V A L V E C U T T I N G

FULLY VALVE MASTERING SYSTEM

The Exchange is capable of some very unique mastering capabilities besides all the usual services offered.

Using our fully restored and customised Scully lathe, we are able to make truly high fidelity masters with an all valve signal path from tape to cutterhead. Of course we can use a digital program source as well. This kind of system is particularly suited to anyone who’s looking for that extra level of quality above the usual transistor cuts.

half speed mastering

The machine, as well as our Neumann VMS70, is also capable of half speed mastering. This is where the program source and the lathe are run at half the normal speed. This essentially gives the real time recording system now double the time to do its thing. All frequencies are halved, resulting in greater bandwidth and less stress on the recording heads coils. Transients are also recorded more faithfully for the same reason of more time.

INSIDE OUT CUTTING

This machine is also capable, at the flick of a switch, of making inside out recordings. This is where the record starts at the middle of the disc and plays outward to where a conventional record would usually start.

The LAThe

Our Scully/Westrex system has been fully stripped and rebuilt upwards in house with a great attention to detail. Many upgrades have been made to the machine, utilising the best parts of different systems. The Westrex cutterhead is mounted in a customised Neumann cutterhead suspension allowing for finer and more precise adjustments of the cutting parameters at the cutting head. Unlike most systems which employ various relays and circuitry between the program source and the cutter head, this system features direct and hardwired cables for extra purity and focus.

The cutting amplifiers, the Westrex type RA-1574D, are all valve, point to point wiring and have been fully rebuilt up to spec and sound absolutely lush.