In some of my posts, I have mentioned direct-to-disc recordings. Just like the article I wrote on half-speed mastered LPs, this one will help define what direct-to-disc recordings are, and their benefits and drawbacks.
Picture a gramophone. Only, turn the process around. The horn collects the sound and moves a steel needle on the end of it. The needle is placed onto a flat wax disc, moved across the surface, and a groove is cut in a long spiral across the disc. This is how our earliest records were cut. If you ever see reference to "acoustic 78s," this refers to the recording method where a performer or orchestra played into a horn, which cut the grooves directly to the wax disc. These, in essence, were direct-to-disc recordings. The studios did not use wire or tape to record the performances beforehand.
As technology changed and recording equipment became popular, the recording sequence changed to where a performance would be recorded on tape, then cut to a disc on a cutting lathe. If you see reference to "electronic 78s," that is the era when 78 RPM records were being cut from tape as opposed to acoustically cut. (For collectors and owners of gramophones, they know that they may only play acoustic 78s on their players, as the playback mechanism cannot handle the increased demands of electrically-produced 78s.)
Fast forward to the mid to late 70s. Audiophiles were often fed up with varying pressing quality of mass market records. From dulled sound to excessive noise, the records were of passable quality and seemingly getting worse by the year. Not only that, playback equipment was improving continuously, and listeners were anxious for better recordings. There had to be an answer.
Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, once a purveyor of high fidelity sound effect and train recordings, licensed three popular titles from MCA Records and cut them to vinyl at half speed (halving both the speed of the tape and the cutting lathe), improving headroom and transients due to the lowered demands on the cutting head. The records then were pressed on what they called virgin vinyl--no recycled content. And in Mobile Fidelity's case, the vinyl was stiffer and cleaner than mass market records, and the result was a lowered background noise.
Another very popular, but short-lived, phenomenon was direct-to-disc records. While they were cut on similar vinyl, production of the records differed from standard techniques. Bypassing tape entirely, the session was recorded straight from the mixing console to the cutting lathe.
The sound of these discs would range from very good to amazing. Free of any compression, many of the transients clipped off in taping would be preserved on disc, as would dynamic range. For sound quality, they were a win/win proposition. And due to having only one lacquer disc to produce stampers from, the editions of direct-to-disc records were limited. At some sessions, a 30-inch-per-second tape machine would run simultaneously, which is how some of these titles were able to be reissued on CD years later.
There were minor drawbacks to direct-to-disc recordings, however. Nothing really detracted from the end user's listening experience, but the drawbacks were found on the production and performing end.
Due to the nature of direct-to-disc recording, the performers had to cut an entire side of a record all at once, in real time. As listeners, we notice this by the lengthy timing between tracks--it is several seconds longer than we are used to. But for the performers, it could be harrowing. If someone flubbed the last note of the last tune on the side, the entire lacquer master would need to be scrapped and a new one started.
This put pressure on the musicians as well. Because they knew that their mistakes could not be edited out, many of them gave stiff, safe performances, sticking to the tried and true without taking any chances. As a result, the performances on some of the releases could sound a bit uninspired or lacking energy. Especially in larger bands, nobody wanted to be that person who caused an expensive lacquer master to be scrapped, and also not be the reason the band had to perform the entire side again.
Back when direct-to-disc was all the rage, there were a handful of labels that specialized in it, and major record labels did not get involved. (Unlike half-speed mastering, which some labels like Columbia, MCA, A&M and others dabbled in with mixed results.) The big names of the day were Sheffield Labs, Realtime Records, Nautilus, Reference Recordings, and a few others. Most of their releases became instant collectibles and remain valuable to this day. Luckily, some have been preserved on tape as well, and there are CD reissues of these titles available.
Have you ever heard or owned any direct-to-disc records? Let us know in the comments below.
Picture a gramophone. Only, turn the process around. The horn collects the sound and moves a steel needle on the end of it. The needle is placed onto a flat wax disc, moved across the surface, and a groove is cut in a long spiral across the disc. This is how our earliest records were cut. If you ever see reference to "acoustic 78s," this refers to the recording method where a performer or orchestra played into a horn, which cut the grooves directly to the wax disc. These, in essence, were direct-to-disc recordings. The studios did not use wire or tape to record the performances beforehand.As technology changed and recording equipment became popular, the recording sequence changed to where a performance would be recorded on tape, then cut to a disc on a cutting lathe. If you see reference to "electronic 78s," that is the era when 78 RPM records were being cut from tape as opposed to acoustically cut. (For collectors and owners of gramophones, they know that they may only play acoustic 78s on their players, as the playback mechanism cannot handle the increased demands of electrically-produced 78s.)
Fast forward to the mid to late 70s. Audiophiles were often fed up with varying pressing quality of mass market records. From dulled sound to excessive noise, the records were of passable quality and seemingly getting worse by the year. Not only that, playback equipment was improving continuously, and listeners were anxious for better recordings. There had to be an answer.Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, once a purveyor of high fidelity sound effect and train recordings, licensed three popular titles from MCA Records and cut them to vinyl at half speed (halving both the speed of the tape and the cutting lathe), improving headroom and transients due to the lowered demands on the cutting head. The records then were pressed on what they called virgin vinyl--no recycled content. And in Mobile Fidelity's case, the vinyl was stiffer and cleaner than mass market records, and the result was a lowered background noise.
Another very popular, but short-lived, phenomenon was direct-to-disc records. While they were cut on similar vinyl, production of the records differed from standard techniques. Bypassing tape entirely, the session was recorded straight from the mixing console to the cutting lathe.
The sound of these discs would range from very good to amazing. Free of any compression, many of the transients clipped off in taping would be preserved on disc, as would dynamic range. For sound quality, they were a win/win proposition. And due to having only one lacquer disc to produce stampers from, the editions of direct-to-disc records were limited. At some sessions, a 30-inch-per-second tape machine would run simultaneously, which is how some of these titles were able to be reissued on CD years later.
There were minor drawbacks to direct-to-disc recordings, however. Nothing really detracted from the end user's listening experience, but the drawbacks were found on the production and performing end.
Due to the nature of direct-to-disc recording, the performers had to cut an entire side of a record all at once, in real time. As listeners, we notice this by the lengthy timing between tracks--it is several seconds longer than we are used to. But for the performers, it could be harrowing. If someone flubbed the last note of the last tune on the side, the entire lacquer master would need to be scrapped and a new one started. This put pressure on the musicians as well. Because they knew that their mistakes could not be edited out, many of them gave stiff, safe performances, sticking to the tried and true without taking any chances. As a result, the performances on some of the releases could sound a bit uninspired or lacking energy. Especially in larger bands, nobody wanted to be that person who caused an expensive lacquer master to be scrapped, and also not be the reason the band had to perform the entire side again.
Back when direct-to-disc was all the rage, there were a handful of labels that specialized in it, and major record labels did not get involved. (Unlike half-speed mastering, which some labels like Columbia, MCA, A&M and others dabbled in with mixed results.) The big names of the day were Sheffield Labs, Realtime Records, Nautilus, Reference Recordings, and a few others. Most of their releases became instant collectibles and remain valuable to this day. Luckily, some have been preserved on tape as well, and there are CD reissues of these titles available.
Have you ever heard or owned any direct-to-disc records? Let us know in the comments below.
