Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft Pressing Plant

The vinyl and cassette manufacturing facilities of Deutsche Grammophon GmbH. Only valid for releases between October 1946 and December 1972! DGG strictly separated the recording and the manufacturing lines, even though located on the same premises: The plant was responsible for galvanization/plating, pressing and cassette manufacturing for releases from Deutsche Grammophon and Polydor and all related labels (e.g. Heliodor, Archiv) and other distributed labels (e.g. Coral, MGM, United Artists, A&M, Philips, Mercury, Fontana, etc.) The Recording Department, later called "Recording Centre", was responsible for all services around recording and mastering (recording, recording techniques and technology, tape mastering and editing, vinyl mastering and cutting) and archiving. [u]How to identify the plant by runouts:[/u] Shellac and vinyl pressings [u]always[/u] have a fully stamped matrix; "stamped" should not be stated in the BAOI description fields. The stamper codes are tilted 90° to the left (e.g. ◡ for C). They should be added in the runout fields as A, DQ, etc. - without orientation remarks in the runout or description fields. Mastering/cutting dates: October 1946 - May 1954: The mastering date (shellacs) and the lacquer cutting date (vinyl) has four to six digits, e.g. 21.10.52 or 3.3.53 or 13.2.54. June 1954 - June 1972: The mastering date (shellacs) and lacquer cutting date (vinyl) can be identified by a letter-number combination, e.g. A7, H71 (often appearing separated, e.g. as B 6). The letter symbolises the month: A = January, B = February, C = March, D = April, E = May, F = June, G = July, H = August, I or J = September, K = October, L = November, M = December. The figures indicate the year, e.g. 1= 1961, 2 = 1962, 3 = 1963, 4 = 1954 or 1964, 5 = 1955 or 1965, 6 = 1956 or 1966, 7 = 1957 or 1967, 8 = 1958 or 1968, 9 = 1959 or 1969, 70 = 1970, 71 = 1971, 72 = 1972. July 1972: 320 is now used for all releases by DGG, Polydor, Archiv, and sub-labels (note: German Philips releases carry 320 since ca. 1967). Matrix series: October 1946 - October 1951: KK number pair code (e.g. 687 KK or 1192 KK). KK was the sequential matrix series (wartime releases ended with KI), the numbers are recording numbers. LKK identifies Variable Micrograde 78 releases (between 1949 and 1951 only). October 1946 - June 1951: 3 to 5 digits on each side for the recording numbers (e.g. 5302/5303). 12" releases (shellac and vinyl) always have a leading zero (e.g. 01253). Higher numbers (e.g. 10039 or 75636) are either pre-war numbers or taken over from the original recordings (e.g. Brunswick). Do not add them as LCCN numbers. July 1951 - February 1958: 5 digits, series 3x.xxx for vinyl LP (10” and 12”) used. May 1953 - February 1958: 5 digits, series 5x.xxx for vinyl 7”s used. Do not add them as LCCN numbers. Recording engineer codes: January 1951 - December 1957: “XX(X)” - 2 or 3 letters (e.g. SS or SN or STN or STS or WIS). The first one or two letters identify the recording engineer, the last letter is believed to stand for the lathe. Used last letters were H, M, N, S, W. Variable Micrograde 78 is prefixed with L (e.g. LWN, LSTN). Sometimes the recording engineer is missing and only e.g. S or N appear (i.e. for multiple recordings or compilations). January 1960 - January 1963: “x(x) / y(y)” (e.g. D / SL or WO / V). Only in 1960, a middle dot (“·”) can be found, too (e.g. S · SL). The letters before the slash identify the recording engineer. The letters after the slash are believed to be standing for the lathes. Used letters were S, SL, V, W. May 1962 - December 1964: “x(x) – y(y)” (e.g. D - S or HR - W). The letters before the dash identify