Laser Etching on Lacquers

[basquiattag]

Does anyone know the best place in the States or Canada to get this done?

Thanks,

[TotalSonic]

Does anyone know the best place in the States or Canada to get this done?

Thanks,

This is the only place I know still doing it:
http://www.erikarecords.com

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[piaptk]

United record pressing also does laser etching. And there are probably awards and trophy shops around you that have a laser etcher.... I know a coffee company here in Olympia tht does it.

I wouldn't recommend Erika, personally. I did two records through them and they were both miserable experiences with Erika telling me they could do things that they couldn't multiple times and then being really reluctant to fix their own mistakes. Same with Recordpressing.com (who was even worse!). URp has occasionally made mistakes on the recorss I've done with them, but they always made it up quickly and in a big way. I've been nothing but completely satisfied with them.

[emorritt]

I noticed on the Erika site they stated the etched side of the record couldn't have audio on it; just the 'neato' etching for cosmetic purposes only. Anyone remember the Styx Paradise Theatre album? One side was etched WITH grooves. I'm assuming that the etching was done first, then the master cut over the etching so what you see would only be on the 'land' and not the groove walls as well? Or would the father or mother been etched and the stampers pulled from etched metalwork? I'm assuming here that if the etching was done on a recorded surface it would affect the groove walls as well as the land area?

[TotalSonic]

I noticed on the Erika site they stated the etched side of the record couldn't have audio on it; just the 'neato' etching for cosmetic purposes only. Anyone remember the Styx Paradise Theatre album? One side was etched WITH grooves. I'm assuming that the etching was done first, then the master cut over the etching so what you see would only be on the 'land' and not the groove walls as well? Or would the father or mother been etched and the stampers pulled from etched metalwork? I'm assuming here that if the etching was done on a recorded surface it would affect the groove walls as well as the land area?

Split Enz release of "True Colours" from 1980 also was laser etched on both playing sides. My brother had this record when we were teenagers and I remember it sounding fine (although it's definitely been a good while since I last heard it - so take this with a grain of salt). I have no idea what techniques were done to make this though. Apparently the only other album of that era to feature this besides the Styx release was the 1st Superman movie soundtrack.



Best regards,
Steve Berson

[emorritt]

Steve, I have the Paradise Theatre album; bought it when first released and the odd thing that strikes me is that like your photo, the 'rainbow' pattern seems to be intact which leads me to believe that the lacquer was etched with the pattern first, then the grooves cut. I guess I need to dig out my Paradise theatre and put it under the microscope...

[dietrich10]

email david here
http://vinylrecordguru.com/

he has a source in usa for these. not erika

[piaptk]

I've got a release I'm goin to be doing as soon as I've prcticed cutting my own masters a little more, but I'm essentially going to eth under the label
area so that the blank label will have a sweet embossed effect... I was also thinking about doing something similar to what you were all talking about, grooves and art on the same side...

[Aussie0zborn]

I have the Split Enz "True Colours" album with laser etching on both sides which I bought when it was first released. I put it under the microscope on the VMS70 and it appeared that the lacquer was laser etched first and cut later. Under the microscope the land looked really messed up but the grooves were normal. The record does exhibit some surface noise and I would say this is because some of the groove wall is affected.