General FAQs

  • Why Vinyl Groove?

    Vinyl Groove is an exciting business that came about by people who simply love the warm, clear sound of vinyl records. The only media that has and will always stand the test of time.
    Whilst tape cassettes and (even) CD format have come and gone, sales in vinyl format remain steady and if not slightly stronger than once were. The reason behind this is because the sound is so distinctive it cannot be replicated via digital.
    Our team of professionals will take ANY genre of music; master and tailor the best sound for it to be cut to vinyl format.
    We use only the best mixture of Hardware and Software for all music, which will guarantee a nice loud, but very clear replication onto vinyl record.

  • What vinyl sizes do you cut?

    We can cut all vinyl sizes – 7, 10, 12" at 33 and 45 rpm! All our records are 2mm (180gr) PVC, but we can cut flexi-discs, coloured or thinner on request.

  • What genres of music do you cut to vinyl?

    All genres can be cut to record. We have cut for new and professional artists, bands, djs, Jukeboxes, Demos. Genres include and not limited to: Drum and Bass, Rock, Blues, Electronica – Hard and Chill, Hip Hop, Techno Loop discs, Scratch dub plates, Timecode vinyls. Any we didn't list ? Ask us – were here to assist and love new challenges !

  • How is the cutting process done?

    The cutting process is quite intense and technical. We run the tracks through our mastering tools to get an idea of equalization, Stereo width, any noise and essing. We then adjust and/or recommend any further mastering prior to cutting. All tracks get a proper listening to before any cutting is started. We will inform if there is any problem. Once you are happy, we run them through our special vinyl hardware which converts digital to nice warm analogue! The vinyl is warmed slightly using lamps, we then put the diamond cutter down and the music feeds into the diamond, cutting a groove with music into the once blank vinyl! Its actually a really cool thing to see, ask us about capturing the process on video and photos for you as a momentum of your music being cut. Were happy to help.

  • What is the quality like/lifetime?

    The quality of our vinyl is nothing short of awesome. For the cheap cost and fact that we can do small runs, there really is no comparison. Some vinyl presses require orders in the thousands, of the same track. We can cut anything from one to one hundred. As scratch plates they will take a beating, (if a proper scratch needle is used.)
    Audio Durability Loop Test (Click link to hear audio quality)
    AFTER 1 PLAY
    AFTER 10 PLAYS
    AFTER 100 PLAYS
    AFTER 1,000 PLAYS
    AFTER 10,000 PLAYS

  • Are they loud? Clear? Crisp?

    The loudness and clarity of the tracks that we cut really is dependent on the source material, however we try our very best to master them so they sound their very best. If we cannot work with a track, we will let you know. And give you options to fix it. We can offer further mastering at a very reasonable price.

  • What music formats do you require to cut the record?

    We can cut any audio file type, be it an iPhone voice recording to a proper studio mastered file.
    Cutting from CDs, Old vinyl restorations, Cassettes and DAT tapes is no problems.

    Preferred audio file format would be Aiff or wav in the highest sample rate possible.

    With regards to mp3, we can cut them, but would prefer higher quality audio files.
    If you are going to send us mp3, please make sure they are at least 320kbps and not over compressed.

  • Why do you have set audio times for vinyl cutting?

    Simply put, louder, longer music will take up more groove on the vinyl. We can cut longer than the suggested times below, however we must reduce the overall volume of the audio for it to fit.
    We prefer mastered tracks to have a headroom of 3db. Try to avoid maximising plugins.

    We suggest the following audio times:

    • 7" up to 4 mins
    • 10" up to 6 mins
    • 12" up to 7 mins
    • 12" EP up to 17 mins
    • LP up to 20 mins

  • What size vinyl is right for me?

    This is a very individual thing.
    It does depend on the length and type of music. Heres our recommendation:

    • 7" - Bands, Reggae, Soul, R&B, Pop, Rock music
    • 10" - shorter electronic music, dub and reggae
    • 12" - Electronic music, Hip Hop, Drum & Bass
    • 12" EP/LP - Albums/Compilations

    12" will always sound better than the smaller plates. Quieter tracks should always be toward the middle of the vinyl. Louder tracks on the outer grooves.

  • Do you cut other colour discs? Picture discs?

    We are able to cut all different colours/shades of vinyl. Black, clear, blue, green, white and even picture discs with an image of your choice! Check our website for photos and examples of how cool they look.

  • What image quality is needed for picture disc and centre labels?

    When sending us images for both the picture discs and the centre labels, please adhere to the following rules: Ideally Hi Res .JPG at 300dpi to scale (300mm) Round. File types we accept . - PDF / .EPS / .PSD /AI / JPG We have a template that is on our website that will help you make sure that your art is centered and you will not lose your graphics. Please understand that we are not graphic designers, we are here to cut vinyl not perform miracles in regards to artwork. If it is a problem, we would highly recommend seeing a graphic designer to make your labels and picture discs look their very best. We can offer you the advise that you require.

  • How long will my order take?

    We have a very quick turnover, once invoices are paid and money is cleared and we have the tracks, we get straight in and master the tracks ready for vinyl. Sometimes however, we may be quite busy and longer than usual waiting times may occur. We tell our customers this before the order and pay invoices, its only fair. Cutting times of around a week are normal.

  • Questions about Postage? Bulk order discounts?

    Postal conditions may alter the speed at which you receive the parcel. We cannot accept responsibility for the postage system. We highly recommend insuring and tracking your orders. We cant take responsibility for lost/damaged vinyl due to postage. Please ask us for a quote before ordering and we will be happy to discuss postage options with you further.

  • Why do you charge for 8 mins per side? Can I get more music than 8 mins?

    Our cutting diamond has a life span. It wears down and needs re-sharpening after a certain amount of cutting hours. We have formulated a rate per minute at which we base our prices from. We have come up with a standard being 8 minutes of audio per side. Of course that does mean we cant cut more than that, quite the opposite, with cutting times of up to 25 minutes dependent on the type of music, loudness, bass volume. As we are cutting more and wearing the diamond, there must be an extra charge for tracks over 8 minutes long. We will discuss this with you.

  • Does vinyl require special mastering? What is provided?

    Vinyl does require a specialist mastering studio, however most home producer/mastering hobbyist will be able to perform these at home using software only. We actually prefer the producer to master his or her own tracks, because we feel that this is a part of your music creation.

  • Are your vinyls acetate dub plates?

    No. An acetate is a disc made from Aluminium and a layer of soft laquer. A sapphire cuts the audio onto the acetate disc. These are generally used as tester for mass record pressing.
    They do not last long and are not suitable for scratching at all.
    Our discs are made from PVC which is harder, and we use a diamond to cut the grooves. What that means is that our plates will last a very long time, up to 10,000 plays and can be scratched for many years.