Interesting facts about vinyl

Have you always wanted to know how a record is made? or from music to groove – The journey of a real record

From music to groove – The journey of a real record

A record is more than just a music medium. It's the result of inspiration, craftsmanship, technology—and many decisions that make all the difference. Anyone who has ever experienced what a superbly produced pressing can achieve knows: vinyl is a world of its own. Here, we show you how it's created.

1. The recording – music is born

At the beginning lies the magic of the moment: musicians in the studio, the first take, perhaps an entire ensemble live on tape. Whether recorded analogue or digitally – what counts is authenticity. This is where it's decided whether a recording will later live on vinyl – or just sound.

2. The mixing – everything depends on it

Good mixing isn't a technical process, it's an art. Those working here need not only a trained ear but also a clear vision.

Because:What is overemphasized or neglected during mixing can cause problems on vinylToo much bass in the stereo width? Too much compression? Then the groove – or the sound – will suffer later. Therefore, it is crucial that the mixingSuitable for vinylis intended. And that everyone involved – musicians, mixer, mastering engineer – exchange ideas.

3. Mastering – Fine-tuning the sound

Mastering is where the sound is finally shaped. This is where it becomes clear whether the music is truly allowed to breathe. The dynamics, the layering, the interplay of frequencies—everything is fine-tuned here. This is especially challenging for vinyl:Records cannot simply be mastered like digital files.They need space, reserves, and balance. If you don't work carefully here, you risk distortion, poor cutability, or simply a flat sound.

4. The Cutting Process – Music Becomes Groove

Probably the most sensitive moment: cutting the lacquer film. A cutting head carves the music signal into a soft lacquer surface – groove by groove, in a single pass.

What happens here is final. There's no undoing.

Whoever cuts here is responsible for the entire process before– and must understand it. That's why experienced studios like Emil Berliner Studios (Berlin) or Sterling Sound (NYC) often make the difference: They know how to "read" music before it's edited.

5. Electroplating – The technical detour to series production

The lacquer foil is sensitive, so it is silver-plated and electroplated with nickel – creating a negative, the so-called"Father".

A positive result is drawn from the father:the mother"on which the grooves are visible again.

And then the mother becomes the“Stamper”produced – a negative image of the music, which later forms the vinyl mass in the press.

Each of these steps carries risks: microcracks, surface defects, poor separation – mistakes here mean rejects. Or worse: poor sound quality on hundreds of records.

6. The press shop – heat, pressure, precision

The stamper is placed in the press, the labels are inserted, a vinyl puck is placed between them, and everything is pressed under high pressure at approximately 150°C to form the record. The record then cools, is deburred, inspected, and packaged.

Sounds simple? It isn't. The quality of the press, the granulate, the temperature, the timing—everything influences the groove. And every pressing plant has its own sound fingerprint.

7. And then: music you can touch

What you are now holding in your hands is not a copy – it is a sculpture made of sound.

A small mechanical marvel, born of a thousand decisions.

When you put the needle on, you don’t just hear music –

you hear the whole way there.