vinyl recorder: Describes a technical device for cutting records yourself in single and small editions in contrast to industrial production by pressing.
The vinyl recorder is available, among other things, as an attachment for turntables with a powerful motor. The groove is cut with a diamond or sapphire burr on raw PVC sheets or metal sheets coated with lacquer or acetate. In most cases, the cutting tool is moved from the outside to the inside over the disc, which is rotating at playback speed.
The sapphire or diamond forms the groove as coils carrying the amplified mono or stereo signal move it vertically and horizontally to the surface of the record. There is also the possibility of making the groove not spiral but circular. During playback, the cut information is then repeated in the form of an endless loop with each rotation. The quality of the recorded records is comparable to average commercial pressings.