Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about our MASTERCUTS. Please help us to update and expand this informative section by sending any questions or thoughts to listen@mastercut.music.
Since the worldwide release of our editions this question has become one of the "hottest" topics in the music industry.
When we launched our MASTERCUT adventure we carefully stated the following lines:
"Please be prepared that due to the super soft and fragile surface of your Mastercut which is responsible for its unique rich and warm sound, the noise level will slowly but steadily increase over time with every magic listening session you perform (even if you are super careful with your new favorite record). We like to compare this to the wonderful wrinkles around your eyes getting more characteristic each and every time you laugh."
But how slow is slowly and what happens to a MASTERCUT in 10 years from now??
Please allow us to connect you with 2 gentlemen who are much greater experts than we are and who have been kind enough to investigate these important questions in impressive detail. Please meet Michael Fremer from the Analaog Planet who perfectly summarizes all aspects of this topic in his latest blog as well as our friend Alexey from KORF AUDIO who took the time to playback his MASTERCUT over 100 times and carefully monitored what happened to the sound.
In order to dive into the true magic of your MASTERCUT over and over again, please read all the FAQ sections regarding handling, cleaning and storage very carefully.
We start with this important question as some of your editions may include printed manuals with some inappropriate information regarding this topic (under point 4). THIS IS IMPORTANT: Please NEVER LET ANY LIQUIDS TOUCH YOUR MASTERCUT and please only USE A CARBON FIBRE RECORD CLEANING BRUSH!
Resist the temptation to wipe your Mastercut with your shirt or dry cloth no matter how soft it may feel. This will scratch and scuff the record and only move the dirt around. For dry cleaning or a light touch up, use a carbon fibre record cleaning brush as it actually discharges static and lifts dirt without damaging the record.
Again - please say NO to cleaning liquids on your Supersense Acetate Record. Do not use lubricants or solvents such as baby oil, lighter fluid... no matter what anyone may tell you. These fluids can cause a devastating chemical reaction that can permanently damage your MASTERCUT.
We are cutting, analysing and listening to these records since 2014 and based on our extensive testing we are happy to report that we never experienced anything like shelf-aging or radical loss of listening magic. The rumour that acetate lacquer discs are crumbling to dust like mummies as soon as they come in direct contact with light or fresh air can be clearly be considered a rumour.
MASTERCUT records are carefully cut in REAL TIME. This means the cutting process takes as long as the total playing time of the record.
YES, this is true. The tool used to cut the grooves is a precision ground and polished sapphire which is electrically heated during the cutting process.
We only use acetate lacquer of finest quality, manufactured by MDC in Japan. Each MASTERCUT has a metal core covered by a thin layer of beautifully smelling, shining, black lacquer.
Your MASTERCUT is cut in Stereo.
No - each MASTERCUT is cut from the original analog source, that is a Reel to Reel tape. The transfer from tape to disk is 100% analog without any digitization happening!
In the common record production process, the "Mastercut" disc serves solely as a template from which the pressing stamper is derived and which is destroyed in that process. But in this edition, each and every record is the original Mastercut, hand-cut directly into a lacquer disc.
No, a mastercut is basically always the first step in every record production - but this EDITION is the first time that the MASTERCUT does not end up in the electroplating process but has the pleasure to live on forever on your turntable!!!
From the record to the packaging and all supplements, every single component is hand-crafted and produced by sophisticated, all-analog techniques. Made at the Supersense manufactory in the heart of Vienna, by a small team of experts in the fields of record cutting, traditional printing methods and packaging design.
Always store your mastercut upright! Never stack records on top of each other whether in their jackets or not. This is one sure-fire way to cause warping, possible cracking of the Supersense Acetate Record because of the weight and will inevitably produce scuff marks and ring wear on the record's album cover marring the artwork. Records must always be stored upright like books on a shelf.
Hold your MASTERCUT by its outer edges only! Never touch the record's playing surface with your bare hands or fingers as your body oil will transfer onto the surface, attracting even more dust and affecting the sound quality.
Use the cueing lever on your turntable to raise and lower the needle. Your hands are never truly steady and it's easy to slip up and gouge the grooves of a record or even break the needle on your cartridge. Never drop or abruptly pick up the needle on a Supersense Acetate Record especially as it is fading out. Over time you'll start to hear ticks and pops as the Supersense Acetat Record is gradually getting gouged in those areas. Use the cueing lever and aim to cue up a song just before the music starts so that the needle SLOWLY drops in the silent area of the grooves and not in the areas with music. Also, wait for the music to fade out completely or stop before picking up the needle. It's even better to play an entire album side straight through.
Basically no, but please take care that the tonearm is well adjusted and the azimut setting is perfectly adjusted. WE WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TO PLAY A MASTERCUT WITH TURNTABLES WHICH COST LESS THAN OUR BELOVED RECORD!!!
In order to protect the super fragile original tapes, we cut our records from a high end, completely unedited 1:1 copy of the original tapes.
The differences between these two editions are a series of small design elements and some of the booklet content. Regarding the MASTERCUT record itself, they are the same and both are produced in Vienna.
Due to the fact that our MASTERCUTS are no stock items but cut piece by piece in real time by a small team here in Vienna, we kindly ask for your understanding that based on the overwhelming global demand for our editions production, assembly and delivery of your very personal MASTERCUT treasures can currently take up to 4 weeks. All orders will be processed in the order received, without any exceptions. Thank you so much for your patience.
We love our product and do our very best to ensure every single Mastercut is immaculate. The lacquer discs get checked several times visually before, during and after cutting by our experts. But as we ship "virgin" cuts, you, the customer, are the first person to play them. Please make sure your equipment is set up perfectly and you have made yourself familiar with the instructions that can be found in the Mastercut booklet.
In the highly unlikely event of any flaws please contact us and we will do our best to solve the issue ASAP: mastercut@supersense.com
Get in touch via listen@mastercut.music
or visit us at SUPERSENSE, Praterstrasse 70, 1020 Vienna