DADC question

Hi,

Is the presence of "Made in USA - Digital Audo Disc Corp" in the plastic ring hub the way to determine an early DADC? Or are those later ones? Also until when did DADC/Sony manufacture WEA CD's?

Thanks - RL

 

"Made in USA - Digital Audio Disc Corp." stamped on the plastic ring indicates an early DADC pressing. The earliest such pressing have a DIDX number or DIDP number stamped in the mirror band in clean font. An example of an early DADC matrix code is "DIDX 400 11A1".

Some later DADC pressings have the text stamped on the plastic ring but have the matrix code in a more modern-looking "laser-engraved" style with additional star-like symbols.

Even later DADC pressings have a 'D' logo stamped on the plastic ring and the laser-engraved matrix code.

As I understand it, DADC pressed discs for WEA until 1987, at the latest. DADC pressings of WEA titles are generally tough to find.

 

Hi,

KeithH is very educated on this subject. The first DADC CD issues started appearing in early 1986. DADC/Sony was the first Compact Disc Replication Plant in the USA. Before this plant opened, all Compact Discs were manufactured in West Germany, Japan, and the UK. The first CD manufactured in Terre Haute, Indiana at DADC was a special promo sampler. The first commercial pressing off the replication line was, fittingly "Born In The USA" by Bruce Springsteen.

 

Keith, thanks for all the great information. Fascinating stuff. The reason I asked is I picked up a Close To The Edge today that's a DADC (DIDX 1349 - Made In The USA on the plastic), but it's Columbia House copy. So I guess my next question is did DADC continue to make the CRC Atlantic/WEA discs past 1987? Either way it sounds really great to me.

 

Kent,

Actually, the DADC plant came online for commercial production in 1985. The rare Thomas Edison sampler disc and "red" Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. disc were made in September 1984 to commemorate the opening of the plant. I have the Edison disc, and the front insert is dated September 1984.



Ricks,

No problem. I tend to see more DADC pressings of WEA titles issued for Columbia House than as normal retail-store issues. It could be that DADC pressed WEA titles for Columbia House later than for retail stores, but I still believe that DADC stopped producing discs for WEA in '87.

Member ffracer is an expert on record label history as well as on relationships between record labels and pressing plants. I have no doubt that he can set the record straight here.

 

Hi,

Thanks for the compliment Keith.

Here's how tell the age:

DADC is part of Sony

1985-early 1987: CDs look exactly like the Japan made CBS/Sony discs, except they have the "Made in USA Digital Audio Disc Corp. and the 'D' logo" in the plastic hub. No barcode in the matrix. the matrix looks like a fine dot matrix printed it, like the CBS/Sony discs.

1986-7+: New lines were added that dropped the "Made in USA Digital Audio Disc Corp.", but kept the "D" logo. The original lines were continuing to run, so both types of discs were made at the same time.

1987: The current barcode matrix, sometimes with 'DADC' or "Made in USA DADC" in the matrix was started. Some discs had the markings or just the 'D' logo in the hub.

1987: Sony started up DADC Austria to press for CBS Europe and other labels. The discs looked exactly like the DADC USA discs with the barcode matrix and no markings in the plastic hub. The matrix said "DADC Austria" in small letters like the US version.

1989: Sony converted an old Columbia LP plant to make CDs in Pitman, NJ USA to make more CDs for CBS (now fully owned by Sony), but the discs looked very similar to WEA Mfg discs, except they had "CMU" in the plastic hub. This plant is known as Sony DADC SDM (Sony Disc Mfg). These different looking discs continued into the 90s, when Sony replaced the lines with the same ones DADC uses, so the discs are now identical to DADC's other plants.

Overtime, Sony opened more DADC plants in Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, China, etc. to supply local CBS affiliates and other labels. Sony dropped the DADC "country" id in the matrix in the early 90s, so you have to know what a DADC disc looks like to know one. Pretty easy 99% of CBS/Columbia/Epic discs around the world are DADC.

While the plastic molds may have changed a little bit to be more like DVDs (label side is completely flat), the aluminum part is nearly identical worldwide, including Japan, since 1987.

