How much do vinyl records cost? Abbreviations in comments to the description of vinyl records

Any assessment, including vinyl records, is initially subjective, but the application of generally accepted criteria makes it possible to make it more or less objective and reliable (corresponding to the true state of the object being assessed).

To assess the condition of vinyl records, an international grading system has long been used, which allows a fairly accurate description of the condition of any record. At the same time, both its sound and appearance, including the appearance of the envelope.

It is worth noting that the sound rating directly depends on the level of quality and correct settings of the equipment used.

Below are the internationally accepted designations for the quality of vinyl records, as well as abbreviations in the comments to the description of vinyl records.

Indications for assessing the quality of records and sleeves

SS (Still Sealed): sealed record.

M (Mint): new, but printed record. The record was not played or played several times.

The record and sleeve are in perfect condition.

NM (Near Mint): almost new record. The record was played more than 2-3 times, but this did not affect its condition. A “natural” slight “superficial rustle” in pauses is acceptable (rare, but found even on new records). Externally it is either perfect or there are minor abrasions from the inner envelope, but they are practically inaudible.

The envelope may have minor creases or defects that do not detract from its appearance.

EX (Excellent): The record has been used but is in excellent condition. There may be minor, not very audible extraneous sounds, such as rustling, crackling or “fine sand”, which do not at all spoil the overall “sound picture”. How audible such defects are also depends on the condition and type of needle. Vinyl may have some surface scratches and scuffs.

The sleeve may have abrasions in the form of minor circles (typical of American records), small defects on the corners or bends.

VG (Very good): The record was in active use, but overall it was in satisfactory condition. There are scratches and abrasions on the vinyl that produce soft clicks when listened to; Occasional jumps (springboards) are possible (extremely rare). As a rule, there is “sand” of average audibility.

The envelope is quite well preserved, but has noticeable abrasions, the corners may be bent, the seams are frayed, there may be cracks on the seams, the spine and along the perimeter of the envelope, partial divergence of the seams, the round outline of the plate may have obvious worn outlines. However, in general the image on the envelope is clearly visible

Good: You can still listen to the record if you really want to, but the sound quality is very low, there are frequent jumps. The vinyl has significant scuffs and scratches that greatly detract from the sound.

The envelope is very worn, but functional, and the outlines of the images are still quite visible. There may be tears, significant bruises, and stains.

P (Poor), F (Fair): The condition of the record is very poor. Listening without the risk of damaging the needle is not recommended. It makes sense to store only rare specimens or if you really want to.

The condition of the envelope is very poor.

[+] or [-] next to a gradation means that the record/sleeve is in slightly higher or lower condition than the specified gradation.

Abbreviations in comments to the description of vinyl records

2 LP"s: two records included.

7"" : A seven-inch "little" record included with a particular album.

Archive copy: a record from the private archive of a collector, almost always in top copy condition. Can be used when selling both rare and regular editions, but in a unique condition.

Audiophile sound/edition: Audiophile sound. That is, the sound is of a very high class, achieved through various technical methods. Records with this mark are almost always valued higher than regular editions.

Autograph: artist's autograph. Often increases the price of the record.

Book/Booklet: book/booklet included with the album. Often contains photographs and interesting additional information about the album. It also increases the cost of the record.

Bonus tracks: additional songs not included in original version album.

Box: A box in which records are placed. As a rule, these are expensive gift editions.

Calendar: Calendar included with the album.

Cards: postcards, cards included in the album set. They also increase the cost of the record.

Catalog list: catalog of records from the manufacturer, usually with prices and ordering conditions. Commonly found on independent label records from the early 80's.

Compilation: A selection of songs from previous albums or singles.

Club edition: a record published by advance subscription for members of a club. Often has a simplified design. It is valuable for collectors.

Color vinyl: A record made from colored vinyl. Vinyl color does not affect sound quality. But, visually assessing the quality of colored vinyl is often quite difficult. Colored vinyl - additional argument to increase the price of the record.

Complete: complete album.

Cut-out: an envelope (usually in a corner) has a slit, a hole punched, or a corner cut off. Typical for American records. Sometimes found in European publications. There is an opinion that this is how manufacturers or stores marked discounted goods. A sealed record may also have a cut-out.

