Interview with Tyler from Audio Geography + Tragwag

Tyler from That Really Awesome Guy with A Guitar put out a split single with Gnarly Whales a few years ago and since then has started his own lathe cut business, Audio Geography.
From my experience it seems that lathe cutting operations spring up for a few months and then disappear, overwhelmed with orders or technical problems. Aside from Peter King in New Zealand and only more recently Mike from PIAPTK, there was really no one consistently cutting records for any length of time. It's understandable, the equipment is fussy and the trial and error it takes to successfully cut records individually one at a time with any clarity is daunting. Tyler has taken on the challenge and with the help of a master cutting mentor (and the lathe trolls forum), purchased a few machines and setup shop in CT. Having someone with years of experience to guide him, not only do the records sound incredible for the usual lathe cut, but Tyler is sticking around making this his full time pursuit.
But cutting records isn't the only thing Audio Geography does, Tyler just finished school at UMass for audio recording and runs a studio and mastering operation in addition to playing around live as TRAGWAG. In fact he's off on a tour early this month all over the northeast, check his schedule here.

We talked on the phone a few weeks ago about the technical considerations of lathe cutting, how, for the second side of his own lathe single he could record a personalized cover as the B-Side. He been cutting lathe vocal tracks to bounce back into his recordings and how we should build a record player with a huge spindle that can play 4 lathe cut singles stacked on top of each other like a 4-track cassette.

I play excerpts from a couple tracks on his bandcamp page which you can check out here. Expect a full length coming soon from Tyler, check out his site for more details.

Download the episode here

Ariel Pink + R. Stevie Moore on PIAPTK Records

Just got word from Mike over at People in a Position to Know Records that I can finally talk about this amazing handmade single that he just put out. If you have to have everything from R. Stevie or Ariel Pink (because of the amazing B-sides, let’s face it) then you’re going to want to just immediately stop reading and head over there to pick this up. Limited, handmade lathe cut, acrylic MIRROR and freaking amazing. I know in theory, you should be able to cut playable grooves into any kind of plastic, but to see it in practice like this on a mirror backed clear surface is really unique. There won't ever be a another single like this...and that's before you even drop the needle.

Even more amazing than the track itself is the fact that PIAPTK has managed to put both of these artists together. Whether this is a tape or email exchange between Stevie and Ariel, or they actually were sitting next to each other in an isolation booth, it’s a pretty amazing document of a collaboration between generations of underground innovators.
Fashion has finally caught up with appreciating both Ariel and Stevie and I’m just happy they got together for a moment....like William Burroughs and Kurt Cobain, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, that’s almost enough on it's own. I almost don’t even need to hear it, and it can't be judged the same way as their solo releases...it's enough that they each did their unique thing together. They had a few words, played a few chords and history was made for an afternoon.

This crazy medium of this record itself is almost like being able to listen to the original cassette tapes, wound on a misshapen reel, and somehow you're even closer to the source material. The curtains are pulled back on the whole mysterious process just a little more than usual. Stevie begins the single sided track, “SteviePink Javascript” with a few low words after you get used to the amazing amount of hiss coming off this acrylic mirror, which for these two is an essential element. It’s another instrument, a layer to free them up for this improv back and forth jam. A distinctively warbled rhythm for Ariel comes up out of this pre-intro, as if all the tracks on his latest cassette scratch tape just run right into each other, there’s no beginning or end, just an abrupt change in tempo and the sound of the tape head turning on record.
Stevie’s whispering gives way to a synthy bassline, an odd rhythm with some vocal beatboxing and those synthy keys, from the Scared Famous era. Stevie’s almost autotuned or just buried under a variable reverb. This isn't your typical duet, they're stepping all over each other, Ariel busting into a high falsetto chorus over Stevie telling Ariel he’s thinking about running for Senate and if he’ll be his running mate. It’s informal, a chance to collaborate and appreciate each other for a minute... they’re fans and here get to literally play off each other lyrics, responding to the last line, a warped call and response.
Ariel starts:

you tell your friends about me and I'll tell mine about you
nice to meetcha
now... what do you call this music Stevie?
Ariel dreams
SteviePink / You do great shit
You’re better than I am
put a snare here right?
no, you're out of your mind

Ariel and Stevie half rap at points and Ariel breaks into his soul layered falsetto vocals, sometimes creating the guitar sound vocally and other times...well I'm not sure. This has to be well over 5 minutes, winding between their styles in a plodding broken AM see-saw rhythm. Stevie references the Prince line about partying like it’s 1999 and Ariel replies

Too much R&B it's all your fault
have your layer call my lawyer

Beyond the incredible track that was cut into this thing, every single piece of this single is recycled or repurposed. The 'vinyl' itself from mirrored acrylic plastic, each one handcut on Mike's 1940's lathe, each cover handscreened on this a crazy grip tape type of hologram material, even the insert describing the whole process is paper from a garage sale.

