FAQ

Yes. There may be applicable import duties and taxes, depending on your region's laws.

PHONOCUT is currently available as a pre-order only. We do not have an estimated shipping date. Pre-orders will be shipped on a first ordered, first delivered basis starting with Kickstarter orders. Please read our terms and conditions for further detail. Once pre-ordered, we will keep you informed via email.

For Kickstater pre-orders, we also strictly follow Kickstarter's accountability guidelines.

We warranty PHONOCUT against manufacturing defects for 24 months.

We recommend changing the stylus every 200 cuts... 100 discs x 2 sides or approximately 33 1/3 hours :)

The PHONOCUT stylus is a diamond and it typically wears gradually thus users have different preferences for when to change the stylus. Some will want to replace it earlier. Some later. Our stylus replacement service is €149 (plus applicable taxes, duties and shipping). The only thing to ship is the cartridge. The rest of PHONOCUT stays with you.

Additional details on our service centers and procedure for Returns, Exchanges and Repairs is forthcoming.

We do not at this time however we hope to do so in the future.

Yes. When we launched our Kickstarter in October of 2019 the very first loyal PHONOCUT customers were able to purchase PHONOCUT for €999. By the end of the campaign in November 2019, the price went up to €1799.

The good news for those of you lovely people that supported our kickstarter campaign is that you all got one hell of a deal and Kickstarter contributors have the very first priority for delivery. Those pre-ordering also have priority delivery; you will receive your units in the next batch following the kickstarter deliveries. All orders are processed on a first-ordered, first-delivered basis. 

During our pre-order, you may request a full refund at anytime before we ship your PHONOCUT to you. This refund is GUARANTEED.

After we initiate shipment our standard refund policy applies.

No, this machine enables anyone to easily cut high quality records with just the push of a button.

Just plug in your 1/4” connector from your line level source and cut. You can cut directly from your iPhone, for instance. No additional equipment is required.

PHONOCUT optimizes the audio for your cuts including the RIAA curve and elliptical EQ however it does not master your audio.

PHONOCUT is stereo.

You can connect all audio sources via a single 1/4" TRS stereo connector.

It's in development for future versions of PHONOCUT but is not currently a feature of PHONOCUT.

A high quality direct drive motor.

The current maximum playtime is 9 minutes per side.

The beautiful material cut from the discs sometimes called the chip, swarth or our favorite anti-music is brushed off by you as you cut the PHONOCUT disc with the supplied brush.

Some folks have compared the process of wiping the anti-music away to the meditative process of raking a Japanese Zen/Rock Garden. It's quite nice. 

This is handled automatically by PHONOCUT.

This is handled automatically by PHONOCUT.

PHONOCUT cuts at 33 ⅓. We hope to make it possible to cut at 45 rpm in future versions. We have no plans for 78 or other speeds.

Yes. Your PHONOUCT comes with the appropriate power connector, depending on your location. Plug types available are exclusively Type B (USA/JP), F (EU), J (CH) and G (UK).

The V2 prototype does not have a meter however we are developing a basic meter so that you can see that you have a good level for cutting. We will have more information on this in the future. For those of you that desire more resolution in your metering, you may want a more sophisticated meter in the signal chain just before PHONOCUT's input.

Yes. PHONOCUT has a completely analog signal path.

PHONOCUT cuts in real-time. Whatever audio comes in is what gets cut to disc. Inevitably every cut will be unique because the exact time that you start the audio and end the cut will likely vary slightly.

Yes. When you push the button to finish your cut a locked groove is created.

The blank discs are made of our special recipe of vinyl for the highest fidelity, longest durability and cleanest cut. PHONOCUT will only work properly with official PHONOCUT Blanks. Use of other blanks void our warranty. If you've cut records before, you probably know that the quality and consistency of blanks can vary quite drastically, potentially damaging cutting equipment.

We love the size. It's inspired by the original shellac record format, is the perfect balance of portability and record length and lends itself to easier creation of custom album artwork. 

You cannot cut 12" discs on PHONOCUT. For 12" discs we suggest using a traditional record lathe such as the Neumann AM32b. They are more complicated, expensive and challenging to acquire but with a lot of practice you will get very excellent results. Our experience in designing PHONOCUT comes from decades of experience with these machines.

Originally we hoped to make it possible for 7" cuts however PHONOCUT currently only cuts 10" Blanks. 

Yes. PHONOCUTs can be scratched like any other pressed disc

PHONOCUT and our retail partners provide the blanks discs.

See this page.

PHONOCUT discs as durable as commercially pressed vinyl records.

PHONOCUT only works blank discs from PHONOCUT. Attempting to use blanks not certified by PHONOCUT will void the warranty and may damage the unit.

Yes. Please see this page.

PHONOCUT Blanks will include a record jacket and label. These will have limited PHONOCUT branding, with plenty of space for you to customize.

We also offer purchase of Blanks in bulk (100). Bulk Blanks do not include record jackets.

Yes. The current maximum playtime is 10 minutes per side.

Yes. Any turntable will also be delighted to play back your PHONOCUTs.

PHONOCUT uses a diamond stylus within our cartridge system.

We recommend changing the stylus every 200 cuts... 100 discs x 2 sides or approximately 33 1/3 hours :)

The PHONOCUT stylus is a diamond and it typically wears gradually thus users have different preferences for when to change the stylus. Some will want to replace it earlier. Some later. Our stylus replacement service is €149 (plus applicable taxes, duties and shipping). The only thing to ship is the cartridge. The rest of PHONOCUT stays with you.

The stylus is held within the PHONOCUT cartridge which can be easily replaced, upgraded, or refurbished (comparable to the ink cartridges of your printer).

PHONOCUT’s cartridge is the heart of PHONOCUT, containing both the cutting head and the cutting stylus. As many of you have pointed out, the act of replacing a stylus and calibrating a cutter head is quite complicated however we are very happy to say that we have established our easy stylus replacement service for only €149 (plus applicable shipping, taxes and duties). Due to the real possibility for damage of the cartridge and cutter head, please do not attempt to replace the stylus on your own. Self replacement could void your warranty.

Like with “mixtapes,” you may cut a PHONOCUT record for personal use from music acquired legitimately.

Yes. We will be paying Private Copying Levy as a part of the sale of each PHONOCUT Recorder and PHONOCUT Blank.

Absolutely, as long as you either create and/or own the license for the music you plan to sell.