Features

Optimal Media Factory Tour

Michael Fremer  |  Dec 29, 2019

This is the final video from AnalogPlanet's Spring 2019 European "factory tour" trip that began after "Making Vinyl" Berlin. It began in Geneva, Switzerland with the CH Precision tour, followed by darTZeel and Hi Fiction (Thales) and then it was on to GZ Media in the Czech Republic, followed by this Optimal tour, which took place the day before the beginning of Munich Hi-End 2019. Thanks to Optimal Media Sales Manager Andreas Kohl who picked me up in Berlin and drove me the two plus hours to Optimal and then back to Berlin.

Optimal Media began life in 1991 as a CD pressing plant with a 12 person team. Today with a staff of over 700 people Optimal, located in Röbel/Müritz, Germany, is a high capacity optical media producer (CD and Blu-ray discs) as well as a print media publisher of books, magazines and brochures. Approximately 20 years ago, Optimal correctly decided to open an in-house vinyl record pressing plant, which today has the capacity to annually press more than 25 million records. The combination of print and record pressing allows Optimal to produce high quality box sets like The Beatles mono box, among others.

COMMENTS
ChrisM's picture
Submitted by ChrisM on Sun, 2019-12-29 15:29

Impressive !

Steelhead's picture
Submitted by Steelhead on Sun, 2019-12-29 17:30

If they are the responsible plant for the Beatles Mono box set than all I have to say is: THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

My set is superb and my sincere thanks to whoever oversaw the production of this masterpiece.

MalachiLui's picture
Submitted by MalachiLui on Sun, 2019-12-29 21:02

optimal presses all the European Beatles records now, along with a million other things. definitely one of the best pressing plants in the world imo.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Mon, 2019-12-30 14:34
That would be Steve Berkowitz!
gbougard's picture
Submitted by gbougard on Mon, 2019-12-30 08:44

I have tried GZ, MOV and others, nothing compares to Optimal. They're more expensive than others but the quality is flawless. They have a great printer too, so you can have your records pressed and packaged under one umbrella. Sometimes it takes a while to get your records but it's OK with me.

mikenc's picture
Submitted by mikenc on Mon, 2019-12-30 20:54

...can you get a glimpse of the real record "factory" like these tours. Thank you Mr Fremer, you and your work for me are a national treasure.

richiep's picture
Submitted by richiep on Tue, 2019-12-31 12:36

Early in Vinyl 2.0 Optimal has always produced a superior product, after hundreds of Records, I have never had a poor quality pressing that needed replacement, cannot say that about other manufactures. What a diverse operation that's had excellent design and process development thru the years. Only wish for all Analog pressings! Thanks for your pushing through electronic and hygienic issues. Hope Santa left you some Bag a Balm.

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