Why the anti GZ (pressing plant) sentiment?

[Guest afsdan]

I've found that mastering is cheaper through Pirates Press than even Aardvark. And PP/GZ uses the Direct Metal Mastering, which I find waaaaaaaaaayyyy superior.

I've never had any delays w/PP. Granted, it's only been 2 jobs, but both have taken less than a month, and I didn't get any dusty crap like I've heard others have.

- The vinyl itself feels more plastic-y. Hard to describe, but they just don't look as shiny, and feel more brittle than the vinyl from US plants.

GZ uses virgin vinyl. I like it, and don't mind the matte finish on the labels. I prefer matte finishes, but that's just my taste. I'm picky, cuz I work at a print shop.

If you don't like splatter vinyl, blame the label/band. The plant just does what people ask.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=7546744&blogID=396699191

^^^To Be Eaten^^^

[deadformat]

plenty of these available if anyone wants some!

[voodooramen]

- I really don't like the typed matrix. I prefer the hand etched style you get from places like Erika, United or Rainbo.

- I don't like the labels on the records. They're not as glossy, more of a matt finish, and almost look like regular paper stuck on the records.

- I don't like the square corners that the paper dust sleeves have. Stupid, I know, but I prefer the ones from US plants that have curved corners rather than right angle corners.

Haha, these things actually quietly bother me, especially the sleeves. God, I hate those square sleeves.

[aaronxxx]

if people are really hating on a pressing plant for producing splatter colored records, isn't that hate a little misguided?

and the sand on splatter records is a natural, unharmful, unavoidable byproduct of the process to make the splatter coloring

[adamlikesmusic]

Dead format guy, I think you got way too many stickers made. Stickers that say fuck, at that.

[deadformat]

There's nothing wrong with the word 'fuck'.

[adamlikesmusic]

I don't think there is, but some people do.

People give me weird looks when I wear a shirt that says fuck. I'd never put it on my car, though.

But hey, for all I know, everybody's doing it nowadays, and I'm just behind the trends.

[supchillinyou]

yeah, whole "PIRATESPRESS.COM" being stamped on all the records is kinda lame..

1) Pressing through GZ ISN'T cheaper -- the argument that people are "outsourcing" record pressing overseas to cut costs is complete bullshit.

2) Pirates Press is run by people who are familiar with the underground scene, are completely on top of their shit, and are professional about it

3) they don't stamp piratespress.com on all of their records [i'm looking at one right now, nothing...]

[xjustinxschwierx]

3) they don't stamp piratespress.com on all of their records [i'm looking at one right now, nothing...]

some companies, like Dischord have direct deals, and for those, they aren't stamped like PP or Record Pressings things are.

I've done a couple records through Pirates Press and they're great people.

BUT

unless you're doing like 3000 records at once...I can't imagine the price would be any cheaper than doing this in the states. the freight shipping alone is at least 2 1/2-3 times what it'd cost you to ship the pressing from anywhere in the US.

BECAUSE

you pay for them to be shipped from the Czech Rep. to California, then shipped to you. So not only are you paying extra for shipping, you're creating unnecessary carbon exhaust from the extra shipping. holy fuck, I sound like a fucking hippie.

that said, I like their vinyl weight, I like the look of their labels being a flat/uncoated paper, the records don't seem flimsy to me, I'm kind of bored of the splatter shit, but it doesn't bother me to get a copy like that.

[cosmonaut]

Call me a radical, but I wouldn't mind if all records were black.

I wouldn't mind this either, as long as they sound good. I'd take quality over color variants any day.

[xxmartinxx]

if people are really hating on a pressing plant for producing splatter colored records, isn't that hate a little misguided?

and the sand on splatter records is a natural, unharmful, unavoidable byproduct of the process to make the splatter coloring

I agree that someone hating GZ for making splatter records is silly. They only make what the label requests.

However, I have yet hear a reasonable explanation on the sand issue. GZ isn't the only plant that has ever made splatter vinyl, but theirs is the only plant I've ever found sand on the vinyl. I also don't believe that it's not harmful. If dust, which has less texture can degrade audio fidelity and wear on a stylus, surely a gritty sand like substance would be worse.

[minty]

plenty of these available if anyone wants some!

I'd buy that sticker and cut off the "Fuck" and "Deadformat" parts.

[minty]

if people are really hating on a pressing plant for producing splatter colored records, isn't that hate a little misguided?

and the sand on splatter records is a natural, unharmful, unavoidable byproduct of the process to make the splatter coloring

I agree that someone hating GZ for making splatter records is silly. They only make what the label requests.

However, I have yet hear a reasonable explanation on the sand issue. GZ isn't the only plant that has ever made splatter vinyl, but theirs is the only plant I've ever found sand on the vinyl. I also don't believe that it's not harmful. If dust, which has less texture can degrade audio fidelity and wear on a stylus, surely a gritty sand like substance would be worse.

