I know that vinyl records save the sound as ups and downs on the record plate surface. Let's say two people with different voice timbers say "I like vinyl records" with the same level of voice. It will create the exact "ups and downs" on the vinyl record surface. I don't get how after this when reproducing the exact same "ups and downs" the vinyl record recreates the different voice timbers.
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
1
-
4$\begingroup$ I believe my answer to this question hear is relevant: physics.stackexchange.com/q/108435/26076; timbre is encoded as the relative amplitudes of the Fourier components, and this can be encoded in the one dimensional variations in the groove. $\endgroup$– Selene RoutleyCommented May 28, 2015 at 9:21
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
2
The key is not the vinyl (cause e.g. CD just have "coded electronic ups and downs"). It's a feature of recorded spectrum, i.e. the shape of ups and downs.
answered May 28, 2015 at 9:21
-
$\begingroup$ What do you mean with the "shape of ups and downs"? Can you explain this with example? $\endgroup$ Commented May 28, 2015 at 13:47
-
$\begingroup$ Please see the comment above ( physics.stackexchange.com/q/108435/26076 ) it will make things clear. $\endgroup$ Commented May 28, 2015 at 14:19
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
A rather hand-waving explanation of the process of recording and reproduction is:
Sound is a pressure wave, and you have a microphone which converts the pressure fluctuations into electrical signals which drive the cutter to produce the master for the vinyl disk. The cutter produces a groove where the depth corresponds to the pressure variation at the microphone.
On play back you have a pick up which converts the depth variation in the vinyl into an electrical signal which drives the speaker and reproduces the pressure variation originally present at the microphone and so reproduces the original sound.
The point is that the different voice timbers are characteristics of the pressure variations that the microphone captures and so are reproduced just because the system reproduces the pressure variations.
