Vinyl Pressing: Tips and Specs
- Thread starter Chef Napalm
- Start date
Dub Studio
New member
DigitalDjigit said:
The age of the vinyl dubplate has only just begun (4-5 years old now) - the age of the acetate dubplate is numbered, for sure.
I guess I may be biased because I run Dub Studio, but I think this is a valid point. After all from the consumer point of view, vinyl seems to be an expensive and cumbersome way of buying and playing music.
However, I believe vinyl is here to stay and will only increase in popularity over the next few years, otherwise I would seriously be considering setting up a CD duplication plant. Given recent developments in the music industry, investing in CD duplication equipment is a BIG mistake.
The trend we are seeing at the moment is a massive increase in downloadable songs (a sector the industry likes to call "digital singles" when compared to "physical singles" in their sales figures). So what we are seeing now is a parallel way of distributing music, digitally and physically. The problem with CDs is that no one actually likes them per se - yes they are convenient, yes they are cheap, yes you can record them easily, but how many people actually feel passionate about them? My guess would be not many.
In the UK in the last year, CD singles have dropped by 23% and CD albums will suffer the same slow decline as people soon realise they can compile their own download albums for the same price and get all killer and no filler. In short, CDs simply won't be able to compete in the future with the ease of digital downloads because they are comparatively too "cumbersome and expensive", and no one really liked them in the first place. Remember floppy discs? I cant stand the sight of them now, my guess is CDs will go the same way.
VInyl however, does have a place in people's heart. I don't need to go into the reasons why because everyone has their slant on it (of course some people would be glad to see the back of it, but not quite as glad, I feel, as they would be to see the back of CDs if and when they finally go).
However, perhaps the most important point is that with the new JOL scheme currently being pushed by the MCPS-PRS (where a website can apply for a blanket licence to sell music online) the sale of music will slowly start to be dominated by the major players, to the detriment of record shops and small independent labels alike.
I would therefore urge anyone thinking of setting up a record label to combine online sales where possible with a physical component such as vinyl, and to think twice about relying on
CDs for much longer. A vinyl can not only serve as a permanent legacy of your music but the label can also provide essential info about you. Its a great way to interact with the music industry on a real level, to get revenue directly from customer to artist, and to compete from the ground up with mass market downloads.
And after all people DO love it. My business card costs a little less than 7 inch vinyl press, but the reaction from people when I hand them a record is worth double.
(sorry for ranting but I love vinyl and I love bigging it up)
Chef Napalm
Lost in the Supermarket
Dub Studio said:
Preach on, brother, PREACH ON!
Couldn't agree more. A vinyl record has an almost magical (albeit nostalgic) quality to it here in North America.
Apologies to those who haven't seen this before. I've been meaning to bump this thread for yonks.
Some new(ish) info:
Where to buy your own Acetates: Apollo They're about $25US ea., not including postage, which will be a killer.
An interesting, but not very useful, "knowledge base" for DIY vinyl: Vinyl record producion knowledge base
In contrast, this is an excellent non-technical explanation of the process: Vinyl Recording
A great thread on a very informative forum by some Australian who beat me to it: diyAudio.com
I must admit, I've been kinda waiting to see how he makes out before taking more of a plunge.
Dub Studio
New member
Off Topic
Sorry I just realised that my post was a bit off topic. To get back on point (thanks John) here are some more pointers:
http://home.comcast.net/~cassetto/kingworldwide.html (example of a guy who has managed it)
but basically the process is really simple, and hasnt changed all that much since it was first invented by Edison - major developments include -"cylinder to disc" (cylinders are impossible to press but have better consistency as the circumference remains the same) -the microgroove (more grooves to inch) - stereo sound (2 channels in one groove) and various others refinements. To be honest most of the refinements that have been made are more to do with better quality audio products available generally, so there is no real reason why a simple lathe cant be made quite easily.
