Record album preservation

Overview of Material

Physical Properties

Industry standardization has resulted in a limited number in variations of size and speed in record albums and singles. For example, single song per side products favor the 7" size played at 45 revolutions per minute, abbreviated as "RPM" or "r.p.m." while a full album favors a 12" size at 33-1/3 RPM, occasionally denoted as 33.3 in shorthand. Historically, the recording disc as a medium, as compared against cylinders, settled on a 10" size disc of shellac played at 78 RPM with an average running time around 3 minutes, helping to prepare the market for a time length still prevalent today. Curiously, the term 'album' -used to represent a collection of songs grouped for release together, arrived to the music distribution model as a result of packaging individual 10" 78s in a container similarly sized to a photo album. In these early days, an 'album' often consisted of (6) individual 78s, each in their own paper sleeves bound like a book, and resulting in a 12-song grouping.

The physical properties of records depend on the type of discː shellac, vinyl, styrene, or acetate (lacquer), being the most common.

Shellacː The original mass-produced disc for audio, shellac replaced previous attempts with rubber to become the industry standard from the late 1800s till the 1950s. While exact composition of ingredients varies as manufacturers pursued a balance between increased sound quality and economic production costs, results also varied due to the standard 'coarse' groove, as opposed to the microgroove used in vinyl, and early on, without the aid of electric amplification. Due to the brittle nature of shellacs, 10" became a preferred size with some in 12" sizes, often with a deep thickness, a matte finish, compared to vinyl, and a playback speed of 78 rpm, becoming standard.

This 78 rpm 10" from 1953 shows significant use wear.

This 33 rpm 10" dates from 2014.

Vinylː Commonly found in 7", 10" and 12" diameter, vinyl also includes 16" transcription discs used for broadcast and the occasional more unique in-between sizes. Developed for widespread adoption in the late 1940s, the composite elements experienced more scarcity during the wartime being reserved for military purposes. Short for "polyvinyl chloride," vinyl has become vocabulary shorthand for the category of audio discs in general, due to its widespread adoption as a stable medium. Competition between RCA and Columbia resulted in adoption of both playback speeds of 45 rpm (pushed by RCA for its 7" discs) and 33-1/3 (pushed by Columbia for its 12" LPs), with the ARSC Guide to Audio Preservation remarking "by 1951, the competition ended in a draw with both companies producing the opposition's format" (p. 20). Today with the revival in vinyl production both playback speeds still remain standard on record players.

Styreneː Arriving after vinyl, styrene, short for 'polystyrene' existed mostly for 7" 45 rpm singles from the 1950s until the 1980s. A result of injection molding rather than pressing, the labels are stickers applied to the record instead of being pressed into it with vinyl. While often lighter in weigh, the brittle properties of styrene parallel concerns with shellac. The use of styrene provided a faster production method for larger labels looking to rush something to market, often for DJs, with a new single. Primarily used for 7" 45 rpm [products, a few instances exist of styrene for 12" LPs, though quite rare. Along with glue-on labels and weight, a method for detecting styrene includes holding it up the light to reveal a deep red translucency, not possible with vinyl. Being injection-molded, styrene often has a flat squared-off edge in contrast to the tapered edges of pressed vinyl.

Acetate (also called Lacquers)ː Acetate records most commonly involved a thin layer of lacquer on an aluminum core. Other historical physical variations include an entirely aluminum disc and a lacquer-coated glass cored disc. According to the NEDCC Fundamentals of AV Preservation "Glass-based lacquer discs replaced aluminum during World War II when the demand for metal became great" (sec.2.2). These instant, one-off recordings often favored sizes of 10" and 12" however plenty of exceptions exist [see pics].Labelling on the discs can be applied stickers with studio or manufacturer's name, or even hand-written with 'grease pencils,' also known as wax pencils. As magnetic tape proliferated as a new medium, the lacquers see a decline in use in the late 1950s onward. Physically, the groove in a lacquer acetate is cut rather than pressed, as also indicated by manufacturer's sleeves warning against the flammable properties of the off-cuts. The cutting process for lacquers often necessitated extra "drive holes" (in addition to the center spindle hole) to maintain the correct speed during the cutting process.