This is where I get to the bad news part, this is such an incredible document, I am legitimately sad that only 87 other people are going to be able to hear this. I know that's the point of something this homemade both musically and so intimately handmade, but it's so important, it's got to be shared int he future.

If you're reading this late and PIAPTK is out, go pick up R. Stevie's Phonography, as completely mindblowing and an early blueprint of Ariel. I respect both of these guys so much, Ariel for introducing me to Stevie and Stevie for making this kind of handmade folk pop before I was even born. So inspiring... and with a back catalog like this thankfully it's going to be a million years to make my way through everything.

We can also hope this is the beginning of an entire album collaboration, it sounds too damn fun and completely a part of both of their processes. It's a perfect match. There's no doubt this is going to be gone. I'm happy Mike gave me the chance to hear it and let you guys know about it first, now go pick up this incredible artifact...and hey in the future apocalypse you could even use it to shave or something...it's a win win!

(Even joking about that, I get a little upset.)

Lost Sound Tapes lathe-cut 7" subscription series

Got an email over the weekend from Jon at Lost Sound Tapes about a lathe cut 6 month subscription series he's taking preorders on. I've talked about Charlie McAlister and Sandy City in the past. Charlie is probably going to have another single of his home recorded dixieland jug band weirdo folk and Sandy City should be headed in from the waves to harmonize on more laid back jangly west coast sounds.

I wonder if this is with singlepieceslate a new local lathe cutting operation...and being that there's only 50, that's about the size run they're into, which means by the way, if you want to hear any of this....go paypal.

Until the cassette compilation comes out.

Lost Sound Tapes 7" series, pre-orders this Monday, Nov 1st!

The Lost Sound Tapes lathe-cut 7" subscription series is limited to 50 sets which includes band copies, so there are really only 45 available for purchase.
You'll receive one 7" at your doorstep each month for the first six months of 2011.
Nearly all songs are exclusive to the subscription series.

The first 7" will ship at the end of December/early January.

DO NOT PASS THIS UP, subscriptions are guaranteed to sell fast.
I will post a link to the subscription page on our blog at 12pm (noon) PST on Nov 1st.

SUBSCRIPTION PRICE
* $50 for Seattle residents - includes local pickup options
* $60 for North America - includes postage for all six 7"s within the U.S., Canada or Mexico
* $86 for International - shipping is expensive! sorry!

The bands participating are:

Charlie Mcalister - Legendary weirdo home-taper from Charleston, SC

Sandy City - Lo-Fi surf punk wannabes from Washington state

Tyson Ballew - Catchy folk punk stuff, solid dude from Missoula, MT

Hair - Acoustic pop alter ego of the 8-bit Andrew WK synth rockers Math The Band

weakness - Raw garage punk from Cincinnati, OH, blown speakers and distortion

Stephen Steinbrink - Also known as French Quarter, important folk songs from AZ

--

www.lostsoundtapes.com

The H.A.N.S. on Stumparumper records

This The H.A.N.S. single was first mentioned in Stumparumper's blog, and I actually talked to Pat for an episode of the podcast about this release. H.A.N.S. was a band Pat had in high school, he played guitar and sings on the single.
This was hand cut by Peter King, so automatically it has this intimate quality, the crackles and pops, it adds another element to the sound which just sounds historic.

Side A: (No title?) (The songs on the first side are Adjust your Monitor/What You Need - ed)
This is a live recording (I can't tell if it's maybe just the effects?) It really sounds huge, it must have been recorded in an empty gym, the kick is massively booming around the space, at least this is what I imagine my high school gym would have sounded like. This one starts out pretty sensitive, all feelings and slow electric guitar, but then really ends up rocking out for a while. I'm wondering when exactly this was recorded what kind of influences these guys were listening to...I don't know if I'm hearing Teenage Fanclub? Maybe it's just me.

