Labels that make a ton of "test presses"

[shenanigans]

So what are everyone's thoughts on labels that do 20, 25, 50, 75 "test presses"? At what point do you consider test presses another variant?

I think it's normal for labels to do 5-10 tests, 20 at the max. After that I feel like they're doing it to sell them as a very limited variant rather than the actual purpose of "testing" them to make sure everything sounds go.

Thoughts?

[kforkevin777]

Well United is offering a sort of deal that, if you do a KickStarter page or something similar, they'll offer up to 50 free testpresses to offer as an incentive to get people to fund your releases. I think that's a good way to get help for smaller labels that are just starting out, but when you order the tests to sell at a set price after the releases, it's kinda annoying and unnessecary.

[hipsterasfolk]

15 presses, raffled out at PO's or sold for charities/improvements. Sold as a 4x cost is just plan ridiculous, then flipped for 4x that set price.

Maybe I'm just bitter I don't have any Test Presses though

[000000]

Animal Style did their first run of Daggermouth - Turf Wars as 100 tests and screenprinted all the artwork. the press after was normal and had regular printed jackets. i thought it was a cool idea. i guess this is in terms of it being a "variant" like you mentioned though.

[dreamover]

At what point do you consider test presses another variant?

Thoughts?

at what point do you consider variants to be a test press?

i say, who cares? i really see no harm in labels offering several test presses. if there's too many, people won't want them or pay for them.

sometimes small labels need to get creative to keep records coming out.

if a label selling 20 tests means a record i love getting pressed, i'm not going to complain.

people really complain about some dumb shit on here. (no offense).

[Guest]

Eh, I think if a label wants to press a bunch of tests, so be it. No one is being forced to buy them, so what difference does it really make?

Besides, tests are the true "1st pressing"...

[kforkevin777]

Also, I think it's cool when labels do a lot of tests and put them in random orders.

[shamrocks]

i just think there is a point behind test presses. i dont run a label, so i have no idea what people do with them, but shouldnt they just be to make sure the run is good, i.e. "The supplementary playing-out-loud of a sample record every so often catches most faults that may have developed in a stamper before it has pressed too many bad discs. "

so i expect to see no more than ten true test presses in the releases that are typically discussed around here. im sure larger volume pressings have more.

[oterecords]

It all depends on perspective and the release I guess. I did 20 test for the Kids Like Us record, but I broke it down like this: 5 tests went to the band, 1 went to John from Eulogy, 5 were given away with pre-orders and 1 went to a friend who helped me get everything started. Thats 12 right there, so I figured just make it an even 20. I've sold I think 3 of them,and traded 1. I'm just a collector myself at the end of it all and I enjoy grabbing tests, so I wanted to have enough that it wouldn't make it impossible for people to get them. I think 20-25 is really the most you would need (unless it was a compilation and you wanted to be able to give all the bands tests or something) and if it helps fund new releases and people enjoy having the tests in their collection then its all good to me.

The other side to this argument if you think about it is only pressing a small number of tests because the label knows that the less amount of them the more they can sell them for.

[idreamofpunk]

It all depends on perspective and the release I guess. I did 20 test for the Kids Like Us record, but I broke it down like this: 5 tests went to the band, 1 went to John from Eulogy, 5 were given away with pre-orders and 1 went to a friend who helped me get everything started. Thats 12 right there, so I figured just make it an even 20. I've sold I think 3 of them,and traded 1. I'm just a collector myself at the end of it all and I enjoy grabbing tests, so I wanted to have enough that it wouldn't make it impossible for people to get them. I think 20-25 is really the most you would need (unless it was a compilation and you wanted to be able to give all the bands tests or something) and if it helps fund new releases and people enjoy having the tests in their collection then its all good to me.

The other side to this argument if you think about it is only pressing a small number of tests because the label knows that the less amount of them the more they can sell them for.

I was going to type stuff about making sure the band gets the number of tests they want, and giving copies to people who had a hand in the making of the album as a souvenir. Thanks for doing it for me.

But yeah, I think Any more than 20 (unless like it's been mentioned, it's a multi band release, or there are a lot of people you'd like to give a test to as a gift or a thank you or whatever), and it's pretty much another variant, albeit one with an actual intended purpose. 50-100 tests is ludicrous.

[oterecords]

I was going to type stuff about making sure the band gets the number of tests they want, and giving copies to people who had a hand in the making of the album as a souvenir. Thanks for doing it for me.

But yeah, I think Any more than 20 (unless like it's been mentioned, it's a multi band release, or there are a lot of people you'd like to give a test to as a gift or a thank you or whatever), and it's pretty much another variant, albeit one with an actual intended purpose. 50-100 tests is ludicrous.

Haha no problem.

Also I know some labels sometimes will get extra test presses made if the record won't be done in time for the band to play a release show/tour or fest or something, and those usually get "labeled" specifically as such.

[controlthebleeding]

50-100 tests is ludicrous.

not necessarily. labels do this all the time for bands that tour when they are running on a deadline for a release that isn't out yet. they'll just produce 25, 50 to 100 tests for a tour with some makeshift silkscreened covers or what not. it happens frequently.

[idreamofpunk]

... I actually have not thought of that angle before. But are those usually labeled as test presses or specifically for the occasion they were rush-pressed for, like a tour or festival appearance?

