Question to all vinyl heads.

[plastic penguin]

Does anyone know why a 7" single sounds different to a 12" single or LP? Noticed, have done for years, but never really felt the need to ask.

I've got quite a few 7" singles that I've kept either on 12" single or purchased the LP. The 12-inchers seem to sound more cohesive, generally.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Does anyone know why a 7" single sounds different to a 12" single or LP? Noticed, have done for years, but never really felt the need to ask.

I've got quite a few 7" singles that I've kept either on 12" single or purchased the LP. The 12-inchers seem to sound more cohesive, generally.

They do...???

Never notice... I've only 8/9 singles but, will do a test tomorow. :?

 

[jcarruthers]

Presume it's because all the music is on the inside of the disc so tightly packed.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Presume it's because all the music is on the inside of the disc so tightly packed.

 

[Al ears]

I think it has to do with 'groove spread'. The amount of space you have got to cut the amount of music into the disc.

In digital terms think of it as the amount you have to compress a song by to get it to fit into a given file size. 🙂

 

[chebby]

You know how the last track on any LP side usually sounds the worst?

Look at the area of the LP it occupies compared to the area of the first track.

It's a lot less, even when the tracks are of the same duration.

Measure how much length of groove passes under the stylus, in one rotation of an outer track, compared to the length of groove passing under the stylus in one rotation of an inner track. It's massively longer (but occupies the same amount of time).

Same with a 7" single compared to a 12" single. The musical information can occupy a much larger area (and a much longer groove) on the 12" version.

 

[drummerman]

Yes, regardless of what your parents tried to tell you ... size matters

regards

 

[MajorFubar]

It's the same reason why singles probably should have stayed at 10" and 78rpm, even after the move to vinyl. But convenience won over SQ. Wow that doesn't happen very often does it [/irony]

 

[TrevC]

It's the same reason why singles probably should have stayed at 10" and 78rpm, even after the move to vinyl. But convenience won over SQ. Wow that doesn't happen very often does it [/irony]

78 is probably OTT.

 

[AmigaNut]

Back in the day, I decided to buy 12 inch only as yes they were better quality.

They also had picture covers simillar to LPs, I assumed the SQ was due to 12 inch being thicker vinyl and the 7 inch were basically cheap & chearful pressings.

I get your points above abiut compression etc and think I agree.

Have to admi I had a cut out picture disc of Macca and Rupert bear to my shame.

AmigaNut

 

[plastic penguin]

Groovy.

 

[drummerman]

Groovy.

Literally.

I also read somewhere that they often used a higher percentage of recycled vinyl in the mixture for singles than for any other size. The number of times vinyl is recycable is not infinite as it breaks down so just that could be a reason for lesser sound quality as well as less longevity with regards to wear.

regards

 

[plastic penguin]

Couldn't agree more, DM. This what happens when the eco warriors work in the music industry. 🙂

 

[chebby]

Couldn't agree more, DM. This what happens when the eco warriors work in the music industry. 🙂

Or when the OAPEC nations quadrupled the price of oil in response to the USA supplying arms to Israel during the 'Yom Kippur war'.

 

[plastic penguin]

Or Ronnie McGreasie subsidising the Emerald Isle with arms....

Could go on...

 

[chebby]

Or Ronnie McGreasie subsidising the Emerald Isle with arms....

Could go on...

How did that affect the price of oil?

 

[plastic penguin]

How are burger boxes made?

 

[chebby]

How are burger boxes made?

From folded card in the 1970s.

Do you really think NORAID funding and McDonalds cartons had anything to do with the quadrupling of oil prices during the oil crisis of 1973-74?

 

[plastic penguin]

How are burger boxes made?

From folded card in the 1970s.

Do you really think NORAID funding and McDonalds cartons had anything to do with the quadrupling of oil prices during the oil crisis of 1973-74?

Polystyrene boxes used by the company for many years. No direct link to USA financing the Middle east, but still the Macs were responsible for arming terroist groups.

 

[chebby]

How are burger boxes made?

From folded card in the 1970s.

Do you really think NORAID funding and McDonalds cartons had anything to do with the quadrupling of oil prices during the oil crisis of 1973-74?

Polystyrene boxes used by the company for many years. No direct link to USA financing the Middle east, but still the Macs were responsible for arming terroist groups.

Even if that were true, it still had nothing to with the quadrupling in price of the primary raw ingredient for making vinyl (and the reason why recycled plastics started to be used in mass market records at the time).

'Styrofoam' cartons weren't used by McDonalds until the 1980s and the McDonalds IRA funding appears to an urban myth borne of a transatlantic confusion about them funding Independent Retirement Accounts for their franchisees (referred to as IRAs in the USA)...

http://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/30/opinion/topics-of-the-times-the-ira-you-say.html

.