GROOVE
We managed to get the machine up and running , and we did the first initial test runs soon after . From there , I just kept moving forward and making more records . The business grew entirely through word of mouth . I never had to advertise or pay to promote it . As demand increased , we ended up custom-building an additional second machine ourselves with the knowledge that we had gained from dismantling the first one . I learned everything I know from showing up every day and figuring it out one step at a time . There are only 100 or so other record-making operations on the planet . It ’ s an extremely delicate and complex process . It takes a lot of patience to get it just right .”
Justin explains that in order to begin the record-making process , you first need obtain the metal “ negatives ” for any musical project that you want to press .
“ Every record that we press here at Burlington Record Plant starts out as a ‘ master lacquer ’ in a studio down in Nashville . A master lacquer is an aluminum disc that is coated with a really soft paint lacquer . It has an approximate shelf life of 24 to 48 hours once it ’ s cut . The paint-coated aluminum disc is then placed on a cutting lathe , and carved with a very fine specialized sapphire cutting tip . The sapphire has a microscopic speaker within it that plays the music from the audio source that is being made . The vibrations from the speaker move the sapphire cutting tool back and forth , which cuts microscopic grooves into the paint lacquer . That ’ s how they make the original blueprint for the record . Once the master lacquer is finished , it moves onto the ‘ electroplating ’ stage .”
Before the electroplating process can begin , the master lacquer is scrubbed with soap in order to remove any debris . Justin says that this is essential in order to make sure that no microscopic particles get caught in the grooves of the master lacquer . “ In the electroplating process , the master lacquer disc is coated with pure silver , which fills the grooves that were etched by the sapphire cutting tool . They then ‘ electroplate ’ the master lacquer disc with nickel underwater to harden the material through a chemical and electrical reaction . After that , they peel the newly-formed metal coating off of the master lacquer . This metal coating is what is known as a ‘ stamper .’ Once we receive the negatives for a project , we can begin pressing it in our workshop . Whenever we press a run of records , we place the ‘ A ’ and ‘ B ’ side stampers on the bottom and top sides of the pressing machine . That ’ s how the records get the grooves through which they play the music – through the raised lines on the metal negatives that form microscopic indentations in the vinyl .”
VTMAG . COM WINTER 2021 11