That $45 lacquer disc kit really bit me in the wallet

I figured I'd try cutting direct to lacquer at home since everyone hypes it as the closest to a real master. Bought a starter kit with three blanks and a stylus for 45 bucks last month. First blank got a gouge from a speck of dust I didn't see. Second one sounded like a warped 78 with all this wow and flutter, probably my cutting speed being off. Third one actually cut clean but the playback wore it down after like 10 plays, which I guess is normal but still hurts. Now I'm looking at pressing instead, but that needs a whole setup on top. So 45 bucks basically bought me a lesson, not a record. Has anyone had better luck with cheap lacquer blanks or should I just save up for a used record press? Or is there a middle ground with those DIY vinyl lathes people build from turntables?

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anna_carter5317d ago

That whole thing reminds me of how people buy cheap guitars thinking they'll learn faster, then quit because the strings hurt their fingers. Sometimes the gear fights you so hard you can't tell if the problem is you or the equipment. The $45 lesson probably taught you more about cutting than a $600 setup would have, honestly. But yeah, the math on this hobby is brutal because every upgrade just reveals the next weak link. Middle ground exists with those DIY lathes but they're finicky in their own way, and you'll likely sink another hundred bucks into tweaking it. Seems like this craft punishes people who want results without the patience or the budget for the real tools.