Saturday, November 6, 2010

Vinyl Pressing Plants Keeping Busy

We all know that vinyl records are a hot commodity right now and no one knows it more than some of the record pressing plants here in the United States. With presses working overtime, let's explore each one of these record pressing plants below:


A & R Record Manufacturing (Dallas, TX) http://www.arrecords.com/  
About A&R (est. 1969)
A&R has been dedicated to the best in 12" vinyl pressings, CD & CD Rom replication, serving artists and corporate clients worldwide. Mastering, disc cutting, printing and graphics services available.



Archer Record Pressing (Detroit, MI) http://www.archerrecordpressing.com/  





Brooklynphono (Brooklyn, NY) http://www.brooklynphono.com/



Capsule Labs http://capsulelabs.com/vinyl-record-pressing

We press vinyl records in house using a fully automated custom modified SMT 12 inch press.

IN-HOUSE PRESSING
Most of the vinyl pressing web sites are brokers sending your project to be pressed at one of the very few large pressing plants left operating in the world. Capsule Labs is a true vinyl presser, while we outsource the electroplating and the printing of labels and jackets, everything else is handled in house, from the mastering and cutting of lacquers, to the pressing and packaging, where we can control the quality and customize the process.

100% VIRGIN VINYL
Record manufacturing creates excess vinyl which gets trimmed off the edge. Almost every pressing plant regrinds this vinyl and mixes it in with virgin vinyl in their production chain. If not done properly, this introduces foreign elements in the vinyl (fluff) which ends up affecting the quality of the final record.

We only use 100% virgin vinyl at Capsule Labs and collaborate with local artists to recycle our excess vinyl into art instead, we will be featuring some of the vinyl art on our website soon.

Vinyl mastering consists of optimizing the final mastered song for the unique characteristics of the vinyl format which include low and high frequency treatment, level adjustment, groove spacing optimization, and if necessary, low-end summing to eliminate undesirable phasing that can occur from stereo effects in the bass frequencies on vinyl.

Our engineer Gil Tamazyan then cuts 10" or 14" master lacquers for 7" and 12" releases respectively, as well as 7" or 12" reference discs, on our custom modified Neumann VMS 66 cutting lathe. We take great care in optimizing the groove spacing and cutting depth to give you the loudest, cleanest cut vinyl allows for your runtime.

We also provide direct-to-disc recording of live performances cut straight to lacquers with no digital step in the audio processing chain, for the purest and warmest analog sound available anywhere today. If you are interested in finding out more about our Direct-To-Disc Sessions, contact us.

OUR CUTTING LATHE
•Neumann VMS 66 Disc Mastering Lathe with Groove Preview and Midi Controls
•Fairchild 602 Tube Limiters
•Shure SE20 Mastering Phono Preamp
•Custom Built FDS Low end Summing Passive System


EKS Manufacturing (Long Island City, NY)  http://www.eksmfg.com/


Erika Records (Downey, CA) http://www.erikarecords.com/

Erika Records is a vinyl record pressing plant that has over 30 years experience in the vinyl record manufacturing business. Erika Records is capable of producing traditional vinyl records to anything else you can imagine. Erika Records will provide you with a top quality product and excellent customer service. We require no or low minimums on your vinyl records order and our professional Customer Service Representatives are available to help you every step of the way. Whether this is your first time pressing vinyl or you are an industry professional, you will always receive our one on one attention to your vinyl record project. Erika Records can produce your vinyl record product in a timely and cost effective manner; be proud to say "Made in the USA!"

Erika Records can press all your traditional vinyl records in any size range from 2" to 12", with 13" records coming soon. Not only can we fulfill all your traditional vinyl record needs we also are the go to company for colored vinyl records, picture records, shape vinyl records, etched vinyl records, splatter vinyl records and picture shape vinyl records. Erika Records offers a state of the art vinyl record lacquer mastering lab that will ensure you produce a top quality vinyl record.

Erika Records has been creating unique and custom record shapes and picture records since their inception. Being one of the first companies to make picture and shaped records; we have pressed picture records for Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, KISS, Bon Jovi, Sublime, Gwen Stefani, Tim McGraw, Jack Johnson, Mars Volta and more. We are the leader in being able to take your vinyl record vision to the next step, with unique and creative options that will take your vinyl record from traditional to WOW! When the big companies are looking for a unique and top quality finished product they come to Erika Records.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our work and the materials we use. We use only top of the line vinyl to create a great vinyl record product that will stand the test of time. While we specialize in unique and custom records we are a record pressing plant and a good majority of our business is traditional vinyl records. No matter how large or small your vinyl record job is we have the experience and know how to get the job done on time.



