[net.music] CD SPARS codes

Lippard@his-phoenix-multics.arpa (James J. Lippard) (05/02/85)

The following is a quote from Digital Audio magazine (May 1985):

   Each Digital Audio software review includes a three-letter code (AAD,
   DDD, etc.)  following the disc's label and number.  The code represents
   a standard proposed by the Society of Professional Audio Recording
   Studios (SPARS), which many record labels already have adopted.

More and more labels have started using these codes.  The first letter
is for recording, the second for mixing, the third for mastering.  Some
ways to tell what the code would be for a CD not labeled with one:  If a
CD says "digitally recorded", "a digital recording", or "enregistrement
numerique" on the package, it's a DDD.  Otherwise (including the case
where the package makes a big deal about "digital mastering"), it's
probably an AAD.  There are a few discs which are ADD, but those are
fairly rare (I have two:  "The Three Faces of Al" by The Firesign
Theatre and "Discovery" by Mike Oldfield).

Jim (Lippard at MIT-MULTICS)