Records Made from Beetles Before Vinyl
Chapter 1

The physics of the groove

Chapter 2

From shellac to stereo

Chapter 3

The art you can hold

Chapter 4

The global vinyl revival

YOUR GOAL

Master of Grooves and waves in a digital world

Ch 2 · From shellac to stereo
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sonia From shellac to stereo

Left wall, right wall, left wall, right wall, One single groove plays them both after all.

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The battle of the speeds

sonia The battle of the speeds launched the 7-inch 45 RPM single.

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The birth of the long play

sonia Columbia Records introduced the microgroove LP in 1948.

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Fun Fact

Beetle records: Before vinyl was invented in the late 1940s, nearly all commercial records were made from the refined secretions of tiny Asian lac beetles.

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Glossary
shellac (noun)
A purified lac resin used especially in varnishes and formerly to manufacture phonograph records. Columbia Records replaced this fragile material in 1948 by introducing the modern vinyl LP.

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Gossip

Best way to listen?

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Quiz

What does the acronym LP stand for in the context of vinyl records?

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Quiz

What brittle material, made from beetle secretions, was used to make records before vinyl?

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Quiz

Why did RCA Victor's 45 RPM records feature a much larger center hole than LPs?

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Quiz

What is the standard spinning speed for a 12-inch LP vinyl record?

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Quiz

Which engineer led the Columbia Records team that successfully developed the microgroove LP?

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Quiz

What speed, measured in revolutions per minute, is standard for a 7-inch single record?

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Quiz

How many minutes of music could a standard 78 RPM shellac record hold per side?

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Quiz

In what year did Columbia Records introduce the first successful commercial 12-inch LP?

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