Nice! I looked for a first pressing of Guilty for a long time and then found two copies in one weekend! On a Saturday, I found a copy with "CSR COMPACT DISC" repeating in the plastic ring. Then on Sunday, I found a copy with "MANUFACTURED BY CBS/SONY RECORDS INC." stamped on the plastic ring. Both came in smooth-edge jewel cases.
Well, now that I've read more of the thread, I'm confused. My Guilty and Nylon Curtain discs are definitely for the US market. They are pressed in Japan, booklets Japan. But they aren't "35DP" in the catalog number. Guilty is CK36750 with matrix code of 35DP-7 81A7. Nothing etched around center ring. Nylon is CK38200 with 35DP-34 161. This one has "Manufactured by CBS/Sony Records, Inc." etched around center plastic hub. So these are later pressings?
Nope, the US market, Japan made CBS CDs are often the same pressing as the Japan market CDs (all made at CBS/Sony Japan), but with the US looking CBS or Epic label and US looking inserts and CK/EK/MK US catalog number. i.e. CBS/Sony pressed discs for Europe and other countries with one style of label and inserts, for US with the plain style label and red block letter spine inserts, and then the Japan market label and inserts - all from the same pressings. How you tell is: Europe/export: CDCBS cat # US: CK/EK/MK (CBS/Epic/Masterworks) cat # Japan 35DP123 type cat no. The matrix will be the Japanese cat no. if first or early pressing. Japan: http://www.pinkfloydcd.com/finalcut/Japan35DP53.html Europe/export: http://www.pinkfloydcd.com/finalcut/JapanCDCBS25416.html USA http://www.pinkfloydcd.com/finalcut/Japanck38243.html USA made DADC disc with Canadian inserts: http://www.pinkfloydcd.com/finalcut/USck382434canada.html
Love the Vertigo swirl with Philips and Made in Japan by PolyGram, despite being a CBS/Sony pressed disc. Cool stuff, keep it coming!!
http://www.vintagetechnics.com/cdplayers/slp10.htm The first Technics CD player: front loading!! 1983 SL-P10 $1000 The second batch of models: 1984 http://www.vintagetechnics.com/cdplayers/slp8.htm SL-P8 $600 cheaper simpler version: SL-P7 $400 http://www.vintagetechnics.com/cdplayers/slp7.htm 1985 when they began to hit critical mass: SL-P1 (like P7 - $300) and P2/P3 $500: http://www.vintagetechnics.com/cdplayers/slp2.htm I have the SL-P2 and after putting new belt on it last year, it continues to work since 1985!! Built like a tank. Has: indexing pre-emphasis indicator remote
Here's a 'Sample' disc that I got from the guy who has a boat load of early (1982-83-84) Japan and W. Germany CD's. Many of which are still sealed with the OBI's. I liked this disc because it was pretty cool, and it is from 1982. Not to mention it sounds unbelievably awesome!!!! It's made in Japan by Denon of Nippon Columbia Co. LTD. Smooth sided jewel says 'Patent Pending'.
I have the Technics SL-P500 CD Player (1986) that I purchased maybe six months ago from a guy who rarely used it. Seriously, you know how picky I am and this one looks like new. I paid $30.00 and had to control myself from running out of his shop I was so excited! Here is a link... I also obtained an SL-P1 remote for it which works perfectly. It has indexing, not sure about pre-emphasis (so I doubt it). http://www.vintagetechnics.com/cdplayers/slp500.htm
WOW! That is one of the all time amazing CD players! It has DJ wheel. A friend had the P720 version and it was awesome. It has pre-emphasis. It may not display it, but it has it. Way to go!
Thanks for the info, Rob. I knew it was a decent CDP, but didn't really know how good. The transport is truly amazing. So slick and nice I honestly get great joy from just watching it. Stupid question, but exactly what is pre-emphasis and how does it affect my every day life? Is there something I can do to tell / verify / help understand? Thanks, Frank
Pre-emphasis was designed, like Dolby B, to offset analog noise in the D/A conversion by boosting the analog frequencies and attenuating them the same in playback. Seemed like a good idea at the time. not needed. Very few CDs were made with pre-emphasis and need it on the playback or they are overly bright. Remember, CD players back then had lots of analog components and discrete components that could vary in performance. Trying to improve the S/N on a 90+dB S/N is pretty hard. I think I have one ever that tripped the pre-emphasis light on my Technics, and I can't remember what it is. Most I have seen with pre-emphasis have been very early released and pressed CDs that are classical from local public library. They started with CDs in 1985! Classical makes some sense,as the dynamic range is pretty high, if DDD, and you are trying to maximize S/N ratio. Overtime, it is not needed.
About to receive Hong Kong CBS/Sony CD CBD-103 in the mail. Previously, I posted a scan for CBD-106, which was issued in 1985 (I have previously posted it was from 1984....sorry). CBD-103 should be quite interesting given it was the first digitally mastered recording (live concert recording done at Hong Kong Coliseum) done in HK. Will scan CD once it arrives.
How about 32XL? I just came across this Akina Nakamori CD on Hong Kong Yahoo auction with an opening bid of approximately US$70.00.
Are the Billy Joel CD before the 1998 remasters from the 1982 digital masters? Another question: does any CD in th shops today have 1982 mastering? Third question: somewhere I have learned the year 1978 as "the birth" of the CD...is there something to that?
That sounds about right. It was about then the Powers That Be were resurrecting the laserdisc format to compete with Beta, V2000 and VHS and possibly considering adapting the laserdisc technology to deal with the software issues of the day would not have been unlikely. Plus, if I recall correctly, Sony had claimed at one point that it took about five years to get the product to market.
Yes, the Billy Joel CDs up to 1998 remastering were from the originial CD releases. In the USA/Canada - the ones with red block letters on the spine on a white background, with cheapie inserts In Europe - the ones with the "CBS" labeled CDs, instead of "Columbia", these are all the same up to 1998. In terms of 1982 mastering, there were not many CDs released at the time, but yes, there are many CDs still sold with the original (after 1982) pressing mastering. A few I can think of are EArth Wind Fire: Raise! and Powerlight, a few WEA titles like ZZ Top Deguello.
Just to chip in with another one here: Charisma First design: purple and lavender flame Second design: yellow and silver rays Yeah, I think this must be the case. I just came across one of these recently, and it has the distinctive "Made in W-Germany" printed on it. All the first designs above that I know have this (the green arrow Mercurys, the blue swirl Vertigos, the purple flame Charismas, the blue star Rockets) but not the later ones. Geoff
On the verge of obtaining one of the earliest CDs released....35DH-3, Seiko Matsuda's "Pineapple". If I do get it, I will post a scan. How about 35XL? This one is on a CD from Japan Reprise Records (Warner/Pioneer).
Particulars of the matrix code and text stamped on the plastic ring will tell you if it is among the earliest CBS/Sony pressings. Do you know if the 35DH was released at the same time as the 35DP series? From what I have seen, it seems that the earliest Japanese CBS/Sony pressings have "MANUFACTURED BY CBS/SONY RECORDS INC." stamped on the clear plastic ring and the matrix code stamped in a crude font. By crude font, I mean not the typical neat, easy-to-read font that one sees. Matrix codes in the neat font are often seen with +++++ at the end. The earlier crude matrix code font is not found with +++++ at the end. These earliest CBS/Sony pressings (crude matrix code and "MANUFACTURED BY CBS/SONY RECORDS INC.") are sometimes found with a gold tone to the aluminum on the label side. This gold tone is uniform and does not extend to the play side, so I wonder if it was added somehow intentionally. Otherwise, it's an odd manifestation of oxidation due to improper manufacturing.
