Currently Melting: The Demigs
By David Brehmer
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Canada,” “Black Valley Fight,” “Minx”
Recommended If You Like: Catchy pop with a post-punk twist
With their sophomore album Cities Can Wait, out April 5th, North Texas outfit The Demigs have created a sound clearly born of elder statesmen, but possessing a unique chemistry and energy all its own.
How To: Rip Audio from Vinyl
By Joseph Gregory
So you have an extensive vinyl collection and you want to listen to your records on the go; but, record players aren’t like iPods, that’s why we love them. They don’t fit in your pocket and you can’t press shuffle. But, if not maintained correctly, records wear over time, so it’s in every collector’s best interest to back up their collection digitally. The question is how? Below, I have laid out the two primary options for ripping vinyl.
LP to PC ($50-$150)
One of the most popular ways in recent years has been to purchase a turntable with a USB port, so the table can be connected directly to your household computer or laptop. These next-generation turntables typically come with relatively easy to use software that does the LP to .mp3 conversion for you. One of the most praised and affordable LP to PC products is the Ion series, as seen below.
Drawbacks
For the most part Ion’s have received consistently good reviews, but there are a few notable drawbacks:
1. They are cheaply made out of mostly plastic; but, they aren’t necessarily meant to replace quality built turntables.
2. “Audacity”, which can be downloaded online for free, has had some issues with mac compatibility (also keep in mind that the majority of computer complaints are the result of user error).
3. Ion’s are not formatted to convert 78’s, only 33 rpm albums and 45 rpm singles.
4. The transfer process can be time consuming; the album must be uploaded, then enhanced, and then split by the user into separate tracks.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Phono preamp/LP-USB-Converter ($150-$200)
If purchasing another turntable seems unnecessary, or maybe you just don’t like the Ion, then there is another option. You can buy a phono stage with a USB port that can connect straight into your computer. Although .mp3 files aren’t the best quality to begin with, most audiophiles agree that when ripping vinyl, this is as good as it gets. Obviously you are going to get what you pay for, but for the most part, any standard preamp will suffice. I recommend the Pro-ject brand because it is affordable, compact, has a great reputation, and its products look sleek enough for James Bond.
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Drawbacks
This is a great product, but ultimately, the success of the recording is going to depend on the quality of your turntable and the software you use with it. Therefore, you may encounter the exact same issues as with the Ion. Also, it’s considerably more expensive, but again, you get what you pay for.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Some helpful advice before you start ripping:
Don’t place your turntable on a hard surface; someone setting down a glass or even walking loudly can sound like an earthquake during playback. Wash your records beforehand; all the knicks, scratches, and pops will be recorded – a good rinse with a nice ivory dishwashing soap never hurts. Finally, a decent turntable, stylus, and cartridge can go a long way, so make sure you have the right equipment before starting the job.
Good luck, and keep those records spinning, even after they make it into your iTunes.
Currently Melting: Joel Gion
By Nobo McManus
Extended Play, Joel Gion’s first solo endeavor, gives you the intimate feeling of a bedroom session with the sound quality you’d expect from Record Pressing vinyl. The album is very distinctive in its youthful sounding songs, but you can tell this isn’t his first rodeo. The jacket is especially memorable, donning a very unique style in reference to vinyl from earlier periods. From the vintage illustrations, the entire layout, even down to the font, looks like an old record that someone didn’t mean to give away.
Although Gion is more known for his percussion and tambourine skills in bands like the Brian Jonestown Massacre and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, he plays guitar along with xylophone, cowbell, and a few other instruments on this album. His one-man band approach makes sure the tracks are exactly how he wants them, and how you want them, too. Catchy, lo-fi, and endearing, songs like “Modern History” have you in adolescent summer days, with lyrics like “The room stops when you walk in and you’ve got me smilin’ cause you’re my best friend.” While “Control” is a warm, vibrating, xylophone-laced echo, rounding out side A in a fuzzy splendor. The rawness of these songs makes them all seem very real and personal, like a rare 8-track recording, but the meticulous composition can be heard throughout the entire album. “Every Which Way” is a melodic, repetitive love song. A no frills, easygoing riff and a perfect way to wrap up the album. Overall Joel Gion puts on an eclectic show that proves how versatile a musician he truly is. I definitely recommend playing Extended Play – whichever way you play it, just don’t miss this one!
For an exclusive interview with Gion and his take on Extended Play, check it out through Rock Edition, here.
For When You’re Bored and Broke
A DIY vinyl record project with Nissa Nicole
It’s true. I’m a girly girl, and I have, for many years, enjoyed a vase full of extremely pretty yet extremely fake flowers in my living room. While working on a different vinyl DIY project, I realized something awesome – 45s, when heated, become incredibly unique and totally awesome fake flowers that even my vinyl crazy husband won’t protest! So, saddle up and grab your supplies – I’m going to show you how to make a bouquet of sorry singles and b-sides that will intrigue your house guests! The best part? It’s the easiest vinyl project you’ll find!