Flexi disc: flexible disc included with the album.

Heavy vinyl: common name for vinyl records weighing more than 150 grams. Often on records there is an indication of 180 gr vinyl. Such records often differ more high quality sound.

Generic, generic sleeve: The record comes in a standard sleeve. Sometimes records are released without sleeves and supplied in standard sleeves.

Gimmix cover: “surprise” cover, with various “tricks”, surprises, jokes, etc.

Inner sleeve: Inner paper sleeve included with the album. The record is stored in it. Often the envelope contains lyrics, photographs and useful information. The presence of this sleeve (if the record was originally supplied with one) increases the value of the record.

Insert: tab. A sheet of paper with text or some other information directly related to a particular record. The presence of this sheet (if the record was originally equipped with it) increases the value of the record.

Limited edition: Limited edition record. As a rule, they are of interest to collectors.

Maxi: maxi single. The record is a standard 12-inch size, recorded at a speed of 45 rpm, as opposed to the traditional 33 rpm. The sound quality of maxi singles is higher than the sound quality of regular records. Maxi singles are often valued due to the presence of rare compositions that are not included in the full album.

Mono: The record was released in mono. Often, for high-quality playback of a mono record, you need to use a special cartridge (head) for playing back a mono recording. A regular cartridge (stereo) also plays a mono record, but is worse than a special cartridge. Sometimes mono copies can cost several times more than stereo copies. Sometimes it's exactly the opposite. At the same time, the sound quality of a mono record is not inferior to the quality of a stereo recording, but is different.

Obi: A paper band that encircles a Japanese record sleeve. Obi is translated into Russian as a belt for a traditional Japanese kimono. The inclusion of Obi is a uniquely attractive addition to the record and adds value to the record.

Outer bag: Outer bag (paper or plastic) included with the album.

Picture disc: a plate with a pattern or photograph applied to its surface. Sometimes has quite high value for collectors.

Postcard: postcard included with the record. The presence of postcards increases the cost of the set.

Poster: Poster included with the album. The presence of a poster almost always increases the cost of the record. Sometimes several times.

Private press: a record published with the money of the musicians themselves. As a rule, such records are quite rare and expensive.

Promo copy: a record released for promotion, advertising, etc. Typically has a black and white label instead of full color. More common in the USA and Japan than in Europe. Many people believe that the sound quality of these editions is higher than that of standard records.

Promo list: an additional sheet containing additional information about the performer. Can be found in promotional copies.

Quadro: records recorded for playback on quad equipment. Regular stereo cartridges also work great with this vinyl. Prized by quad audio enthusiasts.

Radio station copy: record from the radio station archive. They often have a radio station stamp or an additional sticker with song titles placed on the envelope.

Remastered: A record contains a recording that has been re-mastered, resulting in a different sound. There are both lovers and opponents of remastered sound.

Round cover: The record sleeve has rounded corners.

Sealed Old Stock: records published in the 60-70-80s, still in sealed condition. These records have a special value among buyers. They are purchased for serious collections, as well as for investment, in anticipation of their increasing price. Since when the envelope is printed, such records usually drop sharply in price (sometimes several times), collectors often do not open them after purchase. However, when purchasing such a record, there is a slight risk of a manufacturing defect or damage to the disc itself over time. Due to the unique qualities of Sealed Old Stock, we do not open such records in the store and do not accept claims regarding them.

Spoken words: a record of speeches, recitations, etc.

Sticker: Sticker included with the album.

Still sealed: sealed record. Usually costs more than the printed version. IN in some cases can increase the cost of a record tenfold.

Top copy: record in perfect condition (mint). The expression is usually used when selling rare edition in unique condition.

Unofficial edition: unofficial publication. As a rule, the publication of rare concert performances or the re-release of popular albums that have not been officially released for a long time. There is no guarantee of sound quality. The price is often below average.

Until a couple of years ago, vinyl releases were mainly made by independent small labels and alternative artists to the mainstream. Today, Jack White and the Black Keys are the first to announce record releases, and even pop stars like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé also want to hear how their music sounds under the needle. And they all want to be pressed in Nashville - the largest vinyl factory in the USA.

