What’s happening…?

Afternoon, folks.

No, no great earth-shattering news to report. Business as usual, basically. In case anyone thinks I’m not doing this anymore because of the lack of updates on this site, it’s just that the lack of updates are due to me being so busy. Some people might know that I was juggling this little escapade with another full time job, with the result that I had zero time that I wasn’t working at something or other. Things reached crisis point late last year, and the cutting won. So this is my sole income right now. Quite scary going back into the realms of self-employment after six years of a steady paid job (the first one I’d really had, which is quite amazing since I’m over 50) but it had to be done because I absolutely detested it.

The market has changed a lot in the five or so years since I started this little venture. Back then a few people seemed to be having the same ideas as me, but no bother. In the last two, I’ve seen dozens of other people buy a cutting lathe and set themselves up in business. Good for the customer? Maybe. I’ve heard some good results from elsewhere, and some shockingly bad rubbish. The majority is in the latter camp. There’s also a new(ish) company offering ‘on demand’ LPs with no upfront costs, in full sleeves (a real plus) for a fairly attractive price. They’re being very secretive about how they’re achieving this, and one of their founders is very vocal in trashing the likes of established lathe cutters and their methods. One of the other founders is someone who was a partner in a very well known and long established lathe cutting company. Hmm.

It’s an attractive option. I know how they’re making them. I’ve seen/heard the results. Best leave it there…

Anyway, I’ve expanded the already copious amount of words on the site, addressing a few issues which have come up recently, and also why I won’t be able to do you orange and black splatter discs like some people are now offering. The whole ethos of Plastidisc is to make good records, and if that means dialling back the novelty factor then so be it. It’s worked so far, hopefully it will continue to do so in the face of increased competition. I’ve capitulated to a few people and quoted some recent feedback on the front page. I was always loathe to have a ‘testimonials’ section on here, I can’t stand people puffing themselves up, but maybe it’s time I started using the leverage that I’ve built up over the last half decade. I’m still cringing deep within, mind you.

Anyway, back to it. You know where I am if you need me. Cheers, folks…

Ben

I just realised I’ve not posted anything for a while. There’s an understatement. Can’t have me losing ‘engagement’ with the algos, can we? Whatever that is/they are. I could post this on my FB group but I really need to make it look like I’m not asleep on here. Quite the opposite in fact, I’m at bursting point with the workload yet again. Long may it continue.

Anyway, I was thinking about how the technical aspects of microgroove records have become something of an obsession for me, since I started doing all this. Having bought and played thousands of records over my lifetime, I sort of understood how it all basically worked, but I had no idea just how difficult it was/is to create something that sounds decent and plays properly, and how much intricate work goes into that piece of plastic which you listen to twice and then forget about.

I cut a few 7″s earlier this week for a very satisfied customer indeed (modesty prevents me from quoting his feedback, but suffice to say he feels they were a lot better than the ones he’d had done elsewhere of the same tracks previously, so that’ll do me nicely) and to be honest it was a bit of a squeeze. Two five minute tracks with pronounced beats and a fair bit of low end on them, one for each side. Keeping a decent overall volume without losing too much bass at 45rpm on a seven inch is a tricky act, because there isn’t very much space to fit it all in, if you’re sticking to the technical standards laid down – for very good reasons – a million years ago by the RIAA. Example: keeping the inner concentric (lock) groove where it’s supposed to be, 98.4mm from the centre of the disc. Going past that point can cause problems on some record players, aside from the compromised sound due to dimensional losses and increasing tracking angle error, which will affect *all* of them. Some auto units will reject the disc before the end of the audio, some will cut the motor, sometimes the arm will be physically unable to swing in any further (Soundburger owners, take note). If you’re cutting a novelty 5″ disc or whatever then obviously the rules don’t really apply so much, but for a ‘proper’ record I feel it’s best to stick to them.

As a result, one of the things I’ve been noticing on older records – cut before the days of super sophisticated lathes with pitch computers, and then Direct Metal Mastering which can pack grooves even more tightly together – is how much space there is (or isn’t) between the end of the audio and the lock groove. Going by the aforementioned standards sheet for the 7″, the last ‘recorded groove’ should be at 108mm from the disc centre, giving 10mm of run-out area. On a track which is up to around 3 minutes long, it’s easy to stick to this and get a nice ‘hot’ (ahem) level with full range. Past 3 minutes, you start to run into problems, and certain things may have to be compromised.

So, in the pop world as songs started getting longer but overall volume was still important for jukebox play and whatnot, people started to push things a bit and eat away into that 10mm area. It’s not uncommon to find 7″s from the late ’60s and ’70s with 5-6mm or so ‘deadwax’, sometimes even less, as the cutter strove to make it just that little bit louder without cutting the bottom end away. And the more they got away with it, the more they pushed it, either for length or volume or both. Therefore I’ve been examining dozens upon dozens of 7″s, just to see how close to the wind they rode. I found a record recently (cut and pressed in Spain) which was only just over 3 minutes long, but cut with a peak level of nearly +12db for maximum sonic impact at discotheques, and barely 3mm of space to spare before the end. The identity of this particular hot stamper club banger? Erm…

Hello. Business as usual here, the platter hasn’t stopped spinning and the discs keep on coming. There have been some interesting developments in the blank disc world, as the people making the nice white discs are now doing all sorts of funny shapes as well. Some are off the shelf, but there’s also the possibility of getting any design custom made. Basically this means that there’s going to be an explosion of novelty shaped lathe cuts going forward, and if you really wanted an hexagonal disc or a square one or one with little designs cut out of it, in black, white or transparent, then it’s probably doable. Bear in mind that anything other than a square is going to cut down on the usable space for recording, and hence running time.

