Hi Everyone,
So I needed to make this post to address a rather unusual issue, and if you are reading this it may well be that I directed you here. Please read it all :)
We recently released KFP11 - Jonny L - The Return EP, and it is a fantastic release. But we have had a few people complain that the record skips, or has locked grooves. We have had one complaint about the B2 track, and two complaints about the A2 track.
This took me by surprise, because I had checked the test press and the final copies, and I had no issue with skipping or locked grooves. I always check test presses from start to finish, both sides - its an essential part of a record label owners job and responsibility, in case there is a problem with the cut. Checking a test press is how you catch a problem before it goes out to the public, hence the name "test" press.
If there is a problem with a pressed record, it almost always falls into two different categories:
The most common issue all labels run into is warped or dished vinyl. This is not an issue with a cut, but is usually the fault of the pressing plant not taking due care and attention, a problem with the plastic not being cooled or mixed right, or something like that. And unfortunately, this seems to be something that effects a small percentage of many runs of records. But it is the responsibility of a pressing plant to ensure the record is playable. They define that as "does the record play the music" not "is it flat enough that can I mix and scratch the record". So it can be a fight to get replacements when you have warps. We always replace warped and dished records, but we have rarely had compensation from the pressing plants. It's just how it is....but thats another discussion for another day.
A record CAN skip of jump because of a warp, but that is something you can usually see as it happens just by watching the record play. Still, usually, skip or a jump in a record means that it has been cut with a fault.
I have released...hmm....well over 600 different records in my time. Its a guess, I don't even know lol. And in that time I have had ONE test press with a skip caused by a faulty cut. So it is really quite a rare thing, but it DOES happen.
Anyway, it is natural that if you buy a record and it skips, you would assume it is a fault with the record, and likely will get annoyed. Most times, it is caused by a warp. Occasionally it is caused by a faulty cut.
Because heres the thing: every record pressed is a copy of the metalwork from the initial cut. And if the initial cut doesn't skip, and the record isn't warped, then the problem probably isn't the record. I say probably, because we are about to enter the world of "WFT then?"
Below are two videos of me playing through the entire tracks of A2 and B2 on KFP11 - Jonny L.
Please note before you listen: The clicks and creaks you might hear are NOT from the record playing, they are the sound of me typing on my laptop while sitting on my squeaky chair while recording these videos. Also, the "daddy" vocal near the end of one of the clips isn't a sample, it's my boy Wilder coming into the studio to ask for help with his computer game. Sigh. lol:
As you can see, neither side is skipping. It plays fine.
And yet, it will not play right for some people. The customers I mentioned above have sent me videos of the problem, and the record skips. Interestingly though, they do not skip in the same place. Customer 1 skips at the start of A2, Customer 2 skips at the end of A2. Weird.
This is the second time I have encountered this issue recently - we also had it with a single track on the Shades Of Rhythm box set. But in that case, it effected MY copy and of course I panicked. I had not "noticed" it on the test press, and now we had the full run, and one of the records was skipping! This is the sort of nightmare NO record label ever wants. Total disaster. It freaked me out, I called the cut and complained and sent them a copy 24 hour fast post, and waited anxiously for how we were going to replace hundreds of records, how quickly they could do it...and they played it and came back with..."it plays fine". To which I was like "what? No it doesn't!" and they suggested changing needles or turntables. I tried it on both of my decks and needles and had the same issue.
Now, my decks are (were) Numark TTX1, with a straight arm for scratching. So they are not what most people would use. i thought I better try them on some technics. So I called my friend Sammy at Try Unity, and asked to test the record on his Technics.
It played fine.
So a day or two later, I bought myself a Technics 1210, and tried it on that.
And it played fine.
Since then, we have had maybe 4 customer complaints on that S.O.R record. So it is a very few people who are affected as far as I can tell.
Now, we seem to have the same issue with KFP11 except that I did not notice it because it does not skip for me. Still, I am trying to figure this out, and here is the best I have come up with.
Im 99% sure its not really a fault with the record. Honestly, it would be so much easier if it was because 1. I would have caught it at test press stage and 2. It would not require this long explanation. In the end, if it was cut wrong, it would effect every single copy. And it is very unlikely it is a pressing fault for the same reason, and KFP11 is not wapred or dished...
And that only leaves: its an issue with the customers set up / needles / decks / something" which...well...no one wants to hear and I do not even like to type, but it is the only conclusion to fit the facts.
As far as we can tell, this issue effects very few people, and it happens on the tracks that are cut VERY loud, and that have a LOT of bass.
And some systems, some turntables?...they don't like it.
What I am not so sure of is...why don't they like it? My cutting house says it is because the customers needles are old, or the set up isn't correct - and that may well be so. It is certainly true that my straight arm Numarks didn't cope well.
I think it takes a certain combination within a persons set up for these records not to play right. I'm just not sure what that combination is...Still, I think it's if the needle is old, the tone arm straight, the settings slightly off or the deck vibrating due to the bass or how near to a speaker it is, or at a slant or an angle...but these are all guesses. Without going to the homes of customers who have experienced this issue, I cant really tell.
I do know that a few of the customers with the issue on the S.O.R set fixed it with new needles and tone arm adjustments, adding or lessening the weight on the needle, that sort of thing. But one of them did all of that and still no joy.
Here is the crux of the problem: because the record plays fine for the cutting house, and for me, and for the majority of customers, it cant really be an issue with the cut. If it was, the record would skip for everyone. And so...they will not refund or recut - why should they? From their point of view there is no issue.
And thats true...
...but on the other hand, can we expect everyone to have a perfect set up? I think thats a bit unreasonable.
Both the S.O.R box set and Jonny L EP were cut at the same time. After the S.O.R box set, I asked them to cut records just a little bit quieter with the hope that that will stop this from occurring again.
But of course I understand that "adjust your set up" and "we are gonna cut a little quieter in the future" is not the greatest answer, if you cannot play the record you bought from us. All i can say is "this is where we are, this is what seems to be the case". If you remain unable to resolve the situation, please email me directly and I will do what I can to help!
Nice one,
Chris