Chemistry of materials in music - from the phonograph through vinyl to CD 0600-OG-EN-CMwM

The lecture is a popular science lecture in the field of Materials Chemistry (the lecturer works at the Department of Materials Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry at the Nicolaus Copernicus University). It presents the evolution of materials and technologies used in the production of sound carriers (CDs, CD covers, cassette tapes, VHS, DVD, etc.) and selected musical instruments from the beginning of the 1960s to the present, against the background of the history of several bands, the three most important of which are the Beatles (vinyl), Joy Division (vinyl with an original cover produced with special technologies of drawing paper) and the Toruń band Republika (picture disc vinyl and CD). The evolution of the materials used for recording sound, as well as the recording technology, had an impact on the method of recording the sound, as well as the technology of producing album covers in each age in which the groups were formed. The lecture will begin with a short historical outline focusing mainly on the materials used in the production of the phonograph (Edison 1877) and the patenting of the magnetic recorder. Production technologies will be presented and the materials used by Oberlin Smiths and Valdemar Poulsen for the production of magnetic recorders will be discussed. Then, the gold-plating technology used by Fritz Pfleumer in the production of cigarette filters, which was the starting point for the production of the first magnetic tape, will be discussed. Methods of producing tapes for tape recorders (including the role of the Stilon plant in Gorzów) will be discussed. The technology and history of vinyl records production will be presented in a similar way. At this point, the lecture will focus on technology developed in the USA by Emil Berliner (late 19th century).
The popular science methods of producing paper used for the production of CD covers will be discussed. The important role of the Beatles will be discussed, as they are known to be the first to propose a revolutionary approach to the production of covers. The technology, chemicals and materials used in the production of music films will be discussed on the example of the first musical cartoon of the film Yellow Submarine. The materials and technologies used in the production of vinyl records in Poland (from Gerlach to Pronit, Tonpress and others) and abroad will be presented. On the example of the British label Factory Records, home-made technologies used in the production of the first albums of this label (eg. A Factory Sample) will be discussed. The year 1982 saw the appearance of the first CD - i.e. laser optical reading. The technologies of CD production and the materials used will be presented. The role of material chemistry in the production of devices for the production and preservation of special effects will be presented on the example of the musical achievements of these groups. Technologies and modern materials used in the production of selected musical instruments will be discussed. The lecture, apart from presenting the role of chemistry (especially material chemistry) in music and the method of its preservation and distribution, is also an attempt to answer the question whether the materials from which sound carriers are made contribute to the renaissance of vinyl records? The lecture will be illustrated with the presentation and analysis of sound carriers from the author's rich library.

Total student workload

Contact hours with teacher: np. - participation in lectures 30 hrs - consultations- 5 hrs Self-study hours: np. - preparation for lectures – 5 hrs - reading literature-20 hrs - preparation for examination-15 hrs Altogether: 75 hrs (3 ECTS)

Learning outcomes - knowledge

Student: W1: has basic knowledge of the technologies of materials used to recording sound and image discussed during the lecture, has knowledge of the materials used for / and the method of producing album covers, has knowledge of the role of materials and the evolution of sound and image recording methods from the 1960s to now. W2: knows the technologies and materials used in the production and recording of sound, describes the most important stages of production from the time of the creation of the first phonograph and the first disc to the present day (CD, DVD, mp3). W3: is familiar with selected recording media and the era in which they were created, as well as the artists who contributed to the development of individual methods of recording sound W4: is acquainted with all current trends in sound recording and the methods of distribution

Learning outcomes - skills

Student: U1: is able to notice the differences in the impact of the quality of materials used in the production of a given medium and its production technology, on the quality of the sound and image obtained U2: is capable to analyze the influence of the surrounding world on the technology of production of sound carriers, album covers, etc. U3: has basic skills in using the acquired knowledge to critical estimating the impact of the material used for recording on the quality of the product U4: can analyze the relationship between the quality of the material used and the quality of the graphic design of a given publishing house

Learning outcomes - social competencies

Student: K1: is focused on acquiring new knowledge, skills and experiences K2: understands the limitations of his own knowledge and skills

Teaching methods

Expository teaching methods: - informative lecture

Course coordinators

Artur Terzyk

Assessment criteria

Assessment methods:
- written examination- W1, W2, W3

Assessment criteria:

Credit with a grade on the basis of a written test on the Moodle platform, consisting of single-choice questions out of 4 options. Incorrect answer - 0 points, correct answer - 1 point. At least 20 questions in the test.

Passing the exam after reaching at least 50% of the points available. Very good grade after obtaining more than 80%. The remaining grades proportionally ranged from 50 to 80%.

Practical placement

not applicable

Bibliography

1. Mary Anne White, Physical Properties of Materials, CRC Press, 2012.
2. Rob Thompson, Mary Thompson, The Materials Sourcebook for Design Professionals, Thames & Hudson, 2017.
3. Richard Osborne, Vinyl: A History of the Analogue Record, Ashgate, 2012.
4. Paul E. Winters, Vinyl Records and Analog Culture in the Digital Age: Pressing Matters, Lexington book 2016.
5. Hunter Davies, The Beatles, the only ever authorised Biography, McGraw and Hill, 2013 (dostępna również w polskiej wersji językowej).
6. Mick Middles: From Joy Division to New Order: The True Story of Anthony H. Wilson and Factory Records, Virgin Pub, 2002.
7. John Reed et al. To the Outside of Everything, A story of UK Post-Punk 1977-1981, Cherry Red Records, 2017.
8. Piotr Stelmach, Lżejszy od Fotografii. O Grzegorzu Ciechowskim, Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2018.
9. Collection of cassettes, CDs and vinyls, music films of the lecturer.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 0600-OG-EN-CMwM in USOSweb