Whether it’s pressed off-center, or there are little bubbles on the record surface, masters that weren’t specifically engineered for vinyl, all sorts of quality issue can crop up in the unforgiving medium of vinyl. Here are some thoughts and approaches to new vinyl quality control over at Sound Matters:
I appreciate there will always be the odd problem that slips through the net, and I also understand the huge strain placed on record plants to keep up with demand. Sales figures for new vinyl continue to rise, putting the limited amount of pressing plants under increased pressure. My fear is, if the subject of quality control isn’t addressed, it could threaten the resurgence in vinyl. Consumers will quickly lose patience if they feel they’re paying a premium for subpar quality. For example, I paid upwards of $40 for my recent copy of Unicorn (described above). And while there was nothing wrong with the actual pressing, color defects on a limited edition pressing simply isn’t good enough.
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