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Vinyl manufacturers (US)

21 by matthewbarnhart_Archive
M_a_x wrote:Again - ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I really don't want to use Aardvark for anything approaching hi-fi, which my 12" will be. (I LIKE Aardvark, but those 'no mastering' comments have given me pause). There's a lot of Golden-love on this thread but I don't see the point if he's just gonna digitize everything halfway through.


The point is: your record (cut by a man with decades of experience, excellent equipment, who has worked on a lot of records you probably own and love, and is available via the phone every day) will most likely sound better than having the house mastering guy at a plant in the Czech Republic cut your record.

Do you know for certain that GZ cuts all-analog? All-analog processing requires a large investment in equipment: you need two sets of equalizers, two compressors, two of ANY processing devices, and the master recorder needs to have an extra "preview" playback head for all of this.

Because of this expense, most vinyl mastering takes place through a single processing chain, and then the signal is sent to a digital delay. The undelayed signal goes to the pitch computer, and the delayed signal is actually used to cut the record. So, in this case, the actual audio cut to the master lacquer (or DMM) is a digital signal.

You can pay more at Sterling Sound or Abbey Road to do a full-analog process, and I don't doubt that it sounds stellar. If you're on a budget, though, who cares if it's processed digitally so long as it sounds great? John, Paul Gold, or any of a number of people can do a great job for you.

BTW, "DMM" has nothing to do with whether or not a record was processed with analog or digital equipment.

mb

Vinyl manufacturers (US)

24 by OneFiveFour_Archive
There's a lot of Golden-love on this thread but I don't see the point if he's just gonna digitize everything halfway through


fyi.. that Aardvark guy 'digitizes' everything too. in fact, if you give him an analog tape he makes a DAT copy of it and presses from that.. though maybe this has changed since i contacted him about 4 years ago.

i've heard plenty of good sounding records come from golden and paul gold, use one of them.

Vinyl manufacturers (US)

25 by M_a_x_Archive
Yeah, I did write about AcousTech, but then deleted it when I thought I was editing it...I'm not wise enough for these message board things.
BUT - Kevin Gray at AcousTech wrote me in an email that "[all-analog recording] is exactly what we specialize in". So, unless he is an out an out liar - something I don't really believe, considering AcousTech is the place where a lot of very fancy vinyl re-issues get done, there's at least one place in America. Yeah, if I'm using him I might as well use RTI - except I don't really like RTI records, except for the heavy ones. RTI makes fantastic heavy vinyl, but I don't like their standard records. AND I DON'T WANT TO USE GOLDEN - sheesh, if I ever put out a CD, I will get it mastered at Golden, and then you will all get off my back! I've only ever put out vinyl, for 15 years.

RE: Aardvark - he says right on his website:
Cassettes require transfer to digital format and editing. Reels require either the same digital transfer, or in the case of pure analog format, reels require special handling as the tape machine needs to be hooked up, and the digital equipment needs to be patched out.


So, yes, you have to tell him, and he will do it, and charge extra.

One last time - I personally see no point in making a record if there's going to be digital trickery along the way. Yes, I'm sure those people can sure do their mastering. Yes, just checking out Golden's list of records he's mastered, I own some of them, and they sound great. No, I'm don't do this so I can put on a hipper-than-thou sticker; I do it in a fervent, irrational religious belief that digital sampling is stealing my soul. And I haven't really liked the sound of any S. Youth record since "Sister".

Vinyl manufacturers (US)

26 by Bambouche_Archive
abcgroupdocumentation wrote:(...)
3) I don't want to sound nationalistic but it's very hard to keep most pressing plants open these days. The rise of digital technology and the high cost of vinyl drives many labels to just not bother pressing vinyl anymore. It's not cost efficient since the price for vinyl is high. So how is this price going to continue to jump? By giving Czech pressing plants more of your biz when we should try to keep RTI, United Record Pressing, Erika and the few others open in the US. That's my take on it.

