Facts About Record Players

A record player is a device used to play recorded sounds. Record players are suited for both musical and spoken recordings. The record player has taken on many names, such as the phonograph or gramophone. In the late 19th century many people referred to a record player as a talking machine. Today, the record player is also known as a turntable or record changer.

Function

The function of the record player is to play or record sound. Record players play sound by using vinyl discs known as records. In the late 1800s record parlors opened. Here you could pay about a nickel to hear a song. Later, as record players became more affordable, many households had record players to enjoy listening to music.

History

Thomas Edison began to understand the principles of recording and playing sounds in 1877 when he discovered how to play back a recorded message through the telephone. Edison released his idea to the world when he invented the first record player on November 21, 1877. The device was patented in February of 1878. The first record player that Edison invented recorded sound on a tinfoil record player cylinder using an up and down motion with an instrument called a stylus. The sound was recorded into the foil's indentations that were wrapped around the cylinder of the record player.

Development

It had also been discovered that not only could a record player record sound, but it could also re-record sound. In 1890, many record companies began using the re-recording method to produce large amounts of their product, which generated more sales and earnings. Until this development was introduced, many artists had to record themselves on each individual record, which took a lot of time.

Today

Record players are not as popular as they once were. With cassette players, CD players and satellite radio, many people don't own record players anymore. But some people still prefer record players because they believe it provides a richer sound. Turntables are used in many clubs due to disc jockey's being able to scratch them, which is impossible with CDs. A disc jockey "scratches" a record by moving it back and forth quickly on the turntable to produces special sounds.

Prices

Record player prices have a large range from $50 to $800 apiece. Suitcase portables can be purchased at cheaper prices. These record players come in a small suitcase that is opened up to reveal the record player inside. Turntables used by professional DJs are the most expensive form of record players.