CD Matrix Numbers Demystified

Hi Rick,

If I may clarify, back in the old days when I was at Atlantic and large sales were expected for a given CD release, I would clone the CD master and send the clones to several pressing plants (since no single plant could produce enough product to satisfy Atlantic's demand for certain releases).

When I compared what came back with the CD master I kept in house, I always heard a difference (still do) in the form of a loss of focus and fine detail. All the plants produced CDs with some variation in the sonics. None sounded like any other and none was indistinguishable from the original CD master.

When comparing among these and choosing one for my own collection, I usually preferred the ones from Specialty (SRC).

That comment applies to the time I was doing CD mastering at Atlantic (1983 until I left to form BDA in 1987).

I don't even know if the Specialty plant still exists today.

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

Specialty became WEA Mfg and then was acquired by Cinram recently.

The stampers were often used at WEA's Warner Music Mfg plant in Aldorf, Germany that used to be Teldec.

 

The number refers to the glass master serial number. 13 would mean the 13th glass master made for a given recording at Specialty Records, 4 would mean the 4th, etc. The symbol is tied to a specific laser beam recorder (glass master cutting device) at the plant.

RE has nothing to do with an audio remastering! All the RE means is that a glass master had to be redone because something went wrong during the creation of the glass master. The addition of the RE in the matrix allows the serial number of the glass master to be maintained. The same source is fed back into the laser beam recorder when this happens.

 

Very useful info!

Although I heard that RE means remaster, I think your explanation makes better sense.

 

There may be an occasion where it does mean a complete remaster - but not every time. And probably most often it's as mrdiscman noted - just a redo of the same source.

 

Could a gort instruct me into how to advance search for the fabled market place, without the "innsuiffeinet privledges disclaimer pooping on me...?

 

Thanks. In terms of collecting or sound, are the later numbers (13, 14, 15, etc.) any less desirable than the early numbers (1,2,3 etc)?

 

Probably not, but it does give me a warm fuzzy feeling when my cd says SRC 01

 

Hi mrdiscman,

It could mean this.
Basically, it means a new part was made. The reason could be the one you mentioned (something went wrong during the creation of the glass master) or it could mean a new master was sent to the plant.

In sum, it means a new part was made, whatever the reason.

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

Barry,

You are entirely correct!

 

So true!

 

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