What's great about 3D printed records, is that we will soon be able to share, print, and listen to analogue audio once the quality of the end product is good enough.
This is how it can work:
Audio is recorded in an analogue format. This format will take sound-waves and save them in an analogue-digital-format utilizing mathematical vectors. Yes, just like vectors are used in graphic design. There will be no audio quality loss or limitation.
Now, imagine if we used an analogue laser player to listen to the record; no wear from a needle on the surface. These players already exist. But, any dust on the grooves or damage such as scratches will be amplified up by the laser player just like a needle does.
So, imagine that the record grooves are INSIDE of a transparent record which has a flat top/bottom surface i.e. no worry of dirty grooves, the laser will focus beyond the flat surface. Just like DVDs or CDs work.
Pretty great, huh? Also, since lasers can have a much smaller pinpoint than a needle, the grooves in the record can also be made smaller to fit much more music per side of a record.
But, what if we eliminate the need for a record all together? How? Well, we are taking analogue audio and saving it in a digital format using mathematical vectors. All we need is to create a device which can take these vectors and output them in an analogue wave sound, and presto, analogue sound without the physical record or magnetic tapes which are prone to dust, scratches, and other forms of damage.