Common Applications

The various plastic compositions and sizes resulted from format competitions between manufacturers, the availability of raw materials, and ability to play on consumer model or professional broadcasting equipment. For example, 16" vinyl transcription discs, often running at 33-1/3, used in broadcasting studios rarely saw residential use. Similarly, test pressings and demo recordings on acetate discs (also called lacquers) have a limited lifespan, not meant for home enjoyment, with many of them containing audio never transferred to vinyl. Moreover, many pressed recordings on 45 rpm 7" sized formats may be on styrene in lower quantity runs for the use of DJs to test audience response before pressing a vinyl equivalent. While the big-hole 45 7" reigned supreme in the singles market, small-holed 45s certainly existed, as well as 33.3 RPM 7" EPs, or Extended Play, which often had 2 or 3 songs per side. While the 10" size dominated the early days of record production during the 78 RPM period, today this size, often played at 33.3 like an album, has also returned providing a touch of nostalgia with easy at-home play on a standard modern record player. The use of the term "LP" in albums refers to it being a Long-Play release often over 30 minutes, featuring more songs than an EP or a single, often in a 12" diameter. Singles predominantly featured a song to 'plug' on the radio to encourage positive response on the "A-side" while using the "B-side" or "flipside" to promote a second less-promoted song. Due to variations in preferences and sensibilities in DJs (disc jockeys), who carried enormous curatorial authority in radio broadcasting, often "the flip" became a hit in its own right, when promoted properly or even as a result of accidental play. As a result, many styrene singles today exist where there is no vinyl equivalent.

These 45 rpm 7"s compare big hole and small hole design.

Threats and Agents of Deterioration

Shellacː While robust, the brittleness of shellac results in its greatest threatː breakage. The composition does not allow for easy mold infiltration into the disc, although this format is more susceptible to high humidity than vinyl and despite coming from the lac beetle, the product does not attract pests. The brittleness remains the priamry threatː according to the NEDCC Fundamentals of AV Preservation, "Excessive pressure or dropping a shellac disc will almost certainly result in breakage" (sec. 2.2)

Vinylː While the most stable of audio discs, vinyl still has limitations especially in relation to exposure to heat, which can cause warping and pressure from compression damage. Furthermore, the attractive outer sleeves used to market and identify the vinyl often suffer from ringwear due to repeated rubbing. AASLH Technical Leaflet #195 warns that heat damage may be irreversible " The most obvious sort of destruction for recordings is the warping that occurs if a disc is left in a hot place, and, once this occurs, there is little that you can do to repair the damage short of contacting a professional sound engineer" (p.6). However, today several options exist to reactivate the polymer and warm it appropriately to reshape it, though avoiding such unnecessary repairs is best.

Styreneː Softer than vinyl, styrene wears out quickly from repeated use. The less-desirable plastic composition typically has a "hollower" sound and a higher noise floor (see community discussion on Discogs for more resources below), with repeated mechanical use resulting in a noise increase as the grooves wear out. Furthermore, while styrene is less susceptible to warping from heat damage like vinyl, the brittle properties result in snapping and chipping.

Acetate (also called Lacquers)ː Not intended for repeated use, acetates arrived as blanks to studios where cutting equipment shaved them with a wide variety of equipment and methods. The main threat for lacquers exist in delamination of the cut lacquer layer from the aluminum core, which is truly irreversible, from the flaking and cracking that occurs as it sheds. According to the ARSC Guide to Audio Preservation, "loss of plasticizer... produces exudation of palmitic and stearic acid," (p. 21) with NEDCC warning "A layer of white film (palmitic acid) covering the disc, indicating the beginning stages of delamination, which must be cleaned off before reproduction," (sec. 2.2) with palmitic acid leaching out as a ingredient in the manufacturing process from the record.

This acetate by Nashville vocalist Robert Knight shows early signs of palmitic acid as well demonstrating on its label how lacquers could be cut in 33 or 45 rpm, as well as stereo or mono.

This acetate by Nashville vocalist Buzz Cason, recorded at the local Reavis Studio, shows delamination having removed entire sections of grooves from the aluminum core.

Best Practices

Despite the various physical and chemical properties of the various record discs mentioned here, commonalities exist in preservation, handling/use, and labelling, with a few exceptions as described below. For instance, regarding temperature and humidity controls, NEDCC suggests "Discs and cylinders should be stored at temperatures between 33 and 54 degrees Fahrenheit, with RH between 30%-50%." and away from "sources of heat, including sunlight or room lighting." (sec. 2.4). Similarly the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives recommends "the optimum temperature for an archive is 20 degrees Celsius [68F] plus or minus 3 degrees Celsius [̝$+$/- 5.4 deg F]" [63-73F] and where "Relative humidity should therefore be kept to a level of 50% ± 10%." Furthermore, NEDCC also cautions against rapid fluctationsː "Temperatures should not fluctuate more than ±2 degrees within a 24 hour period. RH should not fluctuate more than ±5% within a 24 hour period." (sec. 2.4)

