Former German record, cassette and CD manufacturer, located in Nortorf.
See also: TELDEC Press GmbH & Co. KG
After the disc cutting in Hamburg was given up in 1984, all DMM disc cutting was performed in Nortorf.
Pressings can be identified by a stamped "Manufactured in " or by "ManuFactured in " in the runouts until approximately early 1981.
Teldec Press had certain codes, to identify different plants and/ or clients:
Inhouse codes were, e.g.:
6.24, 6.25, 6.26, for LPs, and
6.11, 6.12, 6.13, for 7"s.
Contract pressings can be identified by "76.29", e.g. C-76.29 586-01-1.
These stamped codes were added during the plating. Do not add these codes as LCCN numbers!
History:
1948: The plant starts operations in a former leather factory, pressing shellacs with a converted leather press. First technical director is Alexander Seeland.
1950: 1 million shellacs pressed.
1951: 10" and 12" vinyl production begins.
1953: 7" vinyl production begins.
1959: End of shellac pressing.
1967: Cassette production starts with self-built duplication machines. Later on with more sophisticated digital mastering and high speed duplication machines are used.
1982: Pressing of DMM records begins in March.
1984: Recording, mastering and cutting is moved from TELDEC-Studio, Hamburg to Nortorf.
1986: CD production starts.
1987: In January, Direct Metal Mastered (DMM) CD production begins, using a Neumann/Teldec DMM CD prototype lathe (which never went into commercial production as planned).
1988: With the acquisition of TELDEC by Warner International, the Nortorf plant and Record Service Alsdorf plants are merged into TELDEC Record Service GmbH, in May 1988.
1989: The cassette manufacturing is centralized in Nortorf and expanded from 8 to 30 million units p.a.
1989: Vinyl production in Nortorf stops in October and is transferred to Alsdorf. Until then, 24 million shellacs, 345 million singles, 425 million LPs were manufactured in Nortorf. DMM cutting ends in December and the last equipment is also transferred to Alsdorf.
1991: Laserdisc production starts. Until then 183 million music cassettes and 34 million CDs have been manufactured.
1997: Warner Music International decides to divest the plant due to poor market prospects. It becomes independent after a management buy-out and continues as OK Media Disc Service GmbH & Co. KG.
2013: Plant is demolished.
Today, there is a museum for the TELDEC record pressing plant in Nortorf, called "Deutsches Schallplattenmuseum"
Teldec-Press operated two DMM cutting studios.
DMM mastering engineers (and their scribes) since 1984:
Karen Röschmann (KR)
Other known engineers:
Elke Sens: Mastering the master tapes for music cassettes. Potentially also DMM cutting.
