Some record player help please?
This is a bit embarrassing, please bear with me because I know nothing about this stuff. I want to buy an old vintage record player and a bunch of records, but I'm looking on ebay and it states whether the records are 33 or 45 or 78 RPM. I have no idea what this means, and how do I know which are compatible with a record player? Are they all compatible? Is one of the RPM better than another? Please help me out, thanks!!
the records are pressed, at a certain speed and need to be played back, at the same speed
45 rpm means 45 revolutions per minute, and have a larger hole, in the center.
33 rpm = 33 revs per minute, etc, and use a smaller hole.
the smaller 7" "singles" are usually 45 rpm, (except for a few "EP’s" which are 33 rpm)
the larger 12" are 33 rpm.
78 rpm, hasn’t been used since the ’50’s you aren’t going to see many of them.
33 and 45 will cover 99.9 % of the records out there, unless you are specifically looking for old 78’s.
It’s not really about which is better, it’s about "matching" the record and the player,
You have to play the record at the same speed it was recorded at.
Most players will play 45’s and 33’s, tho you might need an "adapter" to play 45’s, if the player just has the 33" "spindle"
You will need an amp or preamp, that has a "phono" input, for them to sound right.
the music industry rolls some of the bass off, when they are pressed, so that the needle doesn’t move around too much,
It’s known as the RIAA EQ curve.