Economical places that press 7"s

[catcauphonic]

We're going into a studio in a month and a half to record my favorite 1 of our songs, plus another, and we'd love to put it out on a 7" at 33 or 45 speed. The A side is called 'Translucent', so to release it on a translucent colored vinyl would be the bees knees! Any suggests who has good prices, and what we might spend to get 100-200 of them pressed with sleeves?

 

[T_Bone_TL]

I don't know what you call "economical" as I haven't really shopped it, but this place can do 7" with several transparent vinyl options. Darn near $6/each at an order size of 200 (most of which is probably fixed setup costs) per a quick play with it.

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This place breaks it all out (add up your own quote, and you can see the fixed setup costs), but seems to have similar capabilities. They don't print sleeves, but blank paper ones are included.

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[catcauphonic]

I don't know what you call "economical" as I haven't really shopped it, but this place can do 7" with several transparent vinyl options. Darn near $6/each at an order size of 200 (most of which is probably fixed setup costs) per a quick play with it.

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This place breaks it all out (add up your own quote, and you can see the fixed setup costs), but seems to have similar capabilities. They don't print sleeves, but blank paper ones are included.

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Thank you for the input. I know last time I checked around a few years ago, there was a big jump between getting 200 & 300.

Ex: 100 cost like $8.50 each, 200 was maybe $6-6.50, and 300 dropped the average down to like $3-3.50. Too bad, cuz I'd be thrilled if we could move even a hundred ... but not 2-300, unless we suddenly blew up fast!

Releasing an EP (or even better, an LP) is high on my bucket list ... If that fails, I'm leaving specific instructions to have my ashes pressed into one of my roommates band releases, or similar > Invalid Link Removed

 

[sissy kathy]

I don't understand why you want to use 100 year old technology at great expense when you can do the things on CD for 1/10 the cost and get the same audio quality. If you do them yourself there is not even any need to compress the files.

 

[catcauphonic]

I don't understand why you want to use 100 year old technology at great expense when you can do the things on CD for 1/10 the cost and get the same audio quality. If you do them yourself there is not even any need to compress the files.

Not only did I grow up on vinyl, I never grew out of it. Buying a new record every week with allowance money (before I even had my first job) made a big impression on me as a developing music appreciater in a way that digital downloads or even a compact disc ever could. The format itself is a work of art. I realize that eliminates about 90% (if not more) of the music buying population, but there are still a lot of people in my area that are rabid about records. I myself have about 1,300.

April 16th (which is coincidentally my birthday) is national Record Store Day ... there's a slew of special releases by bands large and small, and great deals to be had on stores used inventory, as well. All the stores local has lines around the block when they opened special 6am early ... it was like Black Friday for records! I know our best local independent radio station KEXP would rather receive your release on vinyl than any other format, & I would certainly rather read the liner notes without needing a magnifying glass.

I guess how popular it still is depends on where you live, and the kind of music you make ... as certain genres tend to have more releases than others.

And for the record, I feel like the compact disc has long ago entered it's heyday, and is just another eventual disposable stepping stone to something smaller.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

We're going into a studio in a month and a half to record my favorite 1 of our songs, plus another, and we'd love to put it out on a 7" at 33 or 45 speed. The A side is called 'Translucent', so to release it on a translucent colored vinyl would be the bees knees! Any suggests who has good prices, and what we might spend to get 100-200 of them pressed with sleeves?

From what I remember from my record days........BLack vinyl is reground vinyl, sort of an early "green" method of recycling back then. Clear vinyl IS virgin material, as it's the only way to get that color to lack of color.

You will pay a premium for the material and you will pay extra for such a short run and you will pay extra as the injection machine will have to have a few pressed to get the remains of the previous vinyl that wasn't clear, out of the machine, effectively giving you "streakers".

On the other hand, virgin vinyl does yield better sound quality BUT, not sure how many people have the equipment quality to enjoy it.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Both the makers I found use virgin black vinyl, so there's no quality difference there (one seemed to imply that the black might even be better) and the upcharge at either of them for colors was small enough that the "song-name-link" would be adequate reason to pay the very small additional amount on top of the rather large basic setup cost.

I'm personally in the "grew up with vinyl, so happy when CDs came along, have a lot of vinyl and haven't bought hardly any since the late 1980's" camp. Last one I recall was grabbing a copy of Heavy Weather which I could not find on CD to get Birdland. I was utterly delighted when affordable technology moved to the point that I, in my house, could whip out a full quality CD of original work, print the inserts, etc, etc.

I wonder if anyone does the single-sided super-thin version they used to put in magazines and cereal boxes. OTOH, you still have the mastering expense...

CDs are a digital distribution and archiving method - for the kiddies and somewhat less kiddies (other than vinyl-retro-types, of course) they have already been replaced with cloud distribution, storage and having someone's DRM take away music you bought and paid for fair and square; for other kiddies and somewhat less kiddies they have been replaced with pirated digital downloads (no extra charge for the virus loads.)

