What is the point of Polycarbonate Discs?

[KeeLeh21]

What is the point of a polycarbonate disk? does anybody use those here?

[piaptk]

Lasts longer and costs less than a lacquer. Can be cut into odd shapes, can be turned into picture discs.

They are really the only financially viable way to do runs of lathe cuts that still sound decent.

[opcode66]

They are like one-off records.

Pros: Durability, can be queued up many times without degradation of the groove unlike a lacquer, can be played thousands of times not hundreds of time like a lacquer, are close to the weight and feal like pressed vinyl.

Cons: They are close to the cost of a lacquer (12" about $8 vs 11 for a lacquer), they have some amount of background noise not present in a lacquer, they are very staticy and will attract a lot of dust (even more than pressed vinyl), they are sort of a pain in the arse to cut right, a diamond stylus is required and is very expensive and can go bad quickly and esily.

[dietrich10]

we can get price lower than $8

[maniman]

They are really the only financially viable way to do runs of lathe cuts that still sound decent.

Amen.

Thinking a bit more about the clarification of the sound difference between , with the Shank stylus now can cut poly with the most cutterheads , not ?

how really sounds a good serious lathe cutting with a diamond ? ( on Neumann or similar for example ).

In other words

Talking about a serious lathe (like a Neumann), we can compare the traditional lacquer cut (with the appropriate stylus ) with the same machine cutting poly with a diamond in terms of sound quality ?

That limitation is inherent to the materials and the extra hardness , or are more lathe quality related ? guess many many other differences between the machine that usually cut lacquers and the one(s?) that cut poly (in all terms , precision , costs , etc )

Someday , someday hope can try by myself.

[KeeLeh21]

They are like one-off records.

Pros: Durability, can be queued up many times without degradation of the groove unlike a lacquer, can be played thousands of times not hundreds of time like a lacquer, are close to the weight and feal like pressed vinyl.

Cons: They are close to the cost of a lacquer (12" about $8 vs 11 for a lacquer), they have some amount of background noise not present in a lacquer, they are very staticy and will attract a lot of dust (even more than pressed vinyl), they are sort of a pain in the arse to cut right, a diamond stylus is required and is very expensive and can go bad quickly and esily.

thanks very helpful post

[opcode66]

Good results are possible with some work. I hope I didn't deter you from trying to cut plastic. Everything is a give and take you know.

[maniman]

Aha , I can't imagine , I only saw a Neumann a years ago , never touch one , If I'm not wrong the Nickou's one is the only Neumann alive in the city.

Maybe seems and stupid idea but modding a Neumann to cut poly can mean the best durable dub ever seen , and can give new life to a Neumann, in the sense of how many weekly cuts have to do to make it profitable , not ? I imagine the master recording business are relatively limited , the pressed production are far far away of the good times , not ?

In all sizes plant ( from relatively small as my45 until giants as GZ media ) the lathe use is relatively necessary , but have a serious lathe that isnt part of a pressing chain seems me totally non-viable , Now knowing this maybe can think in that as very very long term project.

[opcode66]

I didn't have to mod anything. Just used a diamond instead of a sapphire. And, had a lamp with a 100W incandescent bulb pointed at the surface of the disc. Let the disc heat up. When it is at optimal temperature start cutting.

[ArchaicRecords]

Isn't it possible to cut into poly with a heated steel stylus?