Happy to announce that I can now offer Lacquer Disc Cutting to the mastering services @ Neptune Mastering.
With the final lacquers shipped directly to your pressing plant.
Visit the website for more details.
Cutting Equipment Info:
- NEUMANN VMS70 Lathe
- NEUMANN SX74 Cutterhead
- NEUMANN SAL74 B Cutting Amps
- FLoKaSon Pitch-18 Custom Pitch System
- FloKaSon Remain Time Module
What is Master Lacquer Disc Cutting, you ask?
Master lacquer disc cutting is a process used to produce vinyl records, where audio is cut into a lacquer-coated disc. This disc is then used to make the master stamper, which is used to press the final vinyl records. The lacquer disc is a crucial component in preserving the integrity of the analog sound and ensuring high-quality recordings.
The importance of mastering with regard to lacquer discs is that it’s an essential step in the record-cutting process as it ensures that the audio is optimized for the final analog product, vinyl records. A mastering engineer takes the final mix of a recording and fine-tunes it, adjusting levels, equalization, and other elements to create the best possible sound. This process helps to eliminate any unwanted noise or inconsistencies in the audio, resulting in a high-quality analog recording.
To produce high-quality lacquer discs, a cutting engineer must have access to the right tools and equipment. This includes a cutting lathe, a cutting head, a stylus, and an amplifier. The cutting lathe holds the lacquer disc and rotates it, while the cutting head cuts the audio into the lacquer. The stylus is the tool that physically cuts the audio into the lacquer, and the amplifier provides the power needed for the cutting process.
The Cutting Process: Steps and Techniques
- Preparation: Ensure that the cutting lathe, cutting head, stylus, and amplifier are properly calibrated and in good working order.
- Audio Transfer: Transfer the audio to the cutting lathe and set the levels.
- Groove Cutting: Cut the audio into the lacquer disc, paying close attention to the levels and equalization to ensure optimal sound quality.
- Quality Control: Inspect the cut lacquer disc for any errors or inconsistencies, and make any necessary adjustments.
- Final Product: The lacquer disc is now ready to be used to make the master stamper, which will be used to press the final vinyl records.
Lacquer disc cutting is an integral part of the analog sound production process, and mastering is the crucial step in ensuring high-quality recordings. While it may seem like a complex process, with the right tools, room, ears and techniques, one can master lacquer disc cutting and produce high-quality analog recordings. Visit Neptune Mastering for more!
