I believe that there were cases when a "secret" mastering was applied to next "cut". The example is unremastered edition of King Crimson "Lizard" EGCD 4 with one dot and two dots in the matrix. Here's one dot matrix peak level: 72,0/67,3/81,5/30,9/82,8 And with two dots in the matrix: 81,6/71,0/86,8/35,7/100,0
Hmm...could have been a reorder with enough time passing between 1st and 2nd cut that the 1st cut was no longer deemed appropriate for a new run., or a new stamper was needed but the father/mother was damaged or no longer present... Could have been a case when the father was punched as a stamper in order to save time and get the first cut discs delivered to the customer. Hard to say without the supporting documentation that accompanied each mastering. As far as I know, masterings (exposures on the LBR) were done for very good reasons...there would not be "secret" masterings.
Just noticed that there're dots not only after release number but before and after MASTERED BY NIMBUS inscription. Have no idea what does it mean.
Hey, I'm infamous!!! Thanks for the kinds words DotzMan. Nice to see that Nimbusciles are still around. Still at the Technicolor CA plant? If so, please say HI from me, to any old coworkers that are still there! Sorry that it took so long to get back to this thread. I had no idea that it would still be alive, with this much interest. I'm glad too, that DotzMan explained the meaning of the "dots" as well. I'd almost forgotten all about these cutting marks... It's been a while since this was part of my daily routine...
The dots, before and after MASTERED BY NIMBUS, had no significance to the mastering process. They were there just as a border, to highlight our logo.
Hi, Stimpy. I hope you've been well. Sorry, I'm no longer with Technicolor. I sure do miss it, though.
I used to work in a mastering facility. Nimbus was a automated disc mastering system developed by Nimbus. There as far as I know, two processes: Photo resist and Non photo resist. The Nimbus system i used to operate was a photo resist type. An ultraviolet laser cut the pits onto a resist material on the mastering glass. The glass master had to be developed in a chemical solution and exposed to light in order for the cut to be completed and visible. The Non photo resist was done by DRAW mastering with was direct read after write. A red laser cut the pits onto a NPR (non photo resist) coated mastering glass. A second laser read the pits for data readability. Nimbus sold their mastering system manufacturing and such to ODME, I believe.
I have the first UK releases of Depeche Mode's Music For The Masses(CD STUMM 47 · MASTERED BY NIMBUS) and Invisible Touch by Genesis(GEN CD2 · NIMBUS ENGLAND). Both with these sticky labels. Especially the label of the Music For The Masses CD is extremely sensitive. When i found my first copy years ago and wondered about the sticky,dusty surface i tried to clean it carefully with a wet cloth(like i usually do). To my surprise the whole label peeled off... Never saw something like that before. The Genesis CD was a bit easier to clean but after experiences with several copies of the Depeche CD i guess it's nearly impossible to remove dust or fingerprints from this particular label-even if you use a lindfree cloth it leaves nasty marks on the surface.
I can think of three main 'sticky Nimbus' CDs in my collection. 'Invisible Touch' and 'And Then There Were Three' by Genesis and 'Mummer' by XTC. I really should leave them alone but every so often I feel obliged to have another attempt at cleaning them. Always making it worse! The good news seems to be that no matter what mess you make of the label, they still play. Does anyone have any positive news of how to clean the gunk off?
Hi, That's very interesting. I have several "Nimbus" Virgin/Charisma releases of ...And Then There Were Three... and none of them suffer "sticky label". Would you please tell us what is the matrix number of your copy? AFAIK the most affected Nimbus discs (not of this title, but general) has "Nimbus England" in the matrix. I also have a copy of 1983 S/T by Genesis that seem to suffer the problem, but the disc has "Mastered by Nimbus" in the matrix rather than "Nimbus England".
Thanks a lot. As dotzman said few posts above. The dot in the matrix has nothing to do with mastering, but I always find the "sticky" disc that always has a single dot in the matrix. Weird.
Yes, a single dot there. You can just about see it. I am now going to scour my shelves looking for other Nimbus discs...
I have several Nimbus CDs with sticky label side in rather bad condition. It's absolutely useless to try to clean them. Instead I bought a lacquer spray and coated the label side. The CD's look became less bright but now I can touch it, clean it, even wash it.
Well I had a browse around my shelves yesterday and found a couple of things I didn't know. Firstly, surprised to find that the original 'All Things Must Pass' CD by George Harrison is a Nimbus. All the Beatles stuff is EMI Swindon. I can't think why they would pass this onto Nimbus. 'Out of Water' by Peter Hammill. On Enigma Records, California. 'Manufactured in USA' according to the label and yet it's mastered by Nimbus. Can that be correct? Lastly, 'Blues For Allah' by Grateful Dead. Made in the UK. It looks exactly like a Nimbus and yet it reads 'Mastered by Mayking' in the usual Nimbus style. Any ideas who Mayking was? That's it! That's what passes for excitement in the Soundchaser house.
Hi, Nimbus had its CD plant in the United States too (Charlottesville, Virginia). The CDs manufactured by Nimbus in the U.S.A always had "(V)" in the matrix. Mayking was the UK CD manufacturer who bought Nimbus technology to manufacture CDs. According to Discogs, in 1997 they have been acquired by Docdata Ltd.
Well that about sorts me, thankyou very much. The Hammill CD does indeed have a 'V' in the Matrix (and 2 dots!) and the Dead CD is probably mid 90s which makes sense.
Didn't know about that 'V' in the matrix. I have two variations of Alice Cooper "Pretties for you" and doubting about their origin. One has pink background and white man: The other is all pink: Which one is OK I don't know
I'd guess that the "V" stands for Virginia, as an identifying branch. Edit: havefun699 The matrix on your pink disc looks weird, but I think is not a fake. It's just an error?
My copy of The Best Of George Harrison, CDP 7 46682 2, is a Nimbus. I can't decide which mixes they used for If I Needed Someone and Think For Yourself. The compilation is ℗© 1976, but I can't remember exactly when it came out on CD in relation to the Beatles CDs.
IIRC (always dangerous to say that) I think that was released just after the first four Beatles CDs, meaning that all the Beatles tracks were new to CD.
My memory goes the other way. My George Harrison BEST OF CD is also Mastered by Nimbus, and my recollection is that I got it before the first four Beatles albums were released. I remember being somewhat astonished at the fact that here were seven Beatles tracks, officially released on CD, and no-one in my sphere of influence was making any kind of big-deal about it. (I worked in radio.) To my knowledge, these were the first Beatles tracks released on CD, not counting the now-legendary ABBEY ROAD in Japan. I'm pretty sure I bought the disc at a CD-only specialty store that specialized in odd-title imports - things you couldn't get at the local Sam Goody. My CD jewel case has a Made In England sticker stuck over top of the UPC code, the label is Parlophone/EMI all the way (no mention of Capitol). Harry
'The Best Of George Harrison' was released on CD on May 18th 1987, after the first four CDs. That will have been either just before or just after the second batch of Beatles CDs (Help!/Rubber Soul/Revolver).