lathes vary from the top of the range Neumann
to perhaps the most famous home-cutting kit the Rekokut
there is not reason why a great sound cannot be made, it really depends on the quality of the components you use and the skill of the cutting engineer
H
Sorry I just realised that my post was a bit off topic. To get back on point (thanks John) here are some more pointers:
http://home.comcast.net/~cassetto/kingworldwide.html (example of a guy who has managed it)
but basically the process is really simple, and hasnt changed all that much since it was first invented by Edison - major developments include -"cylinder to disc" (cylinders are impossible to press but have better consistency as the circumference remains the same) -the microgroove (more grooves to inch) - stereo sound (2 channels in one groove) and various others refinements. To be honest most of the refinements that have been made are more to do with better quality audio products available generally, so there is no real reason why a simple lathe cant be made quite easily.
lathes vary from the top of the range Neumann
to perhaps the most famous home-cutting kit the Rekokut
there is not reason why a great sound cannot be made, it really depends on the quality of the components you use and the skill of the cutting engineer
H
Chef Napalm
Lost in the Supermarket
*Bump*
For all the new members, here's a thread near and dear to my heart.
*Bump*
For all the new members, here's a thread near and dear to my heart.
*Bump*
nomos
Administrator
slightly off topic, but has anyone tried those new 'everlasting' vinyl dubplates that have been advertised recently? i'm just curious about sound quality and how they compare to regular dubs.
D
droid
Guest
Looks like a good service - but a little pricey. Maybe 20% more expensive than usual...
Chef Napalm
Lost in the Supermarket
Check the review section, AFTP. Toronto rave mag Tribe reviewed the vinyl carvers product... sorta.autonomicforthepeople said:
I does sound intriguing doesn't it? The FAQ says that the whole apparatus is a custom-made jobby, too. My only reservation is the material; the PVC plastic they describe is very brittle and I would have expected it to distort the sound. Judging by the reviews, tho, that appears not to be the case. Makes me wonder why the establishment settled on polyester vinyl. Was it simply a case of a readily available and cheap material or does vinyl have some mystic damping and heat transfer capabilities that were deemed desirable at the time?
Any thoughts?
nochexxx
harco pronting
i'm planning to cut a 12ve soon, so was wondering if anybody had anything good to say about these guys?
http://www.liquidmastering.co.uk
http://www.liquidmastering.co.uk
Chef Napalm
Lost in the Supermarket
*Bump*
Anything new?
Anything new?
I cut a dubplate at www.dubstudio.co.uk, they are those newish plastic ones that are supposed to last a long time.
to me it sounds great and they did a good mastering job too.
to me it sounds great and they did a good mastering job too.
Chef Napalm
Lost in the Supermarket
*Bump*
So, that was six months ago. Time to bring the discussion forward again, especially with the new "resurrect old threads" focus.
Is anybody doing anything new?
Tried a new mastering/cutting/pressing plant and loved it? Hated it?
Do you use places in the UK? US? Elsewhere?
Is a small run pressing a valid money-making venture or a vanity project?
Tell us about it, won't you.
So, that was six months ago. Time to bring the discussion forward again, especially with the new "resurrect old threads" focus.
Is anybody doing anything new?
Tried a new mastering/cutting/pressing plant and loved it? Hated it?
Do you use places in the UK? US? Elsewhere?
Is a small run pressing a valid money-making venture or a vanity project?
Tell us about it, won't you.
nochexxx
harco pronting
well yes, i'm getting some vinyl pressed.
i decided to use dubplates and mastering again. they did such a great job with the last record and have such a great track record with so many great records.
the master has just come through the post and i'm happy with the results, however the real proof of the pudding will be when the lacquers arrive and the test pressings are cut at http://www.curvedpressings.com, which should hopefully be any minute now.
Grievous Angel
Beast of Burden
I fancy using dubstudio to do some grievous angel vinyl - mainly, I have to say, because of Gabriel's recommendation!