For Vinyl Nuts....PHONOCUT

Looks like this company has a kickstarter and is trying to make a machine you can use at home to cut your own vinyl records.

https://phonocut.com/

Interesting but looks kind of like cheap plastic. I'll leave record pressing to the pros. In the end it cost more than buying a reissue

Hmm, interesting. It can definitely work but then you could get into copyright laws with that. But this way, someone like Xid or Chris could put out some vinyl if they wanted to on their own.

I think the hipsters wealthy hipsters have gotten behind the kickstarter in a big way.  Their goal was $222,068 and with 20 days still to go they've pulled in $434,970 (that's nearly half a million dollars).  Of course the unit costs 1500 euros....(yikes)....so I hope it isn't as cheap as it looks.

By the time you buy the machine, buy blank records, etc you'd be better off just buying a new record outright. As for copyright laws, no biggie I would think. Let's say I have an old cassette that I purchased. Let's say Bloodgood Detonation for example. I "rip" the cassette to vinyl and now I have it on record. That's the same as if I take a CD and make mp3 files to listen to on my phone. Or take a record and make a cassette.

or in my case -- take my records and burn them to CD or rip them to mp3/wav. I think I have converted over 200 record albums to digital and that doesn't violate copyright laws.

As for independent artists making their own, why bother? This makes a vinyl record but it doesn't make a jacket or a sleeve. I think it would be much cheaper for an artist to go to a record company.

Let's say I decide I want to press Man Overboard on vinyl, 100 records.

$1195 for 180 gram audiophile vinyl.
$100 for test pressing (you gotta have that).
$100 for full color labels.
Remastering - not necessary
Plain white inner sleeve - included
$495 for standard outer jacket.

Total price $1890

100 records priced at $19.99 (cheap!)

All 100 sell out the first hour of presale because it is so awesome. Income made: $1,999. I just made $109 profit. 

All based on reference here and I may have missed something: https://www.gottagrooverecords.com/pricing-online-ordering/

Phonocut prices (based on Kickstarter):

10 blank records: $62. I would need 100 so that is $620.
Phonocut machine: $1850. (Retail price $1999).

Total price: $2,470.

No artwork, no jacket. Would have to sell for $25 each to break even so in the long run it isn't worth it and probably doesn't do as good of a job as getting a record plant to make them.

I believe all of the new records being pressed by Girder, Roxx and Retroactive are done by Rainbo Records as they have a special for "random color vinyl". I looked into pricing but they don't give you one, you have to fill out a form and they contact you. The "limited run vinyl" is selling around $34.99 each. They are priced high because not only do they have to break even they have to make a little money as well. Rainbo Records has been in business since 1939!




Now would you rather have them done on a machine like the one above or on an at home machine?

FF to 6:40 to see them make a splatter record

MikeInFla wrote:

Phonocut prices (based on Kickstarter):

10 blank records: $62. I would need 100 so that is $620.
Phonocut machine: $1850. (Retail price $1999).

Total price: $2,470.

On the flip side of this, the machine is a one time cost.  So your next batch of 100 records will cost $620.  Still no jacket, though.

I watched both of those videos, fascinating stuff. 

If you were going to use this machine to mass produce your own records, you would probably want to factor in how many uses you get out of it before it quits working properly or needs some kind of repair.
For some reason looking at the machine it doesn't look like it cuts 12" Lps, it looks like a smaller size for some reason, like a 10".

To have to spend $2,000 up front to make $109 on a pressing of any of my albums to vinyl seems like too great of a risk of funds.  I doubt you'll be seeing anything of mine on vinyl for that very reason without a record company signing me and them doing it.  I don't even know if I will keep doing CDs as those don't sell anymore either.  I sold a lot more copies of the downloads than I have physical product.  Every three to four months I get a check from CD Baby for $25 from digital plays and sales.

Well it looks like one of the companies I mentioned above (Rainbo Records - the one that does random color vinyl) is going out of business. Not because of a lack of business but due to a dispute with the landlord. They have been there since 1939 and the landlord wants them out. The rent was raised so high they can't afford to stay there and they have so much equipment they can't afford to move it. So they are no longer taking orders and will close in Jan 2020. 

Dear Valued Customers,

After well over a year of trying to negotiate an agreement with our Landlord to keep Rainbo on Eton Street, I am sorry to say that unfortunately we have been unsuccessful.  Our Landlord apparently has other plans for this building and has demanded that we vacate the space.

It is with incredible sadness that I must announce to you that as of January 31, 2020 we must be out of the building and Rainbo after eighty years will no longer be in business.

Rainbo will continue to operate through December to complete all orders that we have in house now.

We will cease to take any new orders immediately.

We will help you as much as possible to get your assets that we may have in our possession returned to you or shipped to another supplier.

You will need to request what you want returned by selection numbers.  There will be a nominal fee to pack up components and ship them out and you will be responsible for all freight cost.

No parts will be returned if you have any unpaid invoices with us.

I am sure you might have some questions and I and our team will be here to answer and try to help make this transition as easy as possible.

Normaniac wrote:

That also might be why Roxx/Retro/Girder are churning out vinyl releases so fast. They knew the end was coming and wanted to get them done before they shuttered. Rainbo Records is probably the cheapest place to get them done and I think Roxx has used them exclusively. But they are known for quality issues like warped records, off center, full of noise and colors off. My Recon Record is orange but has a huge black smear on it where some black got mixed in with the orange. No big deal but that is one of the things they are known for. I hate to see any business that is 80 years old to shut down but hopefully another plant will buy their presses.

Quote :

My Recon Record is orange but has a huge black smear on it where some black got mixed in with the orange.

Mine too! I heard from someone that it was planned and supposedly part of the design... I kind of thought that was a bit weird.