These flat discs are made from an aluminum core, which is first
sanded down to a smooth finish. The discs are then placed on a
conveyor belt ready to be coated in a nitrocellulose (nitro)
lacquer. Rollers catch the excess run-off lacquer, which is re-used.
Once dry, the nitro finish becomes a thick coating similar to nail
polish. (The guitar players among us lucky to enough to own a nitro
finished guitar will be very familiar with the look and feel of
nitro lacquer). Before the discs can progress to the next stage,
they must first undergo inspection for flaws. Any flaw big or small
in the finish is catastrophic for the final result; therefore, the
failure rate on inspection is extremely high. On passing quality
control, a hole is punched into the center to complete the new
master disc. The factory will now carefully pack the new discs in
batches using separation strips between each one to protect the
delicate lacquer surface.
Step 2 – Cutting the Master Disc
At the studio, our new shiny master discs are cut using a recording
machine called a lathe. First, the master disc is placed onto the
lathe and the protective strips are carefully removed. To secure the
disc, the engineer places a vacuum line at the center. Next, a
microscope and cutter are moved to the disc’s outer edge ready to
perform a test cut. The microscope is used to assess the test groove
for any issues. Once happy, the engineer will begin recording,
allowing the lathe to cut a continuous groove representing our
source material using a sapphire tipped cutter. The recording is
monitored via a computer, which can adjust the spacing between
grooves if required. A vacuum removes the scrap lacquer created by
cutting. After the recording finishes, the mastering engineer will
assess the cut for any issues before scratching a serial number (and
often their signature) into the inner edge of the disc.
Step 3 – Creating the Stamper
To create vinyl records from the master record, we must first create
the stamper. The process begins by washing the master disc before
spraying it with tin chloride and liquid silver. Any silver that
does not stick is washed away. A duller metal is added to the silver
side, which stiffens the disc ready for the electroplating process.
Electroplating simply involves immersing the silver-plated disc into
a liquid tank of dissolved nickel. When immersed, the nickel is
fused to the silver surface by an electrical charge. With the nickel
set into the grooves, the disc is removed from the electroplating
tank and the metal layer is removed from the original lacquer disc.
And there you have it; the removed metal layer is our stamper that
will be used to press shiny new vinyl records. To finish the
stamper, the manufacturer uses an optical centering punch to make a
hole in the exact center before progressing to trimming off any
excess metal.
Step 4: Preparing The Labels
The labels must be created first, as they will fuse to the record as
part of the pressing process. Labels are produced in square stacks,
which are first punched in the center and trimmed into circles.
Step 5: Pressing The Records
To press vinyl records, the manufacturer first pours Polyvinyl
Chloride pellets into a hopper, which feeds the material into an
extruder that condenses them into a small puck shape referred to as
a biscuit. The machines hold these vinyl biscuits in place as the
labels are placed above and below. The biscuit and labels are then
moved to the press where 100 tons of pressure is applied at very
high temperatures to melt and mold the biscuit into a new vinyl
record. Once cool, the excess vinyl is ready for a final trim. Ta
da! We now have a beautiful new vinyl record ready for hours of
listening enjoyment. In an age where digital devices absorb
increasing amounts of our time, it’s refreshing to know this age-old
process is still making an impression on today’s music fans. In many
ways, I find the idea of a micro-stylus tracking tiny grooves to
replay music more impressive than any digital playback mechanism.
Some would argue that each vinyl playback is a performance in its
own right. A digital file is perfectly repeatable each time it
plays, whereas vinyl can change — often dramatically — depending on
the maintenance and quality of your record and playback equipment.
Add in the almost hypnotic process of watching your record spin as
the stylus makes its journey from start to finish, and I’d say the
performance argument is compelling when analyzing why consumers
still buy vinyl in the digital age.