The Vinyl Record Printing Process
By Mikey Baratta
You’ve finally done it; all that time, money and effort it’s taken to produce a quality hit-record with your band is finished. The time has come to put that puppy into print, but wait, have you considered all the options there are available to you in the printing process?
Before a record can be complete, there are decisions that need to be made that will drastically change the way your album is perceived by your audience (as important as your music is to your fans, the artwork and conceptual-ideas/designs that accompany an album are equally essential). The possibilities available to bands are becoming limitless; from single color process to a full scale color CMYK process on album covers and jackets, as well as the types of finishing such as UV and matte. Here you will find the low down on everything you should know before your album is put into print.
First things first, you will need to decide on the color space your artwork will be presented in. Your two options are single-color (monochromatic scheme in one specific color) or CMYK (full color scheme, best choice for reprinting photographic images on the jacket of the album). Single color is relatively self explanatory; your art, images and text will all be represented by the same color behind either a white or brown stock for jackets, or one of several Pantone colored stocks for center labels.
CMYK is a common process used in printing to create a large amount of colors by utilizing just three: Cyan (a bluish-green color), Magenta (like burgundy, a light red color), and Yellow. A true-black ink, which is identified as K here, is added for keyline tones (also known as the outline). When specific amounts of each color and black are added together they are able to reproduce a plethora of colors that are available within the CMYK gamut. One thing to consider is that the single-color process is cheaper and somewhat easier to produce, saving you time and money.
Since each artist and every album is unique, pricing is based individually depending on how exactly your album will be printed. For an exact price quote and figure on the difference between these two processes please consult a Record Pressing associate through the website.
When you are in the process of creating artwork for your album, it is best to have everything layered in either a PDF or Illustrator file. Making sure that the technical components of your artworks file are in proper order before you hand it over to our printing technicians will save you frustration, as well as time and money.
It is important to have the correct color space (CMYK instead of RGB or sRGB, 8-bit instead of 16-bit color), the correct resolution (300dpi is standard for printing – if you’re scanning an image intended to have as your album cover, make sure your resolution is set at or higher than 300dpi if you do not want pixelation, distortion or a low-quality print as your album cover), and have the artwork separated in their own layer from the template, with all fonts outlined and all transparencies flattened. Basically, the more you have finished and ready to go for the printer or manufacturer – the faster, easier (and sometimes cheaper) the process will be for you.
Another factor that comes up when deciding on your album’s packaging is what type of paper you are planning to use for your jacket or sleeve. Here are the choices available:
Single Jacket: A thin cardboard stock jacket with a 3mm wide slot that the vinyl disk fits into; the most commonly used choice.
Gatefold Jacket: This jacket is thicker than the single jacket, making it a bit more heavy duty. The gatefold jacket is ideal for dual-disc vinyl sets or to showcase extra album artwork. The jacket opens up like a book to have artwork and/or text in between two panels. A bit more than the single jacket, but the gatefold jacket is worth every penny for a special, limited edition release.
Reverse Board: This is the backside of normal cardstock used for jackets and covers. Perhaps you want your album to have a more textured or grainy vintage feel to it, then reverse board is the way to go.
Inner Sleeves: A standard paper stock usually a half inch smaller than the size of the jacket itself to be able to fit inside; this paper is used to not only hold and protect the record, but it may showcase song titles, lyrics, special thanks, recording information or to showcase even more artwork. Similar to jackets, inner sleeves can be printed in a single color or full color CMYK process.
Matte Finishing: A smooth, muted and less vibrant finish. This finish complements rustic-looking album artwork; such as photographs, or anything with an antiquated feel.
UV Glossy Finishing: A shiny and reflective finish. This finish is great for artwork with loud or vibrant colors. This conveys a cutting edge and exciting feel to customers; a great way to draw in your fans.
Embossing: A process in which a mold or press creates a raised image, design or text in your jacket or sleeve. It is an effect that you can see and feel, adding something extra to your artwork.
Debossing: This process is the exact opposite of embossing; a stamp like process where an image, design or text is pressed into the sleeve or jacket to make a depressed, below-the-surface effect.
Foil Stamping: A process in which metallic paper is applied to a sleeve or jacket using heat and pressure to add a shiny and unique design to your artwork. The foil is available in a few colors- such as gold and silver.
Another element that is sometimes overlooked, is the center of the vinyl. Would you want a small or large hole? An image or text in the center of the record? Single, double, triple or full color process design? Record Pressing uses a special, flame retardant stock that is actually baked right into the vinyl during the pressing process. It is critical to consider that because of the baking, often times colors used on the labels may come out a bit darker after pressing.
The options are truly limitless when it comes to put your album into press and Record Pressing is happy to accommodate artists with any customized requests, executed by our professional engineers and technicians.
For more information or inquiries about the vinyl printing process, please refer to our website.
