A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

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YoPhantom
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A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41257Unread post YoPhantom
Fri Mar 11, 2016 6:36 pm

I'm a client, not a cutter.

I'd love to know if there is a list of people providing services to the public.

I need people that do the records, labels, and covers/jackets, in very small quantities (as low as 10).

I've only had one small run of records done so far, and I need to get costs down for future runs. Any help is much appreciated.

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piaptk
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41310Unread post piaptk
Mon Mar 14, 2016 6:02 pm

I do short runs through lathecuts.com. Check out our FAQ and you can get a real time quote to play with options. Mike
I Buy/Sell/Restore Vintage Machines/Parts and Provide Phone/In Person Tech Support
www.MichaelDixonVinylArt.com
www.LatheCutCamp.com
www.RecordLatheParts.com
www.MobileVinylRecorders.com
www.LatheCuts.com

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YoPhantom
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41311Unread post YoPhantom
Mon Mar 14, 2016 6:08 pm

Right off the bat I see the minimum is 20. As per my post, that doesn't work.
YoPhantom wrote:...in very small quantities (as low as 10).

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untitledthe
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41345Unread post untitledthe
Tue Mar 15, 2016 11:11 am

Not that its any of my business, but come on man 20 copies you can sell,..

Small runs and low costs are the opposite world.

Anyhow, a couple of years ago i did a record here as this was a web-release and i wanted it on record (own production).
But not for prices of retail this is,..

http://www.myownrecord.com/

Great service, fast and good. Comes with label, innersleeve and discobag.

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YoPhantom
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41361Unread post YoPhantom
Tue Mar 15, 2016 5:14 pm

I wrote in detail of my first experience getting lathe cut records done.

It will explain everything: https://medium.com/@josephrose1978/my-experience-getting-lathe-cut-records-made-or-how-i-raped-myself-in-the-financial-butt-b74a3da4eee8#.wat44x7qi

The super short version is that it cost me $22.64 per record for 2-song 7" records, and that's more than most people want to pay. I need to get costs down.

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untitledthe
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41369Unread post untitledthe
Tue Mar 15, 2016 7:05 pm

Well order a bigger quantity, i started with 80 stamped 7'' records (white labels) and mailed the hack out of everbody, forums, discogs, stores, webshops etc. Dropping the word ''Limited'' and phoef! they where all gone. It was a good way to get a label going and get a foot between the door. 80 copies was like 400 euro i believe which made a unitprice that was also interesting for shops to start with and distribution. With each release you increase the quanity going with the demand so you get some budget to make a better record, from 7'' to 12'', coloured vinyl, black/white to fullcolour cover etc. Those projects where fans contribute to the manufacturing price is nice but you can sell way more if you take the risk first instead of shuffling it off.. But first ask yourself is there a market for my records/music? Probably there is otherwise noone would give 23 dollar for a record.

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rsimms3
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41370Unread post rsimms3
Tue Mar 15, 2016 7:28 pm

As to your original question/post:

1. No, there isn't a list here on the message board or elsewhere of all the folks that do lathe cut records. Lots of folks do it, more and more of which aren't on this forum.
2. To be fair to Mike, you said short run as low as 10 but didn't indicate it would always 10 or less than 20.
3. Sounds like you learned a lot from your first foray into buying lathe cut records. Looks like just correcting some of your original missteps will get your cost down by at least $3 each by not being forced into the expedited fee, possibly discuss media shipping instead of priority, get your printer working to do some stuff at home (not sure if your label costs were from Tyler or homebrew), and be clear on what you are providing.
4. I've helped some other folks get connected and work through selecting a provider of lathe cut records. You're probably not going to get any cheaper than what Tyler provides since he will cut less than 15 or 20. It's all based on economies of scale, either you pay more for increased copies or for set-up fees. You might be able to find someone who is more of a hobbyist cutter who would do the job for you cheaper just cutting the discs, but you won't get the other part that includes the inserts/labels/bags/etc. Just like the record pressing industry, lathe cuts have been increasing in popularity so time is literally money to cutters.