Gotta Groove Records (Cleveland, OH) http://www.gottagrooverecords.com/


Gotta Groove Records - "Groove With Us" (1 Min Version) from Nick Cavalier on Vimeo.



Musicol Recording (Columbus, OH) http://www.musicolrecording.com/

Musicol Recording Studio has been located in Columbus Ohio for over 40 years. Our customer service and quality recording facilities have kept our repeat business alive in the Columbus area. We are dedicated to providing you with the best service whatever your needs may be. Our studio equipment is top-notch and our engineers are among the most knowledgeable in the industry. We would be happy to answer any questions you may or, if you have a specific need, please feel free to complete our form and receive a free quote.









Rainbo Records (Canoga Park, CA) http://www.rainborecords.com/




Record Technology Inc (Camarillo, CA) http://www.recordtech.com/

Record Technology is a world class record pressing plant located in Camarillo, California. We press for most audiophile record labels and for many quality minded independent and major record labels from around the world.

Also on site is AcousTech mastering, offering LP lacquer cutting and CD pre-mastering.



United Record Pressing (Nashville, TN) http://www.urpressing.com/

About United Record Pressing

United Record Pressing, LLC (URP) began in Nashville, Tennessee in 1949, when it was known by the name Southern Plastics. One of Southern Plastics top clients was Vee Jay Records out of Chicago. It was Vee Jay that pressed the first Beatles 7"s in America, prior to Capitol signing them. In 1962, Southern Plastics relocated to the current site of United Record Pressing which is the same location that pressed those Beatles 7"s.

Southern Plastics would eventually change its name to United Record Pressing in 1971.

In addition to the numerous important records that have been pressed in this plant, United managed to create a little history on its own. When the current URP plant opened in the 1960's it was a very different time in the South, Nashville included. In the early 60's there were hardly any restaurants or hotels in Nashville that would offer their services to African Americans. With top clients like Vee Jay Records and Motown being run by people of color, the company was in need of accommodations for their clients and created what we now call the "Motown Suite", an apartment located above the factory. The Motown Suite which is still viewable to guests touring the plant, displays the same furnishings that these execs were offered including a common room with a bar, a turntable, enough seating to entertain guests, a full bathroom, a double occupancy bedroom, a kitchen equipped with an old push button stove and other novel 60's decor. URP still uses the kitchen as a meeting room, with our staff sitting at the same 60's dinette set that Motown, Vee Jay and other label executives and artists used. Another feature of historical significance is the party room, located just steps from the Motown Suite. This large room was once used as an event room and hosted record label signing parties for folks including Wayne Newton, The Cowsills and a then 16 year old Hank Williams Jr. Currently, the party room functions as a museum of Southern Plastics / United Record Pressing's historical significance along with a brief history of recorded music. The museum room still pays tribute to the party room's history by featuring some of the original furniture from its heyday.




Here is a partial list of pressing plants overseas:
Australia   Zenith Records   Vinyl Factory

Belgium   Vinylium    Disco Press

Brazil   PolySom (Re-opened November 2009 with new owners)

Czech Republic   GZ Digital Media

France MPO    Magnetic Mastering, Marseilles NEW in 2010 !!

Germany   Celebrate Records   My 45   Ameise Vinylpresserei    Rand Muzik    Optimal Media Production
Master Media Productions   Pallas Group    Flight 13 Duplication  
Italy   Disco Elite [NEW]    Microwatt    Phonopress

Jamaica, West Indies   Tufff Gong    Laserworks (must supply own flat stampers and labels)

Japan     Toyokasei

Russia   New plant coming very soon. Alpha Toolex automatic presses and Neumann VMS70 lathe with SX74 cutterhead and Ortofon cutting amps.

Sweden   Vic-Tone Records (the one and only pressing plant in Sweden)

Switzerland  None. Small one Fabel press operation coming soon.

United Kingdom  Phoenix of Vinyl    Total Vinyl    Vinyl Factory  Two guys who each have one 7" press
Closed in 2009 : Orlake Records (owned by Vinyl Factory) and Quick Press Productions.
Closed in 2010 : Two "under the radar" plants producing pirate. counterfeit and bootleg records.

Mexico   RetroActivo Records [NEW in 2009!!]

Holland   Record Industry

Canada  Rip-V [NEW in 2009!!]

1 comment:

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