Vinyl records now in crisis: Apollo Transco Mastering lacquer plant is a total loss*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by SoCalWJS, Feb 6, 2020.

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  1. AdamChanSiuLung

    AdamChanSiuLung Forum Resident

    Location:
    NEW YORK, NEW YORK
    This is what I'm sort of doing when trying to determine if the 15kc tone is present on a copy of the Sgt. Pepper album. I'm actually rotating the turntable platter very slowly rather than slowing it down.
     
  2. Farmer Mike

    Farmer Mike Forum Resident

    Is there any manufacturing process like this, that other companies do or is this a total outlier?
     
  3. Gabe Walters

    Gabe Walters Forum Resident

    Krispy Kreme sprays glaze onto donuts along a conveyer belt.
     
  4. JohnCarter17

    JohnCarter17 Forum Resident

    Location:
    TX
    Quick! Someone tell Apollo!
     
  5. Farmer Mike

    Farmer Mike Forum Resident

    You'd need a really big donut to get a whole album side down, but it would certainly sound sweet.
     
  6. Larry Loves LPs

    Larry Loves LPs Forum Resident

    Location:
    Alexandria, VA
  7. Gabe Walters

    Gabe Walters Forum Resident

    [​IMG]
    Apollo's new mfg process.

    Alternate caption: how I consume both donuts and records.
     
  8. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    It ain’t that simple. Timber companies want the big trees, but a lot of the problem is too many smaller trees, which don’t have much value.

    No one opposes healthy, resilient, sustainable forests.
     
  9. robbow99

    robbow99 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Following this story, I'm hoping that this isn't as major as it is made out to be in regards to vinyl production. But sadly it looks to be pretty severe.

    I really hope someone with the means and resources can step in and do something.
     
    Strat-Mangler likes this.
  10. nosliw

    nosliw Delivering parcels throughout Teyvat! Meow~!

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON, Canada
    I personally messaged Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters, which he confirmed that he's stocked up on MDC lacquer disks for 12-18 months worth of projects. Nick Townsend of Townsend Mastering is confident that a solution will be coming soon.
     
  11. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    Word
     
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  12. 360-12

    360-12 Forum Resident

    I wonder when he'll sell some to the highest bidder? I see a price war in the not too distant future. At some point the master will become a very valued commodity and there is a lot of money to be made by those who have them.
     
  13. Leviethan

    Leviethan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    There are at least two mastering houses with lathes here in Portland who are MDC customers, so they’ll be OK. One of them is interviewed in this article, and he mentions the exact scenario you’re describing:

    How Will the Fire At Apollo Masters Affect the Local Music Industry?
     
    nosliw and black sheriff like this.
  14. Larry Loves LPs

    Larry Loves LPs Forum Resident

    Location:
    Alexandria, VA
    Someone may have already said this but we all better hope nothing happens to MDC.
     
    Strat-Mangler, Pinknik and Kardiaclp like this.
  15. Black Stripes

    Black Stripes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    I think it is Bernie Grundman Mastering. I cannot find that video right now but I think I watched it on Youtube once where Apollo boxes were shown at his studio. At least that's what my memory tells me...
     
    OldMusicOnVinyl1 and nosliw like this.
  16. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    The mastering houses who aren't fortunate enough to be existing MDC customers still need to be able to pay rent and all of the other expenses that go with just being a functioning business. Hopefully they have other things they can do to bring in some money.
     
    nosliw and MrRom92 like this.
  17. dkurtis

    dkurtis sonoftheFather

    I wouldn't recommend Uber
     
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  18. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    Or starting an audiophile music forum
     
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  19. brimuchmuze

    brimuchmuze Forum Resident

    Many of them would still have digital mastering projects.
     
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  20. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    I hope so. Or I hope they have some other side projects to bring in enough money to keep the mastering studio open during this dry spell in available lacquers. I don't want to see any mastering houses or studios go out of business because of this. That would be the greatest harm in this. I can handle having fewer new LP releases for a couple years till lacquers are available again. Vinyl mastering studios going out of business would be harder to recover from.
     
  21. Yes, there are parts of the semiconductor mfg process that are theoretically similar.
     
  22. The 2016 Emergency Response Guidebook indicates to use water spray, fog or alcohol resistant foam for a large fire. For an in house suppression system, I'd imagine its design would depend on how much nitrocellulose is on site.

    -edit-. Again from looking at street view of the building, I don't see a waterflow bell on the building nor any nfpa diamond signs so I'm intrigued as to what mfg. process went on in there.

    -edit again- There may be a bell on West side of building.
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2020
  23. MichaelXX2

    MichaelXX2 Dictator perpetuo

    Location:
    United States
    I've been following Ferrania since the beginning. Where did they announce they'll never make a color film? I gave up a long time ago, and Ektachrome coming back really knocked the wind out of their sails, I'm sure, but I can't find any proof of your claim.
     
  24. faceinthecrowd

    faceinthecrowd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sacramento
    Has anyone ever visited MDC/the elderly man in his garage in Japan? I’m so curious as to what the story is!
     
  25. Markyp

    Markyp Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louth
    At the very least they should stop cutting 12” singles for a few years and save the lacquers for full LP’s.
     
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