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My band is looking to put out our first release on vinyl but we arent sure if we should look into 7" or 12". Pretty much how much time you could normally fit on each side of a 7" because it would be a little cheaper for that and would help us get it out faster. The release is seven songs and about 25 minutes. Does that seem completely unrealistic for a 7". I have a bunch of 7"s but they are all always 4 songs.

So I press vinyl for a living and I get asked this a lot, it comes down to quality of sound. The longer the recording the closer the grooves have to be made together. This means that the cuts can't be as defined and there is sometimes bleed through of sound or at the very least less bass definition. You will definitely not fit 25 minutes on a 7 inch. Each side fits like 8 minutes at 33rpm which is the slowest recommended speed for ease of playing. So that's 16 minutes a seven inch. I don't think there's any way you could fit it on a seven.
A twelve inch plays 18 to 20 minutes on each side at 33rpm. Maybe you'd be better off pressing it at 45rpm, that'll take 14 minutes on each side and it'll sound the best!
Hope that helped

Cool! What pressing plant do you work at? A band i'm playing in just pressed an LP at Gotta Groove and had a really great experience. We've worked with Brooklyn Phono in the past as well.

I work at The Vinyl Factory in Sydney Australia, on and off.
Got the job mainly to get some sort of employee discount on pressing records. Never happened

Thank you. That was just what I needed to know. I never thought about pressing a 12" at 45 rpms. I just heard back from who we recorded with and its roughly 24 minutes long so going that route seems the best. Thanks again and ill be able to post some songs after its all mixed and mastered.

Glad to hear people are still going the vinyl route! Send it my way when your done and I'll review it for my vinyl blog
www.radvinylrecords.tumblr.com

Just gotta say this: I f'n LOVE 2x7" gatefold releases.

Awesome Ross I'll make sure to get you a copy of it when we get em pressed. I've actually been following your tumblr since you put up here that you started one. Kosta I know! I just picked up Lost Ground by the band Defeater from generation records 2x7" on white and its so sick. Were looking into every option trying to see what we can realistically afford to put out hopefully we can get something cool. As of now were looking at doing 200 cds in 4 panel cardboard wallets that im going to screen print and 500 12"s with download cards but this all may change. Everything is getting mixed so after its all done tracks will definitely go up here.

Killer! And yeah, I gotta think releasing those 2x7" gatefold jawns is a little 'spensive...

Looking forward to it!!