So, I was in Nashville for the WBC split color release and stopped by URP for a tour while I was in town because last time I was in town mother nature decided to do some spring cleaning and flood the entire city.
I went into the tour with some specific questions geared toward TMR releases. I walked away with a lot more knowledge regarding some of our favorite records, but did forget to ask a few things while I was there unfortunately. Since I was alone, I received a personal tour....just me and the tour guide.First, watch this video as I will be referencing things that you can see in it (it's got Ben Blackwell in it and explains the tri-color creation process).
Tri-Colors
See video. All tri-colors are created by hand using the process described in the video.
Bi-Colors
URP is the only vinyl pressing plant to have fully automated the split color pressing process. Instead of having to cut a puck in half and load the colors side by side they are able to load the hopper with the two colors and the pressing machine does all the work. I asked why Horehound was the only TMR two color pressed on 180g vinyl while all others have been standard weight, the tour guide didn't know.
Glow in the Dark
All glow in the dark records are "noisy" due to the inclusion of the material in the vinyl needed to make the record glow. He didn't expand on what "noisy" meant to them at the plant, it's just what he said. He did comment that glow in the dark records are more for novelty than audio quality.
flattop2001 - "noisy is just that, the static that creates the glow effects the pick up on your player causing crackle"
8" Records
8" records were original designed as 10" records, but with a 1" blank on the outer part of the record. A 10" laquer was cut where the grooves were on the inside 8" of the blank. Much like the dead wax on the inner part of any record, just in reverse. During pressing, the plate made a 10" record that then was trimmed to 8" inches, much like a regular record but to an 8" size. The only specialty was moving the cutting tool on the pressing machine to make the correct cut of the dead wax.
13" Records
13" records had never been done before so special masters were needed for the plating process. Because a 13" record had never been created before, all of the materials used were based on a 12" record. Instead of trimming the pressing plate down to the 12" size, it was left just over 13" and trimmed down to 13". Because there isn't a way to cut a laquer at 13", it was cut at a standard 12" size and dead wax was left on the outer part of the record to reach the 13" size.
Cosmos
The Cosmos record is created by putting glow in the dark vinyl pellets on the exterior of a black puck. Instead of putting the pellets into the hopper with the black pellets to melt and fuse together before pressing, they manually add them after the puck is formed and still warm. This allows the glow in the dark pellets to retain most of the size during the pressing process. That's how the glow in the dark portions look like stars instead of streaks. (see Karen Elson Peach)
Karen Elson Peach
Colors that are created that don't come from the manufacture are created by trial and error, much like a cookie receipe. They mix so many parts this color, so many parts that color, etc. to get the final product. All the colors that are used are put into the hopper together and mixed up. The more colors that are together when they melt before pressing, the more you see them in certain areas. The less the pelets are mixed, the higher the chance you get spots that look like their original color vs. the new color they are trying to create. This also is the reason you get large streaks that can go from the center of the record all the way out because all of the different color pellets are melted and fused before pressing instead of being added to the puck after it's been melted and formed for pressing (see Cosmos)
Raconteurs Copper
This is a custom color that is the result of mixing different colors. I didn't specifically ask about the colors involved, but was told that the better mixed the pellets are, the better the color consistency is. Any specific color showing through, like black, is a fluke and the pellets just weren't mixed well prior to being melted before the puck was created.
Rejects and Regrinding
Black vinyl records that don't pass quality control have their labels punched out and are ground down for reuse. All three sizes - 7"/10"/12" get this treatment. They use a machine made for each size to pop out the centers in a quick cut using a hydrolic press. A sample of this can be seen below with a Dead Weather Tri-color reject. I didn't ask if they regrind colored or special color records for reuse but based on what they had popped out the centers of, I don't think they do. All of the records in the regrind barrels were black vinyl.
Handling after pressing, quality control
After records come off the presses, they are stacked in 10s and then seperated by a large metal plate (as seen in the "In the Pipeline" picture for the WS reissues over at the vault). This metal plate is used for counting and to provide the vinyl something hard to be pressed against. Although not hot, the records have not fully set yet. All records are visually inspected and then put into sleeves, then their jackets. Quality control randomly pulls records off of the shelf to do listening checks for possible unseen defects. All 10" and 12" records receive a listening quality control check of their test pressings by URP staff prior to shipment to the customer for review. All 7" test pressings are done by hand and do not receive a listening prior to being sent to the customer for review.
Processing time
It takes from 6-8 weeks on averge from receipt of music to final product of the average record order. Pressing is mainly done on the first shift which is early in the morning. If you tour, it's best to be there when they first start giving tours to see the most vinyl being pressed at one time.
Questions I forgot to ask -
Do they press picture discs? -No
What are they working on with TMR right now? (they weren't pressing any TMR stuff, I looked very carefully at all the presses; I saw Pretty Hate Machine remaster, Kanye's new one, Lady Gaga - The Fame, and some other one I can't remember on a root beer brown being pressed)
If I remember anything else, I'll add it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I may know the answer, I may not.
