The Perfect Combination, Vinyl CD Duplication with Dischromatics 4 Page Printed Digipak

Dischromatics Vinyl CD's are available from small runs to large volumes. We have been receiving orders from as far afield as Switzerland and Spain as well as numerous requirements from UK groups, bands and solo artists. They are ideal for a great retro look and people are amazed at the look of authenticity of this product. For small runs the company provides on-site duplication with ink jet printing.

For larger runs, we use our UK partner Sony DADC. We are the only UK partner of this professional Manufacturer based in Wales, Sony DADC are the largest producer of CD, DVD and Blu-ray Replication in Europe. Orders placed for this product is delivered direct to anywhere in the European Union free of charge.

We are now also finding that we are picking up business from companies who have previously purchased from elsewhere, only to find they are receiving a sub-standard product and they are not even paying much difference in price, if any difference at times, they just assume that because it’s quality product it will naturally be much more expensive, well it isn't!

Vinyl CD’s when fitted into Dischromatics own design Digipaks really do look impressive and we are continually receiving commendations for the quality and therefore, much repeat business. Regarding CD Duplication, because everything is produced in-house, we are able to control the production time-scales and costs. This attractive product is ideal for our music orientated customers and we are continually requested for a quick turn round for their gigs as hand outs or sales opportunities.

We do need to have an IPR form completed to ensure compliance with the law and when the CD has cover versions an MCPS licence is required. Along with this we will require all artwork to Dischromatics spec but customers needn't be concerned as these are available on the website and our staff are more than happy to give advice on any areas where customers need technical support.

So if you would like a sample or no obligation quotation, please call 01495 243222 or email sales@dischromatics.co.uk

Dischromatics Gets Tough with One of its Debtors and Advises Others on How to Avoid Bad Debts.

Under the current credit crisis we are still seeing many companies, large and small going into receivership. On some occasions this is due to their inability to recover money owed to them by their clients.

It is a sad situation we find ourselves in when we see customers treating their suppliers like a credit facility passing on their own debt problems without the slightest tinge of guilt, many of whom eventually fail anyway causing untold misery and suffering to their loyal suppliers, dragging their viable businesses down with them. Worse perhaps, in terms of integrity, are the business owners who hold out paying until the very last minute or not at all, even though they may be cash rich themselves, some even hide behind the fact that they are based in a different country and simply rely on the supplier not being prepared to take the matter further due to logistics and the extra costs involved which may be difficult to recover.

Dischromatics found themselves in this situation with a well-known company based in New York called MBM Records run by an individual called Yan Saquet, who also, according to LinkedIn, claims to be President at Universal Music Brand Management Group. So if such large and well-known companies are prepared to treat a relatively small CD and DVD Duplication company like Dischromatics in this way, who knows where we are headed! It is therefore essential to follow a few simple steps to avoid this scenario but first some background on how this debt occurred and how easy it is to be lulled into a false sense of security.

In April 2012 the company received a rush order for Music CD Duplication for the Lotus F1 team for the Australian Grand Prix from MBM Records, the order was paid for in advance and the job was delivered on time and to the great satisfaction of MBM who even supplied a great testimonial. Dischromatics then received a follow up order in May 2012 for a much larger volume for the same disc. They requested credit saying they would pay once the delivery had been affected and therefore this company agreed bearing in mind the organisations involved. Terms were set and agreed at seven days from receipt of samples in New York.

On receipt of these samples by MBM Records and the rest of the discs to the requested destinations, MBM once again expressed their gratitude and satisfaction on the quality of the product and the service and said payment would be made as agreed. Since that time Dischromatics has dealt with several representatives of MBM including Yan Saquet and Loren Berrier, this has been done via email and directly by telephone and even text messages, none have resulted in settlement of the debt even though MBM Records received their payment from the Lotus F1 team several months prior to the order being placed. Over the following months Dischromatics encountered numerous stalling tactics and empty promises including some of the following comments:

 “My name is Yan Saquet; I am the CEO of MBM Records.  It is my understanding you have been in touch with Loren regarding the outstanding payment of the Manufacturing of the Lotus GP CD project we did with you.  We were very happy with the product, and it has always been our full intention to comply with the agreement we initially made, but unfortunately the situation is that the company has been going through an extended period of cash flow issues.  We would obviously like to avoid any litigation, so can you please let me know an appropriate course of action to resolve this issue”. Yan Saquet 07/08/2012. Dischromatics offered a payment plan but further prevarications prevailed and at the same time MBM were tweeting about acquiring new business deals.

