Ryan's Gig Guide - May 2019

Streaming, downloading & sub- scription models might be the hip new way to access media but you really can’t beat having music con- tained in an actual physical object that you can touch, read & admire. Did you know that the only inde- pendent CD pressing plant in the UK is right on our doorstep? Golding Replication, based in Telford, has been producing cds, cassettes, dvds, USBs & vinyl for big name artists & labels for years. Historically supplying floppy disks (which, if anyone reading this has a need for them, they can still sup- ply!) they have managed to keep up with the times, producing and supplying physical products to both local DIY bands and major labels alike. Most bands have probably at least looked into cd production and yes, you can find duplication of- fered by a variety of online sources pretty cheaply but for the serious musician or record label, Golding offer some- thing different. They manufacture the cd from raw materials, press- ing the data into it with a process not unlike how vinyl records are made. I didn’t even know the process existed, I had always as- sumed that cds were always mass duplicated using computers, how wrong I was! Huge machines pro- cess plastic crumbs to create the cd using a glass master. The glass master contains the actual data - just like a vinyl master would. Once the disk is formed, they then metallise the (still transpar- ent) disk, allowing the data to be read and then print directly onto it using either a screen or litho- graphic process. The process provides a much higher quality product than sim- ple duplication, meaning that the data is secure and will last longer and is able to read by all cd play- ers. Cassette production is on the up too and are produced in-house using vintage machines to get a real retro sound & feel that so many bands crave today. They also source vinyl from Eu- rope handling the whole process for you. Physical media production on our doorstep! By Fat BlokeWith No Tattoos Let’s Get Physical The company was established in 1984, with roots firmly tied to physical Media.They have provided vinyl records for the last half a decade, as the resurgence in the demand for vinyl swept the globe. www.goldingreplication.co.uk www.ryansgigguide.com 12 rgg May 2019