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    • #296

      Arthur
      Keymaster

      This question mainly refers to vinyl, but I suppose it could carry over into the CD and maybe even CS realm. It’s a question I have no idea how to answer, and I’ve been collecting music for over a decade now.

      What is the difference between a white label promo and a test pressing? Is there even a difference or are they the same thing?

      Can anyone help here? This has bugged me for a long time now…

    • #5202

      tjackson80
      Spectator

      white label promos typically come in record label sleeves.

      true test pressings come in unmarked sleeves with usually just hand-writing on them, no printing what-so-ever.

      Hut, however, likes to cause confusion…because I have seen similar sleeves (Standard Hut issue either black or blue) for both test pressings and white label promos.

      Even vinyl etchings that match the standard release copies, have been found on both white label promos and test pressings.

      In the end, it looks like whatever someone says it is … is a decent bet. Ask where people got their’s from … usually it will trail back to a radio station or something … the story is a good way to find out, plus people are usually honest about what they’ve been told it is, I haven’t seen anyone try and pass off Cherub WLPs as TPs … yet.

      Not a lot of help I’m afraid … look for HUT Sleeves, stories behind items, and dj sheets are usually indicative of promos.

      mneh

    • #5203

      Sven
      Spectator

      test presses are what it says – pressings to test the lathe, master plates, etc… look around @ EIL.com especially at the Kylie and The Smiths sections and you’ll find some true TPs – studio in-house mastering plant TPs – often in nothing but a simple sleeve, hand written labels, made to check the quality nothing more nothing less.

      white label promos are made to promote the record – as with HUT these come in generic HUT sleeves, sometimes in oversized and uncut artwork (proof) sheets, with or without a promotional sheet like a bio or track sheet or something. not for in-house use (only). these are white label for some legal matters i strongly believe and i can look it up somewhere ah well there you have it: [url:3stv8o2y]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_label[/url:3stv8o2y]

      it can be confusing sometimes i know, but hte main difference is the intended use so provenance should do the trick and tell you all you need to know.

    • #5204

      manillascissor
      Keymaster

      ok. so we tweeted something about acetates today. after reviewing, i’ve come to this conclusion:

      i only own ONE true acetate vinyl.

      from now on, test presses and white label promos mean the same thing to me.

      the record i’m speaking of is the tarantula uncut 7\". it’s obviously made of metal, not plastic. it even has a weird purple hue to it. it’s very heavy and is not flimsy at all.

      i can snag a photo soon (hopefully).

      anyway, test presses (take the tristessa 7\"), are nothing more than white label promos. in order to have a true acetate, it needs to me made of metal.

    • #5205

      Arthur
      Spectator

      anyway, test presses (take the tristessa 7"), are nothing more than white label promos. in order to have a true acetate, it needs to me made of metal.[/quote:1sy42qty]
      Maybe we have to check all the vinyl, and cds too, on our site. This is really a good question, because I had my doubts also many times when it came to acetates. Acetates in the meaning of first test pressings, acetate-promos, or maybe there is also a distinction between acetate (inhouse promos) and acetate (outhouse promos) that we should make… Or how should we divide them anyway, or not anymore, when it is about those type of releases?

      For example, BWBW (radio edit) is now filed under "Acetate (First Test Pressing)". Is this correct? What do we think?

    • #5206

      i think when it comes to vinyl, there’s a difference between acetate, test pressing and white label promo. even though it’s often hard to tell whether something’s a test pressing or a white label promo.

      i don’t really know what acetate means when it comes to cds. i always thought it was the same as cd-r. but i never really gave it much thought.

    • #5207

      Arthur
      Spectator

      I gave it another thought, discussed it a little with manillascissor outside this forum, and I would like to suggest the following types of release for the Smashing Pumpkins music releases, like vinyl and cds, based on their intended use.

      1. studio master
      2. acetate test pressing (Masterdisk, Town House, \"for reference\", \"pending approval\", \"inhouse use only\" etc.)
      3. media promo (WLP, watermarked cds etc)
      4. general public promo (Live In Chicago MCIS cd, Metro give-away cd for example)
      5. commercial (jukebox)
      6. commercial (limited/numbered edition)
      7. commercial (standard edition)

      What is everybody’s thoughts on this?

