Post #511800 by Tiki Bill on Thu, Feb 18, 2010 11:35 AM

OK. I know this doesn't have anything to do with tiki music directly, but bear with me. I'm looking for feedback on an idea. I'm thinking of buying a record lathe. This is a new system that can cut vinyl, not just lacquer dub plates (that can only be played about 50 times or so before they wear out). These discs will have the same lifespan as a regular vinyl LP. They are not cheep to make! They have to be cut in real time, and unlike making a CD, to cut vinyl properly, you must almost wear the lab coat and a pocket protector (huge learning curve for anyone doing it for the first time. I however have many years of vinyl mastering experience.) The estimated cost would be as follows.

7" 45 both sides $35.00
12" single side cut $45.00
12" maxi single both sides cut $60.00
12" LP 25 min. of music each side $75.00

My question is, before I invest huge sums of money into this, is there a demand for one off vinyl? Would "vinyl heads" actually be willing to pay for a service of this nature. Keeping in mind, you can't usually get vinyl pressed in quantities of less than 500 (and you still have to have a lacquer master cut anyway). The cost is determined by studio time plus the cost of the vinyl blanks.
So, any feedback?

Tiki Bill.

[ Edited by: Tiki Bill 2010-02-18 11:36 ]

[ Edited by: tiki bill 2010-02-18 12:01 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Bill 2010-02-18 12:10 ]