SPECIALIZING IN 7" INCH LATHE CUT RECORDS

The Best Alternative To Vinyl Pressing

What Are Lathe Cut Records ?

Lathe cut records unlike lathe cut vinyl, they differ, are cut with a diamond stylus and polycarbonate is embossed with a sapphire cone stylus, one is recorded on clear polycarbonate, the other on black vinyl.

Specializing in 7" inch In Custom Record Cutting 

• Black & Clear Records
• Lacquer Cutting In Stereo
• Custom Embossed Lathe Cut Records In Mono
• 7" Square Records

Each embossed 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 embossed in MONO.

Diamond & Lacquer Cut Vs. Embossed

Embossed Polycarbonate record 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
• Can't be cued and dose not play backwards
• May not play on cheap turntables
• A warned out stylus will skip
• An elliptical playback stylus will not work
• Cost $8 to $12 per disc

Diamond & Lacquer cut Pros & Cons:

• Stable groove tracking
• Excellent audio quality
• Louder cuts
• Good stereo separation.
• Lower surface noise at -65 db
• Can be Cued and plays backwards
• Cost for diamond cut $25 to $30 per disc
• Cost for 7" inch lacquer cut $170 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 number of records I will make per order is 20, Minimum order is 2 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 Update 

I can make a 12" inch, disc no problem, but I'm very reluctant to do so, the reason is, your audio files may have different track EQ, or vocal sibilant problems and levels on each track. I normally don't stock large sheets of Polycarbonate any more, only on special orders. The same goes for 12" inch paper sleeves and jackets, I don't stock them as well. If I do this job for you, the price is $75 per disc.    

12" inch Lp disc Noise Problem Solved ! 

No longer am I'm getting intermittent bursts of surface noise that was popping up at the OUTSIDE DIAMETER of the record. Changes to the ADVANCE BALL alignment that was causing the problem fixed. 

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 HI-FI 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
• 12" Disc 18 mins. Max. - Special Order $75
• 10" Disc 10 mins. Max. - Special Order $55
• Minimum order for 7" clear is 2
• 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 order for 7" black is 2 
• Add .50 cents per blank label

• Stanton 681 D6800SL after market imitation works the best.
• Try different turntables if you have a skipping problem
• 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 or inexpensive turntable may or my not work.
• A magnetic cartridge is more preferable.
• Embossed records that are recorded louder tend to skip more.
• Playback stylus pressure no more than 3.5 grams.
• Use only conical or spherical.
• Don't use an elliptical stylus.

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 try different turntables. 
• NO DO OVERS and No refunds