    • #5208

      Sven
      Spectator

      I gave it another thought, discussed it a little with manillascissor outside this forum, and I would like to suggest the following types of release for the Smashing Pumpkins music releases, like vinyl and cds, based on their intended use.

      1. studio master
      2. acetate test pressing (Masterdisk, Town House, "for reference", "pending approval", "inhouse use only" etc.)
      3. media promo (WLP, watermarked cds etc)
      4. general public promo (Live In Chicago MCIS cd, Metro give-away cd for example)
      5. commercial (jukebox)
      6. commercial (limited/numbered edition)
      7. commercial (standard edition)

      What is everybody’s thoughts on this?[/quote:1ut1imgy]

      not really sure about point 2.

      i mean a vinyl acetate is made of lacquered or non-lacquered metal. it’s the very first playable thing after the first master is cut, in wax.

      after this, from the acetate a matrix is made. from this a test press is made to check the matrix quality and per thus the master cut.

      so there’s a difference there between acetate and test-press.
      acetate normally stay in the factory.
      test pressings are send out to label, producer and band.

    • #5209

      Arthur
      Spectator

      Good to hear this, this is exactly what we were so insecure about. New list, is this correct & complete?

      1. studio master
      2. factory acetate
      3. test pressing (Masterdisk, Town House, \"for reference\", \"pending approval\", \"inhouse use only\" etc.)
      4. media promo (WLP, watermarked cds, \"For Promotional Use Only\", etc)
      5. general public promo (Live In Chicago MCIS cd, Metro give-away cd for example)
      6. commercial (jukebox)
      7. commercial (limited/numbered edition)
      8. commercial (standard edition)

      And where would the Town House Post Production cd for Mark Goodier (the 1/1 pumped up version of Cherub Rock) fit in then?

    • #5210

      Sven
      Spectator

      Good to hear this, this is exactly what we were so insecure about. New list, is this correct & complete?

      1. studio master
      2. factory acetate
      3. test pressing (Masterdisk, Town House, "for reference", "pending approval", "inhouse use only" etc.)
      4. media promo (WLP, watermarked cds, "For Promotional Use Only", etc)
      5. general public promo (Live In Chicago MCIS cd, Metro give-away cd for example)
      6. commercial (jukebox)
      7. commercial (limited/numbered edition)
      8. commercial (standard edition)

      And where would the Town House Post Production cd for Mark Goodier (the 1/1 pumped up version of Cherub Rock) fit in then?[/quote:2tj9fvqz]

      seems right but i’ve seen Town House acetates on metal before, but then again, they also do mastering so that makes sense, yep, cool one, looks right.

    • #5211

      Arthur
      Spectator

      OK, cool. Finally we are getting somewhere with this… Thanks Sven!

      Still a few questions though.

      A. Where would the Town House Post Production cd for Mark Goodier (the 1/1 pumped up version of Cherub Rock) fit in then? Test pressing? Or media promo?

      B. And what about the BBC Transcription discs? Sven, I remember you once told me they are glass masters, but used straightaway for radio broadcast. Normally, from the glass master a father cd will be created, from the father cd a mother (mirror) cd will be created, and from there the son cds, or stampers, will be created, which are used for the actual cd production.* With other words, should the list maybe be:

      1. studio master (used for vinyl & cd production)
      2. glass master (cd only)
      3. acetate (vinyl only)
      4. test pressing (both vinyl and cd, stay at the factory, band, label or otherwise \"inhouse\")
      5. media promo (WLP, watermarked cds etc)
      etc.

      * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_Disc_manufacturing

    • #5212

      manillascissor
      Keymaster

      The \"CD Acetate\"

      When mastering to CD the Recordable CD or CDR is used in a similar way to acetates, with the sound being checked from a CDR.

