100% analog to vinyl

  • Thread starter Thread starter funkytonk
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funkytonk

funkytonk

push it to the limit
Hi folks, my name is Tim.

I am going to have some music pressed to vinyl. I want the process to be 100% analog. Recording, mixing, and the finished master you send to the plant. This means no cd-r or DAT. This presents a problem. So far I have only found one place that accepts analog tape masters, and they only accept cassettes.

1.Is there a cassette deck made that you can dump your master to and not make it sound like garbage? Like a combo of high quality cassettes and a Nakamichi 1000? I have zero experience with high end cassette decks.

2.What is the deal with the Nakamichi 1000? Was it really that great?

3.Pre-digital, what was the norm for sending your master to a pressing plant? I always assumed that you could just send them your open reel tape master on 1/4" tape.

4.So if there aren't any pressing plants that take open reels anymore, providing that was the norm back in the day, does this mean that all vinyl produced now won't sound like vinyl produced in the pre-digital era because all the music now has to come from a digital source.
 
If I'm not mistaken there's also different ways of cutting a record. Either it is the way it was done - grooves cut on vinyl on a Neumann machine or making a metal master plate and then making copies of it. Anyway, I've read it a while ago and can't remember now, but one of these ways of vinyl recording is claimed to be "the one", which I think would be the first one.

I wonder if some of those plants would be alright with bringing in your own tape deck (which is always better). Mixing down to cassette is good, but not as much headroom as 1/4" or even 1/2" at 15ips. Even if cassette is the only possibility, ask if they accept high speed sources.
 
The grooves are cut on the lathe to make the master, then that is mad into a metal plate to mass produce them. It isn't two separate processes, it's two steps of the same process.


I find it hard to believe that a company that has a record lathe would only have a cassette deck to work from. Yes, masters were 1/4 and 1/2 inch tape. Cassette would suck for this.
 
Farview said:
I find it hard to believe that a company that has a record lathe would only have a cassette deck to work from. Yes, masters were 1/4 and 1/2 inch tape. Cassette would suck for this.
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That is exactly how I felt. I still need to research some more because I don't think I have contacted every body who does vinyl work. I was surprised that there are places, vinyl pressing plants, that can't take any form of analog master.
 
Yeah, I would look a little more. There has to be someone who presses from 1/4" tape. I would think they all would. If that's the only way they do it now, then I guess the new LPs they are making are pretty much a waste of vinyl.
 
a LOT of the LPs made today are a waste of vinyl. About this time last year I called around to 3 record plants in the US and they all accepted 1/4" tape. If you can't find someone who will do it here, go to europe for it.
 
funkydrummer said:
trutone mastering accepts 1/4", 1/2", and 1" reels.

http://www.trutonemastering.com/
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Hey thanks. That is a great source. I also found these guys. http://urpressing.com Just talked to them this morning. They accept 1/4" tape, they cut, and press.

The only downside is I live on the west coast and wouldn't be able to attend the cutting session.

Thanks guys, I was all freaked out about having to send a cassette off to get vinyl records pressed.
 
Vinyl has really become a lost art. Just like cassette tapes can sound like crap, vinyl can come out sounding really badly too. Vinyl pressing requires quite a bit of skill in the mastering and cutting process.

At this point, who is going to listen to a vinyl record? I mean, I love the things, but it's very costly and not many people have the capability to listen to them. It would be almost like distributing open-reel copies of your work; at least you could finish that at home, and it would likely sound better.

-MD
 
themaddog said:
Vinyl has really become a lost art. Just like cassette tapes can sound like crap, vinyl can come out sounding really badly too. Vinyl pressing requires quite a bit of skill in the mastering and cutting process.

At this point, who is going to listen to a vinyl record? I mean, I love the things, but it's very costly and not many people have the capability to listen to them. It would be almost like distributing open-reel copies of your work; at least you could finish that at home, and it would likely sound better.

-MD
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One used record shop guy in Maine told me that sales have remained about the same in the past 10 years. Hard to believe but I think there are actually alot of people who still use thier record players. I'd do it anyway. It'd be worth it to me for whatever reason just to have a few pressed on vinyl.
 
Vinyl is definitely making a comeback for people who listen sereously to music. A good CD player might compare favorably to a crappy old turntable, but there is nothing that sounds as good to me as a well-made record played on a well-maintained turntable. My whole generation is starting to realize this- I think it has a lot to do with us growing up on CDs. I was born in 1988, so for me digital isn't new- it's been the status quo since I was born. The first time I heard a record on vinyl it was like a revalation, and I know a lot of people who have had similar experiences. When you're used to comparing the two it becomes hard to hear the differences, but when you've heard literally nothing but CD audio your whole life- heard as in actually listened to on a good pair of headphones- it's like night and day. I heard things I had never noticed before on records I'd been listening to for years. I don't think that you'll have any trouble finding a market for your music on vinyl. A good idea might be to do like Phil Elverum does and stick a complimentary CD in with the record. That way you can be sure not to exclude anyone who wants to hear it on CD.
 
Any legit mastering/duplication house will accept ¼” reel and some ½” as well. IMO, an operation that can only cut a dup master from a digital source is just trying to cash in on a fad. At the very least they're missing the point.
 
If vinyl is unpopular then explain this:

http://www.needledoctor.com/Online-Store/Show-All-Turntables

I'm not a marketing / financial expert but if you have many companies currently in production of a shitload of budget and mega expensive turntables [and I mean c o s t l y] and new vinyl reissues, not to mention tons of used LP / 45 sales, then either they like losing a lot of money or it's a very profitable venture which = lots of folks are still into vinyl.

There was an article I read some time ago [can't recall the source] which went on how vinyl is gaining in popularity and all that jazz... Doesn't surprise me, really, from what I see.
 
cjacek said:
If vinyl is unpopular then explain this:

http://www.needledoctor.com/Online-Store/Show-All-Turntables

I'm not a marketing / financial expert but if you have many companies currently in production of a shitload of budget and mega expensive turntables [and I mean c o s t l y] and new vinyl reissues, not to mention tons of used LP / 45 sales, then either they like losing a lot of money or it's a very profitable venture which = lots of folks are still into vinyl.

There was an article I read some time ago [can't recall the source] which went on how vinyl is gaining in popularity and all that jazz... Doesn't surprise me, really, from what I see.
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Holy CRAP. I had no idea they could get that expensive. What in the WORLD would make a turntable worth $100,000? Unbelievable!
 
famous beagle said:
Holy CRAP. I had no idea they could get that expensive. What in the WORLD would make a turntable worth $100,000? Unbelievable!
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the same morons who pay big$$$$ FOR OLD VINTAGE CRAP .
 
I'll take the...

Technics PL50 turntable @ $99.99, available at most Circuit City & Best Buy stores. That's about my speed. I might pick one up if I come across an extra $100 just lying around. :eek: ;)
 

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Dave I have and just happen to be listening to my turntable that is the same as that one only the sony version and it works great for me.
Ir sits right next to me here at the computer. A great way to go ;)
 
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