What is lacquer mastering/cutting?

Lacquer mastering is the cutting of the lacquer master for the vinyl record pressing process. It is the first master copy from which all the records will be made. It is an aluminum disc with a soft smooth coating, much more fragile than a standard vinyl record. These discs are cut on precision machines called record lathes or cutting lathes. A cutter head will amplify the audio to a sharp jewel that vibrates as it cuts into the disc creating modulated grooves.

Choosing who to use when creating your lacquer master is an essential step in making a great sounding record. American Vinyl Co is one of the few facilities in the US that is 100% dedicated to cutting records and mastering for records.