect to understand a vinyl record’s creation, music storage process, and sound procurement. You can also look forward to learning about a vinyl record player’s parts and how they work on producing music.
How Vinyl Records Work: The Basics
You saw it on television and maybe in person, too: you can play a vinyl record by allowing it to spin on a record player. Somehow, that player produces music by letting a needle or stylus pass through the disc. Some sort of loudspeaker, the amplifier, enables you to hear the output.
So, how a vinyl record works seems simple when viewed this way. However, if you take a closer look, you’ll realize that a record player needs more than just a vinyl record, stylus, and loudspeaker. Vinyl records work only when you have those three components alongside a plate and cartridge.
A record player’s plate spins the disc to allow the stylus to read it. Meanwhile, a cartridge plays a crucial role in sound interpretation. In a typical record player, the cartridge holds a magnet that swings to a left or right coil within the player. However, other cartridges also utilize piezoelectricity instead of magnets.
Sound Waves
While the record player’s components are crucial in producing the sound, the music itself wouldn’t exist without the disc. The vinyl disc possesses the marks necessary to hear the sounds. Essentially, a vinyl disc’s grooves are imprinted sound waves that the stylus can read and help reproduce through the cartridge and amplifier.
To better understand how a record player reads a vinyl record’s imprinted sound waves and to get a closer look at the grooves within the disc, check out Applied Science’s slow-motion YouTube clip of a rotating vinyl under a microscope:
How Vinyl Records Work: The Specifics
A vinyl record consists of sound waves coiled up to form a disc. A record player converts the sound waves from the disc into electrical signals, which are then transported into the player’s amplifier. In turn, the amplifier enhances the sound and loudens it as it reaches the player’s speakers.
All of this is possible because of a record player’s transducer, which transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy. This transducer consists of a needle or stylus, magnets or a piezoelectric device, left and right coils, a cantilever, and the cartridge itself.
The cantilever is essentially the record player’s neck, which connects the needle and the cartridge. The cartridge is the tiny box you’ll notice next to the player’s neck. It holds the player’s crucial interpretative parts: the magnet or piezoelectric device and the coils.
How vinyl records work begins with the needle moving through the disc. The needle is typically an industrial gemstone or even a diamond because steel needles can damage vinyl discs. So, once the needle goes through the disc, it reads its grooves and transports the interpreted sound waves into the cartridge. When the sound waves reach the cartridge, its magnet or piezoelectric device reacts, and it swings to either the left or right coil.
The swinging enables the record player to understand what the sound waves entail and then convert them into electrical energy. It also determines which side of the speaker needs to play the music. If the magnet moves to the left coil, the sound comes out of the left speaker. Similarly, if it moves to the right coil, the right speaker produces the sounds. As the speaker’s cones move forward and backward, you hear the music.
Note that using a magnet or piezoelectricity energy doesn’t change the process of sound conversion. The sound waves imprinted into the vinyl disc’s grooves still undergo conversion from mechanical to electrical energy in a similar way and eventually come out through the speakers.
Vinyl Record Creation
Vinyl records are essentially hard drives that store music for your pleasure. They work by physically pressing sound waves into vinyl so that audio information exists within the finished disc. The grooves represent high and low frequencies, and it allows the record player to interpret the sound through them.
Low frequencies possess long waves and take up big physical space to store within a vinyl recording. Meanwhile, high frequencies take up less space due to their shorter waves. It’s also worth noting that wider and longer grooves increase the possibility of making the needle jump, which can result in missed sounds or misinterpreted music.
Storing Music in Modern Times
It’s best to know more about music storage to understand how vinyl records work. You can easily store music into a hard drive or your computer by dragging files into their storage destination in modern times. You usually don’t think about how it works because it happens almost instantly.
Music stored in a modern hard drive consists of long strings of numbers, which represent sound frequencies. Your computer mathematically compresses these numbers to save up on storage space and organize the file better. Hence, modern music comes in a digital or numeric format, which is different from a vinyl record’s analog or physical format.
