Vinyl Me Please Essentials

OK, so I have double cleaned mine - IMO gold standard, FirstRV followed by Pure2, and the fact is, the noise on side 1 at the start is there. It isn't going to go away. Left channel through headphones. Doesn't last long, but it is intrusive.

This is a pressing/manufacturing issue, not a stamper issue.

Side 2 starts out noisy too. Same, left channel.

So...for the first time, I have finally joined the club and found a defective VMP pressing.

Nice package though. I do like the original cover better, and aside from the defect, it sounds fabulous - light years better than an original. In fact, despite the defects, it is still quieter than an original can ever be.

The 'art print' is not really impressive, but I guess they wanted to show the artists, which otherwise are not pictured.
 
BjorgenFjorgen said:
I wonder what their arithmetic is for deciding that. Surely if they're going to do a full re-press anyway it doesn't make a ton of sense to mail out thousands of replacement copies first which are basically guaranteed to be the same as the originals members received.
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I have no idea, but they already have the stock so it's probably cheaper to at least TRY to fix the issue with these copies rather than repress. But I also have to think there must be some threshold where GZ becomes responsible for footing at least some of the bill.

I mean at this point I've seen 3 people who say theirs are clean, and about 50 or more between Reddit, here and Cogs who say otherwise.
 
Mather said:
I have no idea, but they already have the stock so it's probably cheaper to at least TRY to fix the issue with these copies rather than repress. But I also have to think there must be some threshold where GZ becomes responsible for footing at least some of the bill.

I mean at this point I've seen 3 people who say theirs are clean, and about 50 or more between Reddit, here and Cogs who say otherwise.
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My assumption was that GZ would end up carrying the can for this fiasco. Anybody know how pressing problems are normally resolved?
 
Just jumping back in this thread. I received my copy of Mars Volta today. Wet-washed the albums, dropped the needle, and basically once the music started on side A I had a constant fuzz, white-noise sound coming out of the right channel. Well...I haven't been a VMP member in some time, so this is a great "welcome back." I sent VMP a message on that form they have on their website and attached a video clip of the sound, hoping they can send me a replacement to sort this out.
 
I’m a month late, but just spun VMP’s pressing of The Doors. Side B has a scratch that runs all the way through The End. I wonder at what point they start losing money by pressing at GZ?
 
Boognotik Reaktion said:
My assumption was that GZ would end up carrying the can for this fiasco. Anybody know how pressing problems are normally resolved?
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There is a reason labels get test pressings.

So they find out if there is a flaw in the stampers before the expense of pressing.

So the issue here is - if the test pressings were fine, but the pressing run is not, it is the pressing plant's problem.

If the label got a test pressing, and didn't bother to listen to it (you listen to TP's for defects, not sonics or content), or your Crossley didn't distinguish between a pressing defect because that's what everything sounds like a Crossley - it's the label's problem.

As far as defect rates go, there is usually a built-in defect rate in a pressing. It isn't high, but there is no pressing plant today that can produce 100% defect-free (outside japan). It simply isn't possible with 50 - 60 year old presses that all require continual maintenance. But if the defect rate is significantly higher, the plant may have to pony up a chargeback from the client. The client usually hasn't paid the invoice from the plant by the time the record hits the market, BTW.

If a whole run (usually defined as over 50%) is defective, and it is a true manufacturing flaw that did not appear on test pressings, the plant would usually be held to do a whole new press run.

I would find it hard to believe that VMP do not receive or listen properly to test pressings. On the other hand - I never see a VMP test pressing on the secondary market, so either they keep them very close (and/or destroy them after), or they don't exist. It is typical for a label to send out a few test pressings to knowledgeable people/customers they trust to listen before going to a full production run.
 
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RHANDMJ said:
I would find it hard to believe that VMP do not receive or listen properly to test pressings. On the other hand - I never see a VMP test pressing on the secondary market, so either they keep them very close (and/or destroy them after), or they don't exist. It is typical for a label to send out a few test pressings to knowledgeable people/customers they trust to listen before going to a full production run.
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They receive TPs for sure as they've offered them up at competitions and when they screwed up and sent that guy all the mob deep records.

Not sure how it's changed over the last year but I do remember storf on the old forum suggesting they don't closely listen to every TP. I would assume for their record of the month releases they do though but I doubt they have the competence in house to understand what to listen for.
 
uvwxVinyl said:
They receive TPs for sure as they've offered them up at competitions and when they screwed up and sent that guy all the mob deep records.

Not sure how it's changed over the last year but I do remember storf on the old forum suggesting they don't closely listen to every TP. I would assume for their record of the month releases they do though but I doubt they have the competence in house to understand what to listen for.
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Why would you not have someone listen closely to every TP? Unbelievable. What a bunch of incompetent people.
 
wmeugene said:
Why would you not have someone listen closely to every TP? Unbelievable. What a bunch of incompetent people.
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I don't think so. For the most part, VMP produce colored variants of already existing stampers, which have presumably been test pressed and checked by the originating artist/label. So no real purpose fr VMP to re-test what has already been done and is someone else's responsibility.

For VMP's own product, I would think they get TP's, particularly for AAA product.
 
RHANDMJ said:
I don't think so. For the most part, VMP produce colored variants of already existing stampers, which have presumably been test pressed and checked by the originating artist/label. So no real purpose fr VMP to re-test what has already been done and is someone else's responsibility.

For VMP's own product, I would think they get TP's, particularly for AAA product.
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I get it for exclusives to some extent. But even then, not being willing to spin a TP at least once or twice explains all sorts of the issues they have.
 
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