It was a fluke, really Berliner found a motor that worked at a certain speed and invented the disc to accommodate the motor.”ĭitto the choice by RCA in 1931 for their experimental 33-1/3 rpm records (the introduction of which we’re celebrating today). “The inventor needed a motor to drive the record player, and he found one that turned the disc at 78 rpm, although actually it was more like 78.26 rpm. The RCA Living Stereo recordings – the so-called “Shaded Dogs” – released between 19 remain among some the best sounding recordings ever made.) (And for our information, when they finally got around to it, RCA did it right. In the end, having lost tremendous market share to Columbia, RCA had to make LPs. And Columbia’s “Microgroove” technology assured that their discs were, truly, an order of magnitude better sounding than 45s. It could hold 22 minutes of music per side, more than enough time for most symphonies or a Broadway show. But the standard, 12-inch LP was an entirely new technology. Yes: these 45 rpm records sounded better, were cheaper, and more portable than 78’s yes, they served a younger demographic who wanted to purchase “singles”, particularly during the early days of rock ‘n’ roll and yes, 45’s were ideal for juke boxes. What RCA did with 45’s was refine an old technology, as a standard, 12-inch 78 rpm record could hold between 4 and 5 minutes per side. The maximum capacity for a 45 rpm is 4½ minutes per side long enough for one song per side. But despite the early profitability of 45 rpm records, it was a battle RCA was destined to lose. Instead of using Columbia’s technology, RCA came out with the seven-inch, 45 rpm record in 1949, and the so-called “battle of the speeds” ensued. Did the nice people at RCA Victor say thank you, pay the licensing fee, and get on with the conversion to 33-1/3 rpm LPs? No they did not and it ended up costing them a fortune. Wanting to avoid a format war, they offered their technology to RCA Victor, which was their principal competitor. The folks at Columbia were certain in 1948 that their new LP was the record format of the future. Take THAT, Savoy Plaza!)Ī fascinating sidelight, one that shows just how short-sighted presumably intelligent corporate leaders can be. (For our information: Columbia/CBS unveiled their new record technology at New York’s Waldorf Astoria on June 18, 1948. It wasn’t until 1948, when Columbia/CBS introduced a vastly improved 33-1/3 rpm LP that the new technology took off. The first 33-1/3 rpm records offered no significant sonic improvement over the 78 rpm records that were standard at the time, and despite the fact that more music could be packed onto a disc spinning at 33-1/3 rpm, the new technology eventually fizzled. The tony location of the demonstration aside, listeners were generally unimpressed.
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