Because Vinyl is Final #4- Reissue Vinyl

by Ma Nerriza dela Cerna

As Erika Records has seen vinyl sales go up we’ve noticed a good portion of the records being pressed are reissues of artists and bands such as John Coltrane, Ozzy Osbourne, and Iron Maiden just to name a few. And with vinyl reissues usually comes a set of expectations established by the first batch of records made decades prior.

If you’re planning on pressing a reissue and want to get as close to the original as possible, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

The lacquer mastering process was much more involved 40 years ago. Major labels such as RCA had in house mastering engineers that took original tapes and cut multiple reference lacquers. With each reference lacquer they made adjustments to the levels and EQ until the reference was approved and then moved forward with the final cut. So with the reissue, you may have replicated the new music files exactly from the original source master, but your replicated files won’t reflect all the changes made in the cutting room by the original lacquer mastering engineer all those years ago.

So what should you do? We suggest that you bring your replicated music files that came from the original source and the vinyl record you want to match to your mastering and mixing engineer. Communicate that you want the files to match the vinyl and that you would like them to make the necessary adjustments to the files before sending them in for the final cut.

Once they’ve made those adjustments and you’re ready to submit them for the final cut, let the mastering engineer who is cutting your lacquer know that it’s a reissue and provide him or her with the record you want to match as well. The changes should already be reflected in the master you provide, but it’s good that everyone involved in mastering has an idea of what you’re trying to achieve.

And if you happen to have some extra time and little wiggle room in your budget, we suggest having a reference lacquer cut for you to review against the original record you’re trying to match. Once that reference lacquer is approved, our mastering engineer will know that he can move forward with the final cut. And if it’s not approved, then you still have the chance to provide the engineer with notes on what you would like changed. Taking this extra step can save you from the hefty cost of a re-cut, re-plating, and re-tests if you don’t achieve what you want on the first reference disc.

The key is to keep everyone in the loop on what you want and expect. Mastering is so subjective that it’s best not to make assumptions that your engineer immediately knows what you’re looking to achieve. So be clear about what you want and provide your engineers with a point of reference if it’s available….

Because once it’s on vinyl it’s final!