the recording engineer. The letters after the dash are believed to be standing for the lathes. Used letters were K, S, SL, V, W. April 1964 - December 1967: “x(xx) ◇ y” (e.g. SCH ◇ H or HE ◇ V). The letters before the diamond identify the recording engineer. The letter after the diamond is believed to be standing for the lathe. Used letters were H, K, V, W (in 1966 extended with Z). January 1968 - June 1972: “◇ y“ (e.g. ◇ V). Recording engineers are not prefixing the diamond anymore (exceptionally, a few have still been used in early 1968). The letter after the diamond is believed to be standing for the lathe. Used letters (and durations): G (February 1970 - June 1972), K (July 1968 - December 1971), V (May 1968 - June 1972), Z (January 1968 - May 1972), Z1 (September 1971 - May 1972). January 1969 - June 1972: “✳ y“ (e.g. ✳ K). A star is complementing the diamond. The letter after the star is believed to be standing for the lathe. Used letters (and durations): G (May 1970 - June 1972), K (March 1969 - August 1971), V (July 1969 - May 1970), Z (January 1969 - April 1972), Z1 (February 1972 - April 1972). Recording engineer and recording supervisor codes (always add Engineer as credit role): Alfred Steinke (ST, LSTN, LSTM, STN, STS, STW) - use ANV: ST Erich Thienhaus (TH, LTH) - use ANV: TH Gerd Henjes (HE) Günter Hermanns (HR) Hans-Peter Schweigmann (SCHW) Harald Baudis (BA, BN, BS) - use ANV: BA or B Heinrich Keilholz (KE, LKH, LKM, LKN, LKS, KN, KH, KS) - use ANV: K or KE Heinz Wildhagen (WI, LWIH, LWIN, WIH, WIN, WIS) - use ANV: WI Joachim Augustin (AU) Karl-Heinz Westphal (WH, WN, WS, LWH, LWN, LWM, LWS) - use ANV: W Klaus Scheibe (SCH) Walter Alfred Wettler (WE) Werner Grimme (GH, GN, GS, LGN) - use ANV: G Werner Heidrich (HES) - use ANV: HE Werner Wolf (WO, WOS) - use ANV: WO Wilhelm Aulenkamp (AN, AS, LAH, LAS) - use ANV: A Unknown (all from the early 1950 - 1953): D (DH, DN, DS), S (SN, SS), TÜ (TÜN) Decomposing a shellac matrix (1946 - 1957) Example 1 (1946-1947): 25858 A Mechan. Copt. 1938 7977 1/2 GR 8 A 25858 A: Catalogue number and side A identifier Mechan. Copt. 1938: First recording/ release date (here 1938) 7977 1/2: Matrix and Take numbers GR: (Pre-war) engineer code for a 10” (here from Carl-Friedrich Ehrich) 8: Recording studio 8 (Berlin, Lützowstr. 111) A: Stamper Example 2 (1946-1950): 48124 A 770 KK 7. 10. 48 H: 48124 A: Catalogue number and side A identifier 770: Recording number KK: Matrix series (a shellac with KK cannot be older than 1946). LKK was used to identify “Variable Micrograde 78” 7.10.48: Mastering date (shellacs are not cut into lacquers, hence Mastered At has to be used) H: Stamper Example 3 (1950-1954): 48836 A 42312 SN 16. 6. 53 AG: 48836 A: Catalogue number and side A identifier 42312: Recording number SN: Engineer code (S) and lathe (N). LSN for Variable Micrograde 78 16.6.53: Mastering date (shellacs are not cut into lacquers, hence Mastered At has to be used) AG: Stamper Example 4 (1954-1957): 50299 A 7187 GH II H6 BQ: 50299 A: Catalogue number and side A identifier 7187: Recording number GH: Engineer (G) and lathe (H) code II: Cut number H6: Mastering date, here August 1956 (shellacs are not cut into lacquers, hence Mastered At has to be used) BQ: Stamper Decomposing a vinyl matrix (1954 - 1979) Example 1: 24 250² A A L F0 F/W 24 250² A: Catalogue number and cut number and side A identifier A L: stamper, tilted 90° to the left F0: Lacquer cutting date (here June 1960) F: Recording engineer, can also be missing. /W: Believed to be the lathe. Example 2: 24990 A M2 F–V D 24990 A: Catalogue number and side A identifier M2: Lacquer cutting date (here December 1962) F: Recording engineer, can also be missing –V: Believed to be the lathe D: Stamper Example 3: 1 ℗ 1966 A6 HR◇W C 39206 A 1: Father number ℗ 1966: Original/planned release date A6: Lacquer cutting date (here January 1966) HR: Recording engineer, can also be missing ◇ W: Believed to be the lathe C: Stamper 39206 A: catalogue number and side A identifier Example 4: 1 ℗ 1969 G9 ✳Z 00 053141 = 2 S1 1: Father number ℗ 1969: Original/planned release date G9: Lacquer cutting date (here July 1969) ✳Z: Believed to be the lathe 00: Repertoire owner (introduced around 1968). Examples: 00 = DGG/Polydor/Archiv and sub-labels; 10 = Phonogram/Philips and sub labels; 22 = Custom pressings for Christophorus/Fono-Ring; 25 = Custom pressings for MPS, Center, SABA; 27 = Custom pressings for CBS and sub labels; 28 = Custom pressings for Metronome, Atlantic and Elektra; 36 = Custom pressings for the Bertelsmann Club; 51 and 53 = Pressings for other club editions; 99 = Custom pressings for international releases 053141 = catalogue number "= 2": the source of the tape transfer, here from a copy S1: Side indicator (S1 / S2) Example 5: 2383 187 S 1 ℗ 1972 320 C 2383 187: catalogue number S 1: Side indicator ℗ 1972: Original/planned release date 320: Lacquers cut at DGG C: Stamper number, tilted 90° to the left [u]How to identify the plant by pressing rings:[/u] Between 1959 and mid 1972, LP and 12" pressings normally have a double 29 and 31mm pressing ring. By June 1972, this was changed to a 20mm diameter pressing ring. Small pressing rings with three dots are from 1973 and later. During the transition, the larger and the smaller inner rings occasionally appear together. German Philips releases Since 1967, most German Philips records were also cut in Hannover. Those lacquer cuts can be identified by a "320" in the matrix (all mastering and cutting took place in "Werk I"). The three-digit code system was used by Philips to indicate cuts made by Deutsche Grammophon (five years before the code was generally used by DGG for all its labels). German releases of Philips and related labels were usually also pressed by the plant. These pressings can be identified by the labels: LPs: GEMA centrally on the left-hand side and "Made in Germany" on the right-hand side underneath the matrix number, plus the DGG pressing rings (see above). 7"s: GEMA centrally on the left-hand side and "Made in Germany" on the lower right-hand side, German rim text (note: German rim text alone is no indicator for a DGG 7" pressing!), plus two (often faint) pressing rings. Shellac post-war stickers and printed Allied licensing statements Shellac pressings for Deutsche Grammophon and related labels (e.g. Polydor, Brunswick) carry licensing statements from the British military administration on the centre labels: 1. „Hergestellt unter der Nr. C. 30. 212. E. der Nachrichtenkontrolle der Mil.-Reg.“: 1946 and 1947 (the licence was first granted for Polydor releases in June 1946 and for DGG releases in February 1947). 2. „Hergestellt unter Lizenz-No. N/23/48“: since 1948. 3. Sticker only: “Deutsche Grammophon GmbH Hannover, Genehmigt 17.6.46 - 30 Information Control Unit” (first releases from 1946 only). History of the plant: 1945: "Werk I" (Podbielskistrasse, Hannover) is reconstructed and equipped with galvanics and 10 presses. 1946: Pressing begins in October. 1951: First vinyl 33-rpm LPs pressed. 1953: First vinyl 45-rpm singles pressed. 1958: First Stereo LP record pressed. The production of shellac discs is abandoned. 1959: "Werk II" opens at Klusriede in Langenhagen (near Hanover). 1965: Start of cassette manufacturing. 1970: 40 millionth record pressed in December. 1972: The recording, manufacturing, storage, and accounting divisions of DGG and Philips are centralised into Phonodisc GmbH and the plant is renamed by January 1973.