Video: GZ Digital Media, Lodenice, (14km from Prague) Czech

[mossboss]

Interesting A little short but! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLIMkSejVKA
Cheers

[Aussie0zborn]

Well, here's a longer one.

Part 1 : DMM explained (9:35) Everything you wanted to know about DMM but were afraid to ask!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k4hfYtpdOU&feature=PlayList&p=135DC45F8DA60239&index=0

Part 2 : Pressing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC2laeFxvYw&NR=1

[lubomikl]

[quote = "mossboss"] Zaujímavé, ale trochu krátky! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLIMkSejVKA
Cheers [/ quote]
hello guys
There is registered guy with nico GeorgeZ , he works as an engineer in his GZ Lodeniciach.

[mossboss]

Thanks for the input guys
And yes lubomikl, we know GeorgeZ and his DMM
What a lovely machine that is!
You would never go home would you?
Cheers

[GeorgeZ]

Thanks for the input guys
And yes lubomikl, we know GeorgeZ and his DMM
What a lovely machine that is!
You would never go home would you?
Cheers

Yes, I am a regular visitor of this forum

Chris, please rename the topic to "Video: GZ Digital Media, Lodenice, Czech Republic" because Lodenice is a small town approx. 14 km far from Prague I know, everybody knows only Prague from the Czech Republic, but it will be more accurate then.

More links compiled from different sources:

A video with auto-translated article:
http://translate.google.cz/translate?hl=cs&sl=cs&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fekonomika.idnes.cz%2Fvideo-jak-se-vyrabi-vinylova-deska-d5j-%2Fekoakcie.asp%3Fc%3DA090324_155746_ekoakcie_pin

A Photo Essay of a Record Pressing Plant:
http://www.razorcake.org/site/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13738

GZ Factory Tour 2007 (pictures only):
http://s203.photobucket.com/albums/aa219/NWNPROD/GZ%20factory%20tour%20Oct%202007/

A visit of GZ Lodìnice - Czech article at Techno.cz: 06.11.2003 (+some pictures)
http://www.techno.cz/clanek/5316/gramofonove-zavody-lodenice-vyprava-techno.cz

[mossboss]

Hey George
Thanks for the links Great
Can we abreviate you? like GeorgeZ=Gz or GZ or Dmm Gz?
There you are Choices
Cheers

[andybee]

WOW! those 4 DOUBLE MANUAL PRESSES look amazing!



thanks for the links, yes

[blacknwhite]

Thanks for posting pics!

What is this operation? Trimming perhaps?



WOW, MOST IMPRESSIVE... you guys MAKE your OWN RECORD MATERIAL? A real ALL-in-house operation just like RCA Victor in the 1940's!



Dang... I need to sell some stuff to make more money to setup my metalworking workshop...

- Bob

[GeorgeZ]

Hey George
Thanks for the links Great
Can we abreviate you? like GeorgeZ=Gz or GZ or Dmm Gz?
There you are Choices
Cheers

Hello,

please rather don't abbreviate me
My first name "Jiri" is George in English, and then the first letter from my surname was added. I thought the nickname could be unique as it is not very much used in English. It is only a coincidence with that "GZ" pressing plant abbreviation. I am not an official spokesman of GZ and even cannot be considered as any representative of the plant.

Follows some info about our new mastering system
http://www.gzvinyl.com/vinyl-27/news-31/new-vinyl-mastering-619

I wrote it for guys at GearSlutz forum:

--------------
Question:
Is the feedback path connected to the computer? Can you reveal who built the system and/or write/link to more info? Curious..

--------------
Reply:
We use PrismSound Orfeus 192kHz/24-bit converters mounted to our Neumann cutting consoles with some additional hardware IO modules for direct control and measurement of all possible parameters from both our VMS-82 DMM cutting systems and of course the feedback recording through Orfeus.

Both workstations are equipped with high-end PC (quad core, 12GB RAM, Windows 7 64bit etc...) and dedicated software "Visual Vinyl Mastering" written by our developers. It can premaster and master most common source audio formats, process it (levels, EQ, compressors, limiters, monoing etc.), analyze and simulate the cutting with possibility to see the simulated grooves, calculated geometric parameters of the grooves, many graphic meters, histograms and other similar high-math stuff). Storage server support and database connection is also present.

We can directly compare recorded audio from feedback, plate or test pressing record and synchronize it with the source audio to hear any differences and also to see them after analyses. It is the best for resolving of bad cut or pressing claims, because we know immediately if it was our fault or not.

Except the Neumann cutting consoles, the VMS lathes and the Orfeus converters is all other equipment and software developed and built here. The team counts 6 guys and the development for sure took more than 3 years I am here.

Now all guys here need to learn new things and be able to use the system up to its full potentialities.

------------------
Question:
Since any differences would be due to playback and not cutting what do you use to model the playback? A specific make of cartridge or an idealized model. What happens when someone uses something different and is unhappy with the results?

-------------------
Reply:

We can simulate and analyze in both horizontal and vertical direction:

1) an immediate angle of the groove - so we can prevent breaking of the groove by the back part of the cutting stylus

2) an immediate radius of the groove - simply said if the playback tip can fit into the groove or not. The effective contact radius of spherical and elliptical tips we suppose as 12 and 5 microns respectively and we can see when, where and how much the limits for both kinds of tips are exceeded.

Well, the simulation only helps us to set up optimal parameters (compromise between space consumption x loudness x distortion), but of course we are not able to do miracles with already badly recorded, mixed or mastered files/CDs.

