This article details a comparison of audio recording mediums.
Comparison
The typical duration of a vinyl album is about 15 to 25 minutes per side. Classical music and spoken word recordings can extend to over 30 minutes on a side. If a side exceeds the average time, the maximum groove amplitude is reduced to make room for the additional program material. This can cause hiss in the sound from lower quality amplifiers when the volume is turned up to compensate for the lower recorded level. An extreme example,
Todd Rundgren's ''
Initiation
Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...
'' LP, with 36 minutes of music on one side, has a "technical note" at the bottom of the inner sleeve: "if the sound does not seem loud enough on your system, try re-recording the music onto tape." The total of around 40–45 minutes often influences the arrangement of tracks, with the preferred positions being the opening and closing tracks of each side.
Although the term
EP is commonly used to describe a 7" single with more than two tracks, technically they are not different from a normal 7" single. The EP uses reduced dynamic range and a smaller run-off groove area to extend the playing time. However, there are examples of singles, such as
The Beatles' "
Hey Jude
"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single was the Beatles' first release o ...
" or
Queen's "
Bohemian Rhapsody", which are six minutes long or more. (In 1989, RCA released 'Dreamtime' by the band
Love and Rockets, which clocks at 8:40). These longer recordings would require the same technical approach as an EP. The term EP has also been used for 10" 45 rpm records, typically containing a reduced number of tracks.
Vinyl albums have a large 12" (30 cm)
album cover
An album cover (also referred to as album art) is the front packaging art of a commercially released studio album or other audio recordings. The term can refer to either the printed paperboard covers typically used to package sets of and 78-r ...
, which also allows cover designers scope for imaginative designs, often including fold-outs and leaflets.
See also
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Audio format
An audio format is a medium for sound recording and reproduction. The term is applied to both the physical recording media and the recording formats of the audio content—in computer science it is often limited to the audio file format, but its w ...
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Audio storage
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CardTalk
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DJ
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Hard drive
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Magnetic cartridge
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RCA
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Record changer
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Record press
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Sound recording
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Unusual types of gramophone records
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Voyager Golden Record
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Vinyl Emulation Software
A close-up of a time-coded vinyl record
Vinyl emulation allows a user to physically manipulate the playback of digital audio files on a computer using the turntables as an interface, thus preserving the hands-on control and feel of DJing with vi ...
References
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*Lawrence, Harold; "Mercury Living Presence." Compact disc liner notes. Bartók, Antal Dorati, Mercury 432 017-2. 1991.
*International standard IEC 60098: Analogue audio disk records and reproducing equipment. Third edition,
International Electrotechnical Commission
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC; in French: ''Commission électrotechnique internationale'') is an international standards organization that prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic and r ...
, 1987.
*College Physics, Sears, Zemansky, Young, 1974, LOC #73-21135, chapter: Acoustic Phenomena
Further reading
*''From Tin Foil to Stereo — Evolution of the Phonograph'' by Oliver Read and Walter L. Welch.
*''Where have all the good times gone? — the rise and fall of the record industry'' Louis Barfe.
*''Pressing the LP record'' by Ellingham, Niel, published at 1 Bruach Lane, PH16 5DG, Scotland.
External links
Creating a vinyl recordYouTube — Record Making With Duke Ellington (1937)
A look at how early 78 rpm records were made.
Kiddie Records Weekly
— Recordings and case images from children's records of the 1940s and 1950s.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Recording medium comparison
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Recorded music
Technological comparisons