We visit Jack White’s Third Man Records vinyl pressing plant in Detroit, Michigan to find out exactly what goes into the creation of a vinyl record; from cutting and pressing to making sure they sound great.
Find out more here:
Director: Katherine Wzorek
Director of Photography: Kevin Hewitt
Editor: Louis Lalire
Talent: Broc Barnes, Warren Defever, Ed Gillis
Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi
Associate Producer: Samantha Vélez
Production Manager: Eric Martinez
Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila
Camera Operator: Kevin Ward
Audio: Frank Biondo
Production Assistant: Ryan Hewitt
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen
Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds
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slorr55
February 1, 2023 at 6:20 pm
Third man records owned by the one and only Jack White
Alex Piklor
February 1, 2023 at 7:44 pm
Yes, that is the very first thing in the description
LeadHammer
February 1, 2023 at 9:08 pm
Is he famous?
Stark Parker
February 1, 2023 at 10:51 pm
Cool
gonzoron
February 1, 2023 at 6:21 pm
Now do WHY Vinyl Records are made! 😉
Saad Lambé
February 1, 2023 at 7:11 pm
Better quality compared to CDs and most streaming services + nostalgia aesthetic
Emmanuel Coronado
February 1, 2023 at 7:44 pm
@Saad Lambé CD’s are higher quality
Smeggers
February 1, 2023 at 8:02 pm
A lot cooler than CDs 😎
Dj Marky Mark
February 1, 2023 at 11:00 pm
@Saad Lambé yeah ok buddy, my spotify music sounds just as good if not better but keep telling yourself that.
Marshapelo
February 1, 2023 at 6:21 pm
Vinyl sounds too tinny.
Scarlett
February 1, 2023 at 6:23 pm
Third man records owned by the one and only Jack White
Kia- T{αα}P Me!! To F.C.K W!th Me
February 1, 2023 at 6:24 pm
Vinyl sounds too tinny.
这玩意儿到底该怎么改啊
February 1, 2023 at 6:26 pm
10M⁉︎
Saddam Mandavi
February 1, 2023 at 6:27 pm
given that all music is captured and mastered in the digital domain, i dont see how ppl say that vinvyl sounds better
Reffy Aldo
February 1, 2023 at 6:37 pm
Maybe its “lossless” in information delivered
Michael Luong
February 1, 2023 at 7:02 pm
I’m sure somewhere out there there’s an all-analog chain, but you’re right there usually a digital step 99% of the time
shnup
February 1, 2023 at 6:32 pm
Nah the bots in the comment section 😂
TechN9cian01
February 1, 2023 at 6:48 pm
Okay so a million things can go wrong at any stage of the process. What’s the point then? Why go through all this trouble instead of using a more reliable music recording medium?
maxim menage
February 1, 2023 at 7:13 pm
cuz analogue gud
Bejeweled Sledgehammer
February 1, 2023 at 6:48 pm
I can’t imagine what a painful process it is for the records themselves. “STOP, STOP!” Is the equivalent of the squeezing sound a vinyl makes whenever you put the needle on it, like getting an injection.
Jocelyn Deguise
February 1, 2023 at 6:51 pm
Hmmm… redoing pretty much the same piece Adam Savage did FIVE YEARS AGO. (slow clap).
Blue Cubes
February 1, 2023 at 7:22 pm
4:44 PRESSURE! Pressing down on me, pushing down on you, no man ask for
(For the few who’ll get it)
CurryKingWurst
February 1, 2023 at 8:01 pm
“Few”? Everyone knows Under Pressure.
TheRealJD
February 1, 2023 at 7:40 pm
So glad that people still want to hear music in this format. Hopefully it never becomes a lost art.
Emmanuel Coronado
February 1, 2023 at 7:44 pm
yeayea whatever, CDs are better
Antonio Usai
February 1, 2023 at 7:52 pm
It has sense only if the original master is analog as the vinyl medium, otherwise, it’s just a hipster masturbation
LeadHammer
February 1, 2023 at 9:25 pm
It is a hipster masturbation either way. The format died when CD was invented.
👉 BUY YOUTUBE VIEWS 👉 Link in Bio
February 1, 2023 at 8:17 pm
spam that like button
LOLZ LOLZ
February 1, 2023 at 8:36 pm
I download my vinyls, much easier…respect to their craft though!
Woodshadow
February 1, 2023 at 8:37 pm
very cool but also omg that video was boring. felt like I was watching a 70s instructional video
LeadHammer
February 1, 2023 at 9:16 pm
Cutting a record on a lathe that was out of production in 1980, getting only 19 minutes per side, not 22 or something. So, not only it is an outdated format, it is worse quality and shorter playtime that proper good old vinyl. And more progressive techniques like Direct Metal Mastering? Forget about it. I don’t see a point in vinyl revival if they cannot even achieve the 1980s quality. Vinyl died when CD was invented. Go digital, go downloads (NOT streaming, as it is ephemeral).
PRANKZOMBIE
February 1, 2023 at 9:23 pm
I just got a bad vinyl a couple days ago and I’m sad. It was on light yellow. I guess I now just have a pretty souvenir instead of a record I will love to dance to.
Turntable Maestro
February 2, 2023 at 1:42 am
Lots of releases can be poor quality. I usually check discogs before purchasing to see if anyone has any comments on the pressing quality. The new NIN Pretty Hate Machine barely plays for me unless I change the weight on my tone arm.
MattsCats
February 1, 2023 at 9:49 pm
Three minutes just on the cutting, but then glossed right over exactly how the stamper is made.
Keti.rg.editzzz
February 1, 2023 at 10:26 pm
I’m glad they uploaded this video yesterday I had a conversation about how these are made, funny coincidence
Van Van
February 1, 2023 at 10:45 pm
Last fight
Armando Montero
February 1, 2023 at 10:59 pm
This Is how música should keep been make…
yungjoemighty
February 1, 2023 at 11:27 pm
*I want to see how mass-produced records are/were made in a massive factory. The process shown in this video, while cool, seems very inefficient and prone to faults*
LeadHammer
February 1, 2023 at 11:45 pm
So you want to watch a 40-year old film then, when vinyl was still popular.
Anal Commando
February 2, 2023 at 9:50 am
Actually, it was the massive factories pumping out inferior and cheap vinyl that lead to the decline of vinyl in the first place. With a digital format like CD as long as the CD isn’t too badly scratched its 100% guaranteed to be the same quality regardless of where it was made and wont decline over time.
MisterGizzard
February 2, 2023 at 4:54 pm
This is kind of the mass-manufacturing process. They just focused a lot on the initial cutting of the lacquer. Once you get to the stamper, it looks like a standard mass-produce method of filling a mold and stamping.
Really the only differences you would see in a bigger factory are #1 how that initial lacquer would be made, #2 maybe a more efficient way of cleaning/prepping the stamper, and #3 generally more sterile and streamlined working environments to reduce artifacts in the pressings as much as possible.
If this doesn’t seem efficient, then ask yourself while digital media became so much more popular, and why vinyl costs so much. It is inefficient. It is more prone to faults. That’s why record labels have to charge more to deal with those issues. Vinyl is still enough of a cultural staple that it has continued to survive through its numerous drawbacks compared to other media forms.
Asmodeaus
February 2, 2023 at 2:19 am
its important to note that while this is a wonderful hobby that should never die, all modern music sounds better in every way, shape, and form. vinyl is not magic and does not sounds better. Also to note, If you’re a boomer, you can’t be correct about anything. you’re literally always wrong.
Oellappen
February 2, 2023 at 10:14 am
That’s your subjective opinion.
Asmodeaus
February 2, 2023 at 11:57 am
@Oellappen if I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
Max Headrom
February 2, 2023 at 2:48 am
I bet a nickel this will be awesome!
AmandaHuggenkiss
February 2, 2023 at 3:35 am
My only wish is for “Van Van” to comment on my comment with a “Last fight” spam link 💀
Clarissa Ciacco
February 2, 2023 at 4:30 am
Why cleaning with nitrogen? Can you close the cutting method on vacuum?
El Casho
February 2, 2023 at 6:12 am
Love it!
Gary Lawrence
February 2, 2023 at 7:04 am
I can almost smell the acetate..
Traxadel
February 2, 2023 at 7:26 am
I’m so glad that You reported on Third Man Records <3
Brian Carothers
February 2, 2023 at 3:26 pm
Wired- You need to check out Hand Drawn Records vinyl pressing machines in Addison, Texas. Some of the coolest machines.
Mark Susskind
February 2, 2023 at 6:05 pm
When “cut a record” was literal. Now it’s atavistic to use for more recent processes.
RPRsChannel
February 2, 2023 at 7:07 pm
*_Would it have been hard to explain the different speeds, what a half-speed-master is etc, etc?_*
Neil
February 2, 2023 at 7:30 pm
I’m an idiot i thought the first 2 min of the video was how they made each record, not the template 🙁
Neil
February 2, 2023 at 7:35 pm
They get paid to listen to music, nice!
CSN
February 5, 2023 at 4:15 pm
Careful what you wish for…
New Normac
February 2, 2023 at 10:10 pm
Congrats on crossing 10MIL
Corgi Showzen
February 2, 2023 at 10:27 pm
dad and step mom are in this!!! ❤
Jenna Mahaffy
February 2, 2023 at 11:55 pm
This is so cool, how do I get this job….
