Roots Archives Forum

Anybody out there in reggaeland have any test presses of reggae LP's. Looking for any general info about vinyl test presses. Are they one and only copies intended for testing the sound quality of the mix/mastering/stamper? I get the impression that these are different and separate from a "white label" presses that seem to be pressed in limited quantity, but for the purpose of "testing" the market for possible interest/sales.

I have a french (echantillion) test press of creation rebel - Highs and lows LP... And also a US test press of Wayne Wade's poor & humble LP. These both came in blank sleeves (obviously because they were made before the record cover was printed) and sound quality is impeccable.

Just wondering if anybody else out there in reggae land have these SAME EXACT test presses, or any other LP's in a test press format.

Note that the labels on them either have the words "test press", a factory name and number on them, or maybe even both.

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks. ADam

I have a few of them. Apparently, they made as many copies as they needed until the final mix was what they wanted. There is a difference in sound between the tape and the pressed record, so a test press is a good way to modify the mix in fonction and so you can find test presses with more or less bass and so on... The last one being the exact same as the release. Ive seen many times producers selling 4-5 copies of the same tune in blank test press.
They are surely not the same as the prerelease in 70's, where it was more to have an idea of the success a tune would get for an official release, though sometimes the mix is different, totally ruff.

I have a few totally blank, without matrix and others with a pressing plant name on the center and a few lines with the title hand written on.

Guidance

Usually before you tell the plant to press a run of a title, you get a handful of test pressings to ensure that the mastering was done properly. What may sound good at the mastering stage over big speakers and an expensive amp in a studio sounds different than it would on a set, or a home stereo. Often test pressings were given to sounds to play, others to radio stations to test the waters.

I have quite a few, and some are exactly the same as the released version. Some are close to the released version, but may have either changed a few tracks, or have been re-mised and then remastered to a new stamper.

From a collectors standpoint, they are worth having whether they resemble the final release or not
i) It may never see release, so you have an "unreleased" recording
ii) It may see the release in a changed form if it is deemed that improvement is needed (different tracks on an LP, different mix required etc)
iii) If it is identical to the final "for sale" version, which means the same stamper was used, you have yourself probably one of the best sounding copies, as records pressed early in the run generally sound better than those later on, as stampers wears down with repeated usage. In Jamaica, where funds are scarce, pressing plants would regularly exceed what was considered best industry practise in terms of the number of copies pressed before making new stampers. This is why some represses sound lousy - they use the original stampers that previously pressed thousands of copies, decades ago.

As has been stated test presses are exactly that a pressing to check how the finished vinyl will sound before committing to the full pressing run. If I remember correctly the pressing plant would supply you with a small number and any extra ones you wanted, if there were a lot of people in the band, cost you extra, in my experience labels almost never decided to scrap the plates and re-cut based on a test press and owning dozens of Reggae ones, including some with obvious problems I can't think of any case where a Reggae label has re-cut.

Although some plants including the French one used by On-U Sound in the eighties used custom labels, most UK test pressings are on blank labels and therefore tests pressings are identical to any larger press on blank labels, such as those done by Carib Gems. Many UK labels, Fashion and Hawkeye for example would repress 12"s on cheaper blank labels, although a later press these would be identical to the very first test presses.

Test presses were also often used to test the market, given to key deejays and for revue/press copies, usually they would come in a plain sleeve, but you can sometimes get a proof sleeve or a press release with a test press, in the case of revue copies the number of test pressings would probably be closer to 50 than 5.

In my experience: you get as many test presses as you wanna pay for. Nothing is free.
Also, I have rejected a few test presses and other labels too. Mastering and sound wasn't up to standard.