SH Spotlight How records are made; shows the making of the lacquer, etc. Youtube. New. Must see!

that's some wild stuff!

 

Great stuff. Thanks for sharing Steve.

I was fortunate to take a trip to the RTI facility last January. What an awesome experience that was. I saw nearly all the steps the videos show. It was really cool watching Steve and Kevin cut the lacquer. I even have a biscuit as a souvenir.

 

?

 

The "?" was for Steve, not for Leppo.

 

These films are great. I'm surprised at how thin the masters are - they look too flimsy to take all that abuse from the presses.

 

Guess, it's top secret?

 

Steve, thanks for the links. I had seen records being pressed live a long time ago, but had never seen the previous process. The second video was also very interesting as it refreshed my mind on what I had seen so long ago.

As for Kevin Gray not needing a writing block, I guess he must have quite a steady pulse. Wish I could say the same. I guess it's just the adding up of years.

 

Hey, there's a dog inside that bee outfit!

 

That's a good example of what recording real music is... or was.

 

I'd say this is as hands on as you can get with music reproduction nowadays. It's like the craftmanship side of music reproduction (without this comment really needing the 'like' word).

 

Great couple of videos! The narrator mentioned computer controlled cutting and wider grooves for bassy passages, but in the "old days" the person cutting the record had to adjust groove spacing manually, right? Record cutting must have been quite a talent. Does everyone use a computer these days?

 

Steve,

If the stamper can make about 500 pressings before it wears down, and the lacquer only makes one master....How many mothers can be made from one master?...and how many stampers can be made from one mother before it wears down? I'm trying to calculate the total number of pressings from a single lacquer.

 

I did view this film after you pointed it out, and I enjoyed it as well. I am amazed at the level of musicianship and engineering required for a "live cut" just like the orchestra shown on the video. These days, even most "live" albums are not that live!

Jerry F.

 

VERY COOL STEVE...THANKS!!!

Chris C

 

I'm not heavily into vinyl any longer, but I greatly enjoyed this! WONDERFUL!...even my wife dug it.

 

The tape shown in the pic is the master tape to Fantasy 8393--GREEN RIVER by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Master tapes like this one are stored tails-out, so the right hand reel is the one the tape was delivered to SH & Co on. Look at it closely: '8393 A/B' on one spoke, 'Fantasy' on another. Looks to me like the entire album--the sequences for both LP sides 1 and 2--are contained on the one reel of tape (just like on 8387, BAYOU COUNTRY). Not uncommon practice where and when albums run under 35 or 36 minutes length. And seeing the warning sticker on that reel which stated that it was backcoated tape--record on shiny side--coupled with the 1969 vintage of the album leads me to believe that the tape stock is none other than Scotch 206. (Another classic!)

 

thanks Steve, this was great to watch!