At a time when music has gone digital, vinyl is staging a huge comeback. Not that it really went somewhere since the hardcore music fans and particularly DJs didn’t ditch these black discs. It’s just that MP3s have replaced the CD when it comes to portability, and the vinyl is simply unmatched listening experience-wise.
Popular during the 1970s and the 80s, a blank vinyl was used mainly to record music. But this resurgence has brought many to use them not only for recording and listening but also for decorative purposes. In this post, I’m going to take a closer look at what these records are, how music gets recorded on them, decoration ideas, and more!
How to record music on a blank vinyl record
Ever wondered how your favorite Metallica track got inside that flat, round disk of vinyl? To figure out how a song gets recorded, we have to go back to the 1870s when the first recording and playback was successfully done by Thomas Edison using a cylinder. It was in 1887 when the gramophone was invented by Emile Berliner, who, instead of a cylinder, used a flat disk and amplified it with a horn or a cone. Record players have a stylus attached to a tonearm for a sound that is warmer and smoother than digital music.
These days, it doesn’t really have to take years before you get to produce a vinyl record of your own. The Vinylrecorder T-560 lets you record on vinyl at the comfort of your own home. It will set you back by a few thousand, though, but the convenience of recording without having to put on pants is priceless. See the video below for a demonstration of the T-560.
If the cost of a recorder is quite steep, you can opt to have someone else do the recording for you. Vinylify.com accepts orders for personalized records on demand. Be the artist, collaborator, director, producer, and even the cover artist, as they take care of all the dirty work from re-mastering to delivering the finished product right to your doorstep.
Blank vinyl records for decoration
You can never really underestimate the creativity of humans. Add to it the call of recycling, and you have an abundance of pretty cool things from pretty old stuff. Snooping around the internet brought me to these vinyl record ideas from Pinterest, where the artistic and imaginative prowess of artistic and imaginative folks get showcased. From something as simple as mounting the jackets on the walls to something as complex as crafting a handbag out of records, the imagination truly has no limit.
Check out the video below for over 50 DIY craft ideas for records.
Where to buy blank vinyl records
With the rebirth of these black discs, it’s relatively easy to buy them and even in bulk. Aside from vinyl record stores scattered around the city where you live, the internet is brimming with sites where you can effortlessly order per piece or by bulk.
1. Amazon
They offer brand new blank records pressed without any grooves, without any prints or writing on the label.
Price Range: approximately $25/pc
2. Record Banks
Record Banks offers a wide variety of blank vinyl record products at affordable prices. You can also order in bulk.
Price range: around $2.25 per record
3. Alibaba
This site offers blank vinyl records for enthusiasts of different levels. Ideal for artists, recording studio pros, stocking up for your client or warehouse, or just a plain collector.
Price Range: $4.36-12.86/100 pcs.
Blank vinyl record jackets
You’ve probably heard the cliché, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” If this was true, then why do you think artists and authors spend so much time working on their album covers?
Aside from giving character to the records, the most essential function of these jackets is to protect the vinyl from unwanted particles and scratches.
In the remote possibility that the vinyl album you purchased did not come with a jacket, you can simply replace it by carving out your own or you can source them from a wide variety of online options. Take a look at this video to find out how to make your own record jacket.
Here are some websites that offer record jackets for sale:
Their jackets are as slick and durable as the ones used by top recording companies.
They offer replacement jackets for your old and tattered ones in several styles for 7″, 10″, and 12″ records. They claim to have tougher and thicker sleeves that promise to outlast the vinyl itself for years to come.
Conclusion
Everybody loves a good soundtrack. Vinyl once stood tall as the leader of the pack when it came to music playback. These days, they are attempting to regain lost glory and winning back incredible market share, in my opinion. They are back in our living rooms and not just to entertain die-hard music lovers, but also to show off to our friends as decors when they come over.