Lathe Cut Vinyl Records & Lathe Cuts In Black
Located 2 miles from Green Point Brooklyn NY
Specializing In Custom Embossed Record Lathe Cutting
- Black & Clear Records
- Lacquer Cutting In Stereo
- Custom Embossed Lathe Cut Records In Mono
- 7" Square Records
What Are Embossed Lathe Cut Records And Lathe Cuts ?
Lathe cut records are recorded on clear or black polycarbonate, each lathe cut record starts out as a 7 1/2" inch square, then it is trimmed into a round disc after it's recorded, this is the way I do them. Others use round blanks for the ease and convenience, but at a higher cost per disc. Lacquer lathe cuts can be both in stereo or mono, polycarbonate can only be embossed, and has to be MONO.
Diamond Cut Vs. Embossed
Diamond cut Pros & Cons:
- Stable groove tracking
- Excellent audio quality
- Louder cuts
- Good stereo separation.
- Lower surface noise at -65 db
- Cost $20 to $30 per disc
Embossed records Pros & Cons:
- Lower audio volume -10db
- No stereo separation
- Skips easily if recorded louder
- Low surface noise at -40 db
- Excellent audio quality 20Hz -14Khz
- Less expensive than lacquer and diamond cut
- Cost $8 to $12 per disc
My records are mono because you can not emboss stereo, even with a stereo cutter head,. My records have a full frequency range from 20 Hz to 14Khz, you really don't need 15 Khz unless you like destroying your cutter head or speakers.
They Are Not Pressed Records.
Today people call them vinyl record pressings, but they are not, they are, embossed records and vinyl pressings are a different thing altogether, we specialize in embossing 7" inch discs that are made from clear or black polycarbonate plastic.
Lacquer acetate records are very different, they are aluminum lacquer coated discs, also recorded one at a time. Polycarbonate records are made by embossing grooves into plastic, using a stereo or mono record cutting lathe. Lacquers are cut and can not be embossed. These lathes were normally used in the production and manufacturing process for vinyl records, by cutting a lacquer master discs, then electroplated to make the metal stampers used by the pressing plants.
An alternative to pressing vinyl records.
Lathe cut records & lathe cuts recorded on a cutting lathe uses a moving voice coil to drive a stylus that engraves the sound waves onto the disc.
This method has long been used for producing lacquer masters, which are then used to make metal stampers for pressing vinyl records. Most of the machines used for this purpose were manufactured pre-1960.
Vinyl And Polycarbonate
They are two different things, one is "vinyl" and the other is "polycarbonate", Pressed vinyl discs with no grooves can't be embossed, it may be possible to be cut it with a diamond stylus, but a very costly process, especially the amount of time a diamond stylus last, only 10 hours, at $200 a pop. Where as polycarbonate records can be cut or embossed. Embossing styli can last up to 200 hours, this is a more economical way of making one off records by recording them with a sapphire embossing stylus.
7.5 " Inch Squares
Square records have the same playing time as a round 7" inch disc 45 or 33. Same price as the round 7 inch disc.
7" inch Round
Maximum lathe cuts I will make per order is 20, Minimum order is 4 for clear and 2 for black polycarbonate with 2 audio files for each disc. Do not ask me to do 20 different songs for each record, because this involves changing settings for each cut, even for a few records.This also applies to EP's, NO MIX and MATCH.
12" inch Lp
I can make a 12" inch, disc no problem, but I'm very reluctant to do so. This is because intermittent bursts of surface noise can pop up randomly at the OUTSIDE DIAMETER of the record, no matter who embosses them, if this happens the entire 12 inch round disc, or a 13 x 13 inch square sheet is scraped.
X-Ray Film
Since the 1980's many people have begun experimenting with these lathes to produce one-offs records, using clear polycarbonate plastic, using materials such as picnic plates, squares sheets, and X-Ray film. X-ray film when embossed is extremely noisy, this is the reason why I will not do them.
Embossing Plastic Vs. Lacquer Cutting
Polycarbonate plastic is not to be confused with Plexi Glass. Plexi can not be cut or embossed with a sapphire or diamond stylus. On the other hand a lacquer disc can only be cut with a sapphire stylus, it is not possible to embossed lacquer.
Stereo HIFI phonograph records
Lacquers can be recorded in stereo or mono, a lacquer recorded with a stereo cutter head will result in a great stereo playback, embossing a polycarbonate disc with a stereo cutter head will result in a MONO play back with a very small amount of stereo separation and it will skip badly when playing it back.
Lock Grooves
Manny have asked if I can cut LOCKED GROOVES, yes. I'm not willing to do so, because It involves many different tracks on one side of a disc. This means setting up levels for each track, it would be so time consuming and a chance for error in losing the entire side, as I don't charge a set-up fee.
Sibilant Vocal Tracks
De-essing (also de-sibilizing) is any technique intended to reduce or eliminate excessive highs in the recording or the prominence of sibilant consonants, such as the sounds normally found in the vocal track by "s" and "sh", in recordings of the human voice.
Sibilant lies in frequencies anywhere between 2–10 kHz, depending on the individual's dental work.This causes havoc in record cutting.
