FAQ's
Click here to see a video of how vinyl records are made
1,what is mastering and why do I need it?
Mastering is all about tweaking the final presentation of a mix to fit the context of the album, the genre and the marketplace. Often it's simply correcting unintended timbrel coloration caused by particular monitors and equalizers. The main tool is monitoring that is good enough to tell when to leave it alone or to hear which gear to use and what settings help more than they hurt. (Bob Olhsson)
2,Have you got any jobs?
No but send us a cv,when a vacancy appears we will consider your application
3,what is a dub plate?
A dub plate is an acetate disc that looks like a record and plays like a record but instead is made from a perfectly even layer of lacquer that is then deposited on top of a finely polished thin aluminum base. Due to the expensive and time consuming process of vinyl manufacture a dub plate is used to indicate what a master will sound like after manufacture, they are also used as a quick way of giving dj an authentic warm sounding format to play.
4, How many plays can I get out of a dub plate?
This depends on how you treat them ‘’I have dubs that I have plaid four –five times a week for over a year that still sound good ‘’(Jason Goz Transition) We recommend that you do not used the concord stylus’s that are common in clubland .We recommendation Either a Stanton 500 or Shure 447`s.
5, what is a test pressing?
This is exactly what the name suggests,A test of the pressing. these are made in a short run of say 5-10 units they are used as a last quality control check of the whole vinyl manufacturing process. (Do not confuse these with white labels that are generally record label promos
6, why do I need a reference cd?
This is the cd version of a test pressing we generally supply our customers with a cd ref to listen to and a cd master to manufacture from.
7,How long can you get on a record /Dub plate?
7” 3.5mins*@45rpm
7” 5.0 mins*@ 33.3rpm
10” 5.0 mins*@ 45rpm
10 7.0mins *@33.3rpm
12” 6.5 mins*@ 45rpm
12” 10.00mins*@33rpm
*these times are per side and not maximum just recommendations Album lenths can go upto 20 mins per side
What formats do you accept?
Cd dat ¼ inch (by prior arangemnt)audio cassette minidisk all data types
8,what level should I record my mix at?
If you are recording onto cd or dat then between –5dbfs and –1dbfs is ok.If you are recording onto tape then whatever sounds good.
9,I have been told that it is good to normalize /peak limit/heavily comprees/ultramaximise/drive my digital mixer or hard disc recorder/editor into the red by some people, and told that this is not a good idea by others which do you prefer?
We recommend that you do not use any of these processes on the stereo bus and that if you are using them on the individual channels you do so sparingly, remember the better the mix that you give us to master the better the end results. If you insist on using any of these processes then please burn a safety copy that does not have any of these processes on it.
10,is there any particular storage instructions for the masters that I received when I attended the session?
For vinyl masters (Lacquer) store these in a cold and dry environment and if you cannot get these to the pressing plant within a couple of days put them in the fridge (if your partner will let you ;-) For cd masters do not play them or alter anything on the cd, play the reference copy. If you require any revisions please give us a call. For some small revisions there may not even be a charge.
11,Can you listen to my track before I come in so that I can be sure that it is ok to be mastered?
Due to the amont of timewasters that we have had to deal with in the past we can only do this if you pay a deposit for the session when you send us the track,Your final bill will be credited at the end.
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