In 2016, Austrian company, Rebeat Digital filed a patent to develop what would be the world’s first ‘high definition vinyl’ technology...

" ...a way of manufacturing records that the inventors claimed would have higher audio fidelity, louder volume, and longer playing times than conventional LPs. " - Pitchfork (Apr 11 2018)


The inventors claim:

• One-step process - using a laser-cut ceramic stamper for record-pressing (instead of cutting a soft-Lacquer, a Metal Master disc, then electroplated Mothers & Stampers).
• Perfect groove technology - with greater groove amplitude (dynamics) & more playing time, up to 30 minutes per side without loss in audio quality.
• Consistent quality of every copy - with a long-lasting, stable ceramic stamper (instead of nickel-plated stampers that need to be replaced replaced every 1,000 to 1,500 copies due to wear.)
• No more toxic waste - no more toxic electroplating processes & costly disposal of environmentally hazardous by-products.

“Instead of traditional cutting and etching techniques, HD Vinyl employs 3D topographical mapping and laser inscription to deliver a completely different groove”

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After securing a total of US$6.7M in funding, Rebeat announced:

Our plan is to launch the first HD Vinyl records in the second half of 2019.

Details will be announced in October at the Making Vinyl in Detroit.


However Vinyl Factory has some doubts (19 Apr 2018):

Unlike the deeply flawed 3D-printed record idea floated a few years ago, HD Vinyl would still rely on existing record pressing plants to manufacture the finished article.

The extent to which HD Vinyl would be able to alleviate the demand on pressing plants will also come down to just how quickly the technology can be integrated. A pressing plant running six presses makes in the region of 4,000 stampers a year, the bigger plants in Europe up to five times that amount. Rebeat Innovation hope that their single $600,000 machine will make 700 stamper sets in the first year, with a view to accelerating production four-fold the following year. If HD Vinyl is to replace traditional vinyl production, it’s going to take a few years.

While “nearly the same price” should alarm anyone who believes records are already too expensive, the cost for the label or artist should also be considered. With independents struggling to make ends meet as it is, any increase in manufacturing cost could see HD Vinyl looking more like a premium product for those with the deepest pockets.

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