EP 17 - Amy Dragon on Mastering and Manufacturing Vinyl in 2022
06/13/22 • 105 min
Taram EP 17 - Amy Dragon
Welcome back to the Truth About Recording And Mixing.
After returning her social workers license with a note saying “don’t call”, Amy Dragon made her way to Portland OR pursuing her love of music to find a new career. She is now digital mastering engineer and vinyl cutting engineer at Telegraph Mastering and was also for many years the general manager at Cascade Record Pressing as they were getting their plant up and running. In this episode we talk about the process of making a vinyl record from start to finish and Amy’s in-depth knowledge and natural curiosity makes for a fun and educational listen.
The Truth About Recording And Mixing is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal from Crackle & Pop! Studio in Ballard Washington and is supported by Izotope. Get 10% off any Izotope product by going to their website and using the code FRET10 on checkout.
Topics covered:
0:00 Welcome back!
1:00 TARAM will be at the Fretboard Summit Aug 25 through 27.
2:00 This podcast was recorded using a Universal Audio Apollo Twin and Cleanfeed.com and edited using UA’s LUNA DAW.
3:25 Welcome Amy Dragon. Early days moving around the country, college and early career as a social worker.
12:30 Moving out to Portland and finding new opportunities. Meeting Adam Gonsolves of Telegraph Mastering and starting an apprenticeship there. Telegraph’s history and growth.
17:20 Working with the Scully lathe as compared to the upgraded Neumann VMS70. Finishing up her apprenticeship become a full fledged mastering engineer.
24:40 Working at Cascade Record Pressing as they were starting up the pressing plant. Refurbishing vintage record presses and figuring it all out! Getting a pressing plant up to capacity.
34:00 Leaving Cascade to pursue a full time freelance position as a mastering engineer.
36:20 Walk us through the steps involved in making a vinyl record from the point where mixes are done to having product in hand. Cutting a proper lacquer and the challenges therein.
43:45 Electroforming and making stampers.
46:45 Direct to metal mastering.
47:45 Stampers arrive at the pressing plant. Next up, test pressings. What happens when there are problems with the test pressings. And what are common problems? Non-fill, regrind ratio, dishing, centerhole is off, walking, warping...
01:00:00 Our test pressing is approved, now moving forward with the actual production run. Issues that can occur in this phase of the process. Quality control processes at Cascade Pressing.
01:04:45 How is mastering for vinyl different from mastering for digital? Working with the physical limitations of the vinyl groove and the cutting head.
01:17:00 What questions should a band or artist be asking when looking to make a vinyl record?
01:22:30 Are new presses an advantage?
01:26:30 Should one ask for a test acetate?
01:28:30 Why does it take so long currently to make a record? Apollo Masters fire, pandemic, supply chain issues, helium shortage, a perfect storm.
01:34:00 Teaching, outreach & getting more women into audio!
01:39:00 What’s coming up? Independent Mastering Conference in Portland 2022. Helping out at Soursound Transformers.
Taram EP 17 - Amy Dragon
Welcome back to the Truth About Recording And Mixing.
After returning her social workers license with a note saying “don’t call”, Amy Dragon made her way to Portland OR pursuing her love of music to find a new career. She is now digital mastering engineer and vinyl cutting engineer at Telegraph Mastering and was also for many years the general manager at Cascade Record Pressing as they were getting their plant up and running. In this episode we talk about the process of making a vinyl record from start to finish and Amy’s in-depth knowledge and natural curiosity makes for a fun and educational listen.
The Truth About Recording And Mixing is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal from Crackle & Pop! Studio in Ballard Washington and is supported by Izotope. Get 10% off any Izotope product by going to their website and using the code FRET10 on checkout.
Topics covered:
0:00 Welcome back!
1:00 TARAM will be at the Fretboard Summit Aug 25 through 27.
2:00 This podcast was recorded using a Universal Audio Apollo Twin and Cleanfeed.com and edited using UA’s LUNA DAW.
3:25 Welcome Amy Dragon. Early days moving around the country, college and early career as a social worker.
12:30 Moving out to Portland and finding new opportunities. Meeting Adam Gonsolves of Telegraph Mastering and starting an apprenticeship there. Telegraph’s history and growth.
17:20 Working with the Scully lathe as compared to the upgraded Neumann VMS70. Finishing up her apprenticeship become a full fledged mastering engineer.
24:40 Working at Cascade Record Pressing as they were starting up the pressing plant. Refurbishing vintage record presses and figuring it all out! Getting a pressing plant up to capacity.
34:00 Leaving Cascade to pursue a full time freelance position as a mastering engineer.
36:20 Walk us through the steps involved in making a vinyl record from the point where mixes are done to having product in hand. Cutting a proper lacquer and the challenges therein.
43:45 Electroforming and making stampers.
46:45 Direct to metal mastering.
47:45 Stampers arrive at the pressing plant. Next up, test pressings. What happens when there are problems with the test pressings. And what are common problems? Non-fill, regrind ratio, dishing, centerhole is off, walking, warping...
01:00:00 Our test pressing is approved, now moving forward with the actual production run. Issues that can occur in this phase of the process. Quality control processes at Cascade Pressing.
01:04:45 How is mastering for vinyl different from mastering for digital? Working with the physical limitations of the vinyl groove and the cutting head.