Side B:
'How is it?' Sounds like here Pat starts a melody, or is trying to remember it, can't hear exactly what they are saying but when he commits to the line, it takes off. The H.A.N.S had a pretty amazing drummer especially considering this was high school, he's all over the kit, playing every possible piece, like a giant fill rhythm.
I keep expecting to hear an audience come in at the end.

The Superhero song: Nice post indie guitar jangle here...kind of pop, with little hooks all over. Very catchy, I can't quite catch all the vocals here but it's the radio friendly hit out of the three....Sellouts.

I'm impressed, I would have never had my shit together to record anything of this quality. Or even rehearse enough to play anything live, or deal with anything long enough. It seamed easier to record for the day in the kitchen or literally a garage just off the street with whoever showed up, make up a new name, press record.

The sound is pretty nicely represented here, other than the treble in sections sounds blown out probably something to do with the cutting process. I'm always amazed to hold one of these in my hands and think the masters had to be shipped to New Zealand...hand cut on individual lathe cutters one or two at a time and then shipped back to the US and then to my mailbox...crazy.

I have a clear vinyl copy # 16/20, I think there might still be one available from AnimalPsi, if they update regularly....and it's a very reasonable $7 for a completely unique object. Did I mention the sleeve is made out of old homework? It can't be high school homework, it looks insanely hard.

"This is the only recording that the legendary H.A.N.S. ever made as a duo, which is slightly staggering considering the number of live shows they've played. Now both up-and-coming composers, the members of the H.A.N.S. have agreed to release part of a fantastic 2005 session on 7" as the first record for Stumparumper. One is impressed by the depth of their songwriting and musicianship, but also by their exuberance, which reminds us of how much joy can be had from making music. This 7" will be released as a limited edition of 20 on clear vinyl. Each record is hand-cut on a lathe by Peter King in New Zealand, and every record will come in a hand-numbered, homemade jacket constructed from the H.A.N.S.' old math homework."

Pat's also just released a couple of cassette's as well, get over to his myspace and check out some of the other stuff there as well. This is a one man operation that goes to fund more releases. If in the future there's room for every music fan/maker to do this....welll that sounds pretty perfect to me. We'll all buy each others records and don't have to have real jobs.

Call me a hippie.

A 7" hippie.

I'm just jealous because I need to just shut up and press something of my own already.

young knives - live lathe cut

1. Turn Tail (Lathe Cut Session)
2. Mummy Light the Fire

I'm not a super huge fan of the Young Knives, the remind me of a really polished kind of middle of the road futureheads, fronted by Ira Glass or something. It's good enough, catchy, they probably weren't meant to be as successful as they are. They weren't put together, or a sure thing by any strechBut they are doing something really important as far as seven inches are concerned.
First they are recording this seriously reasonably priced single direct to lathe cut. I haven't seen this footage of the recording process but from what I'm imagining is that they had to have the lathe cutter in an adjacent studio and then you just drop the cutter onto a blank disk and go for it. There's no mastering, no editing out, fading. Then they must have to make negatives from that and press the huge edition of singles from that. It's pretty interesting. Like AA, Wolf eyes stuff, but on a massive scale. I have no idea if this will lead to any sound difference or whatever, but the idea that they were in the rookm next door playing this live and you get as close as possible.
The next thing I'm a huge fan of is this is available directly from them. We need more artists selling stuff like this directly on their site. And a site that doesn't point back to their myspace! It kills me when you can't get releases directly from the band. Just set up a paypal button, whatever. It just makes me feel better.
Kind of amazing.

YOUNG KNIVES 'TURN TAIL'... The greatest Trans 7” ever?
Ok, so we thought we could do something really special, to get
back to the essence of whatmakes a Transgressive 7” important...
something that personally and directlylinks you to the artist in a
really special manner, and making a unique and individual record...
With this in mind, Young Knives have recorded a very special 7” direct to the Lathe
 - using NO recording studio at all - simply; through two stereo mikes, and down onto
the vinyl - and they sound incredible....
We’ll have links to video footage of this unique piece,
(which hasn’t been done commerciallysince the 70’s)
up soon, but in the meantime, you earlybirds can
pre-order here.