I WILL NOT FIX THIS THIS, THIS IS THE STUDIO'S RESPONSIBILITY.
All AUDIO IS TRANSFERRED "AS-IS"
I'll throw in the Behringer 9024 Ultra-Dyne to clean up some sibilance.
Recommended Cartridge For Playing Lathe Cut Records, are Stanton 681's or most magnetic cartridges.
- Pricing For Clear Records
- 7" Disc - 45 rpm - 4:00 mins. max. $8
- 7" Disc - 33 rpm EP - 6:30 mins. max. $10
- Minimum is 4 for clear
- Add .50 cents per blank label
- Pricing For Black Records
- 7" Disc - 45 rpm - 4:;00 mins. max. $20
- 7" Disc - 33 rpm EP -6:30 mins. max. $22
- Minimum is 2 for black.
- Add .50 cents per blank label
- Stanton 681 D6800SL after market imitation works the best.
- Anti skating must be set correctly in order to work.
- Embossed records will not play backwards.
- A warned out needle will tend to skip.
- Turntables that don't have a counter weighted tone arm.
- A heavy tone arm will tend to skip.
- Crosley record player or similar may or my not work.
- A magnetic is more preferable.
- Embossed records that are recorded louder tend to skip more.
- Playback stylus pressure no more than 3.5 grams.
There is a trade-off - Your Choice
- LOUDER CUT = The possibility for SKIPPING
- SOFTER CUT = Lower volume = zero chance for SKIPPING
- If your record skips, NO DO OVERS
- No refunds
7" inch records start out as squares, then it is trimmed down into a round disc.
7" Inch 45 rpm Squares
Custom Short Run Square & Round Records
If you're considering putting your music on vinyl, then records may be the answer you been looking for.You're probably aware that it is a costly endeavor. Most artists decide not to release vinyl because of minimum order and cost. If you're going to make your own vinyl, here are the five reasons lathe cut records are more economical than pressed vinyl records.
THEY ARE MORE ECONOMICAL THAN PRESSED VINYL RECORDS
Lathe cut records are more expensive per disc as compared to pressing vinyl. There is no outsourcing because everything is done in house. You can put your music on plastic in lower quantities.
Pressing a vinyl record was the only way for high volume releases:
The cost associated with record pressing makes it impossible for a record plant to offer vinyl record pressing with small quantities.
2. Lower manufacturing costs:
Lathe cuts have risen in popularity in resent years as the best solution for a limited vinyl release. The manufacturing process for lathe cuts vs pressed vinyl is faster and less expensive than vinyl record pressing manufacturing package deal.
Record pressing is the method that music is put on vinyl. This is done in three steps; disc mastering, metal plating, and vinyl pressing. These steps are seldom done under one roof which adds to the high cost for small vinyl pressing quantities.
3.Dub Plate Cutting - An old term used years ago:
Lathe cutting uses the same process for disc mastering. A flat plastic disc is placed on the Record Lathe. The cutter head embosses a analog sound into the blank polycarbonate disc.This is done one at a time to reach the number of records. A lacquer cut for vinyl pressing is achievable with having to electroplate and press the groove.
Short run records can be recorded all under one roof. This makes the most cost effective process for making affordable vinyl records.
3. Sound Quality:
The sound quality of my embossed records will sound good as pressed vinyl, as extremely close to your original master. However, rarely, some may have surface noise or can skip.
My experience goes way back since 1972, this is the key to manufacturing high quality vinyl recordings.There are some exceptional cuts being done on vintage mono machines. Be wary of record cutters that issue the disclaimer that lathe cuts are lo-fi novelties not intended for commercial release, not true.
4. Fast Turn Around Time For 20 Records, 2 days:
Record cutting is a process for making a instant recording.This is the fastest way to make a one off record, that can be made in minutes, where a vinyl record pressing job can take months. Days of preparation are needed because the plating and pressing processes.
The length of the audio program will determine the amount of time it takes to record each copy, If a song is 4 minutes long, it will take 4 minutes, plus set up audio levels takes time to complete, the longer the song the lower in volume the record will play.
5. Accessibility:
Vinyl album sales are consistently growing each year.The pressing plants are backed up with projects. Even with the higher price tag. A minimum order from a pressing plant is usually is more than the average producer can sell and may have unsold vinyls left over. This makes it very difficult for independent artists to do a vinyl release.
Embossed polycarbonate records make it possible for any recording artist to make a high quality custom records.
7" inch black polycarbonate records available with large and small hole, square and round.
BLACK 7" DISC
BLACK POLYCARBONATE TWO SIDED
SINGLE SIDED BLACK RECORDS
For a limited time only, single sided black polycarbonate squares or round records available with the back side with a matte finish.
45 rpm 4 minutes max $10 each.
33 rpm 6:30 minutes max $12 each.
Add .50 cents for blank labels.
"Please note there are only 16 left in my inventory"
LACQUER MASTERING
Lacquer record cutting service for the production of phonograph records.
Two 14 inch one side lacquers are used to make a set of metal stampers for the record pressing plant to produce 12" LP vinyl albums.