ElasticStage is extremely visible right now. They post constantly on social media and market themselves as a fast, frictionless solution for on-demand vinyl. When a company is this loud and this confident, it’s fair for people who actually make records to ask basic technical questions. This article exists because those questions keep getting sidestepped.
ElasticStage publicly states two things about their records. First, they say their records are not pressed—no stampers, no plating, no traditional vinyl manufacturing chain. Second, they explicitly state their records are not lathe cut in the traditional, stylus-based mechanical sense. Both statements come directly from their own support documentation.
Those two claims matter because grooves don’t magically appear.
A playable record requires a groove, and there are only two physically real ways to create one. Either a tool physically cuts the material, or material is removed without contact. Pressing is not a separate groove-creation method—it still begins with a mechanically cut master, which ElasticStage rules out. Traditional lathe cutting is also ruled out by their own words. Once both of those paths are removed, the remaining category is non-contact groove formation.
That category is laser.
Not “maybe.” Not “rumor.” Not “industry gossip.”
Laser or laser-assisted groove formation is what remains once you accept ElasticStage’s own claims as true.
This is not an accusation and it’s not insider information. It’s simply respecting physics. There is no third, unnamed process hiding between cutting and non-contact etching. Calling it “proprietary” doesn’t change that reality—it only obscures it.
This is why transparency matters. ElasticStage is asking artists to buy a physical object while refusing to explain how that object is physically made. You don’t control the groove geometry, the wear characteristics, the tooling, or the long-term compatibility. You’re trusting a black box while being told it’s “vinyl.”
Independent lathe cutting, for all its limitations, is honest. A stylus cuts a groove. You can inspect it. You can reproduce it. You can understand its failures and its strengths. ElasticStage’s system—whatever its exact implementation—cannot offer that by design. It is centralized, closed, and undisclosed.
So this post isn’t trolling, gatekeeping, or attacking a platform. It’s addressing the elephant in the room. If a company says their records are not pressed and not lathe cut, then laser-class groove formation isn’t speculation—it’s the unavoidable conclusion. And if a company can’t clearly explain how your record is made, you should think carefully before ordering, because when it comes to vinyl, the process is the product.
ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
Moderators: piaptk, tragwag, Steve E., Aussie0zborn
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mushroomjesus
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed May 03, 2023 11:15 am
Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
Perhaps it is achieved Metaphysically???mushroomjesus wrote: ↑Fri Jan 30, 2026 9:13 am"there are only two physically real ways to create one. Either a tool physically cuts the material, or material is removed without contact. Pressing is not a separate groove-creation method—it still begins with a mechanically cut master,
:- "the branch of philosophy that asks big questions about the fundamental nature of reality, existence, and the world, going beyond what science can directly measure to explore what things are, why they exist, and the underlying principles of everything, like time, space, consciousness, and cause and effect."
Witchcraft?? Wizardry???
If it looks like a Duck, waddles like a Duck, quacks like a Duck.....etc
Just saying
Regards
Soulbear
Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
I've been sent four of their discs so far. They're bog standard lathe cuts on 1.5mm black PETG, and instead of a stylus heating unit they bought a big printer, blanket advertising and an enormous pile of smoke and mirrors with their multi-millions of investment capital. They can make all the claims they want, but when the end result goes on a turntable it all falls to bits.
Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
If they would use laser, likely HD Vinyl would have been a successful project too. So I don't think so.
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mushroomjesus
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed May 03, 2023 11:15 am
Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
I’m asking this because I’m trying to figure out whether laser-based groove formation has actually entered our market yet. I’m not claiming this is already the standard — I’m asking whether we’re seeing the first signs of it.
In 2026 I’m seeing a huge increase in AI music being sent in to be cut — way more than ever before. I’ve tried cutting it. It sounds terrible. AI music has no intent and no reason to exist on wax. So when I see companies saying their records are not pressed and not lathe cut, I take that literally.
I can easily see where this goes: the average person makes an AI song, then a black-box laser system makes the record. No human on either end.
HD Vinyl did work. The grooves were real and playable. What stopped it wasn’t physics — it was cost, scale, and trying to replace an entire manufacturing chain at once. That’s why I think it’s fair to ask this now.
If these are just automated PETG lathe cuts, then thank God. I hope that’s the case. That means the core mechanical process hasn’t been replaced yet.