If I remember correctly, it's not sand but product used in the process of making records with "Haze". They use powder instead of the standard vinyl pellets. I didn't know this happened on splatter as well though...

[fartmike]

If I remember correctly, it's not sand but product used in the process of making records with "Haze". They use powder instead of the standard vinyl pellets. I didn't know this happened on splatter as well though...

i don't know if it was pressed by Pirates or not, don't have it in front of me, but my copy of ben weasel's new one (on clear brown) makes a horrible racket when i try to take it out of the paper sleeve from all the sandy residue...i've never even spun it due to that fact...

[randysxe]

plenty of these available if anyone wants some!

I'd buy that sticker and cut off the "Fuck" and "Deadformat" parts.

agree with minty

[thischarmingham]

My issues with pirates

1. The inner labels look like shit. It's not just a "matte" finish...it's poor quality printing and paper. A guy at pirates tried to tell me it's because the inner labels get baked before they're applied to the record and that causes it. However every pressing plant in the world has to bake the labels first and no one elses come out like that.

2. Pirates are middlemen. Although a very legit way of doing business I don't care for the style myself. They're not a "press". They're an office that outsources everything and I feel by calling themselves a "press" they represent themselves as something other than that.

3. They are cheap on some things like picture discs but over all they aren't doing things cheaper than US plants and I'd rather support a US business. I'd hate us to get to the point where we have to get records made in the czech republic because the US plants have gone out of business.

4. The whole Piratespress.com stamp on the dead wax. Bogus. keep your name off my records.

5. This may have changed recently but back when they started up they burned me when a couple of different guys called me around the same time to talk about pressing a record and they both gave me different quotes. Then a third guy got involved and gave me a wholly different quote from the first two and got pissed because I had spoken to the other two guys and gotten quotes from them. It revealed the fact that the actual cost depends on who you talk to. I'm not down with that. I like United because the cost is there in black and white. I don't have to get the right guy on the phone or kiss someones ass or hope they like my records to get a good deal. It is what it is with United and it just feels a little dishonest over at Pirates. I've also heard tell of the dude running the place bragging to a bigger label about sticking it to other labels on certain jobs. Bogus.

All that said, I don't think they're the devil, I'm sure they're decent guys overall and when I've spoken to them lately they seem to have gotten their act a little more together although their qoutes were way too high and I don't think they make the highest quality records out there. I don't like the grit or how dull the actual records look. And for every fan of DMM I've heard just as many if not more people say their records sound like shit. Why do you think that Asian Man did the replacement copies of Goddamnit with a different plant?

[supchillinyou]

My issues with pirates

1. The inner labels look like shit. It's not just a "matte" finish...it's poor quality printing and paper. A guy at pirates tried to tell me it's because the inner labels get baked before they're applied to the record and that causes it. However every pressing plant in the world has to bake the labels first and no one elses come out like that.

2. Pirates are middlemen. Although a very legit way of doing business I don't care for the style myself. They're not a "press". They're an office that outsources everything and I feel by calling themselves a "press" they represent themselves as something other than that.

3. They are cheap on some things like picture discs but over all they aren't doing things cheaper than US plants and I'd rather support a US business. I'd hate us to get to the point where we have to get records made in the czech republic because the US plants have gone out of business.

4. The whole Piratespress.com stamp on the dead wax. Bogus. keep your name off my records.

5. This may have changed recently but back when they started up they burned me when a couple of different guys called me around the same time to talk about pressing a record and they both gave me different quotes. Then a third guy got involved and gave me a wholly different quote from the first two and got pissed because I had spoken to the other two guys and gotten quotes from them. It revealed the fact that the actual cost depends on who you talk to. I'm not down with that. I like United because the cost is there in black and white. I don't have to get the right guy on the phone or kiss someones ass or hope they like my records to get a good deal. It is what it is with United and it just feels a little dishonest over at Pirates. I've also heard tell of the dude running the place bragging to a bigger label about sticking it to other labels on certain jobs. Bogus.

All that said, I don't think they're the devil, I'm sure they're decent guys overall and when I've spoken to them lately they seem to have gotten their act a little more together although their qoutes were way too high and I don't think they make the highest quality records out there. I don't like the grit or how dull the actual records look. And for every fan of DMM I've heard just as many if not more people say their records sound like shit. Why do you think that Asian Man did the replacement copies of Goddamnit with a different plant?

I love the labels GZ prints....so much better than the shitty glossy labels from other pressing plants. I'll take matte over gloss any day...and the printing is perfect - what are you talking about?

Again, they don't put their URL on all of the matrices, atleast not on the 5 records I've pressed with them. And i've never had to ask them not to. Not sure why some have them and some don't.

[xfedaykinx]

i bet you some labels are willing to take a small discount for the .com on the matrix

[thischarmingham]

I love the labels GZ prints....so much better than the shitty glossy labels from other pressing plants. I'll take matte over gloss any day...and the printing is perfect - what are you talking about?