      In the early days of the CD some dealers sold these CDRs for very high prices and referred to then as \"CD Acetates\". The CDs used genuinely in studio or pressing plant are just as rare as acetates, however the growing availability CD Recorders has made them very easy to duplicate of forge.
      CDRs have also become so cheap that they are often used instead of promos, with hundreds being manufactured and distributed.
      The term CD Acetate has not survived

      Just bringing in some research…

    • #5213

      Sven
      Spectator

      The "CD Acetate"

      When mastering to CD the Recordable CD or CDR is used in a similar way to acetates, with the sound being checked from a CDR.

      In the early days of the CD some dealers sold these CDRs for very high prices and referred to then as "CD Acetates". The CDs used genuinely in studio or pressing plant are just as rare as acetates, however the growing availability CD Recorders has made them very easy to duplicate of forge.
      CDRs have also become so cheap that they are often used instead of promos, with hundreds being manufactured and distributed.
      The term CD Acetate has not survived

      Just bringing in some research…[/quote:1ccn4dll]

      Yep. It’s almost impossible to know if a CDR was used to check the master(ing) or was made as a promo for the press or something, unless, like the Town House one for CR and others of course, it’s obvious what the intention was.
      For example: the M2 sets are technically NOT acetates but in-house promotional CDRs.

    • #5214

      Arthur
      Spectator

      If I follow these guidelines, then I hope the following examples are right?

      M2 US cd set: test pressing
      M2 UK cd set: media promo
      Cherub Rock Mark Goodier: media promo
      BBC Transcription discs: glass master
      All inhouse cdrs: test pressing
      All cdrs send out for promotional reasons: media promo

      We might want to reconsider quite a few entries, manilla… ;)

    • #5215

      manillascissor
      Keymaster

      If I follow these guidelines, then I hope the following examples are right?

      M2 US cd set: test pressing
      M2 UK cd set: media promo
      Cherub Rock Mark Goodier: media promo
      BBC Transcription discs: glass master
      All inhouse cdrs: test pressing
      All cdrs send out for promotional reasons: media promo

      We might want to reconsider quite a few entries, manilla… ;)[/quote:4w50rc5w]

      Yeah, believe it or not, i’m still confused. hahahaha I’d say your Mark Goodier was never meant for public distribution, making it fall under the "internal" heading, whatever that ends up being.

      But the UK Machina II promos seem to have been manufactured with the intent of public promotion (based solely on the numbers available), so they would NOT be internal, just as you have described. I would NOT file those two specific releases under the same heading, as you have.

    • #5216

      Arthur
      Spectator

      I’d say your Mark Goodier was never meant for public distribution, making it fall under the "internal" heading, whatever that ends up being.[/quote:p6w0auq0]
      No, because Goodier was not "inhouse" (band, label, management, producer). He was a damn lucky BBC dj getting a 1 of a kind version of a song to have it played on the radio, maybe festivals, or maybe just at home. Mark is outside media, so the intended use of this release is different. Makes sense?

    • #5217

      manillascissor
      Keymaster

      I’d say your Mark Goodier was never meant for public distribution, making it fall under the "internal" heading, whatever that ends up being.[/quote:4gs8w49g]
      No, because Goodier was not "inhouse" (band, label, management, producer). He was a damn lucky BBC dj getting a 1 of a kind version of a song to have it played on the radio, maybe festivals, or maybe just at home. Mark is outside media, so the intended use of this release is different. Makes sense?[/quote:4gs8w49g]

      No, not at all, when you consider 1 copy was made for one person. you don’t make 1 copy for one purpose for the intent of public distribution.

    • #5218

      Sven
      Spectator

      If I follow these guidelines, then I hope the following examples are right?

