I recorded and mixed two songs that are being released on a vinly
single. Both of the test pressings have sounded terrible - like the
were run through an guitar distortion box.

After the first test pressing, we sent them new audio file with no
L1/l2 style limiting after the suggestion taht the problem was in the
mastering..

The masters were cut by a guy named Mark at Prarie Cat Mastering and
the pressings were made by United Record Pressing in Nashville. Does
anyone know these people? I'm wondering if it's worth sticking with
them and figuring out a way to work it out or if we should cut our
losses and find some place else. And if the latter is the best
approach, does anyone have any recommendations?

"Mike Caffrey" wrote in message
oups.com...

I recorded and mixed two songs that are being released on a vinly
single. Both of the test pressings have sounded terrible - like the
were run through an guitar distortion box.

That's vinyl for ya !

;-)

geoff

Geoff Wood wrote:

I recorded and mixed two songs that are being released on a vinly
single. Both of the test pressings have sounded terrible - like the
were run through an guitar distortion box.


That's vinyl for ya !

No, bad vinyl. It can be screwed up just like CD's. Fortunately it
isn't, nearly as often.

In article .com writes:

I recorded and mixed two songs that are being released on a vinly
single. Both of the test pressings have sounded terrible - like the
were run through an guitar distortion box.

After the first test pressing, we sent them new audio file with no
L1/l2 style limiting after the suggestion taht the problem was in the
mastering..

Ask for a "refernce lacquer" disk from the mastering enginner (the one
who cuts the master). That way you can verify the cutting process. Test
pressings are often a little noisy because, being a short run, the
stampers don't really have a chance to heat fully. If the reference
disk sounds OK but the test pressing is distorted, then the problem is
with the metal parts.

These "check" parts and procedures are all a la carte - you have to
pay for them - but they're part of the quality control process.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Mike Caffrey wrote:

I recorded and mixed two songs that are being released on a vinly
single. Both of the test pressings have sounded terrible - like the
were run through an guitar distortion box.

Can you get a test lacquer? Just get one side... and give it a listen.
If the lacquer sounds bad, it's the mastering and not the pressing.

After the first test pressing, we sent them new audio file with no
L1/l2 style limiting after the suggestion taht the problem was in the
mastering..

I hope you sent them something with no processing on the 2-buss at all.
Limiting is an absolute disaster and won't make things any louder, but
really any processing makes the mastering guy's work a lot harder.

The masters were cut by a guy named Mark at Prarie Cat Mastering and
the pressings were made by United Record Pressing in Nashville. Does
anyone know these people? I'm wondering if it's worth sticking with
them and figuring out a way to work it out or if we should cut our
losses and find some place else. And if the latter is the best
approach, does anyone have any recommendations?

I dunno, mail me a test pressing. I'll give it a listen. Did you ask
the mastering engineer to cut it as hot as possible to to make it easy
to track?

United used to have a really bad reputation and they did some of the
worse work I'd ever heard in the US. But I am told that in the last
couple years they have turned around and their quality is a lot better.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

In article znr1115638667k@trad, Mike Rivers wrote:
In article .com writes:

I recorded and mixed two songs that are being released on a vinly
single. Both of the test pressings have sounded terrible - like the
were run through an guitar distortion box.

After the first test pressing, we sent them new audio file with no
L1/l2 style limiting after the suggestion taht the problem was in the
mastering..

Ask for a "refernce lacquer" disk from the mastering enginner (the one
who cuts the master). That way you can verify the cutting process. Test
pressings are often a little noisy because, being a short run, the
stampers don't really have a chance to heat fully. If the reference
disk sounds OK but the test pressing is distorted, then the problem is
with the metal parts.

As far as I know, almost everyone on the east coast is using Mastercraft
in New Jersey for plating work. United is large enough that they may
have their own plating plant in-house the way Europadisc does, but since
the smaller plating places have closed and most of the business has all
moved to Mastercraft, I have seen fewer and fewer plating defects.

It _is_ possible to make a distorted sounding pressing from a good stamper.
It's not as common as noise problems, blisters, and whooshing, but it can
be done.

These "check" parts and procedures are all a la carte - you have to
pay for them - but they're part of the quality control process.

I used to have a big discount on reference lacquers, because I would cut
them on "yellows" which were cheaper than the higher grade blanks. These
days you can't even _get_ yellows most of the time and when you can they
cost almost as much as a pressing-grade blank.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Joe Sensor wrote:
Geoff Wood wrote:

I recorded and mixed two songs that are being released
on a vinly
single. Both of the test pressings have sounded
terrible - like the
were run through an guitar distortion box.


That's vinyl for ya !

No, bad vinyl. It can be screwed up just like CD's.
Fortunately it
isn't, nearly as often.

That's only because compared to CDs, virtually no new vinyl
titles are being produced. Less total production by a mile
leads to at least a few less screw-ups.

Mike Caffrey wrote:

I recorded and mixed two songs that are being released on
a vinly
single. Both of the test pressings have sounded terrible -
like the
were run through an guitar distortion box.

How did the original recording sound?

Arny Krueger wrote:

That's only because compared to CDs, virtually no new vinyl
titles are being produced. Less total production by a mile
leads to at least a few less screw-ups.

I've been listening to records for a long time. Your point is moot.

Does a Vinyl Problem imply a Vinyl Solution?

Joe Sensor wrote:
Arny Krueger wrote:

That's only because compared to CDs, virtually no new
vinyl
titles are being produced. Less total production by a
mile
leads to at least a few less screw-ups.

I've been listening to records for a long time.

Probably not as long as I have.

Your point is moot.

Only in the eyes of someone who wants to dismiss a critical
point before anybody notices.

"Carey Carlan" wrote in message
. 191...
Does a Vinyl Problem imply a Vinyl Solution?



Or is it the Vinyl Countdown ?

geoff

On Mon, 09 May 2005 17:19:41 -0500, Joe Sensor
wrote:

Arny Krueger wrote:

That's only because compared to CDs, virtually no new vinyl
titles are being produced. Less total production by a mile
leads to at least a few less screw-ups.

I've been listening to records for a long time. Your point is moot.

But never Arnie!