Uploaded March 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
In 1942 recordings were cut directly to a wax master, and a complicated electroplating process was used to duplicate that master to produce the stampers that were used to press records from hot shellac. It doesn't get any more analog than this.
In this film, RCA shows the entire process, from making the wax blanks, cutting a master recording, sputtering the master with gold to begin the complex electroplating with copper, nickel and chromium to produce multiple stampers, processing the shellac record base material, and pressing, inspecting and packaging 78 RPM records.
Help us preserve the history of electronic communications by becoming a member of the Antique Wireless Association at: antiquewireless.org/homepage/membership
Subscribe to the Antique Wireless Museum channel and you'll receive news of our latest video uploads.
In 1942 recordings were cut directly to a wax master, and a complicated electroplating process was used to duplicate that master to produce the stampers that were used to press records from hot shellac. It doesn't get any more analog than this.
In this film, RCA shows the entire process, from making the wax blanks, cutting a master recording, sputtering the master with gold to begin the complex electroplating with copper, nickel and chromium to produce multiple stampers, processing the shellac record base material, and pressing, inspecting and packaging 78 RPM records.
Help us preserve the history of electronic communications by becoming a member of the Antique Wireless Association at: antiquewireless.org/homepage/membership
Subscribe to the Antique Wireless Museum channel and you'll receive news of our latest video uploads.
