A brief story of vinyl records
Accessing music from all over the world through a few clicks was unthinkable some centuries ago. The invention of mechanisms and artifacts to capture, stock, and reproduce sound has been evolving hand in hand with changing times, although vinyl records are still preferred among audiophiles.
Back in the 1850s, the phonautograph was the first device for sound recording, emulating a mechanical ear through a vibrating membrane that moved a metallic pen onto a paper or glass plate. The idea was retaken a few decades later, getting to reproduce the recorded sound. Afterwards, the gramophone was invented as the first hand-operated record player, using a rubber disc instead of a tinfoil cylinder.
The exploration of materials and formats led to the launch of 10-inch shellac records in 1901, which were gradually substituted by 7 and 12-inch records made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a more accessible and light material. Capturing the sound in the grooves of the vinyl, long play (LP) and extended play (EP) formats became popular from the 50s on.
Cassette tapes were invented in the 60s and compact discs in the 80s, seeking for more compact, portable, and automatized music devices. This led to a fall in vinyl manufacture and sale, that maintained throughout the rise of the digital era. Although in the late 2010s revived and are now growing in popularity, vinyl records have never ceased being the highest quality option.