But if they’re not lathe cut, that’s a bad sign. And this isn’t just about “another industrial process.” Vinyl has always involved machines — pressing plants, lathes, cutters — but those are tools used by people.
What changes everything is the shift from humans using machines to machines replacing humans.
In the old model, a human writes the music, a human controls the cutter, and a human can explain and take responsibility for the result. In the model we’re drifting toward, algorithms generate the music and closed systems generate the groove. No one can inspect it, explain it, or be accountable for it.
If AI music and closed, automated manufacturing meet in the middle, vinyl stops being a human craft and becomes an output format for systems talking to systems. That’s why this needs to be talked about openly and pushed back on, not normalized quietly.
In 2026 I’m seeing a huge increase in AI music being sent in to be cut — way more than ever before. I’ve tried cutting it. It sounds terrible. AI music has no intent and no reason to exist on wax. So when I see companies saying their records are not pressed and not lathe cut, I take that literally.
I can easily see where this goes: the average person makes an AI song, then a black-box laser system makes the record. No human on either end.
HD Vinyl did work. The grooves were real and playable. What stopped it wasn’t physics — it was cost, scale, and trying to replace an entire manufacturing chain at once. That’s why I think it’s fair to ask this now.
If these are just automated PETG lathe cuts, then thank God. I hope that’s the case. That means the core mechanical process hasn’t been replaced yet.
But if they’re not lathe cut, that’s a bad sign. And this isn’t just about “another industrial process.” Vinyl has always involved machines — pressing plants, lathes, cutters — but those are tools used by people.
What changes everything is the shift from humans using machines to machines replacing humans.
In the old model, a human writes the music, a human controls the cutter, and a human can explain and take responsibility for the result. In the model we’re drifting toward, algorithms generate the music and closed systems generate the groove. No one can inspect it, explain it, or be accountable for it.
If AI music and closed, automated manufacturing meet in the middle, vinyl stops being a human craft and becomes an output format for systems talking to systems. That’s why this needs to be talked about openly and pushed back on, not normalized quietly.
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farmersplow
- Posts: 644
- Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2021 3:43 am
- Location: Austria - Vienna
Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
agree with Lupu's opinion. Laser processing didn't work with HD vinyl because the required resolution of 1:100 to 1:50 wasn't achievable. Furthermore, HD vinyl wasn't laser-etching onto plastic, but rather onto ceramic. That's a completely different story! Theoretically, 3D printers capable of printing at the molecular level now exist. But they certainly aren't used for record production. (A single record would cost several hundred thousand dollars.)
I don't know exactly what ElasticStage wrote (claimed) verbatim. Perhaps they're doing embedding. That would be neither pressed nor cut.
I don't know exactly what ElasticStage wrote (claimed) verbatim. Perhaps they're doing embedding. That would be neither pressed nor cut.
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mushroomjesus
- Posts: 42
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Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
I’m not a laser or HD Vinyl expert, so I’m not claiming inside knowledge of anyone’s process. What I do know is how vinyl works when it works.
Lasers and optics already have a legitimate place in audio for restoration. In North America, places like the Northeast Document Conservation Center use them to recover sound from records that cannot be played anymore — cracked, warped, delaminated. Stylus playback has failed, so optics are used as a last resort. That’s salvage. That’s fine.
But that only works because the groove already exists and was originally cut with a stylus.
That matters, because vinyl isn’t just a format — it’s an artifact. A record survives 100 years because the object itself tells you how it’s meant to be read. Even if the machines disappear, the mechanical reference is still implied by the groove.
Using that logic for production is the problem.
If a record is made in a way that bypasses the stylus, then the groove is no longer defined by playback physics. Once that happens, you can’t reliably explain skips, distortion, wear, or compatibility — because there’s no inspectable mechanical reference anymore.
And once both creation and playback bypass the stylus, the loop closes:
digital file → black-box groove creation → black-box playback → digital output
At that point the record isn’t doing any real work. It’s just an expensive prop. And honestly, once the mechanical reference is gone, we might as well just listen back on the same laser systems used for restoration — because the object no longer explains itself.
That’s the real issue for cutters and mastering engineers:
how do you explain a failure when you can’t disclose the process?
You can’t.
Lathe cutting and pressing have limits, but when something goes wrong, a human can explain why and take responsibility. A black box can’t.
