A simple explanation of how vinyl works

At Unlock, our mission is to make learning fun. Through our participatory teaching method, we incentivize students to take an active role during classes, allowing them to guide the class focus toward their interests and giving wings to their imagination, contributing to class construction. The following article is the result of the students curiosity:

Here's a simple explanation of how vinyl records work:

• Sound Waves to Grooves:
  • Recording: Sound waves from music are captured and converted into electrical signals. These signals are used to create a master recording.
  • Groove Creation: The electrical signals are then used to cut grooves onto a lacquer disc using a diamond-tipped needle. These grooves represent the sound waves, with variations in width and depth corresponding to changes in volume and pitch.

• Playback:
  • Turntable: The vinyl record is placed on a turntable, which spins at a constant speed (usually 33 ⅓ rpm for LPs).
  • Stylus: A stylus (needle) attached to a cartridge is gently placed on the record's grooves. As the record spins, the stylus moves through the grooves.
  • Vibrations to Signals: The stylus vibrates as it follows the grooves, and these vibrations are converted into electrical signals by the cartridge.
  • Amplification: The electrical signals are amplified by a speaker system, converting them back into sound waves that we can hear.

In essence, vinyl records transform sound waves into physical grooves and then back into sound waves through the movement of the stylus and amplification of electrical signals.