[78-L] RCA Prefix Code
David Lennick
dlennick at sympatico.ca
Tue Jan 26 07:20:52 PST 2010
Michael Biel wrote:
> I brought up the subject of the RCA prefix code on ARSCList but I do not
> have my sheets handy. I had done a full decoding a number of years ago
> on this list and I know a few of you have kept it. Can anybody repost
> it? One or two corrections were made and I would hope that someone
> has those with the list. It would be of interest to this list anyway,
> and I would like to get it to the ARSCList people as well.
>
> Mike Biel mbiel at mbiel.com
>
Probably a lot more information than you want here, but I can't find the more
concise listing..this came from John Rogers a few years ago and he attributes
it to Joe Knox, Mike Biel and his own corrections. dl
------------------------------
I found this in some old files. There may have been updates:
Hello Everybody--
Earlier this week Joe Knox and I got into a discussion on the 78-L about
the codes in the Victor matrix numbering system. While Joe based his
listings on observation of many, many records, I have the data sheets
from RCA in the 1950s that explain the entire system. I will merge some
of that info into Joe's info. But, my question to Joe had originally
been about what happened in the 60s when the system was changed again
because I do not have sheets from RCA about these. Further info will be
welcome. I would appreciate it if this data not be posted or
distributed without full credit to me,
Dr. Michael Biel mbiel at kih.net , and Joe Knox RoJoKnox at aol.com . Lines
with an extra ">" are from Joe Knox, and the majority of the posting is
from Mike Biel.
Victor's title for the System is "THE GENERAL RECORDINGS SERIAL
NUMBERING SYSTEM" and is filed under "Standardizing Notice (61)
13-200-1" and the date.
> In 1943, Victor revised its matrix numbering to an encoded form incorporating
> a date code and label/client information as well as record size.
> For example, "D3VB-xxxx-y" decodes to
> D3 = 1943 (D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, E0 [1950], E1, E2, E3, E4)
> V = Victor (R = Red Seal Victor)
> B = 10-inch (A = 7-inch; C = 12-inch; E = 8-inch; M = 16-inch)
> xxxx = serial number (1-up; no leading zeros until 1949-50)
> y = take digit (later, a stamper number i.e. -1S)
>
> Remasterings of prior material are often given a false extrapolated matrix
> number, such as "C9VB-" (1939), "B6VB-" (1926) or "A7VB-" (1917). (How a
> pre-1910 matrix might have handled, I don't know.)
There is a hand written note on one copy of the June 6, 1952 version of
the System that shows they would have put a zero for the decade of
1900. The note says "Per Sal". Apparently Sal never informed whoever
typed the sheets, because all the later sheets did not incorporate this
into the typed listings. They did list an F for the 1960s, but the
System had been changed before that would have happened.
> With the introduction of the LP and 45 in 1949-50, a 'W' is added for the
> 7-inch 45 size (i.e., E1VW-); at first, LPs insert an extra 'L' character as
> in "E0LVB-" but as of 1952 it becomes "E2VL-" for 10", "E2VP-" for 12". Early
> 45EPs also use the 'W' size code, but in 1954 it changes to 'H'.
>
> The third character (label/client): Mike's note about 'K' is evidenced by
> issues on the Tennessee, Republic and other labels ("E1KB-", "E1KW-" etc.)
> 'L' appears on RCA's "X" (vault originals) label; Camden issues have 'D.'
The full listing is far more extensive. The first sheet I have is the
one dated June 6, 1952 and superseedes one dated Aug. 7, 1951. The
third position in the prefix is called "Category."
R Red Seal
V Popular
F Foreign, Recorded in U.S.A.
X Foreign, not Recorded in U.S.A.
E Educational
B Bluebird
C Custom, Recorded by RCA
K Custom, Tape Furnished to RCA
L Red Seal Extended Play
M Theasaurus
P Pop. Extended Play
S Slide Film
Q Custom, Lacquer Furnished to RCA
The fourth position is called "Size, Speed & Groove."
B 10" - 78 rpm - Standard
C 12" - 78 rpm - Standard
D 10" - 33 rpm - Standard of Transcription
E 12" - 33 rpm - Standard of Transcription
H 16" - 33 rpm - Trans.
W 7" - 45 rpm - Fine
L 10" - 33 rpm - Fine
P 12" - 33 rpm - Fine
S 6-1/2" - 78 rpm - Std.
K 6-7/8" - 78 rpm - Std.
The next typed revision page I have is dated July 23, 1953, and
supersedes a version dated Feb. 10, 1953 which I am missing.