And when people here buy from and promote these systems, they’re funding the thing that removes accountability from record making.
That’s what worries me.
Lasers and optics already have a legitimate place in audio for restoration. In North America, places like the Northeast Document Conservation Center use them to recover sound from records that cannot be played anymore — cracked, warped, delaminated. Stylus playback has failed, so optics are used as a last resort. That’s salvage. That’s fine.
But that only works because the groove already exists and was originally cut with a stylus.
That matters, because vinyl isn’t just a format — it’s an artifact. A record survives 100 years because the object itself tells you how it’s meant to be read. Even if the machines disappear, the mechanical reference is still implied by the groove.
Using that logic for production is the problem.
If a record is made in a way that bypasses the stylus, then the groove is no longer defined by playback physics. Once that happens, you can’t reliably explain skips, distortion, wear, or compatibility — because there’s no inspectable mechanical reference anymore.
And once both creation and playback bypass the stylus, the loop closes:
digital file → black-box groove creation → black-box playback → digital output
At that point the record isn’t doing any real work. It’s just an expensive prop. And honestly, once the mechanical reference is gone, we might as well just listen back on the same laser systems used for restoration — because the object no longer explains itself.
That’s the real issue for cutters and mastering engineers:
how do you explain a failure when you can’t disclose the process?
You can’t.
Lathe cutting and pressing have limits, but when something goes wrong, a human can explain why and take responsibility. A black box can’t.
And when people here buy from and promote these systems, they’re funding the thing that removes accountability from record making.
That’s what worries me.
Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
My guess is that some people would be 'scared' of the term 'lathe cut', that's why they are trying to hide it
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Aussie0zborn
- Posts: 1868
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Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
My buddy used this ciompany and he is very happy with his record. I understand it's all lathe cut.
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Dub Studio
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Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
I want to be careful what I say here because I think all new businesses deserve a chance to lay out their stall and make a go of it. As a fellow vinyl practioner, I welcome them into our ecosystem and wish them the best of luck. Having said that, there are just so many unanswered questions about this "new technology" and I think the public has a right to know what they are buying. The company even acknowledge this fundamental question on their own website:
"Every phonograph record on the planet is lathe-cut. The question is: what is the quality of the cutting lathe, and how professional is the operator (mastering engineer)?"
Well, exactly.
"We can't reveal our technology, but it has been tested and validated by the major record labels and some of the biggest producers and engineers in the music business."
... and yet there is no evidence it's in any way different to what the rest of us are using?
Maybe it doesn't really matter to some people, and that's fair enough. But the following paragraph is very revealing:
"Now, some small businesses lathe-cut directly into plastic to offer ultra-low quantities (1-10), mostly based on a very cheap and simple machine that sits on top of a Technics turntable. These records are not considered commercial-grade records. Similar to your sub £100 inkjet printer not being the same as our £1m inkjet Digital Press that we use at elasticStage, these records usually don't look like professional records or sound like one. They are very limited in length, are not properly black, have a sharp edge, and the record sleeves are not professionally produced. This system was developed for jukebox owners who wanted to make their own records. It wasn't built for the record industry."
How much protesting is actually too much? The limit has been reached here.... methinks.
Don't get me wrong, the service looks pretty slick, and there are some good ideas in there, but unless I see some evidence of new tech, I will consider this as just another dub cutting / lathe cut service with a fancy printer.
"Every phonograph record on the planet is lathe-cut. The question is: what is the quality of the cutting lathe, and how professional is the operator (mastering engineer)?"
Well, exactly.
"We can't reveal our technology, but it has been tested and validated by the major record labels and some of the biggest producers and engineers in the music business."
... and yet there is no evidence it's in any way different to what the rest of us are using?
Maybe it doesn't really matter to some people, and that's fair enough. But the following paragraph is very revealing:
"Now, some small businesses lathe-cut directly into plastic to offer ultra-low quantities (1-10), mostly based on a very cheap and simple machine that sits on top of a Technics turntable. These records are not considered commercial-grade records. Similar to your sub £100 inkjet printer not being the same as our £1m inkjet Digital Press that we use at elasticStage, these records usually don't look like professional records or sound like one. They are very limited in length, are not properly black, have a sharp edge, and the record sleeves are not professionally produced. This system was developed for jukebox owners who wanted to make their own records. It wasn't built for the record industry."
