Scarcity and Delicacy: In Defence of Styrene
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Break Baron and MarkOnerism for the motivation to write this article.
This is for lovers of styrene everywhere.
Cue burn, cue burn, and cue burn. The three major complaints from DJs – particularly turntablists – when the format of styrene 45s enters any discussion. Yet, for many audiophiles, selectors and collectors – especially those fascinated by the 7” single – styrene is not an option or a choice, it just is.
A cultural history of styrene
The use of styrene in the production of 45 and 7” vinyl records played a significant role in the history of the music industry, particularly during the mid-to-late 20th century.
The first vinyl records emerged as a popular solution for storing and playing music in the 1940s, replacing earlier materials like shellac. These records were typically made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a durable and flexible plastic. Surprisingly, it was as early as the late 1940s and early 1950s that record manufacturers began experimenting with styrene, a type of plastic known for its toughness and impact resistance. Styrene did offer advantages over traditional vinyl, including greater durability and – with the technology of the time – the ability to produce thinner records. Styrene quickly became the preferred material for manufacturing 45s and 7” EP (Extended Play) records; the economics made sense when record companies evaluated the popularity singles and shorter recordings vis-à-vis affordability, convenience and accessibility regarding the product format.
Furthermore, there were consumer advantages to styrene records. They were lighter, more durable, and arguably less prone to breakage compared to their PVC counterparts (although this remains up for debate, and without getting too much into structural mechanics and physics, relates to each material’s elasticity and bending moments).
Despite its popularity, styrene records were not without drawbacks. They were more susceptible to warping under high temperatures, which could affect playback quality. Additionally, repeated plays on a turntable's stylus could cause wear and groove damage more quickly than with vinyl records – enter the phenomena of cue burn.
In the latter half of the 20th century, advancements in vinyl manufacturing technology and the resurgence of interest in high-quality audiophile recordings led to a decline in the use of styrene for records. Record labels began reverting to vinyl or exploring other materials for their pressing needs.
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