When was the 16 RPM record invented?

When was the 16 RPM record invented?

1953
This 24-disc “ultra-microgroove” 16 RPM set was first released in 1953 and played for 23.5 hours. It must have been a big seller, as many copies can be found today.

What were 16 RPM records used for?

Radio stations often used the discs for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries. More frequently they became the first “Talking Books” for the blind. Pictured at the top, left, is a 16 RPM record of H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine narrated by actor Dan O’Herlihy.

What rpm were the first records?

33 1/3 rpm
Sayonara Shellac and Viva Vinyl In 1948, backed by Columbia Records, the first vinyl record was introduced at the soon-to-be standardized 33 1/3 rpm speed. It used microgroove plastic to extend a 12-inch record’s playtime to 21 minutes on each side.

What was 16 for on a record player?

The format was used mostly for “talking books.” The best seller was probably the Bible, which was recorded in the early 1950’s at the lower speed. If you search eBay today for 16 RPM records, the most common search result is this talking Bible.

Was there ever a 16 rpm record?

Whilst the vast majority of Long Play records were played at 33⅓ rpm, a few records were made to be played at half that speed, 16⅔ rpm (usually listed as 16 rpm). Even though 16 rpm records were rare even at the time, many record decks of the 1950s, 1960s and even into the 1970s came with a 16 rpm speed setting.

When did they stop making 78 records?

1959
In just ten years, 78s plummeted to only 2% of music sales. And in 1959, the last US-made 78 record was produced.

What speeds did records play at?

Speed and Diameter Vinyl records come in three speeds: 33 1/3 rpm (often just called a “33”), 45 rpm and 78 rpm.

What year did 33 records come out?

In 1931, RCA Victor introduced the 33 1/3 format, in an attempt to boost record sales that had been dropping since the stock market crash two years previously, but the lack of turntables that spun at 33 1/3 r.p.m., combined with the poor quality of the records in general, doomed the project to failure.

How do you know what RPM a record is?

Chances are, the records you’d like to listen to are full-size 12-inch records, spinning at 33 1/3 RPM, or 7-inch singles, spinning at 45 RPM. Often, EPs and maxi-singles are produced on 12-inch disks that also rotate at 45 RPM.

What are 45 RPM records?

Answer: The 7-inch, 45 RPM record was introduced by RCA Victor in 1949. Playing at a speed of 45 revolutions per minute, this type of record is often referred to as a “single” or, simply, a “45.” 45 RPM records became very popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

Do they still make 78 rpm records?

In just ten years, 78s plummeted to only 2% of music sales. And in 1959, the last US-made 78 record was produced. Not all sales went directly over to 33s, however. Although many did, there wasn’t always a need to use up all 40 minutes of an LP.

When did the 16 rpm record come out?

Sixty years ago, the August 1957 issue of Popular Electronics carried an article about the forgotten stepchild of audio recording: The 16 RPM record. More precisely, the records played at 16-2/3 revolutions per minute, and most moderately priced phonographs in the 1960’s would play the speed, along with the more common 33, 45, and 78 RPM speeds.

Why did I come up with 16 rpm vinyl?

I have no idea why this just popped into my head, but I had a flashback to being a kid (yes Jared, I was young at some point), and being fascinated with my parents’ record collection.

Why was a 16 rpm record player important in the 1950s?

If a family held a Christmas outing at their home, they could play 16-rpm records of holiday favorites that would set the tone for the evening with infrequent attention to the machine. The records also offered an advantage to the blind who were able to listen to them for long periods of time without having to change sides or disks.

Can a 16 rpm record be played on a 33 rpm turntable?

The article does include an interesting adapter, shown here. While the mechanical details are not explained, it allows a 16 RPM record to be played on a 33 RPM turntable. Presumably, it is powered by the spinning 33 RPM platter, and gears this down to 16 RPM for the record placed on top.