HiFi Stereo Cut Records
Medium-Fi Mono Embossed Records
Tapes
And More...
What is Lathe-cut vinyl?
A lathe-cut vinyl record is made by cutting your music directly into a blank record in real time, one at a time–rather than mass producing copies at a pressing plant. This makes it perfect for short runs, faster turnaround, and lower upfront costs. The result is a unique, one-of-a-kind record that looks, sounds, and feels like a brand new vinyl.
What is THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMBOSSED AND HIFI CUT RECORDS?
Embossed records are made by pushing the groove into the record as opposed to cutting it out. This results in a mono and medium-fi sound quality and a more budget friendly option due to the materials and process used. We emboss our records on the legendary Presto 6N record lathe, an industry standard for the highest quality embossed records.
Hifi cut records are made by cutting the groove out. The result is outstanding, with a full sonic range and stereo image. We cut our records on high end modern record lathes using top quality blanks and cutting styli.
Contact us
Give us a shout, we’re happy to answer any questions and concerns for you. Let’s bring your music back into the physical world!
Short Run Lathe-Cuts
Testimonials
T.V.O.D.
Had a great experience with On the Fly Records, we cut 50 records and the quality and consistency was amazing!
F.A.Q.
Things to know
Pros
- Faster turnaround. Pressing plants are always very backed up as there are few out there, so you’ll be waiting 3-6 months before your records are done. We can get you your small batch with a 3-6 week turnaround.
- Cheaper than pressing. I buy all my materials in bulk so that I can provide the lowest cost for each record. No one wants to have to sell a 7” record for $25 just to make a slight profit.
- Lathe-cuts are more unique. Each record is made one-by-one. We handcraft it all, from embossing the music onto the record, to pressing the labels on, and formatting your art onto a quality record jacket.
Cons
- Mono vs. Stereo. For the time being, we can only cut in mono as stereo cutterheads are too expensive and require more maintenance, which will jack up the price of each record. But again, don’t be a brat. Mono is dope and most of your friends won’t even tell the difference.
- Med-fi vs. Hi-fi. Our machines provide a solid frequency range of 30hz-15khz. We know you love the super airy, crispy sound of 16khz and up, but Spotify compresses most of that out anyways. So once again, your friends won’t even tell the difference.
- Low volume. Embossing will provide a lower output. But not to worry, the noise floor of our records is still significantly low, even when the speakers are pumped. So just bump that volume knob to 11 if you want it loud.
I am a lathe cut record.
This means I am one of a kind!
Here are some guidelines
to get the best sound out of me:
- Drop your needle manually into my grooves. With lathe-cuts, sometimes the needle doesn’t fall exactly into the groove, which can cause slight distortion, skipping, or volume cutting in/out. If you hear any of this, just give your needle a lil’ nudge.
- Turn me up! Lathe-Cuts have shallower grooves than pressed records, so you might need to crank the volume knob a little more than normal.
- Enjoy my warm, medium-fi quality. I won’t sound like the original, but I am unique and handcrafted, just for you!
We painstakingly cut each record in real-time (and at times will do half-speed mastering), that beinng said we still can turn over 50 records with the works (record cut, stickers stamped, jackets printed, ready & assembled) in 2-4 weeks. This estimate may vary slightly depending on how busy we are. But we work late!