How much protesting is actually too much? The limit has been reached here.... methinks.
Don't get me wrong, the service looks pretty slick, and there are some good ideas in there, but unless I see some evidence of new tech, I will consider this as just another dub cutting / lathe cut service with a fancy printer.
Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
One of the people behind ES ran a well known 'vinyl carving' operation for 15 or so years. A mutual acquaintence of ours furnished me with some interesting details on what happened subsequently. Suffice to say: if you hear the thunder of hooves, expect horses rather than unicorns.Dub Studio wrote: ↑Wed Feb 04, 2026 9:43 am
How much protesting is actually too much? The limit has been reached here.... methinks.
Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
It is difficult to understand how anyone could seriously question whether this process qualifies as record cutting.
A simple observation of the lead-in reveals the unmistakable signature of a cutting tool progressively engaging the material...precisely as in conventional records cutting
Moreover, anyone with a basic understanding of cutting tool mechanics will recognize that this only further confirms the process as authentic cutting.
A simple observation of the lead-in reveals the unmistakable signature of a cutting tool progressively engaging the material...precisely as in conventional records cutting
Moreover, anyone with a basic understanding of cutting tool mechanics will recognize that this only further confirms the process as authentic cutting.
http://www.myshank.com
skype : steven.myshank
* Diamond cutting stylus officials/prototypes
* Resharpening services
* Blank records
* Cutting lathe
* Cutterheads - HeLiX23
skype : steven.myshank
* Diamond cutting stylus officials/prototypes
* Resharpening services
* Blank records
* Cutting lathe
* Cutterheads - HeLiX23
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Dub Studio
- Posts: 301
- Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 9:41 am
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Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
Interesting. If it's who I think it is, I am disappointed in them to be honest.PLD wrote: ↑Wed Feb 04, 2026 10:08 amOne of the people behind ES ran a well known 'vinyl carving' operation for 15 or so years. A mutual acquaintence of ours furnished me with some interesting details on what happened subsequently. Suffice to say: if you hear the thunder of hooves, expect horses rather than unicorns.Dub Studio wrote: ↑Wed Feb 04, 2026 9:43 am
How much protesting is actually too much? The limit has been reached here.... methinks.
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Dub Studio
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Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
It's also difficult to understand why anyone would want to.The Shank wrote: ↑Wed Feb 04, 2026 11:38 amIt is difficult to understand how anyone could seriously question whether this process qualifies as record cutting.
A simple observation of the lead-in reveals the unmistakable signature of a cutting tool progressively engaging the material...precisely as in conventional records cutting
Moreover, anyone with a basic understanding of cutting tool mechanics will recognize that this only further confirms the process as authentic cutting.
Will the end user of this type of service even care? Probably not.
Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
Definitely not
http://www.myshank.com
skype : steven.myshank
* Diamond cutting stylus officials/prototypes
* Resharpening services
* Blank records
* Cutting lathe
* Cutterheads - HeLiX23
skype : steven.myshank
* Diamond cutting stylus officials/prototypes
* Resharpening services
* Blank records
* Cutting lathe
* Cutterheads - HeLiX23
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displacedsnail
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2023 8:34 am
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Contact:
Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
I have a few things to add to this conversation, mostly as talking points:
Based on their answer to "Are your vinyl records lathe cut?" on their own website, they seem to be saying that yes, theirs are lathe cut:
https://elasticstage.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/30571646736529-Are-your-vinyl-records-lathe-cut
"Every phonograph record on the planet is lathe-cut. The question is: what is the quality of the cutting lathe, and how professional is the operator (mastering engineer)?" They never seem to counter this claim by saying "Every phonograph record--except ours!" And when they bring up "new technology" at the bottom, they're being quite vague, again, not saying it's not a lathe cut.
Also, I find their clever footwork around materials very interesting! In the question posed, they use the phrase "vinyl records" though their records are, by their own admission on their front page, made from petg. Then they further go on to say "some small businesses lathe-cut directly into plastic..." as though their own records are NOT "lathe-cut directly into plastic."