“It's a metal matrix,” says Jay Millar, examining the dazzling silver disk in the machine room of the United Record Pressing plant outside Nashville, Tennessee. “That’s where it all starts.”

Fifty years ago, this plant released the first single in the United States The Beatles, and then in the 70s and 80s, hundreds of hit 33 and 45 rpm records from the Motown recording studio, famous for its signature sound. Today, the old presses show no sign of stopping, churning out hissing, buzzing records that are seeing a resurgence in sales. Nashville claims to be the vinyl capital of the world as the city's music industry struggles to keep up with the growing demand for vinyl records.

United Record Pressing - largest company for vinyl production in the USA. By the way, it is located not far from Third Man Records - an independent label founded by Jack White, who recently managed to release modern times.

Nashville claims to be the vinyl capital of the world

IN next year the company plans to install 16 new presses, which will increase daily production volumes to 60 thousand records. Jay Millar did not specify where exactly they managed to find these machines - the production of machines for working with vinyl records closed in the eighties, and the competition for the remaining production capacity is enormous - because the demand for vinyl is growing rapidly. The last few metal master presses (the stamps used to make vinyl records) were bought at an auction held by the Church of Scientology, whose followers sincerely believed that The best way preserve the speeches of his guru Ron Hubbard for posterity - record them on 33⅓ records.

Scientologists are not the only ones who have decided to bring vinyl back to life. After years of audio format wars that have seen overall physical media sales halve, consumers appear to have made up their minds. Demand for CDs and MP3 downloads is down, while sales of streaming audio and vinyl are up.

We now have a convenient digital option and high quality vinyl

“We now have the convenience of digital and high-quality vinyl,” says Millar. “Our production runs 24 hours a day, six days a week, but we still can’t keep up with growing demand.” As of mid-June 2014, vinyl sales in the United States were up 40% year-over-year. Turnover is likely to reach 6 million records this year. It is worth noting that in 2007 only about 1 million vinyl media were sold.

Analog audiophiles like Jack White and the Black Keys have long been producing their music in Nashville. However, for some time now, stars of the pop scene who previously were not particularly fond of vinyl, such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, have also joined this company. The demand from musicians is so great that the wait time for a batch of discs to be produced has increased to 12 weeks. Record companies They don't announce a vinyl release date until the pressing of their particular release begins.

The top seller this year was Jack White's album The Lazaretto, which sold 40 thousand records in its first week. This is a recognized record - not a single vinyl release has sold so well since 1991. By the way, sales of this album are still ongoing, and, according to statistics, they amount to 2000 per week. In the Third Man Records studio located at the entrance to the United Record Pressing factory, Neil Young recently recorded the album A Letter Home. There's a vinyl cutting machine from King Records in Cincinnati, donated by James Brown; glass cabinet with toy dancing monkey. One half of the studio is painted red, the other half yellow. Girls in signature yellow and black colors move between the rooms of Third Records. The corridors are decorated with stuffed animals, one of which resembles a yak.

Third Man Records slogan: “Your record player is not dead”

“It's actually tar,” said Ben Swank. He and Ben Blackwell are the heads of Third Man Records. They came up with the slogan “Your record player is not dead” and offered a direct subscription service that included monthly delivery of all new vinyl releases. Since White's move from his native Detroit to Nashville in 2007, the label has released about 300 records, mostly singles. “Jack puts out more Americana, and Ben and I put out more rock 'n' roll and punk. We mainly replicate forty-fives. We try to be spontaneous: did you get the master? Let's release him! " - Swank comments.

The Black Keys of Dan Auerbach and Brendan Benson had already worked at the studio. Ben Swank believes Nashville, with its historical ties to country music, is becoming a new hotspot for musicians. “The local community is the mother of pop music too,” he says. - We are not running away from modern technologies. We just think using a ribbon microphone or analog tape is much more romantic. On the other hand, it’s harder to work this way - and this, on the contrary, is good, because it adds value to the final result.”

Using a ribbon microphone or analog tape is much more romantic

Nashville's success may also be due to the city's innate conservatism. Country music, for example, is still recorded in the classic eight-track format - recording studios working with musicians on this equipment today seem like relics from a nuclear war. “We're in a really cool place,” Swank adds. “People still crave individuality.”

