US vinyl record, optical disc and cassette manufacturer and pressing plant located in Southern California, established by Jack Brown. The plant was active from 1939 until 2019.
In April 2002, Rainbo acquired DOCdata California, Inc., a CD and DVD manufacturer located in Canoga Park which was formerly run by DOCdata.
In December 2019, Rainbo sold their entire enterprise to label in Nashville, Tennessee. This included all their manufacturing equipment (including 17 Lened vinyl presses), the rights to the Rainbo trademark name, client list, and a choice selection of company memorabilia. The plant officially closed on January 31, 2020.
The pressing plant had an-house electroplating department for the production of metal masters. After the plant closed down, these masters were still used for (re)pressing elsewhere, so for post-2019 releases please credit with Plated At.
Identifying vinyl releases
Pressings from Rainbo almost always have a sequential job number etched into the runouts:
• S-1234, S-12345, or L-12345, indicating an LP, 12", or 10" format, but "S" is the most common prefix for LP's. In some cases the "S" may be etched backwards "Ƨ". The switch from four-digit number to five-digit number started in the early '70s.
• R-1234, or R-12345. R is the prefix used for all 7" pressings (except on Liberty releases & select tower, independent labels, etc.)
Notes to avoid confusion with other plants:
- "L-xxxxx" was apparantly used by Rainbo Records between 1984 and 1989, with sequential numbers on sides A and B, etc.
- Greg Lee Processing etched "L-xxxxx" into the runouts of their metal works from 1979 until 2000, but used the same number on both sides, usually appended with "-X" following the last digit on at least one side.
- United Record Pressing used a similar L-number starting from around the year 2000 onwards. However, that number is more similar to Greg Lee (same number on both sides, ending with "m-A/B").
- Allied Record Company used "R-###(##)" etchings on their 7" pressings between 1976 and 1989, but they only pressed styrene.
When you are unsure which company the etchings on your release pertain to, please consult in the runouts forum for help.
The Rainbo internal codes (i.e. S-12345 or R-12345 or L-12345) can be entered as LCCN catalogue number with Pressed By. Use separate fields for each sequential code.
Please note that, although helpful, the runout data should not be used as sole source of information to substantiate the year of the release in most instances and especially not for reissues, represses, and other subsequent pressings. This is because Rainbo Records often recycles the identification number assigned to the initial pressing on subsequent pressings of the same release.
Pressing rings:
31.7 mm, between 1976 and 2006, often with an 11 mm inner ring on one or both sides.
31.7 mm and 70 mm (muffin), between 1979 and 2019, often with an 11 mm inner ring on one or both sides.
Note: these ring configurations were also used by Record Technology (RTI), but, generally, Rainbo’s 31.7 mm ring is less clean and RTI has no 11 mm inner ring.
Rainbo commonly pressed vinyl for Enigma (4), Rhino Records (2), CBS, RSO, label, label, label, label, label, label, label, label, label, label, label, label, label, label, label (up until 1979), label, label affiliates, label, label and label.
Identifying CD releases
CDs made and manufactured through Rainbo Records have gone through a number of changes over the years. By all appearances, glass mastering was outsourced to other companies until 2002, resulting in different looking CD matrices that correspond with periods of time during which a particular company was engaged for glass mastering. The outsourcing of glass mastering looks to have ended in approximately 2002 or 2003, after Rainbo's acquisition of DOCdata California, Inc. Therefore, it is safest not to credit Rainbo Records with the Glass Mastered At role on any discs released before 2003.
For the earliest CD pressings, up until some point in time during 1994, discs made through Rainbo Records contained a date in the matrix, and although unconfirmed, appear to have been glass mastered at label.
Then during 1994, glass mastering appears to have been outsourced to Nimbus, resulting in the first noticeable change of the CD matrix appearance.
At some point in time during 1995, the Nimbus mastering SID codes of IFPI L12* begin to appear within the matrix band, and in some few instances from approximately 1997, the Nimbus mould SID code of IFPI 24** may be seen on the inner hub of some discs.