Some places I know of off the top of my head, I don't know current pricing for any of them:
LatheCuts.com (piaptk above)
Audio Geography - Tyler that you've used already
Meep Records
Ol' Timey Recordings (cuts Laserdiscs, find on Facebook)
Funky Frankenstein (no minimums) http://www.funkyfrankenstein.com/
Sonic Boom in Toronto (no published prices)
One Groove Vinyl
Peter King (20 unit minimum but I thought I'd mention it anyway)
Das Automat in Australia
vinyl-pressing.com - In Europe


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tragwag
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41866Unread post tragwag
Wed Apr 06, 2016 5:45 pm

so this all seems pretty rough from my point of view.
I'd appreciate if you gave a little more context into your personal requirements regarding the order.

here's some points I'd like to make/clarify:
-the setup fee is only for orders under 20 copies

-the labels, fold overs, poly bags, can all be done on your own to save costs, I never push these on my clients, and when asked often suggest you do them yourself.

-8-10 weeks may be a while to wait, but it's peanuts compared to most US pressing plants (6 months! 1-2 months for tests if you're lucky)

-some lathe cutters are quicker in turnaround time, but I offer the rush fee to help those in a crunch, again a choice you made, not necessity.
most people buying lathe cuts from bands/labels understand they're made one at a time and take some time.
again, 8-10 weeks is nothing compared to pressing plants, and it's not outlandish to have product in hand before you sell them publicly.

-the prices you listed are for my stereo HIFI cuts, done on the vinyl recorder.
again, a choice you made in regards to your project that drove the cost up.

-from your writing it appears you sold copies/set the sale price at $12 before adding the total cost of the order?

Can't help but feel that I was made to be the "bad guy" in this scenario, in which you seemed to have underestimated your expectations of this realm of making records. Lathe cuts are not ideal for every band/artist out there, but they can be made affordably and sold at a comfortable level with a full understanding of your means, and those you're selling to.

Thanks,
-Tyler
making lathe cuts on a Presto 6N, HIFI stereo cuts on vinylrecorder
at Audio Geography Studios, Providence, RI USA
http://www.audiogeography.com

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YoPhantom
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41869Unread post YoPhantom
Wed Apr 06, 2016 8:37 pm

tragwag wrote:so this all seems pretty rough from my point of view...
...Can't help but feel that I was made to be the "bad guy" in this scenario.
I'm not sure why you feel that way considering my exact words in the piece I wrote are:
Of course, this was my fault, and I don’t blame Tyler from Audio Geography or anyone else. I was just overly concerned with charging people too much for the record, and at the end of the day that concern bit me in the wallet.
I don't have any negative feelings about anything on your end. It's your right to charge what you want, and my choice to pay it or not. I was mostly satisfied with the final products, and would strongly consider using your services again if I'm unable to find something that works better for me, financially. No hard feelings on my end whatsoever.

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piaptk
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41926Unread post piaptk
Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:15 pm

No, you definitely wrote from a point of "woe is me" look how much he charged me to make a record, and Tyler does come off pretty poorly in your writing, regardless of a weak disclaimer at the end.

Economies of scale are a real thing. If everybody could get 10 pressed quality records made at the per piece price of 500 records, nobody would press 500 records. Tyler was very clear on his site about his pricing and you chose to pay that. If you have buyers remorse, that's not his problem.

The world does not always guarantee that we get what we want for the price we want to pay.




And also, if you are that concerned with losing money, why are you in the music industry? My bet is that 99%+ of bands have lost WAY more than $100 on projects. Outside of the handful of people on this board who have managed to eek a modest living out of record cutting, everybody else here has been pissing money down the drain on this hobby, just like you would any other hobby; golf, rebuilding vintage cars, photography, etc.

the idea of only losing $100 on a hobby project seems pretty quaint and adorable to me. Wish more of my passion projects were that cheap.

My record label is almost $100,000 in the red over the last 10 years if you count the $60,000 in losses I've had and the $40,000 in pressed LP inventory that I will never sell.

I'm not whining online about how United Record Pressing wouldn't sell me less than 500 copies of an LP that I wasn't able to sell more than 50 copies of.

Come on man, be realistic. Or buy your own lathe and cut your own records and learn what losing money is REALLY all about.

I get that you want to get prices down, but your piece came off very entitled, naive, Whiney and negative towards Tyler.