But there is little concern that the analogue resurgence is only temporary. "Everything comes back, but one day it's gone forever," says VH1 director Bill Flanagan. - If it's just nostalgia or a high-end hipster thing, will it disappear in the next 10 years? This resurgence may be the last gasp of a dying culture before the cloud [audio streaming services] consumes everything.”

If vinyl is a high-end hipster thing, will it disappear in the next 10 years?

At the same time, the demand for vinyl continues unabated. Every year on the third Saturday of April, Record Store Day is held - gathering great amount people who want to release their release. They swear, try to jump the line and accuse each other of wanting to sabotage. Production is a tight end, and it's great that big artists are seeing strong sales of vinyl releases. The physical limitations of the record (two sides are approximately 20 minutes each) force a return to a format lost in the era of 70-minute CDs and the endless iTunes format. Chris Mara, who founded the analog studio Welcome in 1979, says that if an artist wants to create music in album format, he has to go back a step.

Mara’s side business - restoring 24-track analog tape recorders - has never been idle: “People come to me to make a recording in the most difficult way. They want to tell themselves and their fans - this is our music, our product. We hit every note on this track."

Vinyl will live on

The question arises: can vinyl stay in the market and keep pace with high technology? Jay Millar thinks implementation high technology in the technical process is possible - master disks, machines, varnishes, etc. “The revival has happened. We are moving to new round. Vinyl isn't going away. Demand may level off at some point and stop growing so quickly. But here it is not so much a matter of form as of content. Vinyl will live on,” he concludes.

P.S. If you would like to visit the United Record Pressing factory, you can do so if you find yourself in Nashville. The company conducts tours weekly on Fridays, details.

Vinyl records, some won’t even remember what they are, for others they are a relic of past years. However, it is worth considering that many music bands continue to release published albums not only on discs and on the Internet, but also on vinyl, explaining that such a recording has its own, unique charm.

You can find out the current prices for rare vinyl records and get acquainted with the real RARE VINYL LPs on the respected website Vinyl-LPs.rf - there are rare and collectible editions of vinyl records released in England, the USA, Germany and other countries, in particular the 1960s-70s-80s years.

The first records appeared in late XIX centuries and were made of shellac. As a result of the development of technology, materials for making records replaced each other. And only in the mid-20s they began to use polyvinyl chloride for their production. Such PVC records came to be called vinyl.

Key provisions affecting cost

Nowadays, the cost of vinyl records varies greatly due to many factors. The amount for which you can sell or buy plastic depends on the following factors:

• Production year. Records are divided by year of production, so there are modern and old vinyls.
• Manufacturer countries. Different countries have different quality, some have it better, some have it worse.
• Rarity. Rare records can reach enormous prices.
• General state. Even the rarest record in poor condition will not cost a penny.
• Playback speed. It is believed that the more revolutions a record makes per minute, the better the sound quality.

The last point is especially important; it is divided into several types; after inspection, 2 letters are placed on the packaging, which are used to track the condition of the records:

• N.M.- a completely new record. Can be packed in factory-made polyethylene.
• EX– excellent condition. But I used it several times.
• VG- despite good condition, the box crackles when played. The vinyl of such a record may be slightly damaged, but all valuable information should be preserved.
• G- plays, but with a bang. Sometimes the needle jumps over scratches. The envelope has been preserved, but is in poor condition.
• F- the record is no longer good for anything, you can only hang it on the wall for beauty.

Condition tracking is usually done for old records.

Cost of old vinyl records

The process by which a record was made greatly influences its final value in this day and age.

First of all, music was recorded on magnetic tape. Then it was transferred from the tape to a wax cast using a needle, which left grooves in the soft material. Then, after going through many procedures, a motherboard appeared, on which records were subsequently made. And this is where the division begins. The fact is that often only one board was made, containing the original sound tracks. However, there were many factories and the rest made their records using copies of the original recordings, which spoiled the sound.

When re-releasing vinyls, magnetic tapes were also used, and from older releases, which again reduced the sound quality.

From all this we can draw a small conclusion. Most best record will be considered the one that was recorded in the first batch from the original motherboard and marked with the letters NM. This is exactly what will cost an enormous amount of money. And the worst one won't cost a penny. For example, now you can find Vysotsky’s records for 800 rubles, however, rare specimens can reach cost 120 thousand.

