Apollo Masters Burned Down

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I'm Painting Again
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Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by I'm Painting Again » Sat Feb 08, 2020 10:46 am

https://pitchfork.com/news/devastating- ... rd-supply/

I hear they produced 90% of the world's lacquers ?!

if you're on any gigs destined for vinyl best look into the issue

sad

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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by floid » Sat Feb 08, 2020 1:31 pm

This is potentially very bad. As I understand it, their Japanese "competition" is a one man operation, so not much hope of picking up much slack there.
But on the flip side, with the vinyl resurgence there's been a lot of investment in all the downstream aspects - there are more cutting, electroplating, and pressing operations. And the demand means there are more turntable manufacturers, the reappearance of physical music shops, etc - my hometown went over a decade without a music store of any kind before someone recently opened a vinyl only store that seems to do a respectable amount of business. So I wonder if the combination of demand and investment will help motivate some to tool up for lacquer and cutting stylus production.
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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by kslight » Sat Feb 08, 2020 2:12 pm

TBH there seems to be a few very specialized niche trade skills like this. Another one I think about, anyone using reel to reels...some day JRF will probably retire?

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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by losthighway » Sat Feb 08, 2020 9:34 pm

Can someone clarify for me.

The first time this was brought to my attention it was described as, "Oh know. This was the main company that cut vinyl masters. There will be no one left to do it." And I was like, "I know two other great companies who've done it for me. One is in my town."

But then someone else was saying that this company actually supplies the raw materials to everyone who manufactures in the U.S.

What's the real deal?

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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by drumsound » Sun Feb 09, 2020 8:43 am

losthighway wrote:
Sat Feb 08, 2020 9:34 pm
Can someone clarify for me.

The first time this was brought to my attention it was described as, "Oh know. This was the main company that cut vinyl masters. There will be no one left to do it." And I was like, "I know two other great companies who've done it for me. One is in my town."

But then someone else was saying that this company actually supplies the raw materials to everyone who manufactures in the U.S.

What's the real deal?
Yes, they supply the blanks. What the people who are cutting masters put onto the lathe.

--

A friend of mine has a couple months worth from the Japanese company. In one article I saw it said the Japanese company isn't taking on new clients.

A speculation about Apollo is that California EPA regulations may make it very difficult for them to rebuild. Its going to be a rough year (or more) for those making physical records.

My guess is Jack White or Chris Mara will at least try to figure out how to start producing lacquers.

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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by markjazzbassist » Sun Feb 09, 2020 11:42 am

bad news for vinyl collectors. great news for proponents of the Cassette format.

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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by floid » Sun Feb 09, 2020 12:31 pm

drumsound wrote:
Sun Feb 09, 2020 8:43 am
My guess is Jack White or Chris Mara will at least try to figure out how to start producing lacquers.
Mara just expanded his electroplating operation, so I would imagine he has incentive.

I do wonder about DMM facilities and the small lathe cutting operations. As I understand it, these are generally lower quality products, but perhaps they'll fill the void for a while? Or are they too dependent on the Apollo styli?
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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by losthighway » Sun Feb 09, 2020 8:00 pm

I hear DMM when done correctly is actually a superior method. Also that there's no one in the U.S. who can do it.

I've just checked in with a cutting room and they said, expect long delays waiting for Japanese lacquers in high demand to reach engineers here in the states. I think right now is a rush to find anyone who had a better stock of lacquers on their shelf and hasn't gone through them yet.

We have a 7 inch single that's burning a whole in our pocket, and it's a race to figure out who can actually cut it.

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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by drumsound » Sun Feb 09, 2020 10:12 pm

floid wrote:
Sun Feb 09, 2020 12:31 pm
drumsound wrote:
Sun Feb 09, 2020 8:43 am
My guess is Jack White or Chris Mara will at least try to figure out how to start producing lacquers.
Mara just expanded his electroplating operation, so I would imagine he has incentive.

I do wonder about DMM facilities and the small lathe cutting operations. As I understand it, these are generally lower quality products, but perhaps they'll fill the void for a while? Or are they too dependent on the Apollo styli?
That's been running for a few years. They cut on the first floor and walk the lacquer up stairs and into the baths. Its a pretty cool system.

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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by drumsound » Sun Feb 09, 2020 10:13 pm

losthighway wrote:
Sun Feb 09, 2020 8:00 pm
I hear DMM when done correctly is actually a superior method. Also that there's no one in the U.S. who can do it.

I've just checked in with a cutting room and they said, expect long delays waiting for Japanese lacquers in high demand to reach engineers here in the states. I think right now is a rush to find anyone who had a better stock of lacquers on their shelf and hasn't gone through them yet.

We have a 7 inch single that's burning a whole in our pocket, and it's a race to figure out who can actually cut it.
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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by digitaldrummer » Mon Feb 10, 2020 7:11 am

I feel a resurgence of the CD format coming on!

said no one ever...
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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by drumsound » Tue Feb 11, 2020 6:43 am

digitaldrummer wrote:
Mon Feb 10, 2020 7:11 am
I feel a resurgence of the CD format coming on!

said no one ever...
Stranger things have happened.

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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by kslight » Tue Feb 11, 2020 9:50 am

drumsound wrote:
Tue Feb 11, 2020 6:43 am
digitaldrummer wrote:
Mon Feb 10, 2020 7:11 am
I feel a resurgence of the CD format coming on!

said no one ever...
Stranger things have happened.
I got the disc duping machine ready to sell to some hipster

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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by markjazzbassist » Tue Feb 11, 2020 10:17 am

kslight wrote:
Tue Feb 11, 2020 9:50 am
drumsound wrote:
Tue Feb 11, 2020 6:43 am
digitaldrummer wrote:
Mon Feb 10, 2020 7:11 am
I feel a resurgence of the CD format coming on!

said no one ever...
Stranger things have happened.
I got the disc duping machine ready to sell to some hipster
CD is an awful format and it's no surprise it's dying a slow death. Cassette and Vinyl will always be popular because they are Analog. Until a superior analog format is devised, it will be those 2 and whatever is the latest/greatest Digital option (which will always be changing).

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Re: Apollo Masters Burned Down

Post by winky dinglehoffer » Tue Feb 11, 2020 2:12 pm

Keep on hating the CDs, folks. That means I can scoop up even more of them at ridiculously low prices.

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