Tuesday 23 October 2012

Phonograph Needles Point To A Standard Music Maker

By Louisa Purpura


The younger generation may not realize that there was music before mp3s and internet streaming. There was also music long before the introduction of compact discs, eight tracks, and cassette tapes. Portable music came through the means of vinyl. Vinyl was also known as records, albums, 78s, and 45s. They were played on turn tables. The sound would not have been possible without the invention of phonograph needles.

A metal stylus or needle rides in grooves of vinyl records. Peaks and valleys are in the records grooves. They correspond with what was recorded. Through manipulation of magnets and electricity sounds are amplified through speakers. If one says that a speaker is the heart of music on turntables then phonograph needles are the soul.

The industry of music has helped keep the need for turntables spinning. It was initially a niche in rap music through the art of mixing simultaneously multiple songs and scratching. Now these techniques are heard in other types of music. The forms of turn tables used in these conditions normally require cartridges.

Many owners of record players, original phonographs, and turntables possess them as antiques as well as collectors items. This puts turntable cartridges and turntable needles in an elite category with floats for carburetors and other supplies for antique cars.

The half lives of the average music player has changed drastically over the last century. Phonographs, after being invented in 1877, were sold to the public one year later. Exactly one hundred years later the technology was still driving the worlds primary form of music player. A decade later it was on the way out while cassette tapes and compact discs were reigning supreme due to their portability.

Records will remain as a standard for music. Like black and white to a motion picture, sliding rule to an engineering calculation, and Morse codes to texting, they will forever be the product which started it all.

There are specialty music shops that have wide varieties of needles. These are not one size fits all types of products. Basically every different type turntable made required a different type of cartridge. In some cases these are original parts from the original manufacturers. When many of them ceased production of stereos they sold their parts inventories that could not be interchanged with other products. An internet search will bring up several mail order companies.

Phonograph needles undoubtedly will maintain the link to the days of vinyl. It is possible the next forms of music could be in the form of neural telepathic downloads. These can be purchased with neural linked credit cards. One never knows.




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