Muddy TPs (test pressings)

[BongoJim]

I need some advice please. I need to know what in the galvanic process could cause a loss in top end. There is a pressing plant I use a lot which I and several other cutting engineers I know in the UK who have been getting occasional TPs back from the plant which sound very different to the test cuts or reference acetates.

Many thanks,

Frank
The Carvery

[concretecowboy71]

We have found the process to be inexact to say the best...pops, noise, odd pre and post echo that is not on the test cuts. You can ask the plater to play the mother to see if the issue exists at that stage. If not, have them make new stampers. If so, you have no option but to recut it. This can all devolve into a bad finger pointing game if you are not careful. Pressing blames the plater, plater blames the cutter, the cutter thinks it might be bad lacquers and the lacquer company say their product if fine.

Real answers are hard to get because so many people are involved and so many processes are happening. Hopefully everyone is willing to work together and always make sure the fee you charge for each job covers the cost of recuts so you don't lose money on the job.

[BongoJim]

I am only too aware of this. Any technical info?

[mossboss]

Long PM take a look
I hope it helps
If it does let us know, it should also be here but names are mentioned so not a good idea at this stage
May be when and if it proves of help it can be edited for posting up for all and sundry
Cheers

[BongoJim]

Thanks Chris! Very interesting...!

f

[emorritt]

I recall that in the 78 days the buffing of the metalwork caused high end loss. Stokowski actually went to the metalwork department at Victor and stopped them from buffing the high end off his recordings. Could be a possibility...

[Aussie0zborn]

We have found the process to be inexact to say the best...pops, noise, odd pre and post echo that is not on the test cuts. You can ask the plater to play the mother to see if the issue exists at that stage.

Pre-echo, if not in the cut lacquer disc, is caused by the lacquer sitting around for days in the heat, or the pre-plating bath being too hot. Was it plated in a pre-plating bath and then trasnferred to a high speed bath or was it plated in just one bath? How many plants use a pre-plating bath?

Playing the mother always gives you more high frequency detail than playing vinyl so this may not be a good comparison.

Real answers are hard to get because so many people are involved and so many processes are happening. Hopefully everyone is willing to work together and always make sure the fee you charge for each job covers the cost of recuts so you don't lose money on the job.

Very true.

POLISHING MOTHERS

As for polishing mothers to de-horn them, not many plants do this these days. If you're cutting your lacquers with a too-high stylus temperature then the horns created contain modulation and any polishing of mothers can remove the high frequency content therein. Go easy on stylus heating temperature.Use only what you need for a clean quiet groove. Ofcourse there are many other reasons, too.

Do you know if your plant makes and / or polishes mothers?

[concretecowboy71]

I am only too aware of this. Any technical info?

My point is that no matter how much technical info you have, if your plate gets fouled up after it leaves your hands, you have no options but to recut it.

I spent half of the summer trying to track down a noise issue that kept appearing in our stampers. Even though I know much more about the process now, nothing will correct the issue once you get a bad test press. If your problem persists the only option you have is to find someone else to do your metal work.

I cut 1000s of sides per year and always expect a certain amount to come back with some unidentifiable issue. That is why it is good to have an open line of communication with your metal people and pressing folks.

[mossboss]

Thanks Chris! Very interesting...!

f

And Bongo man
What is the outcome? if any ???