Based on their answer to "Are your vinyl records lathe cut?" on their own website, they seem to be saying that yes, theirs are lathe cut:
https://elasticstage.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/30571646736529-Are-your-vinyl-records-lathe-cut
"Every phonograph record on the planet is lathe-cut. The question is: what is the quality of the cutting lathe, and how professional is the operator (mastering engineer)?" They never seem to counter this claim by saying "Every phonograph record--except ours!" And when they bring up "new technology" at the bottom, they're being quite vague, again, not saying it's not a lathe cut.
Also, I find their clever footwork around materials very interesting! In the question posed, they use the phrase "vinyl records" though their records are, by their own admission on their front page, made from petg. Then they further go on to say "some small businesses lathe-cut directly into plastic..." as though their own records are NOT "lathe-cut directly into plastic."
Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
whatever...but personally i would NEVER order from a company who is this vague about who's doing the cut and what equipment they are using..period.
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Dub Studio
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Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
I agree, it's vague, confusing, pointless and damaging to the rest of us.displacedsnail wrote: ↑Thu Feb 05, 2026 10:30 amI have a few things to add to this conversation, mostly as talking points:
Based on their answer to "Are your vinyl records lathe cut?" on their own website, they seem to be saying that yes, theirs are lathe cut:
https://elasticstage.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/30571646736529-Are-your-vinyl-records-lathe-cut
"Every phonograph record on the planet is lathe-cut. The question is: what is the quality of the cutting lathe, and how professional is the operator (mastering engineer)?" They never seem to counter this claim by saying "Every phonograph record--except ours!" And when they bring up "new technology" at the bottom, they're being quite vague, again, not saying it's not a lathe cut.
Also, I find their clever footwork around materials very interesting! In the question posed, they use the phrase "vinyl records" though their records are, by their own admission on their front page, made from petg. Then they further go on to say "some small businesses lathe-cut directly into plastic..." as though their own records are NOT "lathe-cut directly into plastic."
Vague because they are obviously made to order (unlike pressed records) but somehow they are not dubs or lathe cuts either (and the hyperbole is off the charts here: "revolutionary production method" and "8 years and tens of millions of $ to develop") but no info on what that production method is, or how it is better than what we are using. You don't need to reveal what your IP is to explain what the benefits are. Companies manage this type of messaging all the time.
Confusing because they are saying they are cut on a lathe, but they are not "lathe-cut". They are vinyl records, made from PETG, but not plastic.
Pointless because the end user is not going to care either way, as long as the product is good. The only people who care about stuff like this is us, and we all know something doesn't quite add up (pending more info obviously).
Damaging to us because it's comparing long-established businesses to £100 inkjet printers. Calling other cutting houses unprofessional and not built for the record industry. You don't need to diss everyone else to make yourself look good. Just provide a good service and the rest will follow. There wouldn't even be a market for on-demand vinyl without the work that many of us on lathetrolls have been doing for decades.
Like I said in the beginning, people have the right to boost their product in whatever way they like, and good luck to them, but this all leaves a very sour taste in my mouth.
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Dub Studio
- Posts: 301
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- Location: Bristol
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Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
For the record, I am quoting from this page:
https://elasticstage.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/29651058826001-How-does-elasticStage-make-its-records
How does elasticStage make its records?
10 months ago Updated
We’ve invented a new technology that has been validated by all major record labels, leading artists and producers like Calvin Harris, White Lies, Paul Epworth and Dan Grech-Marguerat.
It took us 8 years and tens of millions of $ to develop, with the support of many big names in the industry.
And this page:
https://elasticstage.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/30571646736529-Are-your-vinyl-records-lathe-cut
Are your vinyl records lathe-cut?
1 year ago Updated
Every phonograph record on the planet is lathe-cut.
The question is: what is the quality of the cutting lathe, and how professional is the operator (mastering engineer)?
To compare it to printing: you can buy an inkjet printer for less than £100, but that doesn't mean it is a commercial-grade print press that can cost many millions.
A commercial-grade record is traditionally lathe-cut on a Neumann VMS produced between 1960 and 1985. The arguably best is the VMS80, from which approximately 70 units have been produced. A very soft lacquer plate is used for the lathe cut, the master disc.
After this, the electroplating begins. The master disc is sprayed with silver, and a nickel negative is then produced. Another negative is created from this, a metal copy of the original master disc. Finally, another negative is made, which becomes the stamper to produce vinyl in a press. A stamper usually lasts for 800-1,000 copies before it must be replaced. The last copies will not sound as good as the first because they start wearing out.