 Here are just a small amount of messages received: “I have just been informed by Yan that the payment will be made on November 1st.  Can you please send the latest amount due”. Loren Berrier 17/10/2012. Statement was sent by Dischromatics immediately.

“Yes, Carl informed me he had spoken to you.  I am working with Yan to come up with a realistic payment schedule that we can adhere to, and will get back to you shortly”.  Loren Berrier 03/12/2012

“As our last conversation, email us a payment plan agreement:  $1,000.00 per month. Then we'll process the first payment Yan Saquet 19/12/2012

“First $1,000 payment will be paid immediately the day we'll sign it”. Yan Saquet 30/01/2013

As a goodwill gesture a payment plan agreement was drawn up with the first instalment due in February 2013 and sent to MBM on 31/01/2013 and received back duly signed by Yan Saquet on the same day. Unfortunately, no money has been received by Dischromatics and all correspondence has been ignored. Naturally no company finds it easy to turn to litigation but there is no choice in order to maintain credibility. Bizarrely, MBM have been tweeting and releasing press releases over the past months on new deals they have concluded bringing further revenue into their company, they are still operating freely using funds from their suppliers with no intention of paying. All correspondence and agreement documentation is available for inspection.

Any small company who has the opportunity to export must sensibly do their homework on the prospective client in the first place to ensure they are viable and able to pay for the goods or services. Furthermore if credit is requested as being the only way they will do business, a letter of credit or other financial safeguard has to be implemented, if this is also found to be unacceptable, the advice has to be to walk away! For trading within the UK always do a credit check before accepting an order and a good tactic is a Director’s Guarantee, never offer credit to a company with a poor credit rating regardless of how much you need the business.

Is the Creative Industry in the UK getting the Support it deserves from the UK GOVERNMENT?

This is a question very close to my heart, as Dischromatics established Dischro Creative last year in order to exploit the undoubted opportunities available to any forward thinking enterprise with the experience, knowledge and wherewithal available. Dischro Creative offers filming forevents, showreels, testimonials etc., graphic design, web design, and app creation. 

I read an article recently in the Director magazine that absolutely hit a chord with me as it mirrored my own thoughts and experiences. The article was based on the views of ex Dragon Doug Richard who certainly has the credentials and credibility to make anyone sit up and listen. His views are that the UK actually leads the world in this area but the UK government only pay lip service to it without giving credible and tangible support.

He goes on to say that the creative industry generates over £70,000 per minute in this country and accounts for 10% of exports and this is still a relatively young sector with huge potential for growth in this hi-tec area of our economy. Imagine what a significant financial boost from our politicians would do for the future economy, creating huge profits with a significant increase in exports and in high paid employment which would in itself have a positive knock-on effect for the whole economy.

Our own experience of the lack of support from our politicians is commonplace. Here in Wales. the Welsh Government continually pay lip service to how important the creative industry is to Wales and they have run a series of ‘seminars’ in the country to give the impression that they are being proactive but the truth is that they are offering very little tangible support to the creative sector itself. As far as the WG is concerned size I everything, they very rarely recognise small creative enterprises but this is where the most significant opportunities arise. 

The past is a painful reminder of how our politicians in Wales fail to recognise the future lies with indigenous small to medium enterprises. It’s always about headlines with politician. The failed bid to establish LG in Newport is a poignant reminder of their incompetence, paying huge subsidies to LG and others for that matter only for us to see them fail and withdraw. I remember at the time, all the Ministers turned out for the photo call when the company moved in but they were not to be seen or heard when they moved out again.

