PCX Media/Mama's Sauce used to be a good company

[geek_usa]

Back in 2005 when my first album was printed, I went with these guys. They were called "PCX.media" at the time. They did great work, and I managed to get 50 CDs with a 4-panel booklet for about $60 including shipping. That's just a little over a dollar a disc.

 

When it came time to print my latest album, I looked around a little bit to see if there were better deals and almost went with a "better" company, but since I'm so conventional I decided to stick with PCX Media (now called "Mama's Sauce"). Due probably to economic times but also rise in popularity, they doubled their prices (tripled in some areas), and a 50 CD dealie with 4 panel booklet now would cost roughly $125. I figured I'd cut them some slack and since they are incredibly flexible, I'd work with them. After all, great customer service trumps a corporate squeeze any day, right?

 

I put in a larger order this time (a 2-disc set with four 4-panel CMYK and back insert 4/1). I got my discs in the mail and was excited until I looked over the inserts. Then I went from excited to mellow to horrified the printing was crooked horizontally; where the pages should have folded at the center of the layout, there was an overlap on one page and an underlap on the other. The size of the overlap/underlap ratio varied depending on the page (even pages of the same art so I'm sure it wasn't an error in the artwork and measurement) - it was just plain embarassing to look at. It seems like I did this out of my own home, or wanted to cut corners in the most extreme way.

 

I was mortified but I didn't have enough time to send it all back and get it redone - my CD release was in a couple days. On top of that, they went from Diamond CD-R (the kind with the genuine silver bottom) to a knock-off light green tint CD-R (that won't play in some CD players, according to one buyer).

 

Night and day difference from 2005 to now. I'm really sorry to say a company has gone downhill, but PCX has.

 

I thought about getting a refund, but #1 they don't issue refunds and #2 I hate starting quarrels. I'll just say I've learned my lesson.

 

I suppose the only way I'd go through these guys again was if I needed to make an extreme short run order that nobody else would do, like 25 or less, and I wouldn't be paying over $60 to get the job done.

 

Thinking about Ultra Entertainment or Nationwide Disc for the next CD I put out. I was pretty sad to say the least.

 

Just a heads up to the indie crowd out there.