From transgressive records

People in a Position to Know - Interview

People in a Position to Know has for sale right now a Casiotone for the Painfully Alone's square 8" color disc and it's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Owen and his brother Gordon's collaboration on the Bruce Springsteen covers are incredible. The psyched out electronics and phased robot vocals change 'Born in the USA' in such a good way....and the Streets of Philadelphia seems even sadder if possible, the minimal electronics and the vocals are perfectly Casiotone. I know it's easily going to be one of the best 7" records of 2008.

Mike from PIAPTK and I exchanged some emails recently over the various 7" series I read about on the site, and I asked if he wouldn't mind also answering a few questions about his label, pressing all size tiny records and this amazing square 8".


Were these cover songs done with this series in mind? Is it something you suggested to Casiotone or were they originally intended for something else?

No, I invited Casiotone for the Painfully Alone to be a part of the second subscription club (now defunct, although the Trust series (a MUCH smaller version) is still alive and well), and the Springsteen tribute collaboration with Concern (his younger brother Gordon) is what he recommended. I believe they had it in the works before I approached them, but felt like the shaped vinyl would be a good place for it.

I'm curious about what the legalities are in releasing a record like this. Is it endorsed in some way by The Boss? Are you doing such a limited run that it isn't really copyright infringement, or are you kicking some of the proceeds in some way back to Mr. Springsteen? Is this an 8" lathe cut?

Well, this isn’t a lathe cut record. This is a fully pressed record that I had made at Erika Records in Los Angeles. There were 1100 copies made.
I do all of my SUPER limited run records (100 or less) with Peter King in New Zealand. However, I also do a lot of full-press records (still limited to 500 or 1000, with other pressing plants domestically).
A lathe cut is essentially a dub plate, which is the first step in pressing a record. They start with a smooth piece of vinyl and physically cut the grooves using a “record lathe”. With a large run record, they make molds of the lathe cut, turn those into plates, which are essentially molds, and then make the records in them. With the lathe cuts, they stop at the first step. Each record is a piece of smooth plastic that is cut, one at a time.
This record is not officially endorsed by Bruce, though I hope he would like it (probably Streets of Philadelphia more than the vocodered out (but equally great) Born in the USA).
When you release covers you have to get what they call a “mechanical license”. Essentially, you are paying the publisher for the right to record and release that song. There is a company called The Harry Fox Agency that handles about 80% of all songs that are out there. The charge is 9.1 cents per song, per copy made, plus fees. So, for this record, I had to pay about $250 for the total run to use those songs. Anyone has the right to record and release any song they want, as long as they pay the appropriate licensing fees.

How has your experience been with Peter King (lathe cutter extraordinaire) in New Zealand?

Peter King is AMAZING. I can’t stress that enough. He is an incredibly nice guy, and really funny. Working with him is always a pleasure. He does round, square, hexagonal, heart-shaped, triangular and I think now saw-blade shaped records on a clear polycarbonate material. That being said, the nature of the lathe-cut beast has it’s downside. Because each one is cut by hand and they have to be shipped from New Zealand to the U.S. (and records are heavy), they can be pretty expensive to make. Peter makes them as affordable as I think they could possibly be, though. And when you think about it, it is the ONLY way to get fewer than 300 records for a decent price. If you go through a traditional pressing plant, you have at least $500 just in setup costs BEFORE you press your first record.
Another down-side is that the lathe cuts sound mono (although even hard-panned sounds like guitars are appropriately represented in the mix), and the sound quality is sometimes not quite as clean as a traditional record. He is using record lathes that he bought from the BBC in the 70’s, I believe, and they were 15 or 20 years old when he bought them. So, this is vintage equipment, and you get a bit of a vintage sound. But, when you have something that is so limited, special, and in hand-made packaging, there are people out there that can appreciate it, and will understand the necessity of a high price.

Is he the last guy left doing these kind of handmade special orders?

As far I know, he is the only one who is producing lathe cuts that anyone can order. There is a website called The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls, that has a message board for people with record lathes. They have quite a few members, but not much activity. There is also a record label called AA records, run by Nate Young of Wolf Eyes, that does some really cool lathe cut stuff.
They cut records on mirrors, laserdiscs, and God knows what else. It’s mostly experimental noise stuff, which isn’t really my thing, but I’ve bought some of their records just because they are so amazing looking.