Other than that, I’m awaiting a new piece of equipment which I’m hoping will improve the standard of my discs yet further. “But surely that’s not possible?” Well, yeah it is. I don’t care what shape or colour or whatever a record is, if it doesn’t sound good then it’s got no right to exist, and that’s the most important thing for me. So, more news on that when it happens. I’m not just mucking around here, you know…

Have a photograph to liven up this dull post. I recently made 100 7″s in black for the excellent Swansea Sound, which sold out in the blink of an eye. However I also cut a solitary white one, which went on eBay and raised over £200 for a fund to benefit striking Amazon workers in Coventry. I’m quite proud to have been involved in that, frankly. Right, back to it… type soon.

A quick note to say that decent quality white blank discs are now available to me, and thus to you. Prices are the same as 2mm black or transparent discs, which is nice. Let me know if you fancy a flat white that makes noises rather than just makes you jittery and gives you a headache….

(It could be a both/and, I suppose.)

Anatomy of a soundcard crashing:

1) Almighty popping sound sent to cutterhead at full power.
2) Cutting stylus jumps off disc.
3) Cutting stylus lands back on disc in a very wonky fashion indeed.

Damage sustained: one comprehensively blown fuse and a ruined cut. Nothing else, thankfully. It could have been a *whole* lot worse, especially as I’m absolutely screaming flat out right now. I need a stiff drink to calm my nerves. (Yes, any excuse.)

100+1 7s for a rather ace ‘indie popster supergroup’ done and dusted in an intense/insane 10 hour stint. I’d go to the/a pub but they’re all about to close. Plus I need to get started on the next job. Hey ho, and off we go again…

(I’m going to try and remember to post stuff from my FB group on here at the same time, see… makes it look better, no?)

Hello again. Just so you know, I’ve not vanished or stopped or anything. In fact, I’m busier now than ever. I honestly will try and collate some recent projects into a page on here, but I simply don’t have the time right now. I’ve got a current lead time of approx. six weeks, so please bear that in mind if you have a project you are considering putting my way. I think word seems to be spreading… More soon, honest!

How on earth can we be halfway through 2022 already? I don’t know. Anyway, this is a quick note to say you may notice I’m in the process of sorting this website out, the main part of which is moving it to some proper hosting which I hope should stop the majority of the adverts for goodness knows what appearing on it. I honestly didn’t know until I saw it on a computer not running an industrial strength adblocker. I think it’s working now, but we shall see.

As for records, I’ve been making a lot this year, and I’ve got loads more to do now. My trusty SP10 has been fitted with a bespoke part which now allows me to make 12″ discs that don’t sound like frying bacon on the run-in groove and has further reduced the (already minimal) wow and flutter on the outer edge to virtually zero. Which is good as I’ve had a couple of LPs to do which featured pianos at the very start. Always the acid test, that.

In fact, have a look/listen to this. An example of what I can make now. Compare and contrast with the competition, and all that. There may be ads on this, obviously, but that’s the world we live in.

A proper update soon. Honest. I have records to cut now, so I’d better get on with it and stop fiddling around with the website for a bit. T’ra.

Evening. It might appear I’ve been quiet and not doing a lot, but that wouldn’t be exactly true. In fact I’ve been really flipping busy. I’ve been plagued with ‘technical issues’ recently, both warped discs and bloody printers, so I’m running a bit behind with stuff and I’m a bit surprised to find out how quickly December has vanished. I’ve had a fortnight off from the day job, which I’m already burning through at a fair old clip, trying to get back on track. I’ve just finished 30 of these rather spanking clear 10″s for the excellent Werra Foxma label (they’ll be in the post next week, chaps) and I’m now starting on a mammoth run of 10″ mini albums – this is a test cut, the final product will be transparent – and accompanying 7″s EPs of oscillator burbles for the equally excellent Buried Treasure, which I think will take me right up until I have to start getting out of pyjamas in the morning and putting on proper clothes again. Then I’m doing a small re-cut of the Negative Response album. And then… er, other things.

So, that’s my ‘holidays’ spoken for! I might have Xmas Day off, we shall see. Anyway, have a ‘fun’ festive period and all that. Right, drinks and stollen for me, I think, and hopefully I’ll manage to cram in that documentary about COUM Transmissions that was on telly a while ago. Good job I did ‘Get Back’ earlier this month. Here are a few photos from the latter half of 2021, I’ve been too busy to take them. Some capacity for February 2022 remains, get in touch eh?

I knew I shouldn’t have started this news type page. Suffice to say there’s a lot happening but I just keep forgetting to put it on here. I’ve done several hundred discs this year, all shapes and sizes with all sorts of stuff on them. There’s a bit more action on the F*cebook group, as it’s a bit easier for me to remember to update that, but I understand that lots of people won’t go near that particular social media thing… they’re all a bit toxic as far as I’m concerned really, but whatever. I’ll try a bit harder in future here. There may be a new Plastidisc release in the offing soon as well, so watch this and that and the other spaces. In the meantime, have some photos of recent goings on: