8mm Forum: Quadraphonic Sound

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Topic: Quadraphonic Sound

Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

posted January 26, 2009 08:03 PM

Although this has nothing to do with films I often wondered why it never took of. The only record I ever bought that was Quadraphonic and that was long long ago [Roll Eyes]

back in the 70s was this one.

On the back cover.

Played on SQ Quadraphonic system, it will provide the unique experience of four-channel listening at its best.

I only ever heard it on stereo and that was impressive never came across any other four channