Roots Archives Forum

I have some questions regarding Sound System Dubplates.

1. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe at first Dubplates were those tracks recently recorded in studio, and taken to Sounds for a public taste, they were not released until some time later. They were also called Specials.

2. At some point, dubplates became versions of popular songs, dedicated to particular sound systems, with original lyrics being replaced by lyrics praising Sound in question.

3. Now, for my sound system I have specials which are not versions of popular songs, but original songs praising the sound.

Questions

1. Am I correct ?

2. When this did happen ?

3. Would u consider this songs as Dubplates ?

mighty bless for all of u !!!

Selector Benyo
ARCA NEGRA SOUND SYSTEM
Chile, South America

great thread, though it does not answers all my questions

bless !

A Dubplate is an aluminium disc coated in a soft acetate lacour, it doesn't matter what is cut on to it, it will always be a Dubplate.

No other format can be correctly reffered to as a dubplate, no mp3, cd, or vinyl pressing or recording unless it is cut on to this type of disc.

Dubplates (imo) are not in any way a form of music by themselves.

I'm not sure exactly the correct term is for a track that has been made for a specific sound system, Specials would be my guess as well.

Now days, you can get what is known as a Vinyl Dubplate cut, these are not strictly Dubplates as they are cut on to Vinyl blanks as apposed to acetate coated aluminium discs, but cost around the same price, are more hard wearing and are also "One offs" cut on a laith in the same fashion as a dubplate.

1. yes
2. mid 70's
3. of course

No, You cant call them Duplates unless they're cut on a Dubplates, that's like calling an mp3 a record.

If you told me you were playing dubplates at your soundsystem then they turned out to be CD's I'd just laff, Dubplates are Dublates, you could call the tracks "Dubs" but they're not Dubplates until they're cut.

Acetate and Dubplate are the same?

I wouldnt agree. Dubplate is a term used only for reggae, sometime its happens with drum&bass, but there is a clear link with the reggae origin (mc's of D&B were usually from reggae in the first times). But in every other musical culture, you talk about those metal discs as "acetates".

For me a dubplate is just an exclusive reggae tune. When youd like to record an artist in a studio, you say him "Id like to make a dubplate with you"... But youre not referring directly to the fact that youll put that on a metal disc.

I have owned a few vintage dubplates recorded and cut back in the days (70's, early 80's). I would say that the "Sound Calls" appeared widely in the mid 80's, but its based on my very limited experience. Clash lyrics seem earlier. In the 70's, dubplates had both this use of "testing" the effect on a tune before releasing it or as "specials" to bring some exclusivity.

guidance

Litelet wrote:Acetate and Dubplate are the same?

I wouldnt agree. Dubplate is a term used only for reggae, sometime its happens with drum&bass, but there is a clear link with the reggae origin (mc's of D&B were usually from reggae in the first times). But in every other musical culture, you talk about those metal discs as "acetates".

For me a dubplate is just an exclusive reggae tune. When youd like to record an artist in a studio, you say him "Id like to make a dubplate with you"... But youre not referring directly to the fact that youll put that on a metal disc.

I have owned a few vintage dubplates recorded and cut back in the days (70's, early 80's). I would say that the "Sound Calls" appeared widely in the mid 80's, but its based on my very limited experience. Clash lyrics seem earlier. In the 70's, dubplates had both this use of "testing" the effect on a tune before releasing it or as "specials" to bring some exclusivity.

guidance

to be able to play that 'exclusive' tune you will have to cut it... on acetate which is also called dubplate
if you are the only owner of that particular cut some call that a special, an exclusive dubplate

cant play directly from the mastertape héhé

some info how vinyl is made
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H342sImB ... re=related

Imo "Dubplate" is just being misused here as a term, it may be common in some studio's, but there's a lot of common misconceptions in the music industry and lots of bad studios full of people who don't know what they're talking about, you know what I mean? in that case it's likely just being used out of ignorance or it's being banded about as a "fashion" to sound cool, Dubplates cost a lot of money and are in themselves a status symbol for the DJ, thats why people think it sounds cool to say, they have recorded a Dubplate, or for a studio to say to an artist, we're going to record a Dubplate of you, it's purely a con.

I dont understadnd how an MC can stand there infront of a crowd talking about Dubplate this and that, when all the selecta is doing is browsing mp3s or playing cd's, that's not right you know? In the UK when an MC does this it's only because there is ((an actual Dubplate on the turntable)).

Dubplates were widley used in the Drum and bass industry for decades!! almost all the D&B ever made was first cut on Dubplate, it hasnt been a term which is solely exclusive to Reggae for well over two decades!!

Perhaps Duplate means different things in different country's, but from my point of view and certainly here in the UK, a Dubplate is the acetate, any other use of the term is just wrong.

The Acetate form of Dubplate was the easiest format for playing exclusive music in the 70's,80's and 90's.

I remember dubplate sessions In the 80's and the artist would sing live and direct to the acetate while the lathe was cutting the plate.This was very nerve racking as a mistake would equal a distroyed plate.To counteract this we then started cutting to high quality cassette tape but your soundsystem would look very silly trying to queue up tracks on cassette therefore you still had to cut to acetate.

In the 90's with the invention of Mini Disc and Dat,this took place of the cassette but still a bit awkward to play in a dance,therefore you still have to transfer to acetate.

This brings us to the 2000's where soundsystems have CD decks in the set up,there are no turntables at the World Sound Clash but only dubplates or specials, whatever you choose to call them are played.

Dubplate meant exclusive many years ago but since the dubplate business is a big money making commodity,very few soundsystems have "real" dubplates as an artist would look to make as much money as possible by cutting the same track for as many soundsystems as possible.

Bless