Record cutting introduction

If you are unaccustomed with record cutting, it is well worth having
a look at the very well made www.aardvarkmastering.com website

we especially recommend these links:
cutting specifications	http://www.aardvarkmastering.com/cutspec.htm
riaa standards	http://www.aardvarkmastering.com/riaa.htm
ingram record plating	http://www.aardvarkmastering.com/ingram.htm
historical photos	http://www.aardvarkmastering.com/history.htm
acetate: highly flamable, watch!	http://www.aardvarkmastering.com/acetate.htm

Record cutting lathes, heads and consoles, (before it goes to the press)

its easy to find all sorts of stuff around internet!

from Edison's gramophone to Dr. No's mastering facilities.

you can also google for information about the following manufacturers and equipment.
this list is far from being comprehensive - it is some of the stuff "we" like.

Neumann AM-131 Cutting Lathe
from http://acusd.edu/gen/cutting/lathe.html
Neumann VMS-70 Cutting Lathe
from www.skyemastering.com/pictures.html
Neumann VMS-80 Cutting Lathe
"cutting monitor" from www.jtsstudio.co.uk/ pages/vmaster.htm
Neumann SP-79 Console
"... the SP 79 by Neumann is the most comprehensive and complete cutting console ever built for our taste. it contains two groups of two stereo signals: the "preview" defines the pitch control (arm carriage), and the "modulation" is the one that goes onto the lacquer through the cutterhead. the SP 79 was designed to cut lp's and huge pieces of delicate classical music. when you cut a side, you'd make the settings of the first track (eq's and compression) on the first group, and the second track settings on group n° 2, and switch to it while you cut. you'd then go back to group 1 for the third track settings, switch back to it when needed, and then to group 2 for track n° 4, and back again to group 1 for track 5, etcaetera. two groups of two stereo lines makes eight tracks, all of them loaded with the finest Neumann parametric eq's and compressors, that's a lot. a bit of a rolls royce touch..."
Neumann SP-66 Console
from http://www.centraldubs.com
Neumann SX-74 Cutting Head

Scully Cutting Lathe
this lathe can cut backwards!
Fairchild Cutting Lathe
(Manufacturer of the legendary "670 Compressor")
Rek-O-Kut Portable Cutting Lathe

Cybersonic Cutting Lathe
info here: http://www.floka.com/cuthead/lathes.html
http://www.stefanopasini.it/index--copy.htm (a reference site for EMT turntables)
Ortofon DSS-731 Cutting Head
specs here: specs here: http://www.etec.dk/disc-cutting.html
Haeco Cutting Head

Grampian Cutting Head

Westrex 3D Cutting Head

Westrex 3DIIA Cutting Head

"The Nordskog"
A small Santa Monica, CA, company operated this Nordskog phonograph-record cutting lathe during the 1920s. This machine was used to record Ted Ofry's Sunshine Band, an African American jazz band from New Orleans. The recording was the first ever made of jazz artists from the music's birthplace.
Record cutting oddities: The Bell-Bettini-Marconi-Neuman "Brutus" 5ft Cylinder
from http://www.tinfoil.com/brutus.htm in late 1901 or perhaps early 1902 Everlasting sought to create the ultimate record... To that end, Everlasting secured four industry greats - Alexander Graham Bell, Gianni Bettini, Guglielmo Marconi, and Alfred Neuman the cylinder caused several minor injuries and considerable property damage before it could be stopped. The resulting lawsuits eventually led to the dissolution of Everlasting, making it the only company shut down by a legal battle not brought on by Victor, Edison or Columbia.
Bhutan Record stamps
these are postage stamps: Some kind of a promotional thing… Maybe… Maybe not! You couldn't really play them as they were too small. From one and a half to three inch or so, any automatic turntable would lift up the arm… They are one sided and have five different recordings, some of them are musical. Never heard of Bhutan before seeing this. Their promotion action must have been working in some way! If you have any audio link for this please let us know. We'll make sure to spin it on the next rave! Anyway, here is where to buy: http://www.bhutanstamp.com
X-Ray Sound Recordings
from kevin kelly's: street use archives In the USSR and Eastern Europe in the 1950s underground night spots would play music pirated from the west. The only media they had were recorders etched into discarded X-ray film, the method became so widespread in Hungary that not only amateurs, but the Hungarian Radio made sound recordings on such recycled X-ray films