Gramophone Records
When playing gramophone records, wow is a once-per-revolution pitch variation which could result from warping of the record or from a pressing plate that was not precisely centered.
If the grooves are not centered exactly relative to the spindle hole, the linear velocity of the stylus, instead of dropping gradually as the groove spirals towards the center, varies every revolution to be too high (resulting in a higher pitch) when the stylus is further out, and too low when the stylus is further inwards (resulting in a lower pitch). Obviously, the more eccentric the positioning, the greater the pitch variation.
The cause for "wow"-effects on a warped disc is basically the same; a variation in the linear velocity of the stylus relative to the disc. This can be by either radial warping (similar to the eccentric hole case) or by the disc warping out of its plane. This would mean that the stylus would have to travel faster over the warped section as it must displace both in and out of the plane of the disc.
Read more about this topic: Wow (recording)
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