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2.3.2) Who and how much? (Electronic and Computer Music)




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This article is from the Electronic and Computer Music FAQ, by Craig Latta Craig.Latta@NetJam.ORG with numerous contributions by others.

2.3.2) Who and how much? (Electronic and Computer Music)



From: sklower@diva.Berkeley.EDU (Keith Sklower) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc, rec.audio.pro, rec.music.cd,
rec.music.makers.synth
Subject: Re: Cost of producing music CD's
Date: 6 Feb 93 00:44:28 GMT

In article <1krfvbINNpvg@rave.larc.nasa.gov> kludge@grissom.larc.nasa.gov (Scott Dorsey) writes:
}In article <C1wsF4.53B@irvine.com> billy@irvine.com (*** Bouncer **) writes:
}>
}>Does anyone know the name of a manufacturer of music CD's, and and what would
}>be the minimum production costs for say 200-500 CDs?
}
}I recommend Nimbus. Expect to pay about $2500 for a thousand CDs, including
}mastering costs from an analogue or DAT master. If you get the PCM 630
}transfer done elsewhere, you can save some money.
}
}Lots of places are cheaper than Nimbus, but I like their service and their
}sound quality.
}--scott

Well, Scott, says Keith spoiling for a bit of a flame fest, do you believe
that the same 1630 master tape sent to different CD factories will result
in CD's that sound different under careful test conditions?

Lest I be accused of favoritism, here is a list of other manufacturers
(or reps):

Discovery Systems, Dublin Ohio
Digital Audio Disc Corporation (SONY), Terre Haute Indiana
Optical Media International, Los Gatos CA
Compact Disc Services (Rick Goldman) (818) 241 9103

You can obtain the other missing phone numbers for the ones I listed
by calling up directory assistance in the cities mentioned; I don't
have them handy with me.

When I talked to Nimbus, they wouldn't deal with me directly, they
wanted me to go through a representative.

The most favorable pricing I've found is through Sony or CDS.
Both of them will accept CD-WORM media in lieu of a 1630 tape,
and you can find people listed in EQ or MIX or Electronic Musician
who will do a DAT->CD-WORM transfer for $100.

Fantasy Studios (in Berkeley CA) will charge $350 for a DAT->1630
transfer.

Discovery Systems will do 350 disks for about $1100, but you have
to send them a 1630 tape; however, they were much friendlier to me than
the Nimbus people were over the phone.

Sony will do 500 disks for $1225 (including mastering charges) or 1000+
disks for $1.25 a disk (mastering charges waived if you order at least
1000; this is **not** true of data CD-ROMs !). Sony charges $.35 for a
jewel case and shrink wrapping. Sony will accept graphics for the
silk-screening on the CD itself on a Mac floppy in several formats
(e.g. adobe illustrator, MacDraw II,....) (So, if you really only
wanted 200, you have to order 500 disks, but only 200 jewel cases,
running you $1295, + shipping).

CDS charges a little less per disk but a little more for the
jewel case so the total is the same. They also will do
custom graphics for you for the inserts, and take care of getting
it printed, etc, for a fee. Rick is also a really nice guy,
and the quality of his life would be improved more by your business
than that of the Sony stockholders ;-).

You should also include in your cost estimate royalties to
be paid to ASCAP. (Call up directory information in manhattan
to obtain the phone number of the Harry Fox Agency,
call them up and ask for the ``mechanicals'' department) The formula was somewhat complicated ($.065 minimum for a song
+ $00125 for each minute over 5), but worked out in the
two cases I know of about $.80/60 minute disk.

From: kludge@grissom.larc.nasa.gov (Scott Dorsey) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc, rec.audio.pro, rec.music.cd,
rec.music.makers.synth
Subject: Re: Cost of producing music CD's
Date: 6 Feb 1993 03:14:34 GMT
NNTP-Posting-Host: grissom.larc.nasa.gov

In article <45151@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> sklower@diva.Berkeley.EDU (Keith Sklower) writes:
>}Lots of places are cheaper than Nimbus, but I like their service and their
>}sound quality.
>}--scott
>
>Well, Scott, says Keith spoiling for a bit of a flame fest, do you believe
>that the same 1630 master tape sent to different CD factories will result
>in CD's that sound different under careful test conditions?

Yup. One of the CDs will have some tracks missing, while another one will
never be made because they will "lose" your master tape. Another one won't
sound like anything at all, because the company will go out of business
shortly after receiving your tape. I have seen all three of these things
happen and I don't want to see them happen again.

In the mastering process to make the 1630 tape, though, all kinds of things
can go wrong. If you send them a DAT that has to be resampled, quality
can be lost in the resampling process (and some outfits just have a DAT
analogue output connected to the analogue input...). If you send them an
analogue tape, you are putting yourself in even more danger, since so many
of the outfits don't deal with analogue source material much and don't know
how to treat it. I have heard altogether too many CDs with obvious sounds
of azimuth error, and there is no excuse in the world for this.

What you want from a pressing plant is good service. What you want from
a mastering lab is good service and good sound quality. I recommend
getting the mastering and pressing done by the same outfit (unless you
happen to have a 1630 in your back room and can do it yourself). It just
makes for a lot less coordination on your part, and when things go wrong
there won't be the finger pointing.
--scott

>Lest I be accused of favoritism, here is a list of other manufacturers
>(or reps):
>
>Discovery Systems, Dublin Ohio
>Digital Audio Disc Corporation (SONY), Terre Haute Indiana
>Optical Media International, Los Gatos CA
>Compact Disc Services (Rick Goldman) (818) 241 9103

Discovery does a rotten mastering job from analogue media, and I can say
the same of Sony. Beyond that I haven't much experience with the outfits.

 

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