In the 3rd position there are two items missing:
B Bluebird
L Red Seal Extended Play
In the 4th position there two additions:
T 6" - 78 rpm - Standard
U 7" - 33 1/3 RPM - LP
The next revision was April 14, 1954 which replaced July 23, 1953.
In the 3rd position there are several additions/changes
Eliminated:
P Pop. Extended Play
Added:
T Children's Record
L Label X
H Groove Records
D Camden Label
(Remember that L used to mean Red Seal Extended Play.)
In the 4th position there was one addition:
H 7" 45 Extended Play
On the copy of the sheet I have are a list of changes proposed by Abe
Meltzer, and some were implimented in a few years, but I will not list
the proposals because this would confuse things greatly since many were
never used.
The next revision was November 29, 1954 which superseded April 14,
1954. The only typed change was the addition to the 4th position of a
mysterious piece:
A 5" - 78 rpm Special Groove
In all probability this is the item that a later list called "Special 85
degrees.)
There also are penciled notations that in the 3rd postion X, L, H, and D
were cancelled, but that would have occurred at a later date.
On November 12, 1954 a questionaire was distributed from the Record
Division Systems and Procedures in Camden building 2-8 asking "Is it
__necessary__ in your operation to obtain descriptive information from
the Record Serial number?" and to check off what "items you deem
necessary" from this list: Label Designations (RCA, Camden, Custom),
Description (Pop, Red Seal, Transcription), Year Recorded, Size, Speed,
Groove Designator, and Other Not Listed.
Attached to the questionaire (but missing from my copy) was a proposed
System which is described as "primarily a memory aid expressed in
letters, numbers, or combinations." In order to maintain an 8 position
series they reduced the date code to one letter which would be in the
first position for 25 years and would then be moved to the fourth
position for 25 years.
On February 25, 1955 came the results of the changed system.
> In 1955, the system is altered. The date code, E4 in 1954, becomes simply F.
> Date code: F = 1955; G = 1956; H = 1957; J = 1958; K = 1959;
> L = 1960; M = 1961; N = 1962; P = 1963; R = 1964; S = 1965;
> T = 1966; U = 1967; W = 1968; X = 1969; Z = 1970;
> A = 1971; B = 1972; C = 1973
In the original February 25, 1955 list only the leter "O" wasn't used
and the list continued thru E for 1979. In reality they changed this by
1958 when they skipped "I". In addition to "O" they also skipped "Q"
which could be mistaken for "O", V and Y which could also be mistaken
for each other or for U.`What I have not checked is when this was
actually implimented. Since it is dated Feb 25, 1955 and superseded the
old system sheet from November 29, 1954, there is a possibility that the
recordings made in January and February 1955 were numbered E5.
> The second character becomes the label/client code;
The list calls this second position "Label Designation." Joe's list is
essentially correct, but incomplete. Here's the full list:
1 Bluebird
2 RCA Victor
3 Camden
4 "X" label
5 Groove
6 HMV (automatically recorded out of U.S.A)
7 Custom Recorded at RCA
8 Custom Re-recorded from clients source material
9 Custom-Master Lacquers furnished
> the third character is musical category (up to 1963);
The list calls it "Type of Description." Here is where Joe's guesses go
awry because there are some things that could not possibly be guessed,
so I'll print the original list.
P Popular
R Classical (Red Seal)
C Children
W Contry-Western
T International (Recorded in U.S.A.)
J Blues-Rhythm-Jazz
E Educational
U Slidefilm-Universal
F Slidefilm-Frequency
O Phonograph
M Transcription
N Promotion E Premium
Z Foreign-(Recorded out of U.S.A.
S Slidefilm - Manual
> fourth remains the size/speed until 1963
Actually called "Size, Speed & Groove. Here again Joe's list is almost
correct but is incomplete. Here it is in its early 1955 form:
G 5" - 78 rpm - Special 85 degrees
T 6" - 78 rpm - Std.
S 6 1/2" 78 rpm - Std.
V 7" - 78 rpm - Std.
B 10" - 78 rpm - Std.
C 12" - 78 rpm - Std.
W 7" - 45 rpm - Fine
H 7" - 45 rpm - Ext. Play
J 7" - 33.3 rpm - Std.
K 7" - 33.3 rpm - Univ.
U 7" - 33.3 rpm - Fine
D 10" - 33.3 rpm - Std. or Trans.
F 10" - 33.3 rpm - Univ.
L 10" - 33.3 rpm - fine
E 12" - 33.3 rpm - Std. or Trans.
P 12" - 33.3 rpm - Fine
R 12" - 33.3 rpm - Univ.
M 16" - 33.3 rpm - Std. or Trans.
