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. MrBeatles

    MrBeatles Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Austria
    They are not like that nowadays, they where originally based in Kobe, Japan, but nowadays they produce in China if I'm not mistaken.
     
  2. Mr Bass

    Mr Bass Chevelle Ma Belle

    Location:
    Mid Atlantic
    I have read a fair number of recent articles and every one of them state specifically that MDC Lacquers is in Japan. Do you have a link for the claim they are now in China (which would be quite disastrous for different reasons)?
     
  3. Shak Cohen

    Shak Cohen Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    I hope people do clamour for it...those Albini analogue DMMs sound very good.
     
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  4. MrBeatles

    MrBeatles Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Austria
    They moved to China in a temporary move after Fukushima issue but as far as I know they still have their manufacturing facility there. It do have sense as labour costs are 10 times more expensive in Japan.
    Anyway it doesnt matter where they are... There is no realistic alternative for now, nowadays there is MDC or DMM; no other choice, both of them concentrated in Europe (most of USA cutting room lacquers where Apollo and all DMM lathes in operation are in Europe).
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2020
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  5. DRM

    DRM Forum Resident

    I wonder how many vinyl enthusiasts who are younger than 55 years old care whether a product is AAA and lacquered. Is there still a thriving baby boom market for this? Enough to warrant a new manufacturing plant in the USA? I don’t know. Better to burn out than to fade away may be the unfortunate new reality. It came so sudden but there may be stock to last for a year or so.
     
  6. Nielsoe

    Nielsoe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Aalborg, Denmark
    Only there was no real reason to think it was going to fade away, but it most certainly did burn out. There’s a void and I hope someone will/can fill it.
     
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  7. Alex Zabotkin

    Alex Zabotkin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pepperland
    As much as we love vinyl, it's impossible to tell for sure how long the vinyl fad is going to last. Maybe it has peaked already. Filling the void may not be worth it financially, especially if a new factory has to be built from scratch. I sure hope for the best, but again, I don't expect someone doing it for something other than money. Even devoted people like Chad are not likely to invest only to lose money...
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2020
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  8. Nielsoe

    Nielsoe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Aalborg, Denmark
    I wouldn’t call it a “vinyl fad”, it’s been rather consistent for a number of years. Other than that I agree 100%.
     
  9. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    If vinylphiles like the sound and the quality what difference does it make where they were made ?
    Price should be much better too.
     
  10. nosliw

    nosliw Delivering parcels throughout Teyvat! Meow~!

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON, Canada
    I'm one of the millennials who like a well-produced and well-pressed AAA release but I also care about a release that has the best mastering, whether it's on LP, CD, or digital. However, I'm also aware that the baby boomer market is a demographic ticking time bomb unless the younger generations can carry the mantle of caring for quality products.

    I also feel that a large segment of the vinyl record trend that was mentioned by @Alex Zabotkin is a fad. One needs to see a huge glut of low-end crap players from Crosley, Victrola, and Audio Technica, followed by loving the "warm" and "pops and crackles" idiosyncrasies peddled by social media "influencers" and mainstream media. Only a small percentage may graduate beyond that kind of thinking, which made me think that it's indeed a largely frothy trend that is due for a correction soon, whether it's a catalyst like the Apollo Masters fire or a global economic recession.
     
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  11. Kardiaclp

    Kardiaclp Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Fads don’t last this long, especially with millennials. It’s a niche market for sure, and I agree that there are economics to consider, but also want to call out again that new pressing plants just opened up in the US and in Europe - so there’s gotta be something there.

    Pretty much everything is getting pressed to vinyl these days - if people weren’t buying them, that wouldn’t be the case. And yes, some people listen on crap equipment - some people don’t care about audio. I have some friends that fall into this category, and yet they still like having a physical copy for their own reasons. I don’t think that necessarily means their short-term vinyl lovers...and who knows maybe one today they’ll start digging into hi-end audio to maximize the experience.
     
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  12. mantis4tons

    mantis4tons Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver, CO, USA
    To speak for vinyl DJs: Stop cutting LPs and save the lacquers for 12" singles!
     
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  13. xfilian

    xfilian Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    Given that the Vinyl revival has been ongoing for around 13 years, I wonder how much longer this has to continue before people stop labeling it a 'fad'. Given that CDs were in ascension for 15 years from 85 to 2000 before they started a slow decline, does that mean they were a fad also?
     
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  14. Kardiaclp

    Kardiaclp Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    whatprogress and nosliw like this.
  15. Alex Zabotkin

    Alex Zabotkin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pepperland
    Not a good analogy, IMHO. CD was the main music distribution format, just like vinyl once was... ;) It's not anymore, and will never be. If CD "comes back" like vinyl did, it may be labelled a fad.

    FWIW, I love vinyl much more than any other music format and I don't see anything wrong with it being called a fad. :cool: Yes, fads are usually short-lived (by definition), but "short" is pretty much relative...
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2020
  16. I have trouble believing there was not at least regular sprinkler in that facility. It's possible there was just no water gong outside. Almost all manufacturing facilities I've ever been in here in Canada are sprinklered. Automatic fire suppression controlled by a fire panel would be another story. Proper fire suppression upgrades are costly but, go a long way.
     
  17. Kardiaclp

    Kardiaclp Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Just because it’s not the primary listening format, that doesn’t necessarily make it a “fad.” It makes an an alternate form of listening..

    That would be like calling motorcycles a fad, in comparison to cars...
     
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  18. Alex Zabotkin

    Alex Zabotkin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pepperland
    So what if it is a fad? :uhhuh: Is it really so obnoxious?

    Just like it did in the "vinyl recession" years. :sigh: Only it definitely wasn't a fad back then. :D
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2020
  19. Mr Bass

    Mr Bass Chevelle Ma Belle

    Location:
    Mid Atlantic
    I was referring to the current health situation / quarantines in China not the factory location per se.
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2020
  20. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Neil Young believes this was a good thing. My my hey hey.
     
  21. Stone Turntable

    Stone Turntable Independent Head

    Location:
    New Mexico USA
  22. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    Were you planning on going there to get them.
     
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  23. Mr Bass

    Mr Bass Chevelle Ma Belle

    Location:
    Mid Atlantic
    For heavens sake figure out the obvious. There are production problems as workers and transport are not moving under quarantines. It would risk all lacquer production coming to all halt from MDC. Fortunately I think the claim that MDC is in China now is bogus.
     
  24. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    The ones you'll be purchasing are in warehouse across the world, I don't think there will be a lack of product for mouths maybe years, by then I'm sure the problem will be solved. For heaven sakes.
     
    FashionBoy likes this.
  25. Alex Zabotkin

    Alex Zabotkin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pepperland
    The bottom line is that we know very little about MDC. The "one-man operation in his garage" statement may also be inaccurate.
     
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