We can do very loud cut if the customer wants it, but the distortion increases rapidly, esp. at high freq. range. Most of the time we have to tolerate some short parts out of the safe limits to be competitive with loudness and human ear cannot hear very short distortions.

Some claims are accepted (our faults) and we cut again for free, some rejected (bad master) and then the customer has to pay for another cut with different settings according to his wish (loud cut, bass boost etc.).

As I wrote on electrical.com forum (topic - mastering: engineer vs. pressing plant) we are in-house mastering/cutting facility, we need to have a source audio which is already premastered for vinyl. We will not miraculously improve the sound and we don't want to compete with profi-mastering studios.

[mossboss]

WOW! those 4 DOUBLE MANUAL PRESSES look amazing!



thanks for the links, yes

Hey Andy b
So what is amazing about them my friend? Quite common in the past Very popular and useful for reasonable sized runs Now days of course low labour cost places or very short runs
Hey Bob
This is just a blending extruder with a cooling chipping in front of it
PVC polymer is bought in and blended extruded so as to be fed into the presses No big deal really now days Very much unlike the Victor RCA video you are referring to This was a major effort as it was Raw materials input blended calendered compounded so as to get usable material
A rather laborious expensive set up unlike today's twin screw blending extruder and a chipping cooling system as depicted at GZ
They are smart as they can add things that are no longer done by the PVC manufacturers
It is OK when you are doing 5 odd million records a Year that is a lot of Vinyl but for small operators it becomes questionable
Cheers

Cheers

[andybee]

yes, nice factory, good, if you have your own printing
department.... makes good money!
I don´t understand the sadie/neumann connection, I think, this
is a bit of a overkill of software.
If you use the new display for the vinylium pitch, you might
have the same (or the most important) features for your lathe...
the manual presses need much personal power, only possible
in countrys with cheap personal costs.
in germany: too expensive.
If you use automatic presses, one operator can handle 3-4 presses,
if he is fast, even more, if you have packing robots...
what I not understand: do GZ produce their own PVC? or just
for color vinyl?
as far, I know, they produce copper blanks, very nice!
All the best for the future, GZ!

[GeorgeZ]

...
I don´t understand the sadie/neumann connection, I think, this
is a bit of a overkill of software.
If you use the new display for the vinylium pitch, you might
have the same (or the most important) features for your lathe...

When our "cutters" need to cut 40 plates per day, other guys need to analyze the audio for next titles, prepare all the settings and run the simulation. It is necessary for well cut plates to split the work among several guys. Moreover it can be considered as a doublecheck. All the cutting parameters are stored in database so we can make a perfect copy of the plate. We also plan to use the software for our quality control department so they can compare and analyze the pressed records with source data files. A lot of work has been done since 2006 but much more is waiting in the near future...

the manual presses need much personal power, only possible
in countrys with cheap personal costs.
in germany: too expensive.
If you use automatic presses, one operator can handle 3-4 presses,
if he is fast, even more, if you have packing robots...

Yes, but with manual presses we can do more "special" colored records - haze, splatter, more colors etc. Also we can maintain all the presses here in the CR...

[andybee]

o.k. 40 plates per day is a lot

[GeorgeZ]

New video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-aHVKHzONQ
with DMM cutting, plating, pressing, also many records presented
+ an interview with our manager of vinyl customer service department (again only in Czech sorry)

[GeorgeZ]

A new article with latest photos and video from GZ Vinyl (in Czech language):
http://technet.idnes.cz/lisovani-desky-blazinec-0wz-/tec_audio.aspx?c=A120830_171953_tec_audio_nyv

Unfortunatelly, Google Translate isn't very successful translating this article into English

[GeorgeZ]

I hope that the following videos from November 2012 will play from any IP address.

DMM cutting with our new system + all the other processing parts in GZ
Tezka drina III (17) | PrimaPLAY... http://play.iprima.cz/all/301690

A separate video showing the cutting stylus simulator only:
Tezka drina III (17) - Zapis na vinyly | PrimaPLAY... http://play.iprima.cz/all/301758

There are some small inaccuracies, but this Czech TV program is more about fun, it is not an educational document...

[GeorgeZ]

Just a small advertisment for our new web-page http://www.gzvinyl.com
The web has not been polished yet - not all pictures are final versions, a lot of Glossary is missing etc... but we will complete and polish the web in next few weeks.
Any comments, criticism, praise, suggestions are welcomed (publicly or through private messages).
I was responsible for the Manufacturing part of the web and most production FAQs - under "Support".
Esp. for Serif: please note the correct word for "electroforming"

[GeorgeZ]

Latest BBC article with a shorter version of the video clip aired yesterday: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-41747615
Mr. Sterba is speaking in front of one of the new QC workstations (not presented officially to the public yet, nor on the web).

+ some other videos from 2016/2017

You can see our DMM lathes with new cameras & LCD + new Blue CZ manual presses + cleaner galvanic hall here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efcfhSMCd54
and here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhKIwOtnqHM

or with a short view on our new still unpublished quality control system around 0:26 and new Blue CZ automat presses around 0:10 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbIJKUIzQSo

[GeorgeZ]

New 2018 video from GZ: https://youtu.be/XNrg2bTlNGI?t=46
Again in our beautiful Czech language
New QC system from 7:23.

[GeorgeZ]

A new looong video about GZ made by M. Fremer from Analog Planet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFNhp53xS_U