[kurt]

50-100 tests is ludicrous.

not necessarily. labels do this all the time for bands that tour when they are running on a deadline for a release that isn't out yet. they'll just produce 25, 50 to 100 tests for a tour with some makeshift silkscreened covers or what not. it happens frequently.

This seems to be especially common in hardcore, over the years I've probably owned at least ten records like this. The ones I've had have usually been referred to as a "tour press" or "pre-release".

[adamlikesmusic]

If I have a "test press" that was made last minute for a tour or a show, I don't consider it a test press in the same sense that I do an actual test press. They're tour/show presses to me.

Then again, I don't really care for test presses all that much altogether.

But to answer the OP's question, I think it's pretty dumb if they're done with the sole purpose of sale. I can't help but wonder how many tests are actually tested...

[controlthebleeding]

not necessarily. labels do this all the time for bands that tour when they are running on a deadline for a release that isn't out yet. they'll just produce 25, 50 to 100 tests for a tour with some makeshift silkscreened covers or what not. it happens frequently.

This seems to be especially common in hardcore, over the years I've probably owned at least ten records like this. The ones I've had have usually been referred to as a "tour press" or "pre-release".

that's what they consider them, but they are basically tests they ordered in a batch hoping everything would be ok with the pressing. which in slight cases is not (ex: iron age - way is narrow). mind you, sometimes i'm sure they are just a small batch of the regular pressing that was done in a rush.

idreamofpunk, i can't answer that. i'm sure some tour presses are just a small pressing of the larger quantity that's a rush job, but i know there's a good chunk that gets pressed as actual large quantity (50+) test copies. you just pray nothing is substantially wrong with them. but in few cases there is. (read above) i know some of my tour/release presses are either no label, or test press label, but in most cases just blank label.

adam, sometimes labels need records for release parties or tours and the manufacturer can't get the records to them in time because of the length of time it takes to press the tests and then wait for shipping/arrival and then feedback, so labels just cross their fingers and hope for the best with tests since they can order them in small quantity right off the bat, rather than a regular pressing that has a minimum order. at least just enough to hold them over till regular pressing has been done and arrives for sale.

[derkwithano]

I'll just start a label that doesn't order ANY test presses to compensate.

[chiefwahoo]

The mass produced test pressings are just another variant at best. Nobody is listening to 20 - 50 copies of a record to make sure it's ready for full production, they're doing it to sell them. And that's fine, I don't have a problem with it. I do collect test pressings and I'm going to shell out way more money for a "true" test of an older record, if you will, than I ever would for something current and plentiful. Part of the fun of test pressings was that few people cared about them and they were next to impossible to find.

[One Hundred Fifty-Two]

Every case is different. Usually labels that put out 100 test presses usually sell them for the same price as a normal version of the record. Then there are some labels that put out 48 test presses with 4 different jackets and sell them for $50 a piece. There is no right or wrong way to go about it.

[xjustinxschwierx]

I think anything over like 20 is basically it's own unique pressing, a lot of bands want 2 test pressings per band member, that all adds up (especially on split albums), I have friends I always save test pressings for and I try to raffle off one or two periodically, one for me...etc...all of a sudden you're at 20 test pressings and none of them were even sold.

the Methadones Exit 17 7" I put out has 76 test pressings because the band wanted copies for insubordination fest...so I made a bunch for them, I made way too many so that's why they're still lingering around...I made 30 test pressings for a new 7" I'm releasing next week...so that's the record release show edition to me. Sure, some of these are usually sold, but you have to consider the above conditions and realize not every 7" is going to sell for $75 (and then re-sold on ebay for $200+)

[throwgncpr]

I agree with the original post here. By name, test press should be to test the sound and quality of the record - A quality control step before the press run goes full steam.

If you want to do a small variant run, fine, but calling them "test presses" is just incorrect.

[ajxd]

I agree with the original post here. By name, test press should be to test the sound and quality of the record - A quality control step before the press run goes full steam.

If you want to do a small variant run, fine, but calling them "test presses" is just incorrect.

[larry47591]

For my first two releases i am going to do 15. One for each band member leaves 10. One for me and my co-owner leaves 8. I will probably give 5 away in orders. That leaves 3. Not sure what i will do with those.

[flood]

its threads like this that make people think we're all bigger dorks than we actually are for collecting records.

[controlthebleeding]

I agree with the original post here. By name, test press should be to test the sound and quality of the record - A quality control step before the press run goes full steam.

If you want to do a small variant run, fine, but calling them "test presses" is just incorrect.

what's the difference if it's 5 or 100. they're all tests technically. because that's how you order them before the original run. saying they are variants instead just because volume is just semantics.

i get the gist of the whole variant thing, because that's basically what a test is. a variant, because it could have flaws that make it unique, or labels, etc etc. but in most cases (not all, but some) bands do it in that fashion so they can get a small quantity ordered to sell reasonably in the interim before the regular run goes into production. not so much to sell for a higher cost as a actual TEST PRESSING. just a different way of getting a small # for the time being at a lower cost.

I don't think i've ever paid more than $5 for any unique test/tour/anniversary/fest press that's technically a test run. at least when it was being sold at a event (ebay is totally different thing)