One of the big pluses of making records at the All-Union Enterprise “Melodiya” was that they had their own master disc recording unit. A lot of plants didn’t have the right equipment and technology, so they had to outsource their masters. The master disc was made using the PHILIPS-ODME (Netherlands) process and equipment. The work was done in a Class 100 cleanroom, meaning that in every cubic foot of air there were fewer than 100 particles measuring 0.5 microns. For comparison, in a regular room this figure was roughly 1,000 times higher.

Here’s what we used to make the master disc:

The U-matic cassette was recorded at the All-Union Recording Studio. After cleaning and inspecting the glass disc, we applied a 0.12–0.15 µm layer of photoresist. Then, the process continued with the disc being handled automatically using a specially designed cassette system. The recording system took digital audio and subcode info and turned it into a stream of bits that modulated a laser beam. That’s how the spiral track got burned onto the disc.

Scientists in lab suits working with equipment, capturing the industrial vibe influencing Soviet rock history.

Cleanroom Production

Nickel electroforming for creating the originals and stampers was also done in a Class 100 room on TOOLEX-ALPHA (Sweden) equipment. The master disc rotated on a cathode drum, with current supplied via a contact ring. We strictly controlled the electrolyte’s temperature, concentration, and purity.

The last step in the cleanroom operation was putting on a protective layer on the matrix. Then, it could be taken off for backside polishing, centering, and test verification.

Polycarbonate Molding

We finished the matrices and mounted them on TOOLEX-ALPHA thermoplastic injection machines. These machines are designed for cleanroom disc molding. Each compact disc was made from TEJGIN-brand polycarbonate (Japan), measuring 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick. Since this polycarbonate is highly hygroscopic, its moisture content had to be reduced to below 0.02% before use.

The injection cycle took 10 seconds. The molding process was fully automated, with programmable parameters and real-time data displayed on the machine interface. The discs were automatically stacked in spindles of 180 units, and then moved together through every production stage up to automated packaging.

Each molded disc already had all the audio info in the form of pits (microscopic indentations) along a spiral track. With a track pitch of 1.6 microns, the total track length on a single disc reached about 5 km.

Metallization and Coating

To make the data readable, we applied a reflective aluminum layer (50–70 nanometers thick) in a vacuum metallization chamber. This was one of the most technically demanding stages of production. During early testing and calibration, it was the main bottleneck. Eventually, though, they figured it out. The aluminum used was super pure – 99.999% pure, to be exact.

Finally, we applied a layer of protective UV-cured lacquer over the aluminum. This hardened surface protected the disc from dust, scratches, and minor damage, which was a big improvement over the fragility of vinyl records, which had long frustrated collectors.

Group of men in suits, possibly influential figures, symbolic of the Soviet rock era's impact on cultural history.

Milton Gelfand, President of Audiomatic; Anatoly Mazin, Director of MOS “Gramzapis”; James R. Williams, President of Gauss; and Viktor Kuzin, Head of Compact Disc Production (photo: Melodiya magazine, Issue 3, 1990).

We really need to focus on quality control during production. After metallization, the first discs from each new matrix are tested on a special rack inside the cleanroom. The rack’s got seven SONY players, a computer, display, and printer.

After lacquering, a SICK laser-based automated system from West Germany inspects each disc (100% control), and the whole process takes just two seconds per disc. We check each disc for scratches, metallization defects (“holes”), bubbles, or contamination. This ensures that every product reaches the consumer meeting the highest quality standards. All CDs produced at MOS “Gramzapis” meet the international standard set out in the Philips Red Book.

Once the labels are printed with KAMMANN silk-screen equipment from Germany, the discs go to the packaging line. As you may have noticed, Soviet CDs now come with colorful booklets and shrink-wrapped jewel cases with branded bands, making the final product look really elegant.

It’s also important to mention that the project’s success was a lot thanks to the help of foreign experts. The implementation turned out to be pretty complex, but also really engaging. Back in ’89, the plant brought on a fresh crew of skilled young engineers and electronics experts. A team from the CD production unit trained and interned in Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

Top international companies are already switching to rewritable compact discs. Discs for single-time recording are already being produced by several manufacturers, and fully rewritable discs are expected to be available soon. We’ll share more details on these developments in future issues of our magazine.

Viktor Kuzin, Melodiya magazine, Issue 3, 1990

Translated by Artur Netsvetaev from Source