N 16" - 33.3 rpm - Univ.
X Tape - 7 1/2"/sec. single track
Note that they made a distinction between the "Standard" or
"Transcription" groove which had to be played with a wide stylus, and
the sharp V-shaped "Universal" groove which could be played with either
a wide or microgroove stylus. Apparently Victor never used this shape
groove on 78 rpm recordings. Also note that as of this date it APPEARS
they had not made arrangements for the issuing of either stereo
pre-recorded tape or half-track mono tape, only full-track mono.
On March 13, 1956 came the next revision which modified the Feb 15, 1955
sheet. There were only a few changes.
In the 2nd position, 4 was changed from "X" to the VIK label.
In the 3rd position for some weird reason came G for "Gramaphone
(recorded in England)" Not only do they not know how to spell
Gramophone, it would appear that the EMI designation of 6 in the second
position would have taken care of this.
In the 4th position J for 7-inch 33 standard groove has been
discontinued, X has been changed to read "Tape 7 1/2"/sec. Double
Track", and A has been added to mean 7" 45 rpm "super." Does ANYONE
know what "SUPER!!!!!" is???????
The next revision came on March 20, 1957 and the only change seems to be
that in the 2nd position 5 was changed from "Groove" label to Gale.
Gale????????
Also on my copy of the sheet are some pencilled additional explanations
of some of the more unusual designations in the 4th position. T is
childrens, S,K,U,and F are custom, and V is "spinner." There is also
something written by W that looks like "conmiec" but probably is really
"commerc" for "commercial" since this is the designation for regular
45s, as opposed to A for "super" 45s.
This is where my sheets end and where I hoped that Joe Knox might be
able to shed some enlightenment. His posting shows the changes that
took place in 1963 from his observations:
> 2nd position for label (1963 and later) C = RCA Camden;
> N = RCA Victor "PRM/S-xxxx" special promo issues; P = RCA Victor;
> number = custom for other labels (i.e., S1RM- on Reader's Digest LP)
> 3rd position, 1963-up Size/speed R = LP; K = 45
> 4th position in 1963, when only 'M' (mono) or 'S' (stereo) is indicated.
> In 1974 RCA changed their catalog number system on LPs from
> "LPM-xxxx" (et al) to, basically, the matrix number system
> (i.e., the 1975 Bluebird LP series "AXM2-55xx";
> the '2' is the number of discs in the album;
> 'A' might be American ['F' is French, as in 'FXM1-7000']),
> but this is beyond our scope here.
> > > J. E. (Joe) Knox > > > "The Victor Freak" RoJoKnox at aol.com
There's probably more to these later codes, but the info Joe gave for
these later codes answers as many questions for me as the stuff I posted
probably does for all of you.
There is some additional info about the last half of the numberings.
Until the system changed in 1955 the four digits of the serial number
restart at 0000 at the beginning of each year in separate series for
each category of music (as usually indicated by the third position.)
When the system changed, there were now five separate annual serial
numbering series for:
1) Live dates
2) LP's
3) EP's
4) Camden
5) "X"
I do not know where this leaves singles, etc. so I am not sure if this
is exactly what they did. There is a notation that all custom
recordings will be in a separt serial number system that will not return
to 0000 at the New Year, but will continue thru 10,000 (actually 9,999.)
The take numbers were to appear after a dash on protection parts only
but is NOT to appear on either production transfers or record labels.
"Production transfers will be marked with the transfer number (1S for
the first transfer 2S for the second transfer, etc.)" Thus the original
tape and protection lacquers will be marked with the tape, the
production transfers would be marked with the transfer number, and the
labels would be marked only with the prefix and serial number--no take
numbers and no transfer numbers.
I hope that this explanation will be helpful to all of you.
Mike Biel mbiel at kih.net
----- Original Message ----- From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel at kih.net>
To: <78-l at 78online.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 8:52 AM
Subject: [78-l] RCA Matrix codes
> Many years ago, perhaps even in the pre-Ron Fial days when the list was at
> Cornell, I compiled and posted a corrected and annotated codex of the two RCA
> Victor prefix systems used from 1956 into the 70s. As I have changed
> computers and web browsers in the years since, I have lost track of where it
> is. Does somebody have that posting saved where they can find it and send it
> to me -- really post it on the list. Mind you, I need what ___ I ___
> compiled, not was RCA provided and Ted Fagen published in Martin Bryan's New
> Amberola Graphic in the mid-80s. These are wrong. They were the proposed
> systems, not what RCA actually adopted.
>
> Thanks!! I don't want to have to do the work all over again!
>
> Mike Biel
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