andrushkiwt
Well-known member
This isn't anything really pertinent other than my own interest being piqued here. I have always wondered exactly how a record player captures and produces the sound in the grooves of the vinyl. Of course, I have watched dozens of videos and read plenty of articles, but there is one aspect that has never been properly explained to me. Let me tell you what I understand and where I am having a hard time grasping the concept, before we get many replies that aren't helpful to my understanding.
Sound is produced. That sound vibrates a needle. The needle cuts small grooves into vinyl. When traced over again, with a certain device, and into an amplifier, those grooves play back the recorded sound. So, then, the recorded sound is literally etched into the vinyl.
Here's what I don't understand fully enough - Surely those grooves can be reproduced with things OTHER than sound. The vinyl doesn't know that sound caused the needle to etch into it, only that it is etched. So, couldn't we take a needle in hand and introduce small grooves into the vinyl to reproduce the same sounds? What is it about vibrations from sound moving the needle and making grooves that is distinct from a human holding the needle (or a machine, even, for preciseness) and replicating the same grooves? The vinyl wouldn't know what caused the grooves, only that they exist. How does a groove that is, let's say, .1mm thick and bends at such angle for so long, and is X mm wide, etc. etc. produce ONLY that sound that it does? What if no sound was produced but the EXACT same groove the needle made from sound was produced by hand or machine? The groove would be no different, yeah? So why would the played back sound be different?
Hopefully where I am misunderstanding was made clear. Obviously, the thing works. lol. I'm just confused on this one aspect and I've never looked into it beyond a few videos which never closed the knowledge gap. Thanks anyone
Sound is produced. That sound vibrates a needle. The needle cuts small grooves into vinyl. When traced over again, with a certain device, and into an amplifier, those grooves play back the recorded sound. So, then, the recorded sound is literally etched into the vinyl.
Here's what I don't understand fully enough - Surely those grooves can be reproduced with things OTHER than sound. The vinyl doesn't know that sound caused the needle to etch into it, only that it is etched. So, couldn't we take a needle in hand and introduce small grooves into the vinyl to reproduce the same sounds? What is it about vibrations from sound moving the needle and making grooves that is distinct from a human holding the needle (or a machine, even, for preciseness) and replicating the same grooves? The vinyl wouldn't know what caused the grooves, only that they exist. How does a groove that is, let's say, .1mm thick and bends at such angle for so long, and is X mm wide, etc. etc. produce ONLY that sound that it does? What if no sound was produced but the EXACT same groove the needle made from sound was produced by hand or machine? The groove would be no different, yeah? So why would the played back sound be different?
Hopefully where I am misunderstanding was made clear. Obviously, the thing works. lol. I'm just confused on this one aspect and I've never looked into it beyond a few videos which never closed the knowledge gap. Thanks anyone