Shit happens
Murphy’s Law knows that If Anything Can Go Wrong, It Will. (And already Shakespeare knew that something’s rotten in Denmark.)
Yes, that’s what can happen if a speck of dust is attracted by the shiny black lacquer…
Twelve is not enough
Murphy visited our pressing plant Nordsø Records near Copenhaven, Denmark. To make a long story short: the twelve stampers we hade made to press the 1000 copies of A Soulful Journey were not enough. Not nearly enough. Stampers A1 and A2 (the A stands for the LP side, and 1 for the first stamper) started to develop ticks and tocks after around 70 LPs. Way too early. Stamper A2 surprised us with a loud Bump. On stamper A3, a hairline crack was noticed after 40 LPs. Stamper C1 and D1 followed the bad example of the other first stampers. C2 and C3 gave up after 250 and 134 LPs respectively. D2 is still alive and kicking after 250 LPs.
Let us explain
Nordsø’s experience with One-Step-Pressing was that a stamper was good for around 750…800 LPs. But pressing quality starts to go downhill after 650 or so. To be on the safe side we limited the maximum per stamper to 500 LPs. (Bruahaha.) That makes two stampers per LP side and a production run of 1000 LPs. And because Murphy always shows up when you least expect him, we ordered a safety stamper for each LP side.
Too little. Much too little
For the moment, we are down to two B- and one C-stamper. But our LP has four sides… And because we promised you (and ourselves) the best possible quality, we decided to start from scratch. Adi Flück from Centraldubs in Bern will cut us another 12 lacquers (yep, three per side again). As mastering and cutting lacquers from tape is completely analogue and not an automated process. Technically, each lacquer differs very very slightly from others for the same side. Why? Because all EQ, vinyl specific filters, volume adjustments etc. are done by hand in real time. Adi will therefore spend pretty much a whole day cutting these 12 lacquers.
They will then sent to the Netherlands with early-next-day delivery (and our prayers that they arrive undamaged). Because the forecast for the coming week promises high temperatures (and because the lacquer softens with higher temperatures and is damaged easily), the lacquers are put in the nickel bath as soon as they arrive. Let’s hope Murphy is occupied some place else when the stampers are pulled from the lacquers. And let’s also hope there is nothing rotten in Denmark when Nordsø starts another attempt to press the 1000 copies of Soulful Journey.
What this means for you
First, you need to patient a little longer. Yes, we know. And second, the glyphs in the dead wax zone will not read A1 for first LP off the press, but A4. (and B4, C4, and D4 – you get the drift.) And if number 1000/1000 reads A5, B5, C5, D5, then everything went as planned. If LP 1000/1000 reads A6, B6, C6, D6 – then it is clear that we (and you) were really lucky.
And no shit has happened.