How does it work?

A viny cuttingl lathe cuts a groove into a blank record whilst simultaneously transferring the audio signal onto the groove. The super-sharp diamond stylus of the cutter head vibrates as it cuts the groove producing a series of complex ridges. These ridges are then read by the playback stylus, in a similar way as a stick running along a railing.

What should I bear in mind?

The strength of the signal is directly related to the oscillation in the groove.

The stronger the signal, the greater the oscillation. To avoid skipping, the grooves must never touch, so tracks with a lot of bass, volume and stereo signals, which produce the most movement in the groove, have to be shorter due to increased distance between the grooves.

Avoid bass in stereo. We can remove it in the mastering process but it will sound different to the original master.

We can make very loud records up to +12db. However, there is a physical limit to how much bass and stereo signal can be put in. Try to avoid using psycho acoustic processors to an excessive degree.

If cutting more than one track on a side, try to place the most demanding tracks at the beginning of the side of the vinyl record not at the end. As the conditions for recording and subsequent reading on vinyl records get worse with the decreasing diameter towards the middle of the record.

Frequencies bellow 300 Hz have to be in phase. Check the master by using a correlation measurer (it must not be in the red field or in negative values) and a frequency spectrum analyzer (signal must not contain unreasonably large elements at the bottom and mainly the top end of the zone) If you do not have access to this equipment, please send your tracks in to us and we would be happy to check them for you.

In 'n' Out Of Phase?

When a recording is "in phase", the cutter stylus moves nicely from left to right. When it's "out of phase", the stylus moves up and down, causing it

to jump out of the groove given half a chance. In the "good old days" of expensive studios, most good consoles had a 'phase correlation meter' on

the output. Since phase is irrelevant to CD, this expensive extra is usually unavailable to today's engineers, leading to major headaches when trying to cut vinyl from digitally recorded or mixed masters.

Especially critical is the bottom end - when this is out of phase, the recording can be near impossible to cut. Extremely "subby" dance mixes usually present the biggest problem but are OK if the bass & kick are in phase. It's not such

a problem for lo-fi garage recordings, unless the feedback gets REALLY trebly and piercing, which will be removed during cutting anyway. Well-recorded acoustic stuff is no problem at all. Most problems come from live recordings made from the desk, or from stereo samples where a plug-in DSP has removed a solo instrument or leaving the rhythm track. Using Stereo widening plug-ins is often disastrous, and may cause the inner tracks to sound dull. Mono samples panned near to the centre don't have the same problem.

What happens if my bass is in stereo?

If the bass is in stereo, it will make the needle cut very deeply into the record when the bass signal occurs, which in turn will make the playback needle jump out of the groove. If the bass is in stereo we have two options: We

don't cut the track or we make the track mono below 300 Hz. On these occasions, we would contact you to discuss the problem.

What mastering do you do?

In preparation for cutting your tracks we will treat your tracks with necessary equalization, compression & filtering changes to ensure your track is as loud and clear as possible. If there are elements, which are too loud or to quiet,

we will adjust them accordingly. We will then do a short test cut to make any changes before cutting the master plate. If at this stage we are not happy with the results we will contact you to discuss the options.

What can I do to make the track sound as good as possible?

Try not to use too much overall compression. Compression reduces the dynamic range of the track, which is needed to give punch and clarity. When looking at the VU meter on your computer, make sure there is as much movement in the meter as possible.

Leave us 2db headroom on the master so we have room to add frequencies and compression in the mastering stage.

What about bass? Do you cut dub, dubstep & drum & bass?

Yes, we cut very loud, super-heavy bass tracks. Normally, these will be cut at 45rpm on either 10” or 12” plates.

What is the difference between The Carvery's records and acetate dubplates?

Acetate dubplates are made from fragile material that has a limited life span. Acetates are too soft and heavy to scratch with and manipulate.

Can I scratch with these records?

Yes, these records can be treated in exactly the same way as normal records.

What are your records made of?

Our records are made from a PVC compound with very similar properties to pressed vinyl.

How long will they last?

Like all records depends on how well you treat them. We have records that we cut three years ago that are still going strong. You are far more likely to be sick of the record than the record dying on you.

What do you use to cut the records?

We use a specially engineered custom made lathe with a diamond stylus.