      M2 US cd set: test pressing
      M2 UK cd set: media promo
      Cherub Rock Mark Goodier: media promo
      BBC Transcription discs: glass master
      All inhouse cdrs: test pressing
      All cdrs send out for promotional reasons: media promo

      We might want to reconsider quite a few entries, manilla… ;)[/quote:3qemtnio]

      M2 US -> technically it’s not a test press but an inhouse cdr. it was in fact not made to test anything, just for inhouse use.
      M2 UK -> i don’t think that many media got a full set though…
      CR MG -> Town House one off cdr for one DJ only, well technically a media promo cdr
      BBC -> yep
      Inhouse cdrs -> not at all all are as for testing something…
      CDRS -> seems right

    • #5219

      Arthur
      Spectator

      I’d say your Mark Goodier was never meant for public distribution, making it fall under the "internal" heading, whatever that ends up being.[/quote:18jag11a]
      No, because Goodier was not "inhouse" (band, label, management, producer). He was a damn lucky BBC dj getting a 1 of a kind version of a song to have it played on the radio, maybe festivals, or maybe just at home. Mark is outside media, so the intended use of this release is different. Makes sense?[/quote:18jag11a]

      No, not at all, when you consider 1 copy was made for one person. you don’t make 1 copy for one purpose for the intent of public distribution.[/quote:18jag11a]
      It is not about 1 or many copies, it is about how the copy/copies were used. And what the intention was of the people/person ordering the copy/copies. Mark Goodier was not the person checking mixes, running orders of songs, if a song should be released as a single, he was not in the position to decide about when and how to release an album, etc. He is, from the bands/label/factory point of view, an outsider. A media guy. A promotional tool for the band, of which he happened to be a big fan at that time. So when he receives something that might look like a Town House test pressing, I consider it to be on the same level as a watermarked Zeitgeist album. A media promo. NOT a public promo, that is for examples Live In Chicago. Or that promo cd that came with Machina.

    • #5220

      Arthur
      Spectator

      M2 US -> technically it’s not a test press but an inhouse cdr. it was in fact not made to test anything, just for inhouse use.
      M2 UK -> i don’t think that many media got a full set though…
      CR MG -> Town House one off cdr for one DJ only, well technically a media promo cdr
      BBC -> yep
      Inhouse cdrs -> not at all all are as for testing something…
      CDRS -> seems right[/quote:1qbdsg44]
      Yeah, fair enough. It bothered me also that I could not distinct test pressings from other inhouse cdrs anymore. Should we call, as a rough guideline, the Hut/Virgin cdrs inhouse promos (when it is clear that they were created for inhouse usage, of course), and the Masterdisk and Town House cdrs can be considered as test pressings?

    • #5221

      i’d find it interesting if there was a way to indicate the difference between a cd and a cd-r.
      this has got nothing to do with \"type of release\", i know. but i find it important information, and there doesn’t really seem to be a separate category for both. they’re all \"cds (official)\".

    • #5222

      Sven
      Spectator

      M2 US -> technically it’s not a test press but an inhouse cdr. it was in fact not made to test anything, just for inhouse use.
      M2 UK -> i don’t think that many media got a full set though…
      CR MG -> Town House one off cdr for one DJ only, well technically a media promo cdr
      BBC -> yep
      Inhouse cdrs -> not at all all are as for testing something…
      CDRS -> seems right[/quote:spsjwfdc]
      Yeah, fair enough. It bothered me also that I could not distinct test pressings from other inhouse cdrs anymore. Should we call, as a rough guideline, the Hut/Virgin cdrs inhouse promos (when it is clear that they were created for inhouse usage, of course), and the Masterdisk and Town House cdrs can be considered as test pressings?[/quote:spsjwfdc]

      yep something along those lines as the Town House one for Mark Goodier is not a test pressing technically, but OK, that’s just one then…

    • #5223

      Arthur
      Spectator

      Summary. I will try to set this up in a bit, and change the cd section accordingly.

      1. studio master (used for vinyl & cd production)
      2. glass master (cd only: BBC Transcription discs)
      3. acetate (vinyl only)
      4. test pressing (both vinyl and cd: Masterdisk & Town House stuff for example)
      5. inhouse promo (no idea about vinyl, but to be used for many Virgin/Hut cdrs at least)
      6. media promo (WLP, watermarked cds etc)
      7. public promo (like Live In Chicago, Still Becoming Apart, etc.)
      8. commercial (jukebox)
      9. commercial (limited/numbered edition)
      10. commercial (standard edition)

    • #5224

      Arthur
      Spectator

      i’d find it interesting if there was a way to indicate the difference between a cd and a cd-r.
      this has got nothing to do with "type of release", i know. but i find it important information, and there doesn’t really seem to be a separate category for both. they’re all "cds (official)".[/quote:32uhgsoi]
      This is actually a really good one! It’s very easy to set up extra categories like CD-Rs (Official) and CD-Rs (Unofficial), and then separate the current entries between the CD and CD-R categories (OK, this last part takes a little effort). But I will try to set that up now also. At your service. 8)

    • #5225

      Arthur
      Spectator

      Several efforts later, almost as many questions…

      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … &item=2628 (a Rocket CD-R pressing)

      Changed it to category \"CD-Rs (Official)\", and adjusted type of release to \"Promo (Inhouse)\". Everybody agrees on this? Or should I interpret the logos of Chop Em Out and Ferret & Spanner differently (like it is a Test Pressing)?

      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … S&item=795 (MCIS CD-R set, previously owned by BC)

      Changed it to category \"CD-Rs (Official)\", and adjusted type of release to \"Test Pressing\". Agree?

      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … S&item=234 (Adore CD-R from Germany)

      CD-R (maybe unofficial), but Test Pressing or Promo (Inhouse)?

      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … S&item=289 (MCIS promo set on gold CD-R)

      Promo (Inhouse) or Promo (Media)? Set to Inhouse for a start.

      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … &item=1093 (Virgin Records Sampler)

      CD or CD-R? Set to CD for a start.

      Man, this is harder (and more fun too ;) ) than I thought! :lol:

    • #5226

      Sven
      Spectator

      Rocket -> looks like a media promo to me.

      MCIS -> yep, that’s a test pressing.

      Aodre -> I’d say this might even have been a media promo. sometimes the label in any country employs a pressing studio / mastering studio to copy some cdrs for promotional use to radio, press and other media, so they don’t have to do it themselves and to guarantee good quality reproduction. it doesn’t make sense to have a German pressing/mastering studio make a test pressing for a cd record that was already tested in the USA, even if the EU pressing might have been done in Germany, this would have been done from the approved masters from the US I guess, right?

    • #5227

      Arthur
      Spectator

      And this one?

      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … S&item=184 (1 of the many Machina CD-R promos)

      Promo (Inhouse) or not? I put it to Promo (Media) for a start.

      In fact I have hard times differentiating CDs and CD-Rs (official) starting in 1997 (TEITBITE) and onwards, like with all the Adore and Machina cds. As a rough indication I thought that handwritten cds are CD-Rs, and when a proper Hut or Virgin logo + text was printed on the cd, then it is CD. Which is not really a good indication, because some, if not most, of them are clearly CD-Rs. But well, it’s a start. Let me know your comments, please!

      And this one… bleh. I kept it in CDs first, but it is clearly a CD-R.

      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … LS&item=35

    • #5228

      Arthur
      Spectator

      OK, I think most CD-Rs are in this new section. Someone willing to check it, and see if I made mistakes?

      http://www.spfreaks.com/?page=COLLINDEX&cat=41

    • #5229

      Arthur
      Spectator

      Was this CD a public promo? If I remember well, it was given away at some stores with Machina?

      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … S&item=349 (7 track sampler)

    • #5230

      Was this CD a public promo? If I remember well, it was given away at some stores with Machina?

      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … S&item=349 (7 track sampler)[/quote:3ng6dpfe]
      i believe it was given to people who pre-ordered.

      i wasn’t there though. this is just what i remember reading about that release.

    • #5231

      OK, I think most CD-Rs are in this new section. Someone willing to check it, and see if I made mistakes?

      http://www.spfreaks.com/?page=COLLINDEX&cat=41[/quote:b91bxwwn]
      looks like those are indeed all cd-rs. but not all cd-rs are there.

      just some machina examples:
      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … &item=1094
      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … &item=2068
      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … &item=1791
      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … &item=1088

    • #5232

      Arthur
      Spectator

      looks like those are indeed all cd-rs. but not all cd-rs are there.

      just some machina examples:
      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … &item=1094
      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … &item=2068
      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … &item=1791
      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … &item=1088[/quote:qaefomim]
      Yeah… I know. This is what I said about it earlier on.

