ThirdManRecords
Latest
Vinyl record production has finally joined the modern age
When you think of manufacturing in the US, vinyl records probably isn't the first thing that springs to mind, but the industry has been chugging along as best it can. For decades, pressing plants have been using aging machines that require a complex infrastructure of piping for the steam-based heating (and cooling) mechanisms -- not to mention an engineering support team to keep them in working order. New vinyl presses just weren't being made, at least until a few years ago. Two companies emerged to fill that need. Newbilt Machinery launched around 2015 in Germany with slightly updated (cloned) versions of old presses, adding electronic controls and hydraulic power. In February 2017, Jack White's Third Man pressing plant opened in Detroit running Newbilt's manual Duplex machines. That same year, Toronto-based Viryl Technologies joined the market with its WarmTone presses. These machines weren't clones, but built fresh from the ground up including a modular construction, fully automated operation and remote machine monitoring (even from a mobile device) with its ADAPT software. Viryl's tech support can log into the system remotely to help troubleshoot any problems. Still, like Newbilt, they required a large boiler system and network of piping to support their operation. Anyone looking to start a pressing plant still faced hefty startup and maintenance costs, a difficult permit and zoning process, as well as a less-than-ideal impact on the environment.
ICYMI: Some robots independently sing, others help babies
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A new neural network robot in Japan can independently sing and move whenever it wants to. Researchers developed a robotic onesie for babies who may have cerebral palsy that helps make motor skills connections in the brain, giving them a boost in learning to crawl and walk. And Disney and ETH Zurich teamed up to engineer a new way to create 3D prints by thermoforming them one at a time. Finally make sure you watch the video of a gold-plated record playing all the way up to space and back down to earth, on a space-proof turntable. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Jack White's label played a vinyl record at 94,000 feet
Jack White's Third Man Records label is no stranger to using technological feats to draw publicity, but its latest feat is something truly special. The company recently teamed up with Students and Teachers in Near Space to become the first to play a vinyl record, the Carl Sagan-sampling "A Glorious Dawn," at the edge of space -- to be exact, in the stratosphere at 94,413 feet. As you might gather from the video (skip to 1:21:20 to see the maximum ascent), it involved a lot more than strapping a turntable to a high-altitude balloon. Key designer Kevin Carrico explains that there were quite a few technical considerations needed to keep the record spinning for as long as possible on its journey.
Jack White's Third Man Records now has its own synth and amp
Jack White has been know to go all out for Record Store Day events with his Third Man Records imprint. This year, in addition to transferring Elvis' first recording from acetate to vinyl for release last weekend, White and his label revealed a synthesizer/amplifier combo that offers some stellar retro aesthetics. The pair, which includes the Septavox synth and Terz amp, was designed and built by Brooklyn instrument company Critter & Guitari. If the synthesizer looks familiar, the same outfit also makes a more compact Pocket Piano instrument. For the Third Man version, though, a metal enclosure houses 41 maple keys alongside seven modes and seven tones. That adds up to 49 different sounds, combining electric organ, vibrato and more. There are controls for tweaking parameters, tuning and volume alongside MIDI input/output, too.
Jack White's Lazaretto 'Ultra LP' is a marvel of vinyl engineering
Setting a Guinness World Record after tracking and releasing a 7-inch vinyl in under four hours last month wasn't enough. Now, Jack White and Third Man Records have revealed plans for the Lazaretto Ultra LP ahead of its June 10th release. We'll provide the full list of details after the break, but here's a quick rundown of the highlights. First, there are two vinyl-only hidden tracks that are tucked underneath the labels on each side. What's more, one of those tracks plays at 78 RPM and the other at 45 RPM, making this 180-gram vinyl release a three-speed record. If you're familiar with White's project The Dead Weather, you know he's embraced the under label groove before.
Griffin and Third Man Records team up to add vinyl to your iPhone case
In the market for a new case for that iPhone 4S? A fan of all things Jack White? If so, Griffin and Third Man records have teamed up to put a vinyl spin on your next Apple-friendly smartphone case. The pair has introduced a set of accessories that make use of a legit 7-inch record die-cut to protect the back of your mobile device, blending analog and digital without making a sound. Each case is comprised of a two-part frame that wraps those precious edges -- with openings for controls and jacks, of course -- and a piece of genuine vinyl, pressed right in Nashville. You'll have your choice of three color variants that come with a Third Man-branded vinyl. If that's not enough, you can spring for a set of three inserts, one from each of Mr. White's musical projects. Protip: If you happen to opt for the extras and snag The Racounteur's insert, this collaboration marks the first pressing of "Steady, As She Goes." Each case is $30 and the set of extra inserts will set you back another Jackson. If you want a closer look before parting with fifty bucks, hit the gallery below. %Gallery-141740%