I don't "spin" CDs anymore, other than once before I park them in my storage, free in the knowledge that I'll still have them even if Apple or Sony or whoever renegotiates a contract; I read them into a computer using a lossless format to retain full quality, and play the music from there. The computer is far smaller than the stack of CDs, and the flash memory the whole library would fit on is the size of a postage stamp. The convenience factor of having it all available without having to go dig a particular unit out of its case and load it into a machine is huge. I still have records (several hundred pounds worth) and record players, but I find them more of a pain than a joy, and will get more use out of their content if I ever go through the agony of digitizing them, and all their audio defects. I might even be on the cusp of being willing to buy the rights twice to get them on CD (where possible) and spare me the agony of digitizing them. I have always thought that was a bit of a rook - if the rights to the music are supposedly the main thing you are paying for, then you should be able to show (or turn in) your copy of (whatever) on vinyl (or 8-track or cassette) and pay a small fee for the mechanical to get the same thing on CD - but that does not happen...

In any case, what format I prefer has nothing to do with the fact that what you want is stacks and stacks of wax and wax, which seems like a perfectly do-able project, while you are still this side of the grave to enjoy it. Making money at it would be a WHOLE other thing. But if the cost differential between 100 and 300 is really that small (ie, roughly $100-200 gets you 3 times as many records), might just as well - you could price them less painfully if selling them, or give away 3 times as many for very little additional money.

 

[Alkali Ike]

Do they tell you what the lead time is? My impression is there are only a few pressing plants and they're running 24/7 to keep up with demand. I could be wrong.

Black vinyl can (and should) be virgin vinyl. If they're using reground vinyl it's of lower quality and may contain impurities that don't do anything good for the quality of the record.

Just as an aside, in John Fogerty's book he mentions how disappointed he was in the quality of the vinyl used for his Blue Ridge Rangers album. Turned out RCA who pressed it had four levels of vinyl quality available. Elvis got the best Grade #1. Saul Zaentz made sure Fogerty got the lowest Grade #4 vinyl in order to save pennies.

 

[catcauphonic]

Most new vinyl these days includes digital download coupons, which I end up almost never using, but it's a really nice option to include .. so even if you don't have a turntable, you can still load up your listening device. And your physical copy is a nicer overall package.

Can't say i notice much difference in sound quality using black over other colors ... though I'm no serious audiophile, I know there are different grades of vinyl ... things started to get really flimsy in the 80's. I have quite a few on colored, splattered, see thru, reds, purples, gold, etc etc that you can't do to a CD. Even just watching the record spin under the needle boosts my listening experience! Sucks in the car, though ... I'll give you that

 

[catcauphonic]

Do they tell you what the lead time is? My impression is there are only a few pressing plants and they're running 24/7 to keep up with demand. I could be wrong.

Yes, Im pretty sure the 'most economical' places are swamped at least 6-8 weeks out

 

[DwaynieAD]

I've never found a place doing vinyl on the cheap. Lowest cost I found was 500 bucks. That was black vinyl, plain white sleeves, nothing printed on record itself, and u had to put it in the sleeve urself. That was for 50 units. The lowest number of units I could find as well.

Be realistic, how many are you gonna sell. I doubt 50, let alone 2-300

 

[bolophonic]

My band pressed a couple hundred 12" a while back. It was worth it to me, because a CD just doesn't excite me at all. I have a buddy who runs a punk label that puts out limited colored vinyl and I just can't get enough of it. In my opinion, nothing conveys the gravitas of a music purchase like opening up a record and pulling out a slab of vinyl and a cool insert.

 

[JimmyM]

I don't understand why you want to use 100 year old technology at great expense when you can do the things on CD for 1/10 the cost and get the same audio quality. If you do them yourself there is not even any need to compress the files.

I feel the same way, but records are making a comeback. I see them in stores now, and more and more people are digging on them every year. I don't get it, but I don't have to.

 

[socialleper]

I don't understand why you want to use 100 year old technology at great expense when you can do the things on CD for 1/10 the cost and get the same audio quality. If you do them yourself there is not even any need to compress the files.

I'm not gaga over vinyl like some people are, but there is an audio quality difference between analog and digital. How the initial recording and mastering was done matters a lot, so if the whole thing was done 100% digitally, with everything DI'ed, you aren't getting the most bang for your buck. However, in other circumstances, especially with digital recording that have had all the dynamics compressed out of them due to cranking the gain, you will hear a difference.
On the other side of that, records are a pain in the @$$ to maintain, and new pressings are expensive if you can even find what you want.

Regardless, it is also an easy way to release a single or two songs. On a CD is seems like a bit of a waste, even though economically it still makes more sense.
If some sucker...pardon me...listener wants to part with their money for the joy of holding a vinyl EP in their hands, I'm not going to get in the way of that as long as it is profitable.