Again, they don't put their URL on all of the matrices, atleast not on the 5 records I've pressed with them. And i've never had to ask them not to. Not sure why some have them and some don't.

It's cool if you like them. I just think they look incredibly cheap and poorly done. Different strokes for different folks. If I ever did a job with them I'd provide my own labels no matter what the cost.

[thischarmingham]

i bet you some labels are willing to take a small discount for the .com on the matrix

I guess it's possible but I've never heard of this being offered.

[xfedaykinx]

yeah, i wouldnt know. but you gotta figure, if different employees are giving different price quotes then maybe some are pushing this and others arent

[jailhouse]

I've used Pirates 4 times, and have never come across such awesome customer service , quality (you'll rarey see a record under 150g come out of there, and pure virgin) the endless options, and awesome jacket design. The price really isn't bad at all either, even with shipping.

If you took crappy URP pressings, then bought full color 220 gram jackets with 4 mm spines, full color labels, full color inserts, it would come up to the same price, if not a tad more.

The only places I would ever use anymore are Rainbo and P.P.

As far as the Pirates Press in the matrix, I wish they would offer a discount for it!

Also I think it has a lot to do with your rep, just like any other company, some reps, you really hit it off with, some are jerks.

Damon at Pirates is awesome, I would deffinitely suggest asking for him if anyone get's a pressing done through them, very helpful.

Damn that whole thing sounds like an ad,

[thischarmingham]

I've used Pirates 4 times, and have never come across such awesome customer service , quality (you'll rarey see a record under 150g come out of there, and pure virgin) the endless options, and awesome jacket design. The price really isn't bad at all either, even with shipping.

If you took crappy URP pressings, then bought full color 220 gram jackets with 4 mm spines, full color labels, full color inserts, it would come up to the same price, if not a tad more.

The only places I would ever use anymore are Rainbo and P.P.

As far as the Pirates Press in the matrix, I wish they would offer a discount for it!

Also I think it has a lot to do with your rep, just like any other company, some reps, you really hit it off with, some are jerks.

Damon at Pirates is awesome, I would deffinitely suggest asking for him if anyone get's a pressing done through them, very helpful.

Damn that whole thing sounds like an ad,

I disagree about the pricing and actually have a recent example. I'm getting 1000 LP's done and 2000 covers/inserts for less than $3k by using United and Imprint this month. Pirates wanted to charge me over $5000 for the same thing. They actually came way way way way over on the cover price. Like it was going to be $3600 for the covers alone.

[aaronxxx]

I agree that someone hating GZ for making splatter records is silly. They only make what the label requests.

However, I have yet hear a reasonable explanation on the sand issue. GZ isn't the only plant that has ever made splatter vinyl, but theirs is the only plant I've ever found sand on the vinyl. I also don't believe that it's not harmful. If dust, which has less texture can degrade audio fidelity and wear on a stylus, surely a gritty sand like substance would be worse.

If I remember correctly, it's not sand but product used in the process of making records with "Haze". They use powder instead of the standard vinyl pellets. I didn't know this happened on splatter as well though...

oh, maybe you're right. splatter, haze, and marble all looks about the same to me so i get which one is what mixed up.

but yeah, the particles are there because the vinyl gets sprayed with a powder to get the effect. i've been told it is harmless and can just be wiped off like you would any other record that has dust on it

[jailhouse]

I've used Pirates 4 times, and have never come across such awesome customer service , quality (you'll rarey see a record under 150g come out of there, and pure virgin) the endless options, and awesome jacket design. The price really isn't bad at all either, even with shipping.

If you took crappy URP pressings, then bought full color 220 gram jackets with 4 mm spines, full color labels, full color inserts, it would come up to the same price, if not a tad more.

The only places I would ever use anymore are Rainbo and P.P.

As far as the Pirates Press in the matrix, I wish they would offer a discount for it!

Also I think it has a lot to do with your rep, just like any other company, some reps, you really hit it off with, some are jerks.

Damon at Pirates is awesome, I would deffinitely suggest asking for him if anyone get's a pressing done through them, very helpful.

Damn that whole thing sounds like an ad,

I disagree about the pricing and actually have a recent example. I'm getting 1000 LP's done and 2000 covers/inserts for less than $3k by using United and Imprint this month. Pirates wanted to charge me over $5000 for the same thing. They actually came way way way way over on the cover price. Like it was going to be $3600 for the covers alone.

I can see 2000 covers and inserts for under 3000 but records as well, and labels and dust sleeves etc,

Did you already have stampers, or something?

That's almost cd prices, with the extra jackets.

???

That is ridiculously cheap , I would be happy with 2000 full color white/white heavy jackets and inserts for under 3000, and that's about what imprints posted prices are, aroundn 1150 per 1000 full color jacket/insert combo.