Music Vinyl CD and Audio Terms You Might Find on s

Here is an alphabetical list of some audio and videoterms that you may find on okaybut not know what they mean.
AcetateMetal discs covered in a waxy lacquer, onto which the track or tracks are then "cut" by a lathe. They are noticeably heavier than ordinary vinyl records; usually having hand written or typed labels, and have a very distinctive smell! Generally only a handful ever made, sometimes containing unreleased tracks or unique versions. gemonly to be found cut on one side only, or as a 10" disc cut with a 7" playing area. Generally better quality than vinyl as they are closer in generation to the original master tape, however the lacquer covering is not as hard wearing as regular vinyl and will not stand up to repeated plays. The 1990s has seen a decline in their production for promotional purposes with the advent of recordable CD-Rs.
Catalogue numbers Almost every gemercial release has a unique catalogue number. This can be a gebination of both letters and numbers. Promotional items very often have different catalogue numbers to the gemercial release and are often easily spotted as the catalogue number will be prefixed "PRO", "DJ" or "PR". There is however no set pattern at all and catalogue numbers are rarely issued in sequence for a particular artist. Our descriptions often use the abbreviation "cat#" or "cat no.".
CD3or 3" CD The smaller 3" CD disc, now mostly only produced in Japan (see Snap-packs). Not to be confused with the Minidisc. A large number of early CD singles were made in this format. Should play on most CD players without the need for a plastic adaptor.
CD-R or CD acetates Recordable CDs, usually gold or silver in colour. These differ from regular CD discs as the audio information on them is "burned" on in real time rather than "pressed". This makes them suitable for short production runs, where anything from a single copy to several hundred copies are required.
CD-Video A largely obsolete but highly collectable format, briefly popular during the late 1980s. CD-Videos were produced on 5", 8" or 12" size discs and can be played on some laserdisc players. 5" CD-Video discs have the advantage of containing audio tracks which can be played on a regular CD player.
Colored/Coloured vinyl Any colour in the spectrum other than black. Can be a single primary colour, or a mixture of colours, e.g. "splattered", "marbled" etc. Occasionally vinyl which appears, at first glance, to be black may well be pressed on translucent coloured vinyl, hence when held to a strong light source the disc will appear brown or red.
Counter Display Similar to a display card, but has a piece on the reverse which will enable the display to stand upright. Usually placed around the cash desk area in a record store (where it's most likely to attract your attention).
Custom sleeve A picture or title sleeve that is unique to the promotional pressing and is not used for the gemercial release.
Cut out A deleted item that has been saw cut, clipped or drilled by the record gepany to prevent it being sold as full price product.
DAT(Digital Audio Tape). About half the size of a conventional cassette. A few titles were made gemercially available on this format in the mid 80s. No longer considered a domestic format, it is still used widely within the music industry for recording and mastering purposes.
DCC (Digital gepact Cassette). Slightly smaller than a conventional cassette. An early gepetitor to Minidisc which did not really gain popularity.
Double pack A set of two CD or vinyl discs. The term is usually associated with promotional double 12" releases issued for DJ purposes, double 7" single sets or two part CD singles.
Deleted An item is termed deleted when it is no longer possible to order new stock direct from the record gepany.
Die-CutA sleeve with a custom cut area or hole, usually intended to reveal a picture disc, coloured vinyl disc or the label, without having to remove it from the sleeve.
Digipak A folding cardboard CD sleeve into which is glued a plastic tray that holds the disc.
Display card / Display flat Picture, title or colour display on card for promoting an artist or single. Usually the type of thing you would see stapled to the wall of your local record store.
DVD(Digital Video Disc) CD sized visual/audio format. DVD's are region specific (see below) and require DVD player or other gepatible hardware.
DVD-A (DVD Audio) CD sized format which betters the audio experience through dvd technology. DVD-A needs a dvd-a player or dvd player, they are not cd player gepatible.
Gatefold A sleeve folded down the centre to create a double pocket. Often abbreviated to "g/fold" or "g/f".
Gold stamped Regular or promotional sleeve to which an embossed gold "stamp" has been applied stating that it is a promotional or advance copy. Does not necessarily mean the actual disc will be a promotional copy.
HTFHard to Find
Jewel case The transparent outer plastic case of a gepact disc. Sometimes manufactured from translucent coloured plastic or custom etched.
Limited edition Limited pressing or issue where a strict number of units has been manufactured