What is Lathe Cut Vinyl?
Lathe cut records are made from clear plastic and cut individually, one at a time. They are made by cutting grooves into the disc using a record lathe. These lathes are normally used in the vinyl record manufacturing process, to cut the lacquer master discs used to create the metal stampers. Our 7" records are made using a clear, square plastic.
How do they sound?
The sound reproduction is not as accurate as with a vinyl pressing and each of the lathes has a slightly different sound. The plastic they are made from is prone to static build up, much more so than vinyl. This can cause pops and cracks, particularly at the start. This is easily dealt with by wiping the record with a damp cloth, in a circular motion with the grooves, and also by playing them. As the groove is cut into the plastic instead of pressed, there can be tiny particles of residue from the lathing process. A good wipe and a couple of plays will actually improve the sound quality of the record. Because the groove is slightly wider than on a conventional pressing, it is possible to place the stylus only partly within it, resulting in faint and tinny playback. It may take a couple of attempts to properly seat the stylus in the groove.
Will these play on any turntable?
Yes! But, be aware they don't play well on all turntables, especially cheap turntables without a weighted tonearm. However, they have all been play tested to make sure that they track on a properly weighted record player.
Why are they more expensive than the 7" I see in Rough Trade
Because. Economy of Scale, hand made, not a major record label, etc. We've priced our records at £8 because that's how much they cost to make.
They don't sound as good as my Taylor Swift record
Read the above, if you're still asking this question, read it again.