faq

how can i order just one record? is beevinyl a pressing plant?

record cutting - aka lathe cutting - was always considered an art just like painting, sculpture and photography. from tech side — lathe works similar to turntable but instead of playing it cuts the music grooves onto blank disc. this technique's been popular since 1950's - many major and alternative musicians have been releasing limited run vinyl records for their fans, collectors or for special events (like record store day). to be clear — we do not press the records and we are not a pressing plant. we have our own chemical formula for most of the plastic stuff (thanks piro, you're the man!). we make every record in realtime so it's possible to order one piece (excluding some of our special stuff like round picture discs where minimum quantity is 10pcs).

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quality and durability

beevinyl records (and in general, lathe-cut records) are not audiophile stuff but they can sound very good with full audio spectrum. discs are hand-cut in stereo and their quality, in most cases, is comparable to pressed records (urability is also equal). they are very easy on stylus, so they will not harm your high-end cartridge/needle. sound can be reproduced on regular turntables (sometimes weight of the tonearm and/or anti-skating must be adjusted). like christmas cookies, every record can come a bit different. they could have some background noise and occasionally clicks and pops - hey! these are just handmade one-off records, remember? note: not every recording translates well onto vinyl (you probably know it, having in your collection some great sounding records, and some mediocre sounding ones). it all depends on your recording process, then mixing and in the end - mastering. small vinyl postcards have a bit decreased quality (still good) because sound is cut near center and on every vinyl record sound is better on the outisde than on the inside (tech talk: google "innergroove distortion"). for smaller-diameter records it's always better to choose 45rpm over 33rpm - transcription will be way better. we can cut from any audio file — wav, aiff, mp3, m4a, mp4, wma, aac, flac, ogg — also — audio cd's, cassette tapes, professional 1/4-inch tapes, and even from other vinyl records. we will also do your phone-recorded birthday wishes or (probably) whatever you have there.

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what are the shipping costs to my location?

take a look at shipping costs section here. we strongly recommend using courier expedited services (safer, quicker & insured on request)

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how can i prepare audio files to get the best sound on vinyl?
(for experienced users)

if you really want to get best results please keep audio dynamic, do not overcompress, do not limit (or shave only highest peaks), use a lot of precise de-essing on vocals, but do not make it sound dull; soften out mix harshness but do not cut deep lows and highest trebles — in simple words: it should sound full and balanced. we do not enchance your audio files in any way (they are basic-mastered here to sound properly on our handmade process - just that)

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cleaning beevinyl records

lathe cuts can be cleaned using super-soft dry cloth only, e.g. like microfibre. liquid record cleaners can damage them (they will start to crackle)

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how long does it take to process my order?

it depends how big is your order and how much of work we have already queued. usually booked somewhere between 1-3 weeks ahead

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i'm in a hurry. is there any special price for a "rush job"?

sometimes we can work overhours/at night - but the price will go up. click here for more information

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can you design my cover/label art?

no, sorry! we are providing templates and instructions for cover jackets, label stickers, inserts etc. you can find them here. of course we'll try to help you with everything (and check them after they're sent)

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can you print cover jacket only without cutting a record?

when quantity is above 10pcs (of one design/art) - yes

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can you do a splatter effect (or other i've seen on commercial pressed records)?

all these vinyl record finish variations you've probably seen are products of melting pvc in extruders prior to pressing. here, technology is way different, we don't melt different plastics to get effect done. we can do single colors, split colors, "web" effect, any abstract too, but no splatters... ask if you have any idea on your mind

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what equipment is used for sound processing/mastering/cutting?

we have all-analogue mastering setup including vintage neumann preamps, lynx hi-end converters, outboard gear from gem audio labs, tk audio and spl + telefunken m15 reference tape machine (for 1/4-inch transfers), tascam 388 (for 8-track transfers), van damme cables, b&w monitoring with cybernet monoblock amps. cutting lathe is custom made and only 100% diamond cutting stylus is used for best transcription. your recordings are prepared especially for lathe-cut technique (and it's different than standard vinyl mastering for pressing). this also means that you cannot get the mastered files, because it's done in most cases 'on the fly'. spaces between the tracks are not changed (unless you told us to do). if you want classic analog mastering for vinyl pressing or digital cd/dvd or tape or whatever, use our exclusive mastering services at www.maccamastering.com

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can you cut me a compilation with copyrighted music?

our place was created mostly for artists that want to have their music cut on vinyl. but copyright law allows anyone to make a few copies of copyrighted music you have bought before for private use only. please remember, we do not tolerate piracy, we'll also don't cut audio that consist fascist, homophobic, racist and any other bad stuff

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