AUDIO SPECIFICATIONS
We accept all digital and analogue audio formats but prefer WAV 24-bit (44 kHz – 192 kHz) for digital, and ½" or ¼" tape for analogue.
Please provide your digital audio as one complete file for each side of the record (e.g. VCR-081_SideA.WAV + VCR-081_SideB.WAV) and send it with the completed acetate cutting form via the contact page so we can arrange secure upload.
For analogue tapes: please supply on one spool per side, with leader tape as track markers, and clear indications of speed, EQ and noise reduction if used.
VINYL PRE-FLIGHT CHECKLIST
Knowing the best options on supplying audio for vinyl can be difficult. Use this list as a starting point:
- Has your audio been specifically mastered for the dynamic and frequency range of vinyl?
- Have you considered the side split carefully and the running order?
- Have you checked the phase carefully with a correlation meter?
- Have you avoided excessive high-frequency transients?
TYPE OF CUTS
- STANDARD CUT
- Quality is most important to me and I want the best cut possible. If necessary, I am willing to accept corrections of volume and frequency content according to the cutting engineer's expert opinion. We will still always try to make it sound as close to the master source as possible.
- FLAT CUT
- Quality is very important to me and I want a minimum of changes made, even if the record ends up quieter than most vinyl. This generally only applies if your audio has been specifically mastered for vinyl.
- LOUD CUT
- Loudness is most important to me and reasonable distortion is acceptable. If the master contains lots of high frequencies, this may need to be reduced in order to cut loud.
- FLAT & LOUD
- I prefer loudness and minimum of changes to the master source supplied. Please be aware this is not recommended because there is a high risk of distortion.
VISUAL TRACK MARKERS
Please confirm whether you do not require visual track markers (the rings between tracks on vinyl). If you would like VTMs but there are no pauses (digital silence), please supply a tracklist with running times so our engineers know where to insert them. VTMs do not affect the playback of your audio and they will not insert any additional pause or silence.
TEMPLATES & DOWNLOADS
Cutting form, audio spec sheet, and artwork templates for centre labels, outer sleeves and gatefolds.
- Acetate Cutting Form (DOCX) ↓
- Audio Specifications (PDF) ↓
- 12" Centre Label Template ↓
- 12" Outer Sleeve Template ↓
- 12" Gatefold Sleeve Template ↓
↑ Files will be live once uploaded to /public/downloads/.
