PRS Hannover

PolyGram Record Service GmbH. Operating under this name from February 1978 (registered June 1978) until December 1985 and then again from September 1991 (registered November 1991) until December 1992. German manufacturing and distribution company with two vinyl pressing plants, a tape duplication plant, and a CD plant. One plant ("Werk I") was located in Hannover (Podbielskistrasse) and one plant ("Werk II") was located in Langenhagen (Klusriede). Despite located on the same premises, the recording and the manufacturing lines were strictly separated. The Recording Department, also called "PolyGram Recording Centre", was responsible for the recording, mastering and cutting of lacquers and was first located in Werk I, but since 1990 in Langenhagen only. The manufacturing department was responsible for galvanization, pressing, label and cover printing, as well as the cassette and CD manufacturing. Werk I was pressing all 10" and 12" records and did the tape duplication (both until 1990), while Werk II did all the mastering and also pressing of injection molded 7"s, as well as the pressing of CDs. Also done in Langenhagen was all labels and cover printing, as well as the record and cassette assembly. Already in 1990, Werk I was closed and all activities (recording and manufacturing) were relocated to Langenhagen. How to identify vinyl cuttings: PRS Hannover lacquer cuts have a 320 (or 3 20) in the matrix. Please use Lacquer Cut At - PRS Hannover in these cases (1978 - Dec. 1985 and Sept. 1991 - Dec. 1992). Another unique characteristic for this plant are the sideways arranged stamper letters, e.g. ᴒ. Usually, one or two letters, rotated 90°: A=1, B=2, C=3, ..., Z=26, AA=27, ..., AG=34, etc. Not to be confused: S1 and S2 are side identifiers, but S1=1 or S1=2 etc. stand for the number of transfers to tape, so S1=1 means original master tape, and S1=2 stands for a tape copy. The custom LP pressings for Metronome Records GmbH can be identified by the code string 0703.### and upwards. These codes are not to be added as LCCN numbers though. PRS was a full service provider for the German market, i.e. the records were usually also pressed in Hannover ("Made in Germany", German copyright text, GEMA). However, exceptions exist and therefore the plant should not be credited when one of the three characteristics is missing. All injection moulded 7"s from the Polydor and Philips families of labels and carrying a Made in Germany, were manufactured in Langenhagen. PRS Hannover vinyl pressings often also carry a colourless embossed stamp "PRS Hannover" on the back cover. That does not necessarily mean the cover was also printed in Hannover, but at least it was assembled there. Some covers were printed previously by Gerhard Kaiser GmbH. This stamp is not a PPID. The very first CD was pressed in August 1982 and commercial CD manufacturing commenced on August 17, 1982 in the Langenhagen plant. However, CDs are usually credited as "Made by Polygram, Hanover, West Germany". In January 1986 (legally effective May 1986), PRS Hannover, with the Recording Centre, both plants, and all respective vinyl and CD manufacturing and distribution activities, are transferred to PDO, Germany (Philips And DuPont Optical GmbH). This lasted until September 1991 when the Recording Centre and plant in Langenhagen were transferred back to PRS GmbH. Renamed to PMDC, Germany, effective January 1993. Previously operating as Phonodisc GmbH.