Meanwhile, music storage in a flash drive happens using transistors, which are essentially tiny electronic switches. This process still stores music as digits, so it’s almost the same as storing music on a hard drive. On the other hand, compact disc storage presses musical digits into a disc’s shiny surface so that a CD player can read the music.
So, music storage in modern times heavily relied on a more advanced technology than what was available during the vinyl record’s creation. To figure out how vinyl records work, you need to learn how someone managed to store music without electricity or magnetism.
Storing Music in Older Times
Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, which influenced the creation of vinyl records. To allow audio storage in older times, Edison used a metal surface and created bumps on it. Then, he paired the disc with a mechanical finger meant to run along the metal surface to read the sounds.
Storing Music in Vinyl
Storing music in vinyl starts with creating a master recording. Sound engineers place a lacquer on a record-cutting device that rotates and allows a needle to create ridges within the lacquer. Metal coats the lacquer to produce a metal master recording. You’ll often see nickel or silver used in vinyl lacquer.
Once the ridging process finishes, the sound engineer separates the metal master from the lacquer. They’ll then utilize this metal master to produce a metal record, which allows the creation of a stamper. A stamper enables the actual creation of vinyl records.
When the stamper is ready, the sound engineer places it in a hydraulic press. Soft vinyl within the hydraulic press receives the grooves from the stamper as it presses against the vinyl. Then, sound engineers allow the vinyl disc to stiffen using cool water.
If you want to see how the process looks like when done with a machine, visit Furnace Record Pressing’s YouTube clip:
What You Need To Know About Vinyl
Now that you know how vinyl records work, what else do you need to know about vinyl? For one, you need to know that vinyl records come in different speeds, sizes, and weights. It’s also important to know how to take care of vinyl records.
What Speeds Do Vinyl Records Hold?
Vinyl records are available in three speeds: 33 ⅓ RPM, 45 RPM, and 78 RPM. RPM stands for Rotations Per Minute, which tells you how fast or slow a disc rotates. You can find a consistent amount of discs with a 70 to 80 RPM speed during early vinyl creation until 78 RPM turned into the standard RPM in 1920.
Vinyl records with 78 RPM were fast and held just a few minutes of music. Some years after World War II, the 33 ⅓ RPM format appeared, and vinyl records with 45 RPM followed soon after. The 33 RPM and 45 RPM offered slower playback speeds with narrower grooves. So, when we reached the middle of the 1950s, vinyl records with 78 RPM ceased their production.
Essentially, you need to know that standard vinyl discs these days come as 12-inch 33 ⅓ RPM records or 7-inch 45 RPMs. Most people consider the 33 ⅓ RPM variety as long plays, while 45 RPMs are singles or extended plays.
Playing a Vinyl Record at the Correct Speed
When playing a vinyl record, remember to check its speed and match it to your record player or turntable. That way, your audio remains clear and undistorted. Playing a 33 ⅓ RPM disc on a turntable that runs 45 RPM results in music that sounds too fast, while using a 45 RPM disc on a record player set on 33 ⅓ RPM results in slowed-down audio.
What’s the Difference Between 7, 10, and 12-Inch Vinyl Records?
The 7-inch variant contains a few minutes of audio. It’s often for singles, so only one song per side plays at 45 RPM. Some discs may also possess 10 inches of diameter, but they can only hold singles as well. Meanwhile, discs with 12 inches of size play at 33 ⅓ RPM and hold an album.
Why Are Some Vinyl Records Heavy but Others Are Light?
Most vinyl records weigh around 120 to 140 grams (0.12 to 0.14 kilograms), but you’ll also see that they come in 180, 200, and 220 grams (0.18, 0.2, and 0.22 kilograms). Some people may claim that heavier records result in better audio output, but that’s not often the case.
Lighter vinyl discs are prone to warping and breaking, while heavier vinyl records offer better durability and more resistance to warping. Heavier vinyl records provide a sturdier platform for the stylus, too, and grant you more playbacks than a lighter vinyl record. However, note that heavier discs cost more than $50 while more lightweight records only cost $10 to $30.