 

[socialleper]

We're going into a studio in a month and a half to record my favorite 1 of our songs, plus another, and we'd love to put it out on a 7" at 33 or 45 speed. The A side is called 'Translucent', so to release it on a translucent colored vinyl would be the bees knees! Any suggests who has good prices, and what we might spend to get 100-200 of them pressed with sleeves?

Just as heads up, there are very few pressing places around any more and they get very busy, especially because of this RSD thing. Plan your release accordingly and give yourself plenty of time. This isn't something you will have in your hands in a week.

 

[pie_man_25]

I feel the same way, but records are making a comeback. I see them in stores now, and more and more people are digging on them every year. I don't get it, but I don't have to.

I don't understand why you want to use 100 year old technology at great expense when you can do the things on CD for 1/10 the cost and get the same audio quality. If you do them yourself there is not even any need to compress the files.

I've read a good number of engineering papers that basically say what Kathy has said, except that CD's are measurably better with regards to one's freedom to mix in bass, as well as treble reproduction. I have to say, the evidence is convincing. This said though, I've tried without success to express this to anybody who thinks that vinyl is king.

One thing I DO like about vinyl records is that you can get them in wacky colours, and the larger size format makes for larger artwork. Also, unlike CDs, you can't really skip a track, you have to listen to the album in the order that the artist intended, unless you listen to side B first - those are the people I don't want to meet though

Edit: Also, when it comes to CD's and lossless digital audio, you could still listen to them through crappy headphones and the cheap hardware built into ipods and laptops and stuff. With Vinyl, unless you have a Crosley, you're going to be listening to it through some generally fairly high-end hifi gear.

 

[catcauphonic]

Be realistic, how many are you gonna sell. I doubt 50, let alone 2-300

Exactly, I predict we're currently only capable of moving 30-40 if we include digital download codes with it, & hopefully another 2-5 more with each show we play.

My band pressed a couple hundred 12" a while back. It was worth it to me, because a CD just doesn't excite me at all. I have a buddy who runs a punk label that puts out limited colored vinyl and I just can't get enough of it. In my opinion, nothing conveys the gravitas of a music purchase like opening up a record and pulling out a slab of vinyl and a cool insert.

You know exactly where I'm coming from

Just as heads up, there are very few pressing places around any more and they get very busy, especially because of this RSD thing. Plan your release accordingly and give yourself plenty of time. This isn't something you will have in your hands in a week.

For sure, 2-3 months is fair if need be.

I've read a good number of engineering papers that basically say what Kathy has said, except that CD's are measurably better with regards to one's freedom to mix in bass, as well as treble reproduction. I have to say, the evidence is convincing. This said though, I've tried without success to express this to anybody who thinks that vinyl is king.

One thing I DO like about vinyl records is that you can get them in wacky colours, and the larger size format makes for larger artwork. Also, unlike CDs, you can't really skip a track, you have to listen to the album in the order that the artist intended, unless you listen to side B first - those are the people I don't want to meet though

Edit: Also, when it comes to CD's and lossless digital audio, you could still listen to them through crappy headphones and the cheap hardware built into ipods and laptops and stuff. With Vinyl, unless you have a Crosley, you're going to be listening to it through some generally fairly high-end hifi gear.

I am the king of maneuvering that cue arm to that blank 6 or so seconds between songs!

 

[catcauphonic]

All this talk of records got my mouth and ears watering! I just got back from one of the 20+ local record stores ... cashed in a gift certificate the In Laws got me last Xmas, and a few coins of my own on another 6 titles:

I usually do most of my record shopping at Goodwills, garage sales, annual & semi-Ann localy held record conventions, but yesterday was my birthday ... coincidence that it falls on National Record Store Day?? I think not

 

[Son of Wobble]

I've pressed vinyl and my main knock on it is the cost of shipping should you want to do a promo mailing.
7" records cost several dollars to mail domestically, and the size of the product is atypical and thus requires purchasing mailers. By the time you are done, the cost of each postmarked package is over ten dollars.

Whereas a CD maling can be done for well under under $5 apiece, including manufacturing, shrinkwrapping, bar codes - the lot.

My tip for a manufacturer would be discmakers.com

They offer 200 7" singles complete with laquer mastering, four copies of the test pressing, 150 gram vinyl pressing, black and white
center labels, plain white inner sleeves, and full color jackets on 15 pt. white board for $1,188.

That really isn't bad considering how these bits add up once you part them out and try to do the job yourself.

For color vinyl, try Bill Smith Custom Records, where I did my stuff. They are in So Cal and they do beautiful color work.

I tried to lower my per unit cost with runs of 1,000. Don't make that mistake or you'll have 700 records left in the garage like I do!

 

[Biggbass]

Vinyl? 45's? what a concept!
Like others, I love vinyl and miss the vinyl days but still don't get the suspected resurgence of that technology. And I thought all the good vinyl had been used up.

but just think...35 years from now you'll still have hundreds left over that you can give away at gigs! (IF they buy a T shirt of course)