Lowell's Comic Strip


Lowell is the artist that does all the Aardvark Aartwork.

24 years of Aardvarkulating

News
Panic in the nickel market

If you want your source material returned,
please add ret to your order.

Additional charges may apply for
editing of master tapes

Optional Reference Lacquers with mastering orders:
7" r7
10" r10
12" r12

To automatically generate a quote, use our Quote Calculator. This can be handy when dealing with multiple masterings, orders with reference lacquers, or when paying via Pay Pal.

Dub Plates Customers, please see the Dub Plate page. The Shipping and handling charge is per order, not per record. If two records or more records are being ordered together, include only one $25 fee for shipping and handling.

The mastering and plating charges are per record, not per side. Plating is two step. Please understand that you will be charged for replacement plates if the pressing plant requires additional plates. In most cases, if plates break, they will be replaced at no charge. My plater guarantees stampers for the first run of up to 1000 records.

If the stampers should break on a re-order, the replacement of the stampers will be at the customer's expense. Changing color on a first order may require the stampers to be moved to another press. Only the first 1000 records on the first press will be guaranteed. If the stamper should break when moved to another press, the replacement stampers will be at the customer's expense.

Reference Lacquers are a good way to tell how well your songs will transfer to vinyl. Also DJs use reference lacquers to preview their songs in clubs to see if the record is worth the expense of pressing. There is no additional shipping charge for Reference Lacquers.

Aardvark Record Mastering
4485 Utica Street
Denver, CO 80212
(303) 455-1908

Aardvark has an arrangement with Mastercraft Electroplating. We will arrange plating and have the stampers shipped to the US or Canadian pressing plant of your choice.

Including Two Step Plating
Effective effectDate
Seven InchTwelve/Ten Inch
Lacquer Mastering
Both Sides		m7m12
Plating
Both Sides		p7p12
Shipping/Handlingss
Totalm7+p7+sm12+p12+s

One Step Plating: We offer, but discourage, doing your project with One Step plating. With One Step plating, no mother plates are made. There is no way to make additional stampers without remastering the project. The precautions are as follows:
  1. There is no guarantee concerning the life of the plates. This includes breakage at the plant.
  2. All problems concerning skipping and noise on a one step project must be reported to Aardvark within 45 days of mastering. The lacquers are discarded after 45 days, and therefore no tracing of errors are possible. Full price for re-mastering and plating will apply after 45 days of mastering.
  3. No stampers can be re-ordered on a one step process.
Including One Step Plating
Effective effectDate
Seven InchTwelve/Ten Inch
Lacquer Mastering
Both Sides		m7m12
Plating
Both Sides		po7po12
Shippingss
Totalm7+po7+sm12+po12+s
Aardvark will ship your master lacquers to the US or Canadian plater of your choice.
Mastering Only Effective effectDate
Seven InchTwelve/Ten Inch
Lacquer Mastering
Both Sides		m7m12
Shipping/Handlingss
Totalm7+sm12+s

Time Per Side Reference
SevenTenTwelve
45 Loud3 mins6-1/2 mins10 mins
45 Normal4 mins8 mins12 mins
45 OK4-1/2 mins9-1/2 mins14 mins
45 Quiet7 mins12 mins17-1/2 mins
45 max I've done9 minsN/AN/A
33 Loud4-1/2 mins9 mins13 mins
33 Normal6 mins11 mins15-1/2 mins
33 OK7-1/2 mins13 mins18-1/2 mins
33 Quiet8-1/2 mins16 mins23 mins
33 max I've done13 minsN/A37 mins
 Click here to get a more detailed explaination of cutting times.
Click here for details on seven inch records.

I have cut longer than suggested times. A lot has to do with the levels of bass for the amount that can fit loudly at a given speed. Distortion tends to happen in the high end, so music with a lot of high end will be cut quieter to avoid this distortion. I try not to compress the music, but occasionally, I will limit the extreme peaks.

Dance club music is usually heavy in bass and should stay at about 12:30 on a 12" record, and 9:15 mins for a 10" at 33. Dance club customers, please see the Dub Plate page. The same rules apply for mastering dance music.

Turnaround time is about 3 to 5 weeks from when we receive your tape to plates delivered to the pressing plant. It usually takes about a week to ten days to cut your order, then another two to three weeks to process the plates. To see our current backlog, see the Status of Recent Projects page.

When Placing an Order Include:
  1. Size and Speed of the record
  2. The Matrix Number
  3. The Destination Pressing Plant
    If you are having the stamper plates shipped somewhere other than your pressing plant, be aware that this may slow down the process. Additionally, we cannot verify claims for any damage to the stamper plates.
  4. Timed List of Selections for Each Side of the Record
  5. E-Mail and Phone Numbers where you can be reached Including Weekends
  6. Any Messages to be Written in the "Wax" in the Center of the Record
  7. Payment (prices above). Check or Money Order. Pay Pal is available. Use our Quote Calculator for details.

You may print out a simple order form here
or
You may fill out an electronic order form here

We would prefer too much information rather than not enough.

Additional Weirdness:

Inside out cuts: Record starts at the middle, plays to the edge. No additional charges, Let us know if you want the needle to lock, or fall off the edge of the record when done playing.

Double Grooves: Two distinct tracks recorded interlaced. Times have to be equal for each groove, and each selection must be half the length of a loud cut. Extra charge of dg7/side for 7", dg12/side for 10/12".

Locked Grooves: Groove that intentionally repeat every turn of the record. Time for a lock is 1.8 seconds at 33, and 1.3333 seconds at 45. The is no extra charge for up to 4 per record. The charges are lg per lock over the initial 4 above the standard mastering charges. Remember that locks are tricky, and we can't guarantee that they will all be 100% perfect. It is preferred that the tracks are sent as .WAV files exactly 1.8 seconds long for 33rpm, and 1.3333 seconds for 45rpm.

One Sided Records Not that this is a weirdness, but sometimes folks just want one side to press.

Effective effectDate
One SidersSeven InchTwelve/Ten Inch
Lacquer Masteringm7/2m12/2
Two Step Platingp7/2p12/2
Shippingss
Totalm7/2+p7/2+sm12/2+p12/2+s
If the other side is blank, you may have a charge from the pressing plant for a blank stamper. Check with them. If you want the flip side to be exactly the same as the first, we can provide a second stamper to accommodate this. The charge for the second stamper is st. If the second stamper is ordered after the mastering, there will be a stShip shipping charge.

Aardvark assumes no liability for loss or damage of your master tapes. It is always wise to make a safety master before sending your order. Aardvark also will not be held responsible for licensing or copyrights, or infringements thereof.

Pressing Plants and Other Resources

Procedures for making a record

Scully Westrex

Photos of the process

 Record Plating

The plating process


Status of Recent Cutting Projects


Send a message to the Aardvark crew.