Does a Vinyl Record’s Size or Weight Impact Its Audio Output?
As mentioned earlier, a vinyl disc’s size influences its storable audio minutes. It doesn’t affect the audio output. Meanwhile, a vinyl record’s weight affects the disc’s durability and playback life but not its sound quality. On the other hand, it’s good to note that since the heavier records cost more, they undergo a more rigorous quality control than the lighter records.
Does a Different-Colored Vinyl Record Mean Anything?
Sometimes, different colors on vinyl records don’t make a difference. It certainly doesn’t affect audio output or quality. However, some different-shaded records could indicate exclusive content within the disc, so it’s best to check with your vinyl record supplier for clarifications.
How Can You Keep a Vinyl Record Clean?
You can keep a vinyl record clean by taking an anti-static cleaning brush like EVOE Record Cleaner on Amazon and gently brushing it against the disc. Place the disc on your record player and allow it to rotate, then allow the brush to run from the inside of the disc to the outside.
Gently placing the brush against the vinyl record ensures you don’t damage its grooves while allowing the turntable to hold the disc ensures oil and dirt from your hands don’t transfer to the disc’s surface.
However, if you’re thinking of cleaning a vinyl record more thoroughly, you can pair a record cleaning solution like Boundless Audio Solution on Amazon with a static-free cloth such as Record-Happy Cloth and wipe your disc with it. Place a few drops of the solution and start wiping in the direction of the grooves.
Besides your disc, don’t forget to clean your record player as well. Pay special attention to your turntable’s needle because it can gather some dust and bring it to the vinyl record. To clean the stylus, all you need is to brush it softly.
Additionally, remember that vinyl records need proper storage. It’s not advisable to stack them against each other because they can warp. It’s also best to keep the discs away from sunlight and inside their respective inner and outer sleeves.
See How to Store Vinyl Records in Sleeves: Complete Guide
How Can You Fix a Scratched Vinyl Record?
You can’t fix a scratched disc, but you can prevent it from happening. Put plenty of effort into not touching your disc’s surface and place the disc into its proper place after using it. However, it’s also crucial to understand that minor scratching happens on all discs over time. If you can’t feel the scratches and they’re very light, it shouldn’t affect the disc’s sound output. These scratches often occur from inserting and removing the disc from its sleeves.
How Can You Fix a Warped Vinyl Record?
Minor warping doesn’t affect your vinyl record’s sound output. However, if you notice your disc warped significantly, you can try two things. First, you can use books to sandwich the record for several days. Second, you can use two pieces of glass, sandwich the record, and warm it in an oven for a few minutes. You shouldn’t separate the disc from the glass until it cools down.
Alternatively, you can purchase something like this FEMELI record weight stabilizer on Amazon to play a warped record. Remember that you need to store records away from sunlight and in a vertical position. Storing it otherwise can cause warping.
See 7 Best Ways To Store Vinyl Record Albums.
What if My Record Keeps Skipping Tracks?
Your vinyl record isn’t necessarily broken if it keeps skipping tracks. Sometimes, records may keep skipping tracks when it’s not weighted correctly. So, observe your record player or turntable for signs that your needle’s arm raises itself up. You can quickly fix this by placing a penny on top of the needle or adjusting your record player’s anti-skating mechanism.
How Many Times Can You Use a Vinyl Record?
You can use a vinyl record about 100 to 200 times before you’ll start noticing sound degradations. However, note that your record’s storage and handling plays a part in its life as well. Similarly, the frequency of its use affects its life, so if you play a disc multiple times in a row without much break, you’re likely to shorten its lifespan. This is because friction from the constant usage increases.
See How Long Do Vinyl Records Last? Here Are the Facts
Final Thoughts
Vinyl records work by first having physical sound waves pressed into a disc. This produces grooves within the vinyl record, and a needle or stylus of a turntable or record player reads these grooves. The mechanical energies produced by the sound waves are then converted into electrical energies that come out of your speakers.
Be sure to check out our buyer’s guide for the best turntables under $200.