Looking for tips on starting a low key vinyl label.
Ahh - the vinylfactory are the guys that do fact mag and phonica - another good reason to use them, I'm assuming they'd give a product they believed in a really good push.
Interesting to hear reports on handle with care - I did flirt with pressing some stuff with them long in the past, the samples they sent were amazing - really good product and the customer service seemed to be second to none - I'm really sorry to hear you had a bad experience with them steevio-san, after all the love and care you guys put into what you do - it's a total sin that they'd then go and mess it up - that would be very hard to forgive !
Interesting to hear reports on handle with care - I did flirt with pressing some stuff with them long in the past, the samples they sent were amazing - really good product and the customer service seemed to be second to none - I'm really sorry to hear you had a bad experience with them steevio-san, after all the love and care you guys put into what you do - it's a total sin that they'd then go and mess it up - that would be very hard to forgive !
If I were to send an unmastered track to a pressing plant with their own sound engineer, would the track only be mastered so it will be compatibile for the cut? Is third party mastering necessary in our field of music?AVX23 wrote:
Some people go through a third party mastering engineer because they like the sound or the mastering engineers are reknown for being specialised in certain fields and bringing a little added sparkle to the recording eg: dubplates & mastering, the exchange, chris mckormack or curved pressings.
there's no need to pre-master for a cut, if you use a good cutting room, they will master it for you, but if you can, be there at the cut. ive attended every cut ive ever had done, you will learn alot about mastering if you're in attendance, and it will help you in your production, because if you understand the whole process, and see the pros in action, it will help you make the right decisions in the mixdown phase.eggnchips wrote:If I were to send an unmastered track to a pressing plant with their own sound engineer, would the track only be mastered so it will be compatibile for the cut? Is third party mastering necessary in our field of music?AVX23 wrote:
Some people go through a third party mastering engineer because they like the sound or the mastering engineers are reknown for being specialised in certain fields and bringing a little added sparkle to the recording eg: dubplates & mastering, the exchange, chris mckormack or curved pressings.
however pressing plants usually dont have cutting rooms, traditionally they are seperate processes.
never send your master to a pressing plant to get it cut.
choose a cutting studio and engineer (I use Greg at masterpiece) that understands your sound.
Attend your first session or sessions because it will help you to understand the process.
the cutting house will send the lacquers to the pressing plant
Choose a manufacturing plant : MPO, Vinyl factory or record Industry supply a consistent product and service.
choose a cutting studio and engineer (I use Greg at masterpiece) that understands your sound.
Attend your first session or sessions because it will help you to understand the process.
the cutting house will send the lacquers to the pressing plant
Choose a manufacturing plant : MPO, Vinyl factory or record Industry supply a consistent product and service.
i seem to always be spoiling the party here, but my last record was cut at Masterpiece and i wasnt impressed at all, there was someone moving some heavy equipment around above the cutting room, and you can actually hear it on the lead in.....ouch (i can only assume the lathe somehow picked up the vibrations microphonically)
ive had four vinyls done at Masterpiece by 4 different engineers, and i wont be going back., they also way over-charged me, even though we'd agreed a price upfront.
unfortunately cutting rooms can be unpredictable, the best cuts ive had done were done by dub maestro Aba Shanti at JTS in Hackney,and the now unfortunately defunct Alchemy in Soho.
the worst were done at EMI's Abbey Road studios.
Curvepusher in Hackney did some reasonable ones for me even though Lawrie was just learning the ropes at the time, but it ws through a broker who proceeded to lose 1000 specially printed sleeves,
it can be a mindfield guys, but you can also get lucky, and have no problems at all.
one thing to watch out for is the quality of test pressings, they generally sound sh!t compared to the eventual finished copies, because they are pressed up when the presses are cold, and usually have less top-end than you would expect, it can cause anxiety, but relief when the final copies come through.
so dont assume theres something wrong unless its a really obvious fault like a jump or big glitch.
test pressings are only supposed to be to make sure theyve put the right tunes on the record, and not someone elses happy hardcore tunes.
ive had four vinyls done at Masterpiece by 4 different engineers, and i wont be going back., they also way over-charged me, even though we'd agreed a price upfront.
unfortunately cutting rooms can be unpredictable, the best cuts ive had done were done by dub maestro Aba Shanti at JTS in Hackney,and the now unfortunately defunct Alchemy in Soho.
the worst were done at EMI's Abbey Road studios.
Curvepusher in Hackney did some reasonable ones for me even though Lawrie was just learning the ropes at the time, but it ws through a broker who proceeded to lose 1000 specially printed sleeves,
it can be a mindfield guys, but you can also get lucky, and have no problems at all.
one thing to watch out for is the quality of test pressings, they generally sound sh!t compared to the eventual finished copies, because they are pressed up when the presses are cold, and usually have less top-end than you would expect, it can cause anxiety, but relief when the final copies come through.
so dont assume theres something wrong unless its a really obvious fault like a jump or big glitch.
test pressings are only supposed to be to make sure theyve put the right tunes on the record, and not someone elses happy hardcore tunes.