I hope he (Peter King) is passing his knowledge onto someone, I lay awake at night worried that something might happen to him or that press and this could be the last shaped affordable record I ever see.

Well, as far as shaped records go, you can also get them made through Erika Records. But, again, they are expensive, and you have to order a lot. However, I have had a LOT of problems the two times I’ve gone through Erika. They’ve been in business a long time, but you wouldn’t know it from all the mistakes they made on my records. Everything from inverting the colors on the labels, to telling me that they could do something that they can’t and then I have to scramble at the last minute for approval from the band to change things that we’d all thought were set in stone for months. On top of that, they are one of the highest priced places out there. They do make thick records and I’ve always been happy with the sound of the records, but I don’t think I will work with them again unless I have to make a shaped record (they are the only place that makes them).
I know Peter has a couple of daughters that help him in the shop, but he’s a very young 40-something, doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, and works out daily, so I have a feeling he’ll outlive me, at least.

Any advice for someone setting out to press 7"'s for the first time? What mistakes have you learned from etc.

Wow, if I talked about every mistake I’ve made since I started making records, this interview would be epic. A lot of my advice is going to be pretty cliché’d and common sense, but at the very least, I won’t say “think outside of the box”.
1. “Do your homework” : Talk to people that have pressed records and see who they have had a good time dealing with. I just found a place in San Francisco called Piratespress.com that gets records made in the Czech Republic. I’ve known several people that are very happy customers of theirs, and they do some fantastic colored vinyl and picture discs. The specials that they have on their site right now for records with full color jackets blow away any other place I’ve found. The next record I make is going to go through them. I’ve also had a few good experiences with United Record Pressing. They are pretty cheap and have always been a pleasure to deal with as far as customer service. Quick to correct problems.
2. Think about parting out your job. Most pressing plants will do the entire package; plates, vinyl, and jackets. But, you might be able to save several hundred dollars by getting the plates made in one place (I’ve heard good things about Aardvark Mastering), the vinyl in one place (URP), and the jackets someplace else (Ross-Ellis or Dorado Press). It just depends on how much effort and time you want to put into it. There is something to be said for letting one person, who has the experience and connections, put it all together for you. Or, if you have the facilities, hand-silkscreen the covers yourself.
3. Choose your bands wisely. The profit margin on vinyl is very slim, and when you split those profits with a band, it means you have to sell about 75% of your records just to break even. So, if you are putting up several thousand dollars, make sure that that band is going to be around long enough to sell that many records. If you aren’t sure, go with a lathe cut and make 50 of them. Then you don’t have as much money sunk into it. Credit card interest can be a real bitch.
4. Register your label as a business and track your expenses – If you plan on doing several releases, get a business license. As a music business, you have the ability to write off pretty much anything you spend money on that is related to music; cds, lps, tickets to shows, mileage to get to those shows, musical instruments, travel that is music related, etc. It is amazing how much you can legitimately write off on your taxes; things that you would have probably done anyway. You have five years before you have to show an income, and a net loss can help offset the taxes you pay on the money you are making at your day job. You do have to show a decent amount of income (not necessarily profit) from the business to keep from raising flags with the IRS, but if you are keeping good records, not fabricating a bunch of false expenses, and working hard to make your label a success (and can prove it if you get audited), you shouldn’t have a problem. I actually think that a lot of touring musicians could really benefit from this as well. The whole thing has a pretty steep learning curve, but the more you work with it, the more you learn, and the easier it gets. You just have to roll with it. It seems like every time I do another record and I try something new, whether packaging or company-wise, something new goes wrong. I’ve made a lot of expensive mistakes, but now I know what not to do next time.

Where do you find the artists that release work through Piaptk? Is it stuff you are interested in and you track down the artists or do you know most of them personally one way or another?

I have been playing in bands and throwing shows since I was 15. So, I know a lot of amazing bands. I also go to a lot of shows. Most bands are very receptive to the idea of releasing vinyl, especially if you have interesting or unusual ideas for packaging. If they are already have a decent following and tour a lot, I normally go with a pressed record. If they are just a local band, or one that doesn’t have a wide fan base yet, then I go with a lathe cut. Some of the bands I’ve known for years, some I didn’t really know personally until we started working together.

I've heard of working out an arrangement where you as record co. press the records, the artist still own the music, publishing, etc, and you give the artist a cut of the albums pressed? Or do you pay for some kind of rights for a few hundred copies?