Some DADC discs have aluminum almost all the way to the center today, like the old W. German Polygram/PDO/PMDC discs.

One easy way to identify post 1995 discs is the IFPI code in the plastic hub:
Sony DADC USA (Indiana): IFPI 51xx
Sony DADC SDM USA (Pitman, NJ): IFPI 72xx
Sony DADC Japan (CBS/Sony-CSR): IFPI 45xx
Sony DADC Austra: IFPI 92xx
Sony DADC Australia: IFPI 65xx
Sony DADC Canada: IFPI 67xx

The technology is basically the same at these plants worldwide, so quality isn't any different from any plant.

Columbia House, which owned by CBS & Sony until 1987, used DADC USA to press a majority of the WEA titles offered. WEA also used DADC for certain titles heavily in 1986 & 1987. The government forced Sony to sell 50% interest in Columbia House to another record company for antitrust reasons in 1987, when they acquired CBS Records. That partner was WEA, so from 1987 on WEA titles for Columbia House and BMG/RCA club were made at WEA's newly opened WEA Mfg., now owned by Cinram of Canada.

hope this helps.

 

I appreciate your modesty. You submit an encyclopedic post and end it with "hope this helps."

Seriously, I greatly appreciate the details! Thank you!

 

It more than helped. In fact I've bookmarked and printed it out for reference. Maybe it should be the wiki entry.

Many Thanks ffracer !
RL

 

I a got a good morning chuckle out this post. Encyclopedic?

 

I have a cd of Pavlov's Dog - At The Sound Of The Bell on the Columbia label with catalogue number CDCBS32405. It states on the label that the disc is "Manufactured in Australia by Sony Music Entertainment (Australia) Limited" however in the matrix it is written "DADC Austria" and IFPI no. is 6510 in the clear plastic hub.
I guess my question is, do you think this is an Australian or an Austrian pressing and if it is in fact an Australian pressing (as your codes above would indicate) why would the cd matrix indicate "DADC Austria"?

 

Hi,

Most Sony Music Australia Compact Discs I have seen were glass mastered by DADC Austria in Salzburg. The only time you might see a CD glass mastered by Sony Music in Australia is likely locally originated recordings. Yes, your CD is pressed in Australia!

 

@ffracer

great post, thanks!

 

Thanks Kent,

Sure gets a little confusing sometimes with the different (conflicting) information printed on the CD's/Inserts.

Regards,

David

 

I have a 2007 CD with Sony DACD IFPI 1558 (I think - old eyes small writing ) on the hub, with Made in the EC on the sleeve. Given that it doesn't match any of the IFPIs listed, is this an Austria disc or is there another country in the mix now?

 

What's the IFPI. As Kent said, they could have used a glass master from another country.

 

I've been looking through threads and doing Google searches, trying to find a nice clear image of an inner plastic ring with the DADC stamp. Anyone got a good picture that clearly shows this? It would be handy to e-mail the link to ebay/marketplace sellers so they can see clearly what one is looking for rather than trying to explain it to them.

 

Here's a picture, although it's only as clear as I could make it:

 

What's the deal with DIDP numbers?

I have two different Alice In Chains self titled cd's. It's on Columbia records. Came out in 1995. One has a DIDP number written on the cd and the matrix is "DIDP-087297 G4 1A 05". The other ALSO made in the states and is a promo has NO DIDP number and the matrix is "E2 1A CK67248 03".

What one came first.. or could they be made at the same time just in different plants.

The cd that has the DIDP number also sounds better to my ears.

 

anyone?

 

See: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=184965

 

Second CD you mention was pressed by DADC at their Pitman, NJ plant. That was a late 1980's pressing.

 

Which came first ? w/ DIDP or W/O ?

 

How could it be a late 80's pressing when it came out in 1995 ?? or is that not directed toward me ?

 

I don't know the answer, I'm afraid. Forum member ffracer has considerable knowledge of early pressing plants. If he does not check in, you may want to drop him a PM on the subject.

 

Most Compact Discs I see with W/O in the matrix area are usually pressed by Disc Manufacturing, Huntsville, Alabama. W/O= Work Order. Many RCA CD issues in the late 1980's were replicated there. They did lots of contract replication of compact discs.