XLR_silver wrote:have a number of newbie questions on LPs.
which record companies / labels abroad still make brand new LPs? are there old titles still being reissued? are they affordable?
Most of the big labels and many of the smaller ones are still represented on vinyl, for certain releases. The exceptions is with jazz and especially classical - where there's been next to no new releases in the last 10-12 years (though plenty of reissues). Some artists insist that their releases appear on LP - Beck, Pearl Jam, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Wilco and others. Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash too. I also hear that nearly
every new release is printed on limited run vinyl (500-1000 copies)- but which isn't commercially available but goes on a standing order to uber-rich "Hollywood collectors". I'm not sure I believe that, but it's possible.
To get an idea of what's available out there in new vinyl, try these links:
http://www.redtrumpet.comhttp://www.acousticsounds.comhttp://www.sundazed.comhttp://www.fantasyjazz.comhttp://www.coupdarchet.comhttp://www.classicrecs.comAs to whether it's expensive... by the time it reaches SE Asia-- YES.
XLR_silver wrote:i also heard from a friend that there's a syndicate group in China
that produces "pirated" LPs. they supposedly package it well so they will look like NOS copies but are actually freshly pressed LPs that came from
digitally encoded material like CDs.
anyone heard of the same rumour?
No, and I find it highly improbable. But if you have any hard facts about it, I'd love to know. Keep in mind that collectors of rare/valuable LP's can show you the minute differences between a 1961 and 1964 issue of the same record. They could hardly be fooled by a modern reissue, and if counterfeits appeared in any quantity, a lot of alarm bells would go off.
As far as I know, most of the world's supply of LP's is produced at the RTI plant, the Sony/CBS plants (US), and a couple of plants in Germany and England. There are probably also a few smaller places putting out the lesser known dance and hip-hop releases, but not many. Classic Records' website and Cardas' site have some good info on record mastering and pressing.
Noam