But this is not the highest price; the most expensive record is the record The group Beatles. One of the first records they recorded, which then cost 17 shillings and 6 pence, was sold at auction for 200 thousand dollars. We don’t have such rarities and the record can be purchased starting from from 500 rubles (melody) to 6000 rubles/piece.

The difference between old and new vinyl

The history of vinyl is divided into 2 stages, between which there is a gap of 10 years. The fact is that starting from the mid-70s, the popularity of vinyl began to decline, as a result of which factories for its production began to close. By the beginning of the 90s, there were practically no vinyl producers left in the world. However, after one decade, vinyl returned to store shelves, delighting collectors and music lovers. The remake, despite its similar appearance, is still different from the old vinyl; there are both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of the new model:

• Old vinyl was famous for its durability compared to shellac, however, modern vinyl still surpasses its predecessor.
• Despite its comeback, vinyl no longer enjoys the glory it did in previous years, which is why the circulation of such records is small. This is a plus, since recording on them is made from one motherboard, which means the sound will be of high quality on all records in the series.
• The quality of vinyl has been improved thanks to the use of high quality raw materials. Previously, records were made from recycled plastic waste.

The new records have only one drawback - the unknown origin of the master tape.

Remake. Mainly sold in disc stores and household appliances, their prices may vary from 600 to 11,000 rubles per piece.

What to lose on

The main thing in vinyl, after all, is the sound. Soft and tube-like compared to digital, the whole point is that the recording on the record is analog. Modern methods Music storage can only store traces of analog recordings, which limits and removes the life from the sound.

To extract high-quality music from black PVC circles, you need a player. If you want to buy a quality player, then prepare the amount from 15 to 30 thousand rubles.

Components of a quality vinyl player:

• Weight more than 10 kg. Oddly enough, it is the large mass that plays a role, because massive structures have more reliable, powerful and durable engines.
• Tonearm Adjustments. Precise settings will help you tune in and experience the fullness of the sound of each record you play.
• Cast drive. The disc on which the record to be played must be solid and cast to avoid damage to the back of the record.
• World famous brand. More often, world name– a sign of quality, this is especially expressed with many years of experience.

Vinyl is a very interesting thing, no matter how you look at it. However, it is still much more pleasant not to watch, but to listen to amazing, live music that only a record can convey.

MOSCOW, June 27 - RIA Novosti, Anton Razmakhnin. A plant in Aprelevka near Moscow, which once produced millions of vinyl records annually, is turning into a quarter of lofts: attempts to revive the production of discs there have been unsuccessful. However, the vinyl renaissance in Russia did take place, and not without the participation of the Aprelevsky plant. Some of the machines that once produced products under the Melodiya label are back in service. Read about how new Russian vinyl is recorded in a RIA Novosti report.

Priests of magnetic tape

“Few of today’s sound engineers know how to work with this,” sparkles light up in the eyes of Vladimir Selivokhin, an engineer at the Vintage Records studio. He points to a huge, table-shaped, reel-to-reel tape recorder with dozens of levers, knobs and dials: “24-channel Studer - the standard for analogue studio recording!”

The sound is written here, on the top floor of a low building in the north-west of Moscow. It is one of the few studios still using film. There are only a few of these in Russia; now it is much cheaper and more convenient to record everything on a computer. But audiophiles are convinced that “digital” has no soul, and it is this ephemeral feeling of the “breathing” of music that vinyl fans cherish.

The sound engineer mixes a multi-channel recording into two tracks - the left and right channels. But then from the top floor you have to go down to the basement. The coil is inserted into the third "Studer". A unit similar to a large record player turns on, except that a microscope is attached to the table on which the record is spinning to monitor the tracks. The needle is specially heated, and next to it a mini vacuum cleaner for chips comes to life. A clean black plate is placed on the table - the so-called varnish. Motor, let's go.

Needle on varnish

“The process takes place almost in real time,” says leading sound engineer Stanislav Semenov. “It takes about an hour and a half to make one record. And then the blank is sent to the factory. The varnish is first applied to liquid metal, is lowered into a galvanic bath, and nickel builds up within about a day. This creates a matrix, which is then used to print serial records. During daylight hours, two matrices are removed - one spare, just in case."

