CBS Records, Artarmon

Australian vinyl pressing and cassette duplication plant of CBS Records Australia Limited, located in Artarmon, NSW. Operating under this name between 1977 and 1991.

Artarmon lacquer cuts can be identified by MX followed by six digits, consecutively for sides A and B, etc., e.g MX 215727 / MX 215728. The numbers are sequential and can be added as cat# by using Lacquer Cut At, see example here. Lacquers were cut on Neumann lathes.
Artarmon pressings can be identified by the characteristic 70mm pressing ring, see example here.

Previous name of the plant: ARC, Artarmon (1953 - 1977).

Known lacquer cutting engineers:
Ross Williams (2) (1979–1983), identifiable by 𝄞

The matrix sequences:
CBS Artarmon used batches of matrix numbers for their cuts (all numbers and dates are indicative, and likely subject to precisions):
MX179401 - MX179999 - running from November 1977 to March 1978
(MX180001 - MX184599 - allocated to ARC Artarmon until October 1977)
MX184601 - MX204999 - running from November 1977 to November 1984
MX205001 - MX214399 - running from January 1982 to November 1987
MX214401 - MX214450 - reserved for Flying Nun or other records destined for New Zealand, 1988 & 1989
MX214451 - MX214499 - not allocated
MX215001 - MX219999 - running from November 1984 to November 1987
MX220001 - MX220199 - sequence used from October 1985 to December 1985 only
MX220201 - MX249999 - not allocated
MX250001 - MX255399 - running from November 1987 to March 1991
MX255401 - MX299999 - not allocated
MX300001 - MX308399 - running from November 1987 to July 1991
Important note: the cut/ pressing and the factual release date often differ by weeks or even months.

History:
In February 1960, CBS Records Australia Limited, on 17 October 1977.

All the 12" and 7" pressing equipment was originally designed and manufactured by Columbia USA, although many components (where possible) were made locally in Australia.

In the 1980s, the cassette manufacturing was moved from Artarmon to a plant in Lidcombe, where manual compact disc assembly was also introduced.

In January 1991, CBS Records Australia changed its name to become Sony Music Australia Limited, and in June 1991, the Artarmon pressing plant was closed down.