What is needed is a body that includes leaders from a cross section of the Creative Industry, from large and particularly small enterprises together with politicians appointed by the WG who fully understand or who are prepared to learn, to get together to see how, collectively, we can progress in order to expand this valuable area of our economy. Instead of looking for publicity to boost their own egos, we need people who are genuinely interested in making this a success, to have the patience and understanding to learn what is needed, to offer support in whatever area is required ensuring there is cooperation with our universities so that courses can be adapted to suit what is required by our young and vibrant creative sector to the benefit of us all!

Dischromatics Passes New Barrier

 

News Release

July  2012

Abercarn manufacturer Dischromatics hits four million disc milestone

An Abercarn manufacturer which specialises in CD, DVD and Blu-ray duplication has produced its four millionth Compact Disc.

Family-owned firm Dischromatics, based on Abercarn Industrial Estate, recently passed the landmark figure with an order from a company in Malta

If stacked vertically, the tower of four million CDs would stretch three miles into the sky and be almost six times as high as the Burj Khalifa in Dubai - the world's tallest building.

Gareth Spencer, managing director of Dischromatics, said: “It's amazing to think that we have produced four million pre-recorded CDs since 2003.

“The total number of discs produced – if you include blank ones – is closer to five million.

“The types of CDs we produce can be computer data discs or music CDs for local bands  and record labels.”

The company's work has even strayed into the glamorous world of Formula 1 Grand Prix racing with an order for the Lotus GP team earlier this year.

New York-based record company MBM, part of Universal Music, was commissioned by the F1 team to produce a CD of rock tracks for the Australian Grand Prix.

Knowing the tight turnaround time of the order, the American company turned to Dischromatics to get the CD – complete with F1 artwork – manufactured and printed.

Gareth and his team worked around the clock to successfully meet the strict ?? hour deadline.

And it was from F1 to Grand Slam as company staff had to pull another all-nighter to complete an order for a WRU charity record.

'The Voice of the Nation' – produced by Music Wales – was on the shelves of Tesco the day after Wales secured the 2012 Grand Slam. The CD included the chorus of Cwm Rhondda sung by Paul Childs accompanied by the fans during half-time at Wales' final Six Nations match against France.

The fast-moving worlds of Formula 1 and international rugby union are all a far cry from when Dischromatics was first established in 1989 by Gareth's father Stewart Spencer.

Head-hunted to South Wales to work at the now defunct Parrot Corporation in Cwmbran, Stewart moved the family from Cambridgeshire. Disaster almost ensued when Parrot folded and Stewart was made redundant, but salvation came when he founded Dischromatics with a business partner.

The company was set up in 1989 and specialised in old floppy computer discs. At the time, Dischromatics was the only company in the world with the ability to print and perfect the UV drying process using on 5.25in floppy discs – which meant discs could be printed up to photographic quality without smudging.

From there the company moved onto the smaller 3.5in floppy computer discs – today a rare sight – and eventually on to CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. In 2003, Sony DADC, the largest manufacturer of CD, DVD and Blu-ray Replication in Europe approached the company to form a UK partner agreement. Since that time the partnership has blossomed and Dischromatics is now the only Welsh based company working with Sony DADC.

The company also specialises in graphic design and digital printing, producing leaflets, flyers and brochures for a diverse range of public and private sector organisations. An exciting new development is the production of company Showreels for its customers. Dischromatics has recently concluded the filming, editing and final production of its own Showreel which is on display on the website.

Gareth who is fluent in French having lived in France for two years following graduation from Cardiff University in French and Economics joined the company in 2004 and moved into the managing director's position in 2006 with Stewart moving on as chairman.

The process and decision of handing over the company to his son was a simple one, according to Stewart.

He said: “If you're going to make fundamental changes, you have to be committed. It was therefore important that Gareth took that role on with me no longer on the scene – otherwise staff would continue to report to me.

“We still work together of course, that's the main thing. We converse every day and I still go to various meetings. I like to be involved and if Gareth and his young management team can convince me a change has a business case, which most often is the case, then there's no problem.”

With Gareth's younger brother Alex working in sales for the company, it's certainly a family affair, but what's it like working with close relatives?

Gareth answered: “It's usually fun, but there are flash points as there are with any business and we do have our moments, but we always conclude with a consensus view to the benefit of ourselves and the company. We are a close family and we get on very well which allows us to have open discussions without any fear of protracted problems sometimes in evidence in other environments”.

“We are lucky with the amount of time we get to spend together and we trust each other with the decisions we make.

 

Dischromatics Sponsors The Charlie Sloth Music Competition at the Riverfront Newport.

 

The legendary Wu-Tang Clan will be performing live during the Big Splash weekend in Newport. With Charlie Sloth the BBC One DJ also performing and other personalities on hand, it promises to be a memorable event. 

The Charlie Sloth Music Competition which is part of the Urban Edge zone at this year’s Big Splash at the Riverfront in Newport, is open to all groups and artists that wishes to enter. Once the finalists have been selected they will have the opportunity to perform their track at Urban Edge to a live audience and more importantly a panel of guest judges. This panel will include Charlie Sloth one of BBC One’s top DJ’s. The groups and artists who are interested in entering must upload a video or audio of themselves performing their track to the Pentalk Lab Recording Studio Presents page.

Five of the uploaded tracks will be selected and announced as finalists. They will then have the opportunity to perform live at the Urban Edge on two occasions.  The first performance will be in front of a live audience followed by a second in front of Charlie Sloth and the rest of the guest panel who will consequently choose the winner. The winner(s) of the competition will gain a fantastic opportunity to record an EP at the Pentalk Lab Recording Studio, at the Riverfront in Newport over two days with their resident DJ and Producer Jamie Winchester.

Following the recording session Dischromatics, a major UK supplier of CD Duplication and DVD Duplication who are based in Abercarn, just north of Newport, will design and print 100 colour copies packed into originally designed 4 page full colour Digipaks which will be presented free of charge to the winners. This professionally produced and manufactured prize is an exclusive opportunity for local musicians and could pave the way for greater success within the music industry. The prize will be presented to the lucky winner(s) by Charlie Sloth. The event itself takes place between 17.00 and 20.00 on Saturday evening.

Dischromatics has for many years, worked closely with a multitude of groups, artists and bands from all over the UK including many locally based performers. They can help with Licencing advice including performing rights and have contacts at MCPS-PRS to make the process easier. They are also a Sony DADC UK partner being the only one in the whole of Wales. Formed in 1989 they have been in the digital media business for many years and have a vast amount of experience to help their customers. This company has recently moved into video, producing Showreels for companies and other organisations. Performing the filming, editing and mastering of the whole production process.

The Big Splash weekend promises to be a memorable time in Newport with plenty of live music, theatre performances, film screenings and fantastic street performances along with a giant Bhangra dance-off, as well as drop-in workshops, dance and music competitions, arts and craft  stalls, a sunset fire spectacular, plenty of different foods and drinks to choose from and special guests. The event takes place over a long weekend from Friday 13^th July. Why not come along and join in the fun. Monday the 16^th will have the Wu-Tang Clan minus of course ODB, performing Legend of the Wu-Tang.

Dischromatics Showreel

Company Showreels from Dischromatics

CD Music Duplication

Dischromatics works with many artists groups and bands throughout the UK and Europe to produce their singles and albums. For quantities up to 500 it is most economical to have CD Duplication which we will produce in-house. For larger volumes we supply Replication which are fully manufactured discs and therefore has a longer lead time.

Because we also have a digital printing facility on-site, we can produce the CD and DVD packaging which will allow us to offer a more competitive price than other suppliers who have to buy in their print from third party printers. The additional bonus for our customers is that we can produce small run CD and DVD specialised packaging normally only available in large volumes, this includes Digipaks.

By having the equipment and expertise to complete the whole project including the mastering, graphic design, the CD duplication and printing, as well as the printed parts, we have complete control over costs and lead times. We believe our prices are most competitive and fairly priced.

