In the analog audio world, pitch fluctuations are called Wow and Flutter. It gets more technical than I care to delve into, so to keep it simple and in amateur turntable speak: When a vinyl record dips its pitch once every rotation, that’s wow; when the sound fluctuates in quick succession, that’s flutter. Whether caused by a faulty platter, a badly-adjusted counterweight, an overused belt drive, or a power surge, wow and flutter are little hics. They’re subtle, but hics nonetheless.
Currently trapped in a period of chaos and instability, our turntable, as you can imagine, is in a state of wow and flutter. Every day, the skips and wobbles become more and more pronounced. I hold things together as best as I can, throw myself into routines, secure it around myself like a life vest. It’s a boat I’ve been on before. I know the visibility is bad, that these seas are rough, that the wind is choppy. And also, there’s no compass on board so we have no idea where we’re headed. Every day, one tiny dip disturbs the calm of life; that, or a series of wobbles. It’s all wow and flutter.
Currently listening to:
Youth Lagoon
Heaven is a Junkyard