Mastering and Vinyl Cutting with Gearbox Records

Name: Mastering and Vinyl Cutting with Gearbox Records
Price: 13.00 USD
Availability: InStock

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$13/month

Unlocks this course + 5,000+ other lessons across every instrument.

Subscribe to Watch

Cancel anytime30-day refund

Duration1h 35m

Modules11

LevelIntermediate

LanguageEnglish

Lesson Plan (1h 35m)

- 01. Intro to Gearbox records
  Free lesson
  4:00
- 02. Introduction to the studio hardware
  8:50
- 03. Introduction to the studio Software
  1:53
- 04. setting up for mastering
  6:21
- 05. Mastering - demo
  4:33
- 06. Mastering - discussion
  13:24
- 07. Studer C37
  26:00
- 08. Tape splicing
  5:19
- 09. Filters & Precautions before cutting to lacquer
  4:27
- 10. The lacquer cutting lathe
  11:32
- 11. Quality control, test pressings and duplication
  9:23

About this course

Gearbox Records is a specialist in putting out analogue vinyl cuts from digital or analogue sources. In this course, Darrel and Caspar cover all the main aspects of what Gearbox does to get their product to market - the last stage of the creative process.

As part of the course, they'll show you the studio and recording process, the EQing process using outboard equipment, the work on digital workstations, the maintenance of the analogue reel-to-reels, and go into the detail of cutting vinyl records using the studio's lathe.

This course is aimed at people who are used to digital mastering on the computer and who'll be excited to discover how to do the same thing in the analogue domain, using mainly outboard equipment. Why analogue mastering? Because it's sonically better than digital, and you're not dependent on hard-drive space - it all fits on a tape!

Gearbox's mastering studio is packed with the best vintage gear, all in great condition, which gives a pristine, audiophile-quality sound. They're also tied to Mark Ronson's live room next door, with access to a top-notch recording facility where Grammys are made!

Who it's for

Producers comfortable mastering in the box wanting analog skills
Engineers curious about hardware mastering and outboard chains
Vinyl enthusiasts who want to understand cutting end to end

What you'll learn

Set up an analog mastering chain from scratch
EQ and prepare a mix for vinyl cutting
Cut a lacquer and judge a test pressing

What you'll need

Working knowledge of digital mastering and signal flow
A DAW and monitoring you trust at home
A few minutes most days to review and practice

Published with

Gearbox Records

Founded in 2009, Gearbox has already built a catalogue of over 25 releases, including limited editions and deluxe box sets, sold around the world through a network of specialist record stores and through its own online music store.

Analogue Chain - Vinyl Mastering Studio

Gearbox has its own studio to master and cut its records exactly how it wants, with no digital in the signal path - not even a digital-to-analogue converter to generate preview signals. It features an all-valve playback area for vinyl and digital playback, and for demonstrating great hi-fi provided by partners Audio Note.

Key gear in the studio

Lathe

Vintage Haeco Scully with Westrex (Western Electric) heads and cutting amps.

The EQ

Vintage Lang Pultec EQ and limiter.
Maselec master control and de-esser.
Prism Maselec EQ, plus an ex-Decca all-valve bespoke mastering desk.

Tape machines

Studer H37: 1969 all-valve 1/2 inch interchangeable 3 and 4 track tape machine. One of only 2 left in the world, and one of the only ways to read 1/2 inch valve multitrack.
Studer C37: 1965 1/4 inch interchangeable all-valve stereo and full-face mono tape machine.
Philips Pro51: 1965 ex-Decca modified 1/4 inch germanium transistor 2 channel tape machine incorporating 30 ips.
Studer A671: interchangeable quarter and half track professional machine for playback of historic domestic and broadcast tapes, where both sides of the tape were used for economy.

As Philip Johnson of The Independent puts it, "LP specialist Gearbox is becoming one of the wonders of the age".

View the Publisher page