The circulations are very different - from one to 2000 discs. True, not everyone who publishes vinyl uses magnetic tape for production: most are happy with a digital original.

“Our holding has long had the idea to revive vinyl production in Russia, since some time ago it became popular again in the West,” says Andrey Belonogov, head of the Ultra Production record label and production. “We understood that the trend would come to our country ".

The first machines were purchased in 2010-2011, and the first order with decent quality was printed only in 2012. It took about two years to set up and master the technology. The fact is that the specialists are young people and have not seen Soviet vinyl production. They had to study for a long time, despite their technical education.

“We had to learn everything from scratch - look for some articles on the Internet, descriptions of machines and equipment,” notes Belonogov. “There were a lot of technical and chemical questions.”

To truly achieve quality product European level, so that customers could say: “This is like in Europe and even better” - this took another couple of years,” recalls Andrey Belonogov. So, the path from concept to full-fledged high-quality production took about four years.

Those same machines

The specialists are young, but the machines are the same. They once worked in Aprelevka, then, in the 1990s, were sold abroad, and now have returned. This is common - almost all vinyl producers work on "vintage hardware".

But the raw material for records—vinyl granules—is not produced in Russia. Representatives of "Ultra Production" talked with technologists who produced gramophone vinyl back in Soviet times. They say it is possible to launch this production. But the USSR, where there were almost a dozen factories, is one thing, and one small factory is another thing. Therefore, granules are ordered from Germany.

How much does it cost to publish a vinyl record? With a circulation of 100 copies it will cost approximately 1000 rubles per piece including envelope. But if you publish a thousand discs, the cost of one will decrease by three times. The price depends on several things - the design of the sleeve, the "apple" (the central paper circle), the weight of the records (there are 140 and 180 grams - it is believed that heavier ones are better).

Bought in a store

On the walls of the studio there are envelopes with brand new records. Valeria, Yolka, the groups "Megapolis", "Chaif", even Oleg Mityaev. “We have our own distribution network, although we can simply ship the products to the customer and forget about them,” Andrei Belonogov shows records one by one, here from his own label, here are made to order. “There are distribution companies that cooperate with many online and offline stores have their own points of sale."

There are few such points of sale left - specialized music stores are practically a thing of the past. Nowadays it’s easier to find vinyl on the Internet or in so-called corners in fashionable bookstores. Records made at Ultra Production stand on the same shelves as new releases from Western bands.

“In general, the impressions are positive,” says record collector Alexey Fedorets about vinyl remakes. “But there are defects, such as the Depeche Mode reissues. I think that disdain for remakes is the result of prejudice.”

"The reissues that I came across were both excellent and disgusting in sound, but most of, 70 percent, deserves the description “tolerant,” says his fellow hobbyist Kirill Starikov. — As for the new ones, it depends on the luck of the one who did the mastering for vinyl. Sometimes it’s good, more often it’s not so good.”

“I don’t see the point in buying remakes,” vinyl lover Oleg Kamenev is not so optimistic. “A light “wave”, careless packaging that leaves marks is in the order of things. It does not depend on the mass production and the coolness of the record label in any way, except for Blue note products (a well-known jazz label - editor's note) no complaints. I encountered a certain rustle between songs on the colored ones, but I can't say that this is some special property of them. In probably half of the cases on vinyl in relation to the CD released in parallel the tops are littered. Why? I don’t know. The most annoying thing is when the album sounds perfect, but the record shows traces of how it was packaged.”

The drive continues

A large room in a dacha near Moscow. A stand made of rough wood, on which a vintage Norwegian amplifier with round handles softly glows with dials. Above is a vintage German record player. The record is spinning.

“Like almost everyone else, I haven’t listened to vinyl for many years,” says the owner of the dacha, 45-year-old Muscovite Alexey Akimov. “But somewhere in 2010 I got involved, put together a good vintage system for myself. I listen, he listens - and now seriously - an adult daughter, the youngest son is listening."

My son, two-year-old Gosha, plays here. Soviet children's songs - "We came to the port today" - are replaced by the British Ten Years After. Both Akimovs generally have a wide musical horizon - from Zykina to little-known English groups of the late 60s. It seems that the work of Russian recording enthusiasts, who have revived a forgotten format, will not be in vain.

