The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls

Thanks for posting this! I find direct to disk recording really exciting from an engineering perspective. There is so much that needs to be taken care of in real time, it is amazing that it can actually be done! The pictures are amazing as well!

Sorry for my question, but the difference among embossing and cutting ? Impressing is a more accurate description than embossing, from an engineering perspective. The difference, as far as I understand it, is how the grooves are made on the vinyl, from a mechanical engineering point of view. Cuttin...

Thanks for that Opcode. It is probably a good idea to ask people more directly about their business. So far, I am only calculating what it will cost me to get started and how much I could possibly sell the finished product for. There is really no way of knowing if I will ever get enough interest fro...

I am wondering about how embossing works so I can be able to offer a cheaper alternative to lo-fi bands who are not that interested in high fidelity. I am probably more than well-equipped enough to sharpen and re-sharpen my own steel stylii, but I can't do the same with diamonds or sapphire. For my ...

I wasn't referring to records of Greek music, I doubt I have many of these in my collection. One example that I have in both a Greek and a UK version that I was listening to recently, is Alice Cooper's Love it to death. It sounds almost like it wasn't cut from the same master tapes! As for Greek mus...

Aha... But I guess once set up properly it's all the same for the cutterhead (in terms of how hard it has to be worked)? Is there a drastically different angle and weight needed for the different stylus materials? Are the shanks the same diameter generally (for mounting on the head)? If a cutterhead...

Another new-guy question: Some of you guys cut laquers with sapphire stylii, some cut plastics with diamond stylii, and some emboss/impress on soft plastics using steel stylii. Some of you do some or all of the aforementioned by switching out stylii on the same machine. Is it as simple as it sounds?...

Well... I seriously doubt this is something I would give up. I have been desperately trying to get into this for the best part of a decade now, with never enough money for it. I still am pretty much where I started (not enough money, no lathe) but at least I have read loads about this subject. I hav...

Wow, that's awesome! I love the concept of direct-to-beer mastering! You can even have all-ages music with direct-to-soda mastering, or for something a bit heavier, direct-to-vodka mastering... I don't remember the country, but I have seen vodka-based cocktails sold in aluminum cans somewhere! :mrgr...

Thanks for the reply! Sounds like essentially the hardest part is getting a lathe in the first place and setting it up, then learning how to use it properly. After that, it really doesn't sound too hard. I hope I'm going to get over the acquiring a lathe part soon, so I can focus on learning how to ...

Interesting to know that they were serving such a large market. I do have some records that were pressed there and, compared to the same record pressed in the UK for instance, the quality is far inferior. Talking to some friends in Greece, while the plant was still operational, it was widely conside...

A bit of a newbie question, since I am one.. I still don't have a lathe and I'm still calculating costs and making arrangements.. So, I'm trying to calculate the running costs of a cutting lathe. So far, my calculation includes the cost of the blank, the cost of the stylus (according to expected wea...

I am slowly reading through as much of the forum and wiki as possible. I am becoming more and more obsessed with this. However, I am still all up for learning the hands-on part of the art from someone experienced, if at all possible. So my offer still stands, that if anyone who cuts records (on any ...

Did you ever find out what happened to the equipment that was in there?

Thanks for all the information!! It seems like the "easiest" solution is an SL1200 or similar. The custom made turntable sounds appealing, but I guess it is something for later on, when I know exactly what I want better than on an SL. Also, judging from a recent thread on here, it seems like the "tw...

studiorp wrote:I am using an Omnitronic with 3.5 kg/cm, 3 time more than 1200. Very good, very silent and precise about speed .

What overhead are you using? Have you had a custom platter made?

Thanks a lot for the information and links! Apart from the torque, are the physical dimensions of a turntable much of an obstacle for the two current production systems? The vinylrecorder comes with a base on which the turntable sits, which seems more "flexible", but I have no idea how the overhead ...

For instance, how about a current production direct-drive turntable, such as the Stanton T62 or the Audio Technica AT-LP120, which looks very much like an SL1200 clone anyway? Would they be any good at all, or a waste of time? If models such as the ones I mention would not be compatible with the Vin...

welcome ot the forum. If you dont want to go with the Technics SL1200 you can get a Technics SP10 with tonearm for US $13,000 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Technics-SL-1000MK3-or-SP10-MK3-with-EPA-100MK2-arm-and-SH-10B5-base-/300806546062?pt=US_Record_Players_Home_Turntables&hash=item460977a28e I would p...

I have been looking at the two current-production systems for cutting records. They both rely on a Technics SL1200 as the turntable. I do not currently have an SL1200. If I go with one of these systems, should I just get an SL1200 as well? Or is there a better solution? I do not need an SL1200 for a...