By approximately 1998, Rainbo's own mould SID code of IFPI A60*, and often a "RAINBO" or "RAINBO CA" mould begin to appear on disc hubs. This may indicate the introduction of in-house disc presses by Rainbo at around this time, as it is unconfirmed whether the company had pressed the discs in-house before this time, or whether it was done by Technidisc and Nimbus along with the glass mastering work.
Important:
For CDs made in 1994 or later, the presence or absence of any SID codes, or a Rainbo mould being present, should be recorded in the BAOI field, as a first pressing made between years 1994 to 1997 may not contain any moulds on the hub. However, a later repress may have identical artwork and matrix, yet will contain moulds on the hub, indicating it is a later repress. Mastering SID codes will be absent on 1994 pressings up until some point in 1995. In case of absent SID codes, it is suggested to add "none" to the appropriate BAOI field (see an example here).
In 1998, Nimbus CD International was acquired by Carlton Communications-owned Technicolor.
During 1999, glass mastering appears to have been outsourced to Technicolor, Camarillo, CA, resulting in the second noticeable change of how the CD matrix looks.
Discs made between 1999 up until 2002 will usually contain a unique 6-digit matrix number in combination with mastering SID code IFPI L89*. Some examples with the matrix number in bold are as follows:
• C1.1 504552-01 5233-DTI6972 <- An example of a 1999 pressing. The unique identifier is 504552.
• C1.1 157444-01 3651-GCR701 <- An example of a 2000 or 2001 pressing. The unique identifier is 157444.
• (186411) 6617-0059 01 <- An example of a 2002 pressing, where the identifier is now in brackets. The identifier is 186411.
The unique identifiers above can be entered with Technicolor, Camarillo, CA with the "Glass Mastered At" credit.
When RAINBO or RAINBO CA is named in the hub mould on such pressings, it will usually be accompanied by the Rainbo mould SID of IFPI A60*. This indicates that Rainbo replicated discs from the Technicolor master. These discs can be credited as follows:
Glass Mastered At – Technicolor, Camarillo, CA – xxxxxx
Pressed By – Rainbo Records
Technicolor should only be credited on discs with mastering SID code IFPI L89* (see next paragraphs).
In April 2002, Rainbo acquired label. In the same year, the mastering SID code of IFPI LT05 appears and remains.
At some point in 2003, dates began to appear in the matrix in the form mmddyy.
Examples include:
release
Matrix / Runout: 7706 - SOFT3 071604
Date: 16 July 2004
release
Matrix / Runout: 9320 - AS002 112612
Date: 26 November 2012
This date in the matrix can be used to identify later pressings and remove impossible release dates (such as an album originally released in 2001, but with matrix date 010105 = 1 January 2005), but please note that these dates should not be entered as a catalogue# for Rainbo Records in the LCCN section.
Mastering SID codes on Rainbo Records CDs (please note that these mastering SID codes do not necessarily belong to Rainbo):
IFPI L12* - from 1995 to 1999
IFPI L89* - from 1999 to 2002
IFPI LT05 - from 2002 onward
Mould SID code on Rainbo Records CDs since approximately 1998:
IFPI A60*
Suggested LCCN roles:
Glass Mastered At - only when IFPI LT05 is present
Pressed By - only when IFPI A60* and/or 'RAINBO' is stamped in the disc hub area
Manufactured By - when Rainbo is named in the matrix mirror band and criteria are not met for Glass Mastered At or Pressed By (e.g. when there are no SID codes at all).
Known former employees:
• Jack Brown (b 1914 - †2004) (Founder, President from 1939)
• Bill Piner (Executive Supervisor, circa 1977)
• Jim Doyle (Accountant Executive, circa 1977)
• Bea Laugham (Customer Relations, circa 1977)
• Steven Sheldon (Production Supervisor, circa 1977, later General Manager)
• Ron Rankin (Record Production, circa 1977)
• artist (Plant Engineer, circa 1977)
• Jay Fairfax (Mastering Manager, circa 2009)
• Sal Garcia (Plant Operations Manager, circa 1975)
• Ben Sheldon (Controller & GM, circa 1975)