      In fact I have hard times differentiating CDs and CD-Rs (official) starting in 1997 (TEITBITE) and onwards, like with all the Adore and Machina cds. As a rough indication I thought that handwritten cds are CD-Rs, and when a proper Hut or Virgin logo + text was printed on the cd, then it is CD. Which is not really a good indication, because some, if not most, of them are clearly CD-Rs. But well, it’s a start. Let me know your comments, please![/quote:qaefomim]

    • #5233

      manillascissor
      Keymaster

      i find this taxonomy too detailed and subjective. i think these releases need to be filed under CDs (Official) or CDs (Unofficial).

      From there, is it a promo? If yes, is it internal or public? that’s it.

      so the MG CR CD goes under public, as he was not part of the internal label.

      i don’t want to struggle with 10 different categorizations everytime i want to upload something. or change something in database already.

      for example, in vinyl, for some reason, only 1 example is listed as Album (Compilation). I can think of MANY more examples that fall into that category, but for some reason, they are listed improperly.

    • #5234

      Sven
      Spectator

      And this one?

      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … S&item=184 (1 of the many Machina CD-R promos)

      Promo (Inhouse) or not? I put it to Promo (Media) for a start.

      In fact I have hard times differentiating CDs and CD-Rs (official) starting in 1997 (TEITBITE) and onwards, like with all the Adore and Machina cds. As a rough indication I thought that handwritten cds are CD-Rs, and when a proper Hut or Virgin logo + text was printed on the cd, then it is CD. Which is not really a good indication, because some, if not most, of them are clearly CD-Rs. But well, it’s a start. Let me know your comments, please!

      And this one… bleh. I kept it in CDs first, but it is clearly a CD-R.

      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … LS&item=35[/quote:3ltkr8zp]

      THe Machina is a media promo as NONSTOP Promotions does media promo. I sometimes get cd(r)-s with their logo on them (from other bands that is).
      So also the 5 tr samples would be a media promo as with all bearing the NONSTOP sticker.

    • #5235

      Sven
      Spectator

      Was this CD a public promo? If I remember well, it was given away at some stores with Machina?

      http://www.spfreaks.com/default.aspx?pa … S&item=349 (7 track sampler)[/quote:pu6ijjqf]
      i believe it was given to people who pre-ordered.

      i wasn’t there though. this is just what i remember reading about that release.[/quote:pu6ijjqf]

      yeah something like that.
      when you pre-ordered at certain stores this was given away for free upon purchase, i think…
      def. a general public promo cd.

    • #5236

      i find this taxonomy too detailed and subjective. i think these releases need to be filed under CDs (Official) or CDs (Unofficial).[/quote:3jysz4uc]
      i don’t necessarily want a separate category for cd-rs. but i think it’s important information that should be included, one way or another. (maybe by adding an extra field "cd-r" to all CD entries, for example.)

      previously, if it said "acetate", then you knew it was a cd-r. at least, that’s how i perceived it.
      now that the release types have changed, this no longer works.

    • #5237

      Arthur
      Spectator

      i find this taxonomy too detailed and subjective. i think these releases need to be filed under CDs (Official) or CDs (Unofficial).[/quote:2gtnleu9]
      i don’t necessarily want a separate category for cd-rs. but i think it’s important information that should be included, one way or another. (maybe by adding an extra field "cd-r" to all CD entries, for example.)

      previously, if it said "acetate", then you knew it was a cd-r. at least, that’s how i perceived it.
      now that the release types have changed, this no longer works.[/quote:2gtnleu9]
      Yeah, that’s it. I can go with manilla, after all I’m not that happy with the extra category also. The "type of release" should reflect the intended usage of the release, and then a split up of "Promo (Media)" and "Promo (Public)" really makes sense. It are very different groups of people that will receive/have received the promotional release.

      Hmmm… I have to figure this out one way or the other. Maybe the Format field is a better option to work this out… :?

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