Preservation

Given the environmental controls mentioned here, these materials should survive given limited handling (see next section for handling/use). While many of the technical guides here tend to focus exclusively on the sound medium, many a record collector's path begins when buying a record with an outer jacket and further in a paper sleeve. Likewise, AASLH technical leaflet #195 addresses the "Archival Care of Mid-Twentieth Century Media" in its "Bringing up Boomer" publication. In particular, AALSH focuses on the emotional affective nature of sound archives that often appears in academic scholarship for archive studies, sociology, and culture studiesː "Sound recordings may be a baby boomer’s fondest connection to former days" (p. 5). It comes naturally to examine how a record album may compromise several parts that require archival protection: the disc, the original paper sleeve,and the album cover. Here practice may favor keeping them together as a unit, though sleeved separately, in order to retain original context for the record, with the disc in particular in an acid-free non-static sleeve for groove cleanliness and protection against surface scuffing.

Lacquer discs provide a unique challenge that distinguishes them from the other formats listed here.According to the ARSC Guide, "All lacquer discs are at risk of deterioration and are a preservation priority [b]ecause of their unique content and fragility"' (p.21) particularly as a result of the contrasting responses in the material layers. Specifically, "In the case of lacquer discs, the reaction of the rigid base material (metal or glass) to environmental conditions differs from the reaction of the flexible, fragile layer of cellulose plastic. The cellulose layer can shrink as it loses plasticizing oils, while the base remains the same size, As a result, cracking and crazing of the playback surface can occur.," (p. 20). As discussed above the loss of plasticizing agents often results in release of palmitic acid as a precursor, allowing for a limited time to capture the audio before complete delamination occurs.

Handling/Use

Similar to environmental controls that apply to these various disc types, housing and handling follows a standard suggestion for vertical orientation. This vertical storage works to avoid compression damage, as well as warping of vinyl or cracking and breaking of brittle shellacs and styrenes. For example, the IASA recommends "Both records and tapes should be stacked absolutely vertical when in store; if they are kept in a leaning position for long periods, they can become permanently warped and so this too should be avoided" (sec. 4) Even further, the AASLH leaflet recommends "a vertical brace of equal size to the record every six inches or so on wide runs of shelving. When necessary, use heavy-duty bookends" (p.6).

After removing the record from the shelf, and prior to use, almost universal suggestions for record discs involve avoiding direct contact with the grooves and handling the record by edge and center near the spindle hole. Certainly, in real world practice this may not occur so a variety of cleaning methods, discussed next, help to remove debris from within the grooves that can damage both record and stylus used for playback. As with many audio formats, be it tape, cylinder, or disc, keeping the equipment in top quality and working order helps to complement the other range of preservation methods in place. For record players, this equipment check can include the turntable itself, the tone-arm that holds the stylus as well as the stylus itself.

With regards to stylus (plural styli) differences exist with the various formats. For example, the coarse, often lateral-cut, groove in shellac requires a different stylus from the microgrooves that predominate in vinyl. Moreover, a lightweight stylus for styrene helps avoid the tendency of needle gouging in softer plastics, and careful play with acetates may require a variety of potential styli types often discernible only by a qualified audio technician.

Cleaning after use may involve different methods depending on the properties of the disc, with msot recommending a dry dusting if possible to avoid unnecessary contact. In reagrds to shellac and vinyl, ARSC suggestionsa solvent with deionized water, while avoiding any wiping on delmiaintg lacquers. Furthermore, for cleaning styrene, many record collectors avoid alcohol-based cleaners due to a reaction with the plastic compound, while also warning against an inconsistent label adhesion since styrene labels are applied instead of pressed into the plastic like vinyl. The ARSC Guide also recommends "Cracked shellac discs, for example, should be dry-cleaned, as the moisture from wet cleaning may cause the crack to spread.," (p. 58). AASLH reiterates many of these points hereː "Cleaning a particularly grimy record may be a job for a sound professional, but you can try a lint-free moist cloth or antistatic brush, gently stroking in the same direction as the grooves," (p.7) by suggesting a dry cleaning first. Recent advances in cleaning machines that involve suction or ultrasonic methods have brought professional standards into a consumer budget range, however.

Bibliography and Resources

Sources Cited

Brylawski, Sam and Maya Lerman, Robin Pike, Kathlin Smith, editors. The ARSC Guide to Audio Preservation. ISBN 978-1-932326-50-5, CLIR pub 164, May 2015. [see below for link]

Lacinak, Chris and Rebecca Chandler, "Chapter 1: Care and Handling of Audiovisual Collections," in Fundamentals of AV Preservation, NEDCC, 2017. Revisions 2022. [see below for link]

Lance, David, ed. Sound Archives - A Guide to their Establishment and Development. International Association of Sound Archives, IASA Special Publication No. 4, 1983. [see below for link]ˈ

Macleish, Bruce and Greg Harris "Bringing up Boomer: Archival Care of Mid-Twentieth Century Media" AASLH Technical Leaflet #195. Nashvilleː American Association for State and Local History, 1996.