QuirkyViper
February 3, 2023 at 5:39 am
I’m gonna look for an in-depth video on this. I got the gist of it, but there were so many words I didn’t know!
Jeroen Vermiljoen
February 3, 2023 at 6:38 am
I’m watching this on my SL-1200MK2.
voicesofvinyl
February 3, 2023 at 2:20 pm
They offer tours of their pressing plant and mastering facility in Detroit for $10. If you’re into music, vinyl, and find yourself in Detroit, I highly recommend doing the tour and checking out their location.
ryan49805
February 3, 2023 at 2:36 pm
Jack is THE MAN for keeping this medium alive!!! Shout out to this very skilled crew as well… 🏆 🏆
Lincoln Hirschi
February 3, 2023 at 5:47 pm
Well, it’s not just him, but…that 3rd Man does it using the old school lathe for smaller production runs is impressive
Lincoln Hirschi
February 3, 2023 at 5:52 pm
But you got a good point cuz JW being such a big name in the biz helps vinyl both for old n new fans alike
GreyBrewer
February 3, 2023 at 4:36 pm
So much time and effort for an archatic, inferior sound reproduction medium. I mean, bravo, but I’ll be over here enjoying my digital media, which reproduces the recorded source perfectly, every time, over and over, forever. No hiss, no pop, no degradation, no distortion. No soul? Perhaps, but I don’t have one either, as I prefer the reality of science to the golden glow of nostalgia.
Mat Dob
February 3, 2023 at 6:11 pm
What a craft, respect! It’ll feel even more special when I put on Marillion’s “Script for a Jester’s Tear” on the turntable tonight.
MarieOkay
February 3, 2023 at 7:17 pm
Jack White’s bro is the Operations Manager? Nepotism that I approve of 👍something tells me that that whole family is very musical and qualified
sachamm
February 3, 2023 at 8:46 pm
Playing a vinyl record damages it, so vinyl is for you if you never want to hear the same song twice.
Isosceles Kramer
February 3, 2023 at 9:14 pm
All these guys look exactly like their job
Nate Callens
February 4, 2023 at 2:42 pm
So cool!! Gotta love Jack White and Third Man Records! 🤘🥃
JT
February 4, 2023 at 6:22 pm
Wonderful. Thank You
Timers And More
February 4, 2023 at 8:14 pm
Never knew how Vinyl Records are actually made, until now.
The different colors are also a nice addition they can give to the vinyl records.
Luke Jackson
February 5, 2023 at 2:18 am
Ok, please spell this out for me. How does the music/recording transfer on to the lacquer/Record?
Kieryn Williams
February 5, 2023 at 10:27 am
I’ve also always had trouble grasping this. After some ChatGPT ing:
Yes, that’s correct! The sound is not actually cut into the lacquer, but rather a physical representation of the sound wave is carved into the disc. The stylus during playback simply reads the physical grooves and converts their movement into electrical signals, which are then amplified and played through speakers to produce sound.
In this sense, the stylus can be thought of as a musical instrument of sorts, following the instructions encoded in the grooves and translating them into sound. The stylus is not actively creating the sound, but rather reading the physical representation of the sound wave and converting it into electrical signals that can be played back through speakers.
Kieryn Williams
February 5, 2023 at 10:31 am
I guess that we kind of think of sound as more special or mystical than it is. It’s insane to imagine but O guess it really is simple. When we speak or clap or hit a drum or strum a guitar or anything, all we’re actually doing is creating a specific sound wave. So those waves are able to be both recorded and turned into a physical rendering, so all that’s actually being cut/transferred is that physical rendering of a sound wave, which can then be used to play back the sound wave in audio. Really wild, wild, wild stuff haha
Iron Lung
February 5, 2023 at 3:09 am
Ibwosh i could visit 3rd man, one day!! Amazing place
Vyzard
February 5, 2023 at 4:29 am
I like how instead of writing WMD, which could be interpreted as weapons of mass destruction, he writes WAR instead
Adam Gravelle
February 5, 2023 at 6:08 am
💗 this! I have 277 vinyl all Hip-Hop R&B & Dancehall Reggae U-Tube Adam Gravelle then I’m DJ GoldenFingers I have a short Can you tell me what you think of Serato vinyl??? Thanks 🙏 ❤🎉
CSN
February 5, 2023 at 4:13 pm
Is this where Hot Chip got their name? 🤔
Jon Van Oast
February 5, 2023 at 5:35 pm
i like how its just war(re)n defever…. do you all have any idea who that is? 😆
Marc Goecke
February 6, 2023 at 11:04 am
Looks like the quality control I wish all the pressing plants should have, but don’t.
Jeff Bumgravy
February 6, 2023 at 4:56 pm
WMD – WAR 😂
Jeff Bumgravy
February 6, 2023 at 4:59 pm
What a convoluted process, no wonder we moved on to better music media