History of Technology Formats
Vinyl
First popular in the 1950's but still very popular today
Many vinyls are collectable
Pressing a record requires engraving a copied acoustic waveform
A stylus moves in a grooves the disk rotates. Vibrations are converted into an electrical signal
Record labels released mono and stereo in the 1960's
Each side of the groove corresponds to a separate signal to create stereo image
Low frequencies are reduced on a record so the stylus doesn't move too much and EQ is applied so frequencies are the correct level
The RPM reflects the speed of a record (revolutions per minute)
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Advantages: -Record sounds authentic. -DJs use records to scratch -The popularity of vinyl has recently gone up
Disadvantages:
-Sound quality can deteriorate
-Not portable
-Easy to scratch
-Can warp
Compressed digital form
CD audio
stands for contact disk
Since the late 1990's, compressed digital audio formats have become more prevalent.
stores data as pits on a disk- read by a laser
holds 74-80 mins of stereo LPCM audio
store up to 700MB of data
ADVANTAGES
better signal-to-noise ratio than tape or vinyl
MP3 encoders compress audio data very effectively, sifnificantly reducing the file sixewhen compared to an uncompressed data.
doesn't degrade after playing multiple times
better freq. response
quick and easy access- track indexing
There is a pay-off in terms of frequency content and dynamic detail.
easy transfer to computer
more portable than vinyl
This audible when listening to MP3's through higher quality speaker system
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Early 2000's, better file compression formats, such as MP4/AAC offered an improved sound over MP3, and are used by iTunes and online music platforms
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DISADVANTAGES
scratching- cause issues with a large amount of data or even render sections unplayable
some analogue enthusiasts consider sound as brittle and unmusical, preferring the warmth of vinyl
Easy to share: you can attach a compressed digital audio file to an email or share via cloud services
Easy to buy or stream albums - this can be done at a push of a button
Lack of 'physical' product and album artwork
Lossy formats; this is when some audio data is lost while being encoded . This can cause issues with the stereo field on a recording and mask effects, whilst also introducing unwanted artefacts onto the track.
Analogue multitrack tape
a cassette contains four tracks, arranged as 'lanes' on a tape. The four tracks represent left and right for the A and B sides of the cassette
Studio multitrack tape is wider; providing more 'lanes'; we can record independently onto each of the tracks at the same time, or at different times when overdubbing
The wider the tape and the faster it runs, the higher the quality of audio representation
This means less hiss and a better high frequency response
Domestic tape recorders used 0.25 inch tape. In addition to this, studio and multitrack machines used tape widths of 0.5 , 1 and 2 inch (the widest commercially available format).
Editing early recordings on tape
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In the 1960's, to make edits on analogue tape, it was necessary to physically cut and splice (put back together again) the tape
The angle of the cut gave the smoothness of the fade between the two tapes, like a crossfade
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Disadvatages
Prone to print through; the music is heard as an echo before it actually plays
Susceptible to hiss
The quality of the recording degrades with each play
Recorders need to be cleaned with a head cleaner cassette
Sometimes get tangled or snap
Advantages
More portable than vinyl
Longer recording times than vinyl
Easy to copy with 'high speed dubbing'
Difficult to scratch or damage the tape as it is in a protective case
Initially cheaper than vinyl
The erase head of a tape recorder uses a strong permanent magnet that is placed near the tape to reset the polarisation of the iron oxide particles
The playback head 'reads' the magnetic information and converts it back into an electrical signal for amplification
Particles of iron oxide on the surface of the tape are magnetised by the signal from the recording head of a tape recorder
They use the same technology as studio multitrack tape but miniaturised with fewer tracks
Cassette Tapes were first popular in the 1970s