Discogs.com thread on styrene propertesː https://www.discogs.com/forum/thread/335362

Technical Assistance

• ARSC Guide to Audio Preservation A comprehensive guide to Audio Preservation, co-edited by NRPF Director Sam Brylawski, was published by ARSC (Association for Recorded Sound Collections), CLIR (Council on Library and Information Resources) and the Library of Congress. The Guide provides a range of advice on preserving many kinds of audio recordings. Nine chapters, contributed by a range of experts, cover audio conservation and preservation, recorded sound formats and their associated risks, appraisal, related copyright issues, and disaster preparedness. The guide also offers advice on making informed decisions about digitization, as well as strategies for managing digital content. An appendix to the guide focuses on fair use and sound recordings.
• Vintage Audio Format Identification A guide from the Library of Congress with visual examples to aid in identifying a range of legacy audio formats.
• Fundamentals of AV Preservation (NEDCC) NEDCC is pleased to offer the Fundamentals of AV Preservation textbook for self-study to anyone with internet access. Covering the core topics in caring for and reformatting audiovisual collections, this resource supports cultural heritage professionals in their efforts to steward audiovisual materials.
• IRENE optical transfer (NEDCC) Audio Preservation with IRENE technology. The IRENE audio preservation service at NEDCC is the culmination of a decade of research and development at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Library of Congress. Using a non-contact, optical scanning approach, IRENE is designed for the preservation of fragile and historically significant sound recordings.
• Audio Preservation (Conservation OnLine) A list of resources compiled by the PARS Recording and Photographic Media Committee of the American Library Association.
• Collections Careː Audio Visual Materials (LOC) Care, Handling, and Storage of Audio Visual Materials from the Preservation Directorate at the Library of Congress
• Essential Resources for Audio Preservation (Association for Recorded Sound Collections Technical Committee)
• The National Archives Audio Preservation Lab The goal of the Audio-Video (A/V) Preservation Lab is to provide appropriate digital products for National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) audio and video collections, and to provide helpful services and technical expertise to assist NARA staff and other stakeholders working with audio and video collections. Aligned with the widely accepted practices in the archival community, the A/V Preservation Lab supports analog-to-digital reformatting workflows for audio and video, for both preservation and distribution purposes.
• National Recording Preservation Plan A blueprint for saving America’s recorded sound heritage for future generations, the congressionally-mandated plan spells out 32 short- and long-term recommendations involving both the public and private sectors and covering infrastructure, preservation, access, education and policy strategies. This website, housed within the Library of Congress system, was created to implement Recommendation 1.6 of the plan, which calls for "a collaborative online resource to collect, vet, and disseminate knowledge and best practices in the field of recorded sound preservation."

Professional Organizations

• American Association for State and Local History We provide resources for history lovers, professionals, volunteers, and enthusiasts. AASLH provides crucial resources, guidance, professional development, advocacy, new publications, field-wide research, and a sense of connectedness to over 5,500 institutional and individual members, as well as leadership for history and history organizations nationally. It is the only comprehensive national organization dedicated to state and local history.
• Association for Recorded Sound Collections ARSC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and study of sound recordings, in all genres of music and speech, in all formats, and from all periods. ARSC is unique in bringing together private individuals and institutional professionals—everyone with a serious interest in recorded sound.
• International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives IASA was established in 1969 in Amsterdam to function as a medium for international co-operation between archives that preserve recorded sound and audiovisual documents. It has members from 70 countries representing a broad palette of audiovisual archives. see publication hereː https://www.iasa-web.org/sound-archives-establishment-and-development
• National Recording Preservation Foundation The National Recording Preservation Foundation (NRPF) promotes the preservation of and public awareness about recorded audio history. They work with public and nonprofit archives throughout the United States to celebrate and preserve cultures of sound and amplify shared audio heritage.
• Northeast Document Conservation Center Founded in 1973, NEDCC is the first independent conservation laboratory in the United States to focus on paper-based collections. Today, the Center offers an expanded range of services and resources on the conservation of paper, books, and photographs, as well as digital imaging, audio reformatting, and preservation training.
• Society of American Archivistsː Audio and Moving Image Section The roundtable includes members of the Society of American Archivists who are interested in the preservation and management of audio and audiovisual collections. The roundtable serves as a forum for discussing archival issues related to the creation, management, preservation, and use of audio and audiovisual resources in archives and other cultural heritage repositories.