I need to know everything about scully lathes

This is where record cutters raise questions about cutting, and trade wisdom and experiment results. We love Scully, Neumann, Presto, & Rek-O-Kut lathes and Wilcox-Gay Recordios (among others). We are excited by the various modern pro and semi-pro systems, too, in production and development. We use strange, extinct disc-based dictation machines. And other stuff, too.

Moderators: piaptk, tragwag, Steve E., Aussie0zborn

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monomer
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:06 am
Location: Detroit, MI [USA]

I need to know everything about scully lathes

Post: # 6576Unread post monomer
Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:11 am

ant thy interesting.


I assume like most machines, scully's have their own personalities - anyone on here work on one long enough to "get to know" them?




Any links to important threads would be nice, kind of a scully faq...

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mossboss
Posts: 2168
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:18 am
Location: Australia.

Scully

Post: # 6579Unread post mossboss
Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:19 am

Hey Monomer
Why don't you get Polymerised along with us here?
For a start!
Next to the FAQ icon there is a Search button
You know what! it works well, there is plenty to find and read
By the way every lathe has it's own personality even amongst the Scully's
Welcome aboard
Cheers

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monomer
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:06 am
Location: Detroit, MI [USA]

Re: Scully

Post: # 6582Unread post monomer
Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:11 pm

mossboss wrote:Hey Monomer
Why don't you get Polymerised along with us here?
For a start!
Next to the FAQ icon there is a Search button
You know what! it works well, there is plenty to find and read
By the way every lathe has it's own personality even amongst the Scully's
Welcome aboard
Cheers
good catch!


I was hoping someone would chime in with a quickstart guide.


I've logged countless hours here already, This is a really nice community - I couldn't imagine this many people worldwide doing this.

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mossboss
Posts: 2168
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:18 am
Location: Australia.

Scully's

Post: # 6584Unread post mossboss
Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:32 pm

Polymer
Glad to see that you have been a "lurker" for a while
Out of the cupboard now into the real thing hey!
Seriously May I say that this type of cutting lathe knowledge accumulates slowly and yes it does take countless hours Even after years at it you still learn a trick or two that others have been using for years ubeknown to you
A lot of useless stuff is posted no doubt but amongst it a gem or two worth putting away
So I am not sure that a quick start up guide would be of any value to you or any one else for that matter
Cheers

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monomer
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:06 am
Location: Detroit, MI [USA]

Post: # 6587Unread post monomer
Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:57 pm

Our local lathe troll has passed recently, and the label he worked with bought out all of his equipment.

They need someone willing to work as an "intern" to fill his shoes.


I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with the legend that is Ron Murphy.




I want to ensure that machine gets all kinds of use. This was the first machine to record locked playable grooves, one of a few that have has masters cut in reverse. grooves started within groves - all kinds of weird stuff.

http://www.discogs.com/label/NSC+Records for more info.

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mossboss
Posts: 2168
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:18 am
Location: Australia.

Replacement Troll

Post: # 6589Unread post mossboss
Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:10 am

Hey Man
Get in there and Just do it
At the end of the day you may ruin some lacquers and replace a stylus or two
Just stay away from high level cuts stick to well mixed stuff
Cut everything under 40-100 Hz or mono it and split it out evenly
Cut everything above 15K or even 10 K in the begining until you get confident
Keep volume levels down so as to protect the head and you are cutting away
Do some cuts on a 14" lacquers say a minute each and always check your cuts under the microscope
Start off with the minimum depth dont worry about it and get it up to the required width over three or four 1 minute sessions
Fill the lacquer both sides remember what you done on each cut
Take down notes Compare by listening and reading your notes
Do the same track on one side another track on the other
Sit down and listen to your cuts than you are well on the way to understanding the machine as well as the settings you have used
Start at say minus -5 dB good protection for the head You do have a volume control on the amp so use that instead of cooking the head while you are getting familiar with the cutter
Increase dB levels only when you feel comfortible with the whole setup
You wanted a Quick start guide there you go
A box of lacquers a new saphire as well as say 3- 4 hours on the lathe as this is how long it should take to do the above should get you further than any amount of reading you will ever do
Feel free to ask questions by all means but this is a reasonable outline of what one may do when starting out
I assume that you have a fair knowledge of sound
If I was to take you literaly that you have spend countless hours here that only adds to my level of confidence so as to suggest the above

Remember! You cannot make an omelette unless you break some eggs
Don' break the lathe Lacquers and stylii is OK
Go For It
Cheers

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monomer
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:06 am
Location: Detroit, MI [USA]

Post: # 6591Unread post monomer
Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:26 am

I know I'll be going through a lot before I figure out the machine.



A fellow forum member messaged me and told me about some modifications Ron made to this machine. One could only hope he took notes.


I do think a diamond cutter and some lexan plates are going to be used to start with. I just looked up prices from Apollo - I'm glad plates are still around, but damn...

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mossboss
Posts: 2168
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:18 am
Location: Australia.

Scully's

Post: # 6592Unread post mossboss
Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:48 am

Monomer
Are you a NY or a NE dude ?
They are the only people that I know that are mind readers
They post about 3/4 of a Sentence
They seem to read minds also expect other to read theirs
Amazing gift
I do not have it
How do you get it
I am lost
How any one is to make out whatever this post means man
By the way you are not the only one either
What the f..k is the diamond and Lexan got to do with pro cutting
You cannot even make plates out of them
Any way I am done on this
Cheers

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monomer
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:06 am
Location: Detroit, MI [USA]

Post: # 6593Unread post monomer
Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:38 am

Sorry.

Lexan apparently works as a dub plate, this machine did turn out quite a few dubs for the electronic music people. Apollo charges a lot per lacquer, I'll be going through a lot to start with.

This machine was Ron Murphy's' - of NSC fame. A lot of history on this machine; and a lot of odd cuts that were only able to be cut by an experienced operator on this manual lathe.



The whole ESP thing comes with posting on 12 different forums, my apologies.

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