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How is sound recorded on vinyl?

Published in Music Technology 2 mins read

Sound is recorded on vinyl by translating sound waves into physical grooves on a disc. This process involves several steps:

1. Capturing the Sound

  • Microphones convert sound waves into electrical signals.
  • These signals are then amplified and processed.

2. Cutting the Master Disc

  • The processed audio signal is fed into a lathe, a specialized machine.
  • The lathe uses a cutting head to carve grooves into a master disc made of a hard material like lacquer.
  • The depth and shape of these grooves represent the amplitude and frequency of the sound waves.

3. Creating the Stamper

  • The master disc is used to create a negative called a stamper.
  • The stamper is made of a durable material like nickel or chrome.

4. Pressing the Vinyl Records

  • The stamper is used to press vinyl records from a heated vinyl compound.
  • The stamper is placed on a hydraulic press, and the vinyl compound is poured into a mold.
  • The heat and pressure mold the vinyl into the shape of the stamper, replicating the grooves.

5. Playing the Record

  • When a stylus (needle) is placed in the groove of a vinyl record, it vibrates in response to the variations in the groove's depth and shape.
  • These vibrations are converted back into electrical signals, amplified, and sent to speakers, recreating the original sound.

In essence, vinyl records are a physical representation of sound waves, where the grooves on the disc store the information needed to reproduce the sound.

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