You will be very hard pressed to find someone who will give you what you got from him for a lower price. And if you do find someone, they will not be even paying themselves minimum wage for the labor involved after the expense of the materials.
I Buy/Sell/Restore Vintage Machines/Parts and Provide Phone/In Person Tech Support
www.MichaelDixonVinylArt.com
www.LatheCutCamp.com
www.RecordLatheParts.com
www.MobileVinylRecorders.com
www.LatheCuts.com

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YoPhantom
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41927Unread post YoPhantom
Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:27 pm

You can infer what you want about the perceived tone of my writing, but my statements were clear. I had/have no bad feelings at all about Tyler, the work he did, or the prices he charges. As stated, I take full responsibility for my end of it. If Tyler comes off "poorly" because I stated the facts of his prices, well, I don't take responsibility for that. I've recommended him to the one person I know who was curious about having records made.

And again, as I said, I would go back to him if a better financial option isn't available when I'm ready to pull the trigger the next time.

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piaptk
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41928Unread post piaptk
Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:28 pm

This goes for small quantities of traditionally mass produced industrial items as well.

Image
I Buy/Sell/Restore Vintage Machines/Parts and Provide Phone/In Person Tech Support
www.MichaelDixonVinylArt.com
www.LatheCutCamp.com
www.RecordLatheParts.com
www.MobileVinylRecorders.com
www.LatheCuts.com

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YoPhantom
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41929Unread post YoPhantom
Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:30 pm

Ok, I'm willing to experiment with the "Cheap & Fast" option and judge on my own how "good" it is. Who offers that?

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piaptk
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41931Unread post piaptk
Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:00 pm

There is a list of most providers above. Check them out and do your pricing research.
I Buy/Sell/Restore Vintage Machines/Parts and Provide Phone/In Person Tech Support
www.MichaelDixonVinylArt.com
www.LatheCutCamp.com
www.RecordLatheParts.com
www.MobileVinylRecorders.com
www.LatheCuts.com

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drdub
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41976Unread post drdub
Thu Apr 14, 2016 5:58 am

the good - cheap - fast post sums it up!

if you do it cheap, you can't make a living, if you can't make a living, your not doing it good!

http://www.drdub.com - lathe cuts and masters since 2000

cheers mex
satan spins vinyl

*** www.drdub.com ***

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recordboy
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 41996Unread post recordboy
Fri Apr 15, 2016 2:18 am

Check your inbox.

cheers
Cheers,
recordboy

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recordboy
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 42004Unread post recordboy
Fri Apr 15, 2016 8:51 am

I must say that even in the golden days ov records, the only people who ever made money upon them were infact the companies whom produced them. the ONLY way you make REAL money as an alcohol promotional side kick (what a musician & music really is) is either make radio play or gig TONS & sell LOTS ov shirts & patches etc. Biz 101 you need to turn minimum 300% just to stay afloat. Store/shop 101 some things like an 8' tall (example) silver sculpture you get for a nickel & a 2" tall rare rock for $10. You sell the sculpture for 100$ & the rock for 30$ you win some you loose some. You do it right and juggle well, you move ahead.

Records should never be looked upon as money making items, from an end user side.
Yet they are WONDERFUL promotional/Gifts to give your fans.
Immortality isn't free but yes loose as least as you can. If your music is good, or rather you have devoted fans. Your records will sell for big bux down the road secondhand. yet it will be them making that money & not you. The records are to you, what you are to a club. Its a side bonus.

That said Im here to change the pitch up. Will give you money towards another run & some in yr pocket.

I'm in it for the love ov it.
Just like music...

Money is not my passion.

Recordboy
Playboy
FastForward
Cheers,
recordboy

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handmadevinylrecords
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 42694Unread post handmadevinylrecords
Wed May 25, 2016 5:08 pm

Hi - we also produce short run records - http://www.handmadevinylrecords.com - back to basics 50s & 60s style - no added frills but decent sound. competitive prices as with all of the short run guys.

The biggest challenge, compared with cheap digital downloads, is the cost of the raw materials - vinyl blank, paper items, cutting diamond usage etc - which soon adds up to a good chunk of the actual physical record price. We're acutely aware of this as musicians ourselves - any left over money probably gets us a cup of coffee! Anyhow all part of the creative process. Good luck with your songs. Rich

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tapesandtubes
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Re: A list of people doing short-run / lathe-cut records?

Post: # 43396Unread post tapesandtubes
Tue Jul 26, 2016 3:20 pm

I'm happy to make records, with printed covers/labels. No minimum order! YAY!

http://www.lanternlathe.com
Presto K8 | 6N

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