Sometimes we are asked to fulfil the job by sending the discs out direct to individuals. With the variable data software we use with the digital printer we can actually personalise each packaging print with changed graphics as well as the names and addresses. This is what we use for direct mail clients who ask us to send out brochures, booklets, postcards and so on.

This specialised print can be applied to Digipaks, CD card wallets and the paper parts fitted into jewel cases. So if you are looking for help with your projects for music, audio or any kind of data reproduction, we are convinced you will not find anybody better. We are happy to supply samples if required and are confident you will be impressed by the results.

Why not give us a call on 01495 243222 or send an email enquiry to sals@dischromatics.co.uk
Our website will give much more information and detail.

Digital Printing is the Future with Flexibility

Dischromatics offers digital printing for small runs of CD and DVD packaging along with the ability to have personalisation of printed material such as inlays, Digipaks, booklets, brochures, leaflets, flyers postcards etc. The Digital Printing process is absolutely ideal for smaller runs up to a thousand.

Dischromatics is probably the only supplier of CD Duplication and DVD Duplication in the UK that can provide in-house services at the front end like graphic design and authoring of the master, through to the duplication and printing of the CD or DVD, Followed by digitally printing the paper parts for CD and DVD cases, wallets, Digipaks and booklets and finally packing and fulfilment to customers’ clients if required. Digital Printing has the flexibility that lithographic printing cannot match.

At Dischromatics, they strive to satisfy their customers’ changing requirements. They believe any project is best managed by one individual supplier. By continually investing in new machinery and computer equipment along with highly qualified staff, they have maintained an excellent reputation with their customers. The ability of this Company to supply every aspect of the projects they undertake ensures they are always in total control. There is no necessity to rely on third party suppliers like their competitors for CD and DVD Duplication and packing.

One of the most attractive services Dischromatics offers is Direct Mail Marketing using variable data printing with software from Adobe Creo Darwin for the digital printing process. This type of direct mail has many advantages over the previously supplied lithographic printing which requires orders in the many thousands to bring the unit cost to an acceptable figure. Furthermore lithographic printers can only economically produce the same graphic on every print with a sticky address label being the only unique feature. Is it any wonder the majority are quickly tossed into the wastepaper basket?

The real attraction of digital printing for direct mail is, as well as having a different name and address actually printed directly onto the mail out, there is also the opportunity to have individual graphics on every single printed item. It can be provided in small batches up to one thousand if required. This type of direct mail has proven to increase the return on investment (ROI) up to tenfold. This type of digital printing can be applied to flyers, leaflets, postcards, booklets, brochures and even CD and DVD packaging like Digipaks, wallets, inlays etc.

Dischromatics has been in business for over twenty two years, with ISO accreditations for quality and the environment displaying professionalism in business none of its competitors can rival. To enhance and streamline the digital printing process, the company will soon release a new web to print site which will allow customers to choose from a selection of available templates or create their own. With professional Graphic Design available to help with logo design, branding and re-branding.

Dischromatics is aware that many companies have made the claim to be the proverbial one stop shop but with the additional services and staff and state of the art equipment added over the last couple of years their boast can be backed up by facts. With a Digital printing press, Graphic design, DVD and Blu-ray Authoring facilities along with duplication and production and packing departments emphasise this. With links to local universities, working in collaboration with highly talented graduates they will continue to innovate and introduce new and attractive products in the future.

By Johnio Muccles

CD & DVD Digipaks

Dischromatics can produce CD & DVD Digipaks in low volumes.
Ideal for new groups or bands with low budgets but high aspirations.

Instead of being stuck with the same old packaging for low volumes because special products are too expensive, Dischromatics can offer a 4 page and 6 page CD & DVD Digipak solution to new Groups and Bands or anyone else who wants them.

Digipaks are designed and fully manufactured in-house, and by supplying the complete package of duplicating your CD's or DVD's and providing the packaging for your products, we can deliver within short lead times .

Furthermore, using our variable data software we can individualise each item by printing names, addresses and even barcodes if required on the CD, DVD and/or Digipaks, this is an ideal solution for fulfilment and a wonderful marketing tool.