Vinyl records: grooves that hold the soul of a story

In a world saturated with digital technology, where functional obsolescence and consumption reduce the lifespan of each device, people are rediscovering the value of analog playback sources and vintage audio equipment. Among these, vinyl records are highly prized gems for collectors, audiophiles, and now, also for new generations.

I'm joining @mipiano's suggestion for this month about vinyl records. A very interesting topic, and one that falls within my passion for High-Fidelity sound.

My passion for audio began in childhood, when I watched my grandfather turn on his Philips vacuum tube record player and handle the vinyl records with the same delicacy and respect as if he were touching a priceless jewel.

These experiences left a deep impression on me, and during my adolescence, my mother bought me my first component audio system. A mini Hi-Fi system from the Sanyo brand that I will never forget.

At home, my parents had a record player, and along with family photos, vinyl records were among their most treasured possessions. My Polish mother amassed a large collection of music from her country, which, combined with the Cuban music my father bought, created a fascinating blend of cultures and melodies from different genres.

A record for a record player or turntable is a medium, usually made of shellac or vinyl, on which a sound recording is imprinted mechanically in the grooves of that material.

Just as a human being cannot breathe without their lungs and the rest of the respiratory system, a record alone cannot give us its music without an audio device to play it. For this reason, talking about one without the other would be incomplete.

In 1887, the German Emile Berliner patented the Gramophone, a device with a crank that, when turned, winds an internal spring. Once its tension is released, it drives a rotating system attached to a turntable, where the flat record to be played is inserted.

This 1904 RCA Victrola gramophone from New Jersey, U.S.A., is a treasure in the house, working and offering its design and history to everyone who knows how to appreciate it.

Initially, these records came with music recorded on only one side; later, both sides could be enjoyed. They rotated at a fast speed, at 78 rpm, or revolutions per minute.

Gramophones could be portable, with or without a horn. They were also manufactured in larger sizes. A metal stylus, resembling a headless nail, traces the grooves to produce that characteristic sound, which many today perceive as metallic and shrill.

Excessive mechanical friction of the pick on the record causes rapid wear of the pick, so it must be changed to obtain a better sound result.