The record, which appeared for the first time in the late 19th century and was the most enjoyable way to listen to music for many years, has become popular again in recent years, even though it was defeated by technology. For those who are not familiar with the subject, plate types such as 33, 45, 78 can be a bit confusing. Let’s take a closer look at the types of records, what is the difference between them, and see some interesting information about the world of records.
Today, thanks to digital music platforms, we can reach millions of songs with one touch, but before, we had almost no chance to listen to music other than MP3, CD, cassette and record devices. The most notable of these is the plaque, because The record that determined our listening habits for many years, After disappearing for a while, it recently reappeared and became popular with incredible speed.
Of course, the record as we know it today did not evolve in a day. Records with different recordings have been released over the years, and this is exactly why there are different types of records. Even though the record types, each of which managed to change the music listening habits of the period, are similar devices, there are many fundamental differences between them. What are the types of plaques, what is the difference between them, let’s take a closer look and let’s see some interesting facts about the record world
Before going into the details, let’s get to know what a plaque is:
The record, which entered our lives for the first time in the 1870s, with the invention of a device called the phonograph by Thomas Edison, It is a type of audio storage device. Unlike the digital method, the sound is recorded on the record in an analog way. You can review our article here to have much more detailed information about the record, which was the center of our musical habits until the 1970s.
How many types of plaques are there, how many are divided into plaques?
- Plates according to the construction material;
- Ebonite, shellac plaque
- Plastic, vinyl record
- Laxuer coated aluminum plate with cellulose
- Records according to the sound channel type;
- Mono, single channel record
- Stereo, dual channel record
- Matrix, quadrophonic record
- Plates according to the number of revolutions;
- 33-rpm record at 33⅓ per minute
- 45 revolutions recorder at 45 revolutions per minute
- 78 rpm record at 78 revolutions per minute
- 16 revolutions record at 16⅔ per minute
- Plates according to their diameters;
- 17-inch by 7-inch plates
- 25-inch by 10-inch plates
- 30 cm by 12 inch plates
- Plaques according to their classes;
- 25 – 30 cm diameter ebonite standard plate with 78 revolutions
- 45 rpm vinyl record with 25 cm diameter
- 17 – 25 – 30 cm diameter vinyl record with 33 cycles, longplay
Generally, the plates are like this according to their material, number of revolutions, diameter and class. Of course, these varieties are not referred to as such among the people, this type of classification is generally made by the experts of the business, but if you have the idea of making a collection in mind, you may want to choose according to these types before buying a record.
So what are the most well-known types of plaque, what are the differences? Actually their name comes from their ‘revolution speed’.
- 78 record
- 33 record
- 45 plate
The 78 plaque, also known as a stone plaque due to its heavy structure:
The 78-inch record is the first record type produced in mass production in the world and in our country. According to the types of records that will be released in the following years It had a much more fragile and heavy structure. Because of this structure, the 78-inch record, also known as a stone record in our country, was called by this name because it operates at a revolution speed of 78 rpm. Since it was of better quality than its predecessors, it could record for five minutes in front and behind. In the same period, in the last days of the 19th century, 16-era records were also released, but they were not liked by anyone.
Records of 33 known as Uzunçalar in our country:
The 78 records were beautiful, but they were both heavy and extremely fragile. The American Columbia company, as a result of its efforts to improve the records, released a kind of resin-coated records in 1930. Thanks to the coating on them, these plaques were much more durable. These records, which are called 33 records because they work at a speed of 33 1/3 rpm per minute, are called longplay, and in our country, they are called longplays. They are taller because they are wide and therefore can take much longer recordings.
A much smaller and useful 45 platter:
The 33′ records were also nice, but they had a problem, they were too big. A company called RCA Victor, which focuses on this problem of records, In 1949, he released 7-inch, 17-centimeter records. These plates are called 45 for short because they work at a speed of 45 rpm. Despite their small size, they have become one of the most popular record types as they do not cause any problems with recording length.
Let’s dive into the interesting world of records:
- The best-selling record of all time belongs to Michael Jackson.
- There are two records floating around in space.
- The world’s largest record collection belongs to a Brazilian businessman.
- A little secret, 45’s sound better.
- Record sales around the world are on the rise.
The best-selling record of all time belongs to Michael Jackson:
Of course, this record would not exist without the king of pop music, Michael Jackson. Records of Michael Jackson’s 1982 album Thriller Selling over 27 million copies He became the best-selling record holder of all time. When CD sales are also calculated, it is estimated that the album has sold more than 70 million copies.
There are two records circulating in space:
It was sent by NASA in 1977 to explore the unknown points of space. A gold plaque was placed on each of the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 vehicles. These records feature greetings, different music and world sounds in 55 languages, including Turkish. In other words, it was aimed to convey the message that we are friends with aliens through the records.
The world’s largest record collection belongs to a Brazilian businessman:
If you are just starting to collect records, this information may depress you a little. In 2016, Brazilian businessman José Roberto Alves Freitas was recorded as the person with the largest record collection in the world. Freitas has more than 6 million records. It would be more accurate to say there was, because he continues to buy new records all the time. Moreover, it even has a special team that takes care of the cleaning of these records full time.
A little secret, 45’s sound better:
If your answer to the question “Whether vinyl record or digital record is better is a record record, let’s ask, which record is better?” If we look at the technical details of the work, we can clearly say that the sound of the 45 record record is much better. Because the 45′ plate moves at 45 rpm, that is, faster than the 33′ plate, it has much more waveforms. Having more bumps and grooves means that the sound quality is much higher.
Record sales around the world are on the rise:
When we talk about the record, we necessarily use the past tense, but in fact, the record is becoming more and more popular. More than 20 million records sold in the US alone in the first six months of 2021 and generated revenues of nearly $10 billion. In the first six months of 2022, this figure is approximately 20 million records. Think of the whole world!
For many years, it has determined our music listening habits and has become popular again in recent years. what are the types of plaque By answering the question, we talked about interesting details you need to know about the record world. You can share your thoughts about the plaques in the comments.