hardware consumer audio formats

How waveform is translated onto vinyl

acoustic waveform is engraved on the record

why labels released vinyl’s in both stereo and mono in the 1960s

Stereo was not standard until later on in the decade

When vinyls were most popular

1950s-70s

how a vinyl works

a needle runs along the grooves on a vinyl

vibrations from this create an electrical signal

benefits of vinyl

warmer

negatives of vinyl

-lack of portability

-sound quality can deteriorate

-easy to scratch

-warps when exposed to heat

-prone to rumble

-dust causes crackle

when cassette tapes were popular

1970-1990s

how a cassette works

similar to analogue tape but compact

play head reads magnetic info and converts it back into electrical signal

benefits of cassette tape

-cheaper than vinyl at the time

-less likely to scratch

-easy to copy

-longer record tines

-portable

disadvantages of cassette tape

-gets tangled and can snap

-quality of recording decays with each play

-hiss

-wow and flutter

-music heard as an echo before it plays

advantages of CDs

-Better signal to noise ratio

-don’t degrade with multiple plays

-cheaper

-better frequency response

-longer playing time

-portable

-easy to access individual tracks with track index

disadvantages of CDs

-scratching

-less warm