This traditional record production process was designed for mass production and doesn't make financial sense for anything under a few thousand copies. It was developed in the 1940s and reached its peak in the 1980s. Today, pressing plants still use the same principles and equipment.
Now, some small businesses lathe-cut directly into plastic to offer ultra-low quantities (1-10), mostly based on a very cheap and simple machine that sits on top of a Technics turntable. These records are not considered commercial-grade records. Similar to your sub £100 inkjet printer not being the same as our £1m inkjet Digital Press that we use at elasticStage, these records usually don't look like professional records or sound like one. They are very limited in length, are not properly black, have a sharp edge, and the record sleeves are not professionally produced. This system was developed for jukebox owners who wanted to make their own records. It wasn't built for the record industry.
elasticStage has developed a new technology that can outperform traditionally produced commercial-grade vinyl. We can't reveal our technology, but it has been tested and validated by the major record labels and some of the biggest producers and engineers in the music business. It meets the highest standards for audio and print. Let your eyes and ears be the judge! We have developed the first commercial-grade on-demand vinyl production in the world. You can find out by investing in one test record and see for yourself.
https://elasticstage.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/29651058826001-How-does-elasticStage-make-its-records
How does elasticStage make its records?
10 months ago Updated
We’ve invented a new technology that has been validated by all major record labels, leading artists and producers like Calvin Harris, White Lies, Paul Epworth and Dan Grech-Marguerat.
It took us 8 years and tens of millions of $ to develop, with the support of many big names in the industry.
And this page:
https://elasticstage.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/30571646736529-Are-your-vinyl-records-lathe-cut
Are your vinyl records lathe-cut?
1 year ago Updated
Every phonograph record on the planet is lathe-cut.
The question is: what is the quality of the cutting lathe, and how professional is the operator (mastering engineer)?
To compare it to printing: you can buy an inkjet printer for less than £100, but that doesn't mean it is a commercial-grade print press that can cost many millions.
A commercial-grade record is traditionally lathe-cut on a Neumann VMS produced between 1960 and 1985. The arguably best is the VMS80, from which approximately 70 units have been produced. A very soft lacquer plate is used for the lathe cut, the master disc.
After this, the electroplating begins. The master disc is sprayed with silver, and a nickel negative is then produced. Another negative is created from this, a metal copy of the original master disc. Finally, another negative is made, which becomes the stamper to produce vinyl in a press. A stamper usually lasts for 800-1,000 copies before it must be replaced. The last copies will not sound as good as the first because they start wearing out.
This traditional record production process was designed for mass production and doesn't make financial sense for anything under a few thousand copies. It was developed in the 1940s and reached its peak in the 1980s. Today, pressing plants still use the same principles and equipment.
Now, some small businesses lathe-cut directly into plastic to offer ultra-low quantities (1-10), mostly based on a very cheap and simple machine that sits on top of a Technics turntable. These records are not considered commercial-grade records. Similar to your sub £100 inkjet printer not being the same as our £1m inkjet Digital Press that we use at elasticStage, these records usually don't look like professional records or sound like one. They are very limited in length, are not properly black, have a sharp edge, and the record sleeves are not professionally produced. This system was developed for jukebox owners who wanted to make their own records. It wasn't built for the record industry.
elasticStage has developed a new technology that can outperform traditionally produced commercial-grade vinyl. We can't reveal our technology, but it has been tested and validated by the major record labels and some of the biggest producers and engineers in the music business. It meets the highest standards for audio and print. Let your eyes and ears be the judge! We have developed the first commercial-grade on-demand vinyl production in the world. You can find out by investing in one test record and see for yourself.
Re: ElasticStage = Lasers (By Their Own Claims)
Currently, there are no 3D printers with a resolution lower than 1 micron. I think this is untrue. One micron for a record cut with a traditional machine creates a lot of surface noise.
Just take a spirit marker and paint over the track of a traditional vinyl record [draw it once across the record's surface] and it will be slightly less than 1 micron thick, but you can still hear the noise of the area painted with the marker. A record player's stylus will easily hear the thickness left by a CD marker...
Just take a spirit marker and paint over the track of a traditional vinyl record [draw it once across the record's surface] and it will be slightly less than 1 micron thick, but you can still hear the noise of the area painted with the marker. A record player's stylus will easily hear the thickness left by a CD marker...