01:17:00 What questions should a band or artist be asking when looking to make a vinyl record?
01:22:30 Are new presses an advantage?
01:26:30 Should one ask for a test acetate?
01:28:30 Why does it take so long currently to make a record? Apollo Masters fire, pandemic, supply chain issues, helium shortage, a perfect storm.
01:34:00 Teaching, outreach & getting more women into audio!
01:39:00 What’s coming up? Independent Mastering Conference in Portland 2022. Helping out at Soursound Transformers.
Previous Episode
Ep 16 - Scott Bomar
Welcome back to the Truth About Recording And Mixing.
In this episode we talk to Scott Bomar of Electrophonic Recording and now the studio manager at Sam Phillips in Memphis TN. Scott came up in Memphis with the band Impala and has had a long career in both recording and creating music for film. His current band the Bo Keys is a collaboration with many Memphis greats past and present. He has worked at Doug Easley Recording, Ardent, Royal, Sam Phillips and continues to carry on the proud tradition of Memphis music making.
The Truth About Recording And Mixing is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal from Crackle & Pop! Studio in Ballard Washington and is supported by Izotope. Get 10% off any Izotope product by going to their website and using the code FRET10 on checkout.
Topics in this episode:
01:20 - The Fretboard Journal announces their Fretboard Summit Aug 25-27 at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago this summer. The Truth About Recording and Mixing will be there!
02:20 - Send us your questions for Mark Greenberg, manager of the Wilco Loft!
03:05 - Listener question from Jeff in Ohio.
04:50 - Welcome Scott Bomar - what’s happening now. Moving Electraphonic into the Sam Phillips Recording building and taking on being studio manager there.
08:15 - Scott’s path coming up in bands and in studios. His band Impala, working at Doug Easley, recording with Roland Janes at Sam Phillips.
19:20 - More on the history and the setup at Sam Phillips Recording.
26:40 - Forming the Bo Keys and working with Willie Mitchell at Royal Studios. Become assistant engineer under Willie at Royal. Assisting on Al Green’s “comeback albums”.
31:55 - The next chapters at Sam Phillips recording. Keeping the huge collection of incredible equipment maintained and available to the studios clients.
37:55 - the history of Electraphonic Recording.
43:45 - Recording strings at Royal Studios
45:45 - Scott’s tips for recording drums & horns. Working with Howard Grimes.
49:50 - Working with singer and writer Don Bryant.
61:05 - Upcoming projects - a solo record in the works.
62:44 - Getting into making music for film, Hustle & Flow and what that led to.
75:55 - Why Spectra Sonics? Scott’s experiences and the console that will now be installed at Sam Phillips.
88:55 - Impala recording at Conrad Uno’s Egg Studio.
93:26 - Thanks everyone! And a special request for submissions.
Gear Mentioned:
RCA 77s, Neumann U47, U48, Neumann Lathe, Universal Audio 176, Universal Audio 101 preamps, Scully, Spectra Sonics, Electrodyne, Studer, Pultec EQ.
Next Episode
Ep 18 - Mark Greenberg on Managing the Wilco Loft
Welcome back to the Truth About Recording And Mixing.
Mark Greenberg has been in the Wilco family from back before there was a Wilco. Now he manages and engineers records at Wilco’s Chicago recording studio The Loft. From his time in the band the Coctails to his role as the “everything guy” at Lounge Ax to leading the composer collective Mayfair Workshop and to his current role in Eleventh Dream Day, Mark is a part of the musical fabric of the city. This hilarious and heartwarming conversation sheds a little light on why.
The Truth About Recording And Mixing is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal from Crackle & Pop! Studio in Ballard Washington and is supported by Izotope. Get 10% off any Izotope product by going to their website and using the code FRET10 on checkout.
Topics covered:
0:00:00 Welcome back! Also ... we’re going to Chicago!
0:02:25 Welcome Mark Greenberg! Mark’s early years learning instruments, starting bands, going to art school, and starting the Coctails. Chicago in the '90s.
0:08:00 Lounge Ax!
0:11:00 The Coctails and how that led to making “music for use”. Starting the Marfair Workshop - a multi-composer workshop.
0:19:45 Getting involved with the Loft. Being called in last minute to work on Jeff’s first record with Mavis Staples.
0:24:00 The Loft - how’s it set up? How does it work? How do they keep all those instruments functioning? Using tape?
0:30:30 Listener question about the Loft and the philosophy of having an open plan studio.
0:32:30 And Zoom froze! ;-)
0:35:00 Pops Staples' final album. Stripping back the layers and rebuilding it from Pops up.
0:40:00 Wilco on the Road & what happens at the studio when Jeff Tweedy is out of town. More about the gear at the Loft & the gear that goes out on the road with the band.
0:45:00 New guitar builders, pedals, amps. Recording gear at the studio. The Neve console that once belonged to Sheryl Crow.
0:55:00 On the value of being ready for a session.
0:57:30 Solid Sound and MASS MoCA!
01:01:40 Eleventh Dream Day and making music now as compared to “then”.
01:12:00 The Wilco organization and why it works so well. Mindful leadership from the top down.
01:19:00 Scott McCaughey - Down with Wilco!
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