Well, every label and every band do it a little differently. My main objective is to split any profits 50/50 with the band. There are a lot of ways to do that. Normally I give the bands some copies of the records up front, and then once they have sold those, they can buy more from me for $6 or $7ish. It kind of depends on the record, and where we are at with the costs and the recoup. I don’t ask for “rights” to the music, just the ability to release them. With lathe cuts, I normally give 100% of profits to the bands in the form of some records for them to keep and sell. Because they are such a high cost item, I only mark them up enough to recoup my costs and give a few copies to the bands. If I tried to turn a profit on them, I would have to sell an 8”, for instance, which costs me about $7 or $8 or more, depending on the covers, for $15. A single for $15 is a little much, even if it is limited and has cool artwork. It is more important to me that people can afford to buy them, than for me to make a bunch of money on them. When it comes down to it, I am a pretty horrible business man, as far as that goes. I try to make reasonable decisions, but the bottom line doesn’t rule what I do.

Is the main mail order 7" subscription plan ever coming back? Or they will just be sold individually through the site?

Possibly, but not likely in the near future. Some of them will be sold separately, some might not make it. I’ve got at least one record slated, and two of the records might end up being combined into an LP. A lot of it had to do with the cost and problems I experienced getting the shaped records made with Erika. I wanted to step the series out of the lathe cut realm, because I had some bigger bands lined up, and felt like 100 copies would be a bit brutal. Then, one of my main headliners washed out, and I wasn’t sure that I would be able to sell 500 $70 subscriptions (and that, again, was COST). All of the bands I had were great, but some of them didn’t have the “buzz” to “move the units”. The fact that I only had ONE option for shaped records, was another nail in its coffin. So, I felt it would be best to put it to the side. If it DOES come back, it will probably be a more traditional 7” club, but really, there are enough of those out there already (and I subscribe to a lot of them). I want to try to offer something a little different whenever I can.

Can you 'out' one band from the Trust series...please... and are there still subscriptions available?

Honestly, I don’t think that outing any of the bands would make much of a difference. These bands are largely unknown. They are all bands I love, but it’s not like you will be able to turn them around 2 weeks after they come out and sell them for $150 on eBay (like someone did with the Wooden Wand record from the first series). These are bands that may or may not ever get the recognition they deserve. This is my way of showing them how much I like them, and once all of the series have been sold, I will list them as the records come out. I still have a few of the Series left, because people obviously feel a little squeamish putting up $80 sight unseen for 7x8” EPs. They will sell eventually, and whoever gets them is guaranteed to listen to them.

That Poster Children triangle 7" looks amazing, and unreleased tracks?!!? That's really amazing. What are some highlights from your 7" collection? (You must have seven inches...)

To touch on the unreleased tracks thing, I was really surprised at the response I got from the bands when I approached them. Because they were going to be so limited, I half expected to get some throw-off tracks, but all of them gave me amazing tracks, many of which were recorded specifically for that record.
As far as my 7” collection, I have a lot of singles that I love. I am especially fond of some the records I bought when I was teenager growing up in the Dallas area from bands like Centro-Matic, Baboon, and UFOFU (who went on to form Secret Machines). I have a couple of really rare Little Wings and weird Jad Fair 7”s (one of which came with a nice thick booklet of his papercuts). I’ve also got a lot of Sub Pop singles club records (one of the inspirations for my label in the first place).

What is immediately next for PIAPTK? What's the next record we can expect...

Well, I put out almost 20 records last year. I’m going to bring it down a notch this year. I’m probably going to move to Austin in July, and the more records I press before that, the more I have pay to move to Austin. My priorities right now are on finishing up the Trust Series, and a What Made Milwaukee Famous rarities compilation that will come out a little bit after their new record comes out on Barsuk in March. There will also probably be a split LP between The Long Winters and Rat Cat Hogan sometime this year. I have some really amazing tracks from Saturday Looks Good to Me, Emily Jane Powers, the Impossible Shapes, and Buffalina that would have been on the next series that I can hopefully release at some point.

Thanks so much Mike, I'm still going over all this info, it's staggering, this is practically 7" pressing for dummies...I so appreciate this advice from an expert. I know anyone buying these amazing looking records or hoping to someday press a 7" will find your information invaluable. I know will.
Thanks again.