Sep 19, 2013

Let's start right away with the “meat”. To understand how vinyl remakes are made, it’s a good idea to remember how vinyl records were made before...

A walk into the past

As now, in the “pre-digital” era of sound recording, magnetic tape (film) with the original release was used to stamp records. This is the basis. It was called (and is still called) the master tape. So, from the tape recorder, the sound signal was transferred to a professional specialized device, which had a needle that cut grooves on a soft, waxy disk (it is still called that way, despite the fact that higher-quality, improved analogues have long been used). It resembled a record player in many ways.

Next came complex electroplating procedures involving various chemical and physical manufacturing processes. And all this was necessary in order to create a hard metal cast from a soft disk. And the wax print, as a rule, died heroically, sacrificing itself for the future edition of its brilliant vinyl counterparts.

So, the metal matrix is ​​ready. It turned out to be completely inverse. From this matrix it is quite possible to start printing the circulation of a new album, but the technologists of the past acted differently...

From the resulting inverse matrix, another, most important iron cast was made, and no longer in the least bit inverse. This is how Her Majesty the Mother Matrix was born. Based on this basic iron plate, they produced a large number of exact copies of this matrix, and sent them to the plant’s workshops, to other plants and countries. Vinyl discs were made from these exact copies.

What tricks lead to...

The creation and distribution of a large number of copies of the mother matrix is ​​rather an ideal case and an exception to the rules within the production of a circulation, so it happened that in practice it turned out differently: huge containers with copies of mother matrices were quite difficult to distribute to all the necessary authorities. Because of this, manufacturers often sent a regular copy of the magnetic master tape to foreign factories so that specialists from other vinyl production plants could tinker with it themselves and create a matrix based on it on their own. And it seems that everything was cleverly invented, but the most offensive thing here is that all these “wisdoms” did not have the most effect on the sound quality in the best possible way. After all, a matrix created only from a copy of the master tape can never have the quality of the original.

Mother matrices were not stored forever. If, for example, after a couple of years, the question of reprinting a vinyl edition was raised, then new matrices were created, and the original master tape was not always used as the basis.

This is how the concept of the original first press arose, which is still endlessly valued by connoisseurs and collectors. Therefore, the very first edition produced initially is the most luxurious edition. Pervopress by its very definition sounds much better than most reissues of the record. You can always verify this personally by taking your favorite vinyl of the first pressing and its subsequent reissues. When the player is set up correctly, you will hear a clear difference.

It is curious that somewhere in the early 80s of the last century, a completely innovative DMM technology at that time began to be used (including in the USSR). It assumed the absence of a soft wax cast, and the metal matrix was cut directly into the metal. Eliminating a link without losing quality is always a plus. And the elimination of the wax disc was no exception.

5 good signs good quality production:

• In terms of playback speed, 45 rpm vinyl records are better than 33 rpm vinyl records;
• the wider the distance between the grooves (tracks), the better;
• about vinyl sizes - thick discs are of better quality;
• piccha discs and colored vinyl wear out faster;
• recognized the best manufacturers vinyl discs were and are still considered the USA, Britain, Japan and Eastern Europe.

The era of the remake: through thorns...

The vinyl remake has a number of specific differences from the old records. If you are reading this material, it means that you are interested in vinyl and know that the word remake means all new vinyl that began to be produced about 10 years ago.

era vinyl renaissance began after a rather long period of stagnation in record production. In the 80s of the last century, a widespread closure of vinyl factories began in Japan - one of the world's leading producers of vinyl records. Around the mid-90s, there were almost no such enterprises left either in the United States of America or in Europe. There was a tight silence. The lifeless figure began to conquer the market with zeal...

But literally 10 years ago the factories began to be restored. This came as a surprise to many. A wonderful surprise. And now there is a lot of branded, licensed new vinyl on the market - fresh, beautiful and high-quality remakes.

It's interesting that the vinyl remake has whole line differences from old school records. Let's start with benefits:

• In pre-digital times, a large number of vinyl discs were produced from recycled materials, as factories often had to fit within strict budgets allocated for the production of copies. For example, the Soviet State Order did not suggest otherwise. And now only the best and chemically pure production mass is used (by the way, we talked in detail about the specific composition, raw materials and additives for creating modern vinyl records in the article “Making vinyl records: what are they actually made from?”);
• new records are heavy and massive vinyl, which means they are of higher quality than their lighter counterparts;
• Most modern circulations are completely small, that is, a limited number of copies are cut from one mother matrix.

And now a few words about shortcomings new vinyl:

• the main disadvantage, in fact, is only one - the incomprehensible and often dubious origin of the master tape used for production, but other problems arise from it...

It is important to know what exactly is the sound source when cutting new vinyl. It could be an ancient, well-preserved master tape, digitized in accordance with the strict rules and regulations of the modern technological process, or a compact disc.

When creating an edition, they now do digitally restored mastering, which exactly duplicates the remastered CD editions that are relevant in our time, but, naturally, with greater resolution and bit depth. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, now the presence of an original master tape is not always the key to super-quality sound. Why? The fact is that tapes of bygone times, arriving on dusty archival shelves, in addition to being eaten with good appetite by cockroaches, they also dry out and wear out. It happens that the best and perfectly preserved copy is not the first, but, for example, the third or fifth, but superbly “preserved”.

As for professional computer restoration - remastering, then a lot depends on ... the directness of the hands of the restorer himself. There are very few good specialists, so their work is worth its weight in gold.

Source differs from source: older means better?

As we have already found out, using the original master tape is not always a good thing. If the material is already crumbling from old age, then you yourself understand what level of sound it can provide... Therefore, the main thing for a vinyl sound recording source is not the originality of the material, but its integrity and physical condition. For example, on the covers of some new jazz and blues reissues there is the following phrase: “restored from the best surviving sources.” An inscription of this kind may even mean that a cassette was used to create the edition, but with excellent recording quality.

“The phenomenon of honest politicians”: good or bad?

Imagine that you came for an interview at your dream company for a very cool vacancy or position. But you, like any even mega-class specialist, have shortcomings - some are not ready to work in a situation of increased stress, others do not know how to properly organize subordinates, or, for example, someone is afraid of activities associated with a high level of stress. financial liability etc. But it’s unlikely that you will be able to boldly declare all your professional shortcomings to your future boss’s face at the first meeting. Is it true? This is not beneficial to you and is detrimental to your potential career. Therefore, you would rather prefer to keep silent about the minuses, flaunting only your own in all its glory. strengths. Is this a lie? Controversial issue. This behavior is usually called the “phenomenon of honest politicians” (we are sure that you have already guessed why this expression is used)... Stop! Our readers probably don’t quite understand what this information has to do with vinyl production. In fact, it’s direct.

It is extremely important for many record lovers to know what type of mastering is involved in the process of releasing a particular remaster. Album publishers sometimes like to remain silent about the shortcomings, extolling only the merits of their products. This is fine. This is the “phenomenon of an honest politician.” These are the rules of the game and blah blah blah... In general, let's not talk about it. But what can a vinyl lover do in such a situation and independently determine for himself the quality of production of a brand new record?

An experienced audiophile can learn about the type and specifics of mastering only by comparing the year of publication and the manufacturer. A super-professional (there are few of them) will understand everything after hearing the release. Let's just say that collecting a remake is an adventure within the framework of total chaos. No one will tell you the honest truth, but it is still very difficult to understand the costs of quality on your own. And sometimes you don’t want to at all, so as not to be disappointed. In order not to suffer from guesswork, it is worth remembering one axiom: the best is only the first press, and everything else is not bad, good, sometimes very good, but not the best. And here, perhaps, the most honest question naturally arises: does the owner of an ordinary, not the most first-class and far from branded and not super-powerful audio equipment (and the majority of vinyl lovers are such) need a fabulously expensive record from the first press?

Good quality is sometimes more than enough to enjoy the sound. Therefore, we will not criticize remakes, and even more so modern publishers, because their product, their work gives us, music lovers, concentrated joy, a real buzz. And let the first presses be collected by those who can easily afford it and those who really need it.

Modern records have a bright future ahead of them. We know this.

Have a good mood, friends! And let music give you wonderful moments during these days of September bad weather.

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