Information Capacity Of Records?
Recently, there was a topic about how much data a tape cassette could hold. Now, I'm wondering how much information you could store on a record? You know, those old, big, flat, black things that the humans of yesteryear used to listen to music?
If you used some sort of modem set up, attached to a needle to etch into the record, how much data could it store?
If you used some sort of modem set up, attached to a needle to etch into the record, how much data could it store?
Comments
lol not much. They say a tape could store 60 or 70 mins of low-fi songs. Maybe both sides of a record could do that, just with less detail.
Seems 12 inch records could hold 45 mins worth of music on both sides.
<a href='http://www.experimentaljetset.nl/lostformats/01.html' target='_blank'>Some info</a>
Of course. But modems transmit via sound, and sound can be recorded in analog. Therefore, there should be a way to make some sort of estimate regarding conversion.
Is it mere co-incedence that's the same storage capacity as a floppy disk?
You need 1s and 0's for data, records have pits and spaces much like morse code:
Example: ____ ---- __ -- _-_____-
Not individual slots.
If I am wrong, someone prove it to me pls. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
The question really can't be definitively answered.
You need 1s and 0's for data, records have pits and spaces much like morse code:
Example: ____ ---- __ -- _-_____-
Not individual slots.
If I am wrong, someone prove it to me pls. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Pits? Kind of like..... CDs? <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I don't know this for sure, but it makes sense to me.
So a standard would be created, then a data storage capacity could be determined.
Technically the standard would be designated as how precisely you could measure and write information to it. You then get into issues with the strength of the material limiting how well it can be read multiple times, and how accurate you want everything to be.
If you had a record of incredible hardness which would never loose an atom of itself, a way to write it on a picometer scale, and a way to reliably read it with 128 or 256 bit accuracy (allowing billions of "tones" to be written) you could store terabytes of information.
Using standard equpiment, you may be able to push several megabytes. Maybe a gigabyte in a lab. (very rough estimate)
Open ended questions FTW! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
With an infinitely precise alignment, you could theoretically store an amount of information whose limit is infinity in a single atom. Which strangeley wouldn't be enough to store 2 aligned atoms of this nature <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
error correction comes largely into play as well.
error correction comes largely into play as well. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well... depending on what kind of error correction that comes down to capacity as well, just that less of the capacity is available for data.
If you had and indestructible record (frist of all, what are you writing the info with?) then you'd probably get a data storage about equal to that floppy stated earlier (although it's probably less than 64kbps, because the sound quality is about equal to a telephone (8-16kbps)).
If you find a way to increase the quality of the music, you are increasing the capacity of the disk. Since the bumps are technically analog, there is no limit to how much you can fit, but with physical constraints, don't expect to get to better than a tape can hold (probably something more like 74 minutes of FM radio).
You could either the sound produced and record it (like a modem) or directly monitor the movement of the needle. All you would need is an A to D converter to change the analog signals into bytes and bits.
Not to say that it would be an 'experience' actually trying to rig one of these things up <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
hmnn
/me goes back to burning.
Um... modem?
records sounding like 64kbs, like a phone line? like AM radio?!!
Alot of people think records sound just as good as CDs, if not more so because of the 'warmth' of vinyl, as opposed to the cold digital sound of a CD.
certainly, they are above radio quality!
VINYL IS NOT DEAD!
*ameh* [/fanboy]
I think something like this has already been done with Stantons Final Scratch, it uses 'time coded' vinyls to manipulate mp3s, wavs etc.. in real time.
Im not sure how it works, but it aint music on them records...
For the most part, they are no where near CD recording quality. Most have more dynamic and pitch range than a phone, but a digital equivalent quality of even a well kept record is clean radio quality. It does have a unique sound, it did do a decent job, there is MUCH better now.
Is it mere co-incedence that's the same storage capacity as a floppy disk? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I believe that floppys were originally invented to replace LPs, so it's not coincidence.
Most computer components use digital signals because they have far more precision, even though analog holds far more data in the same space. This is because analog signals change, due to various forms of interference and imperfection in the transmission materials. This isn't really a big issue with video/audio, but it definitely would be with, say, executable code.
*edit*
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Records and CDs are very similar. The main difference is that records use vibrations from a needle touching the surface, while CDs use the reflection from laser light. Analog probably makes more sense on a CD, since they don't get worn out as fast as records.
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Audio on a CD, well anything on a CD is in 1s and 0s of a specificed size, there is no analog.
Audio on a vinyl record, is read by the groves being longer/shorter to reproduce said sounds more naturally.
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Most computer components use digital signals because they have far more precision, even though analog holds far more data in the same space. This is because analog signals change, due to various forms of interference and imperfection in the transmission materials. This isn't really a big issue with video/audio, but it definitely would be with, say, executable code.
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Computer components use digital because you can fit more digital 1s and 0s then you can fit on an analog medium, like audio cassettes. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->