Fidelity Record Pressing finds its groove in Oxnard

OXNARD, Calif. – Listening to Joni Mitchell and other recording artists on vinyl is all in a days work at Fidelity Record Pressing.

"We are just trying to keep it real," said Fidelity Record Pressing co-founder, Rick Hashimoto.

Hashimoto does audio checks to ensure that records hot off Fidelity presses have high quality analog sound collectors want to hear.

"Sometimes we look at the grooves to troubleshoot," said Hashimoto. "We want it to be the best it can be, our goal here is to make the best records in the world. We do a pretty good job of it. There aren't too many things going out of here that aren't top-notch."

The presses are hooked up to a custom boiler and cooling system on Factory Lane in Oxnard.

Hashimoto said even the climate along the coast suits the process.

He can dip his hand into super-sized sacks of of a premium vinyl compound that looks like chips. The vinyl chips are then melted into what they call 'biscuits' that look like a lot like hockey pucks.

As the records are pressed, the labels are put into place.

Fidelity employee, Todd Curtis, said they press a lot of records in shifts.

"Each press can press between 700 records a day," said Curtis. "We have six presses, so we are cranking out quite a lot of records every day."

Nothing goes to waste. Even trimmings get recycled into records.

Every record is then handled with care by a worker wearing gloves. They inspect them before they are placed into sleeves and the album covers collectors love.

"I was eleven years old when I started collecting Peter, Paul and Mary –my first record– and the Beatles, of course," said Hashimoto.

A new generation is discovering albums, including young children.

Hashimoto recalls a time when his daughter's teacher didn't believe when she said what her dad did for a living.

"Tara, my daughter, said my 'daddy makes records' and the teacher said 'oh no honey you're wrong, they don't do that anymore,' so you know we straightened her out."

Fidelity is a family affair – Hashimoto works with his sons Edward and Alex – and others work with family, too.

Todd Curtis works near his wife Melanie Johnson.

"I'm here with my wife who is packing records, so yeah it is a family affair," said Curtis.

Sometimes they make albums for new and legendary artists around the clock.

"The records we've pressed that I get most excited about are Miles Davis. We pressed and the sounds are amazing, these Santana records sound pretty great too. There's a lot to choose from."

Hashimoto's business partner, Music Direct President Jim Davis also makes speakers and cartridges they use in the audio check studio.

Albums made at Fidelity include Mariah Carey's Christmas double album that is always popular this time of year. It will cost you about $59.

Stores that carry albums including Salzer's, Grady's, Jockamo Records in Ventura, Murphy's Vinyl Shack in Carpinteria, Warbler in Santa Barbara and Paradise Records and Trading Post in Orcutt are busy.

"When people say they are happy records came back I say they never went away," said Jockamo Records owner David Peters.

Peters said he likes that they are tactile and he enjoys the larger graphics and the sound.

Collector, Griffen Phillips, said he is listening for a certain tone.

"There is a certain charm to the tone you get from a record that you don't get from a bluetooth stereo or a CD," said Phillips inside the Warbler store. "There's a lot of old. It is a cool scene, it is a lot of cool music going on and it is rad that places like this that are still maintaining the scene.

LPs- or long plays- make the music last.

"It's not just the record, it's getting together with a bunch of people, you put a record on, you listen to one half of it, you can sit around and talk about it and put on the other side. If you have never done that, you ought to, you ought to," said Hashimoto. "It is really cool to do that."

Your News Channel will have more on Fidelity Record Pressing this Thursday at 6 p.m.