I'd probably say Optimal are best unless they are having a bad day, followed by Pallas, RI, MPO with GZ last, but that doesn't count Dublin Vinyl or the new UK plants as I don't have any knowledge of their work, but I have no idea where Ace are getting Gil Scott-Heron pressed like you I hope they don't throw all the effort and good work away with a poor pressing, though if the TP is good in theory the finished product should be.
We’re using GZ who’s pressings - despite Hoffman board nonsense - are on par with RI and Optimal and only beaten by Pallas for European factories.
Optimal are no better than GZ these days. The problems at all of the mainstream Euro plants is caused by capacity and overwork issues and as someone who presses records in both I notice no particular difference in quality. If anything my best pressing from the last year - the repress of Matt Deighton’s Villager came from GZ.
As you get a lot of titles pressed I'll take your word for it Dean, it's a shame Optimal have let the quality slip though likewise good that GZ have improved and that reflects my recent experience, they definitely went through a period of poor quality pressings or rather quality control and cleaniness issues, that's not just board nonsense, though I'd agree that the opinions voiced on here can be a distortion and emphasise the negative.
To be honest, I'm not really sure there has been any slip in quality at Optimal beyond the factory working at full capacity, which is the same thing that happens at GZ, leading to issues such as warps and non-fill. The basics are all done to a high-ish level of competence. GZ had a disastrous period around 2013, the first peak of the vinyl revival, and that reputation has stuck with them ever since on this board. I don't think that Optimal had the same issues in 2013 because they didn't get the same strain on their capacity. I also suspect that the issues pop up more on major label records or records pressed by brokers, as they will have big chunks of capacity booked, and lots of records getting pressed at the same time. But this is just a hunch. There are some terrible factories operating at the moment, but GZ isn't one of them (nor is Optimal).
We always took into account who would deliver on time, Optimal yes, MPO no and who wouldn't get something majorly wrong, MPO can do nice pressings, but do have a higher rate of labels on wrong sides etc., not having stress or to change release dates is an importnat factor in chossing a plant though these days all bets are off, talking of terrible plants Luton use to be capable of appalling work, but seems to have improved greatly, admitedly from a very low start, I'm very interested in what the two new North East plants are capable of, but haven't knowingly bought anything pressed by either. I've remembered that last record I got from you was GZ pressed and excellent, I think I even commented on how good a pressing it was, on par with Optimal for sure, if Gil Scott-Heron is as good as that one there will be many happy people.
Certainly the Soul Revivers is GZ pressed. By Luton do you mean Black Diamond? In which case that would surprise me. Not had a chance to try the North Eastern plants, and they are pressing in such low numbers that I suspect I won't. I don't know anyone that's used them, but again because of the low numbers, that doesn't surprise me.
I have a lot of good GZ pressings, mostly from VMP and the latest being A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory which is remarkably good. The recent What's Going On (Kevin Gray cut) is really great overall. I've had my share of issues with GZ but they are not horrible at all. I'm looking forward to this release. Will it be available from most outlets (indie stores, Amazon, etc.)? And thanks for keeping us updated.
Hi Mike I'm not really sure how Ace Records distribution works in the US. But I will try and find out. Should definitely be available from Amazon. Dean
Agreed. Also, the VMP Lightnin' Hopkins - Lightnin' Strikes and Kurt Vile's new album come to mind. Both were GZ pressings and both were great. There are other recent GZ pressings that I found to be darn good, but I can't recall off the top of my head exactly which albums. Overall I've been fairly impressed with them lately.
There are also a steady stream of non-fill records from GZ Look I’ve heard both good and bad from that plant but no amount of SHF bickering is creating a false narrative of issues. They’re valid gripes. If Dean says they’re on par with Optimal at this point then so be it, but to me that’s a (justified) knock on optimal, not really a compliment to GZ
I've also had my fair share of issues with GZ pressings, but lately they seem to be doing better. Just my experience. I know that doesn't extrapolate to any greater truth about their overall quality, but I am less apprehensive about pressings coming from them than I once was. I also never said SHF bickering is creating a false narrative.
You didn’t, but Dean did upthread yeah I get it, sometimes you get a great GZ press. I just did with their VMP Spirit In The Dark. But I’ve had way more pressings marred by noise than not. Same goes with optimal lately. Just went through 4 copies of Soul Station until I found one acceptable (and it still has issues). I just don’t think it’s a fair excuse to say “they’re operating at full capacity hence more defects” anyway, don’t mean to derail this thread. Hoping for the best. Would be even better if like Dean says these are avail on Amazon, makes exchanges super easy
As I remembered earlier another recent project Dean worked on, Soul Revivers "On The Grove" on Acid Jazz was pressed at GZ this year and is one of the best sounding records I've heard come from that plant so knowing Dean will have made sure the source tape was right and that the mastering and cut were properly done and he says the test presses are great I think we can all expect the best and be positive about this release, whenever it appears.
That album had its lacquers cut by Frank Merritt at The Carvery , but from a digital source, and was then sent to GZ. POM has the same process, but the cut was from the analogue master. It’s worth saying that the Flying Dutchman masters sound incredible, almost without exception, wherever they are recorded.
Although many on here don't believe it, we both know that a good digital source properly mastered and pressed can sound just as good as an analogue one and as you've mentioned before the Flying Dutchman masters sound fantastic so unless GZ manage to mess up the press POM should be an essential purchase and up there with the Tone Poets, AP Verves etc., though as I have everything Gil Scott-Heron released I may be biased. I'm just having a flashback to playing "Lady Day & John Coltrane" at Glastonbury back in the nineties which twenty five years later I realise was even more appropriate as I'd seen him live in a different Somerset field twenty miles away back in the eighties, sorry to go OT, my brain seems to be busy making G S-H connections.
New vinyl pressing plant opens in Middlesbrough The other one may be in Newcastle and possibly not up and running yet, pretty sure it was planned years ago, but hit by delays, my problem is that I have conversations with industry people and then forget the important details like what it's called. Dean likely knows a lot more than I do.
Well if I'm right about Newcastle getting one you are being surrounded by pressing plants, the vinyl triangle, I wish I had one that close.
Unfortunately that will be GZ in the Czech Repulic, but if I were you I'd see if it's possible to visit/tour Press On Vinyl, worse they can do is say no.