Brooklyn Phono--Paul Gold will be cutting my next two releases, one of which will be pressed at RTI (www.recordtech.com) and the other at United Record Pressing (www.urpress.com). Paul bought a stamper from Erika records and that's how he presses. His vinyl is nice. If you call Brooklyn Phono ask them to send you samples. They have several they'll send and you can see their work. They're not a cheap as United though.

United--I dig them. They're fast but my reservations run deep these days. Universal Records (the major label) quit pressing vinyl altogether. Now that this has happened about 75% of all that work has been funnelled to United. Their turn time and quality (if you pester them to rush your job) has seemed to diminish slightly. I recommend United but only if you're not going to need your records for 6 weeks. Let them take their time and your records will be fine. Rush them and they'll suck. In terms of pressing a 7", it makes no sense to use anyone but United. 7"s don't sell like they did in 1993. You're already wasting your money so just do them cheap at United.

RTI--this is the best pressing plant in the US. See 99% of all Drag City, Touch and Go, Quaterstick, Hi-Ball and Sonic Youth releases. There's a reason why folks use them. They're amazing...but you pay for it.

Musicol in Ohio--they're slightly more expensive than United and their vinyl is a cheaper quality. Look at the first 10-12 Faded Captain Series releases. They are all pressed there. Faded Captain switched for a reason.

(...)


abcdocumentation, as well as any others who wish to share,

Since this thread has been dead for some time now, I wonder if we could all provide an update?

I've used Musicol again and have been happy with their service and the product. After reading the above, I compared the quality of my Musicol LPs to that of some Drag City/Touch and Go records, and I didn't notice a tremendous difference. I don't have any of the Faded Captain Series releases you mentioned, so I couldn't scrutinize those.

We've got several more releases in the queue, and I've been contemplating using RTI. My main hesitation is service. The folks at Musicol are exactly what I would want from someone I'm paying to do a job. I have no complaints. After a few poor transactions with other pressing facilities (Musical Manufacting, specifically), which involved delays, costs, and attorneys, I am reluctant to stray from a company who have been very pleasant.

Any more information regarding the difference in vinyl quality of RTI versus Musicol, or the customer service of RTI, would be greatly appreciated.

best,
~B

Vinyl manufacturers (US)

27 by M_a_x_Archive
I've got some 7"s done from Musicol. They are really good, actually - they're not superthick like ones I got previously from Bill Smith but they never came all warped either (like my 7"s from Bill Smith).
I got 12"s done from RTI a few years ago and while customer service was polite, etc, everything seemed much slower than other people. I was also put off by the weird way they do colour vinyl - for instance, let's say you want red vinyl, then you have to wait until they have 3000+ (I don't know the exact quantity) red vinyl orders, which could be a few weeks. I don't recall the vinyl being _that_ great but I do know their 180g is second to none.

Vinyl manufacturers (US)

29 by Mayfair_Archive
M_a_x wrote:I've got some 7"s done from Musicol. They are really good, actually - they're not superthick like ones I got previously from Bill Smith but they never came all warped either (like my 7"s from Bill Smith).
I got 12"s done from RTI a few years ago and while customer service was polite, etc, everything seemed much slower than other people. I was also put off by the weird way they do colour vinyl - for instance, let's say you want red vinyl, then you have to wait until they have 3000+ (I don't know the exact quantity) red vinyl orders, which could be a few weeks. I don't recall the vinyl being _that_ great but I do know their 180g is second to none.


It seems that is common with colored vinyl whoever you do it with.

Vinyl manufacturers (US)

30 by M_a_x_Archive
Except that I've done 4 different color vinyl 7"s with Musicol and none were warped.

Wait, that's a lie! On a press where I wanted purple/red/clear, there were strangely about 3 records which must of been done at the start, they were really blue/red mixed. Those were warped. I have no idea why those would and not the other 597.
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