Specialty Records Corporation/WEA Manufacturing matrix codes
Note: This page is a placeholder or work-in-progress. Content should not be referenced or treated as reliable.
Generation Dates
Gen Rel Type Rel Date Artist Label Catalog Matrix
Attribute Grid
Attribute Gen1 Gen2 Gen3 Gen4 Gen5 Gen6 Gen7 Gen? Gen? Gen? Matrix text style[1] dot-matrix dot-matrix dot-matrix dot-matrix dot-matrix Courier Courier Courier thick sans thick sans Single-digit label ID[2] No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Mother/Stamper ID (M#S#) none none monospace monospace monospace monospace proportional proportional proportional proportional Barcode blocks[3] none none none thick none thin thin thinner thinner thinner Unused space filled filled filled empty asterisks empty empty empty empty empty Surrounding blocks Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No Possible SRC/digit separators dash, blank ## or ** ## or ** ## or ** Logo none none none none none SRC swirl SRC swirl wea wea none
References
- ^ Dot-matrix text can be 5x5 or 7x5 in any generation. This is probably due to differences in the model of mastering equiment used.
- ^ 1: Warner Bros.; 2: Elektra; 3: Atlantic
- ^ For "thick" blocks, the smaller blocks are 1/2 the size of the larger ones; for "thin" blocks, the smaller blocks are 1/3 the size of the larger ones.
"SRC" Matrix Numbers
- Warner Bros.
- Elektra
- Atlantic
1st Generation (1986 - Jul?? 1987)
Format: #####-2 SRC-##
- No single-digit label IDs
- No mother/stamper IDs
2nd Generation (Mid-1987 - Mid 1988?)
Format: # #####-2 SRC-##
- Single-digit label IDs introduced
- No mother/stamper IDs
3rd Generation (1988 - Sep? 1990)
Format: # #####-2 SRC-## M#S#
- Mother/stamper IDs introduced
4th Generation (Sep? 1990 - Apr? 1993)
Format: # #####-2 SRC-## M#S# [+barcode]
- Block barcodes introduced
5th Generation (Apr? 1993 - Sep? 1994)
Format: # #####-2 SRC~~## M#S#
- Block barcodes removed
- "Wraparound" asterisks introduced
- SRC and nn separated by either "##" or "**", possibly indicating which mastering equipment was used.
6th Generation (Sep? 1994 - 1996?)
Format: # #####-2 SRC~~## M#S#
- Asterisks replaced by block barcodes again
- Specialty Records Corp. logo introduced
See Also
"CDs Pressed by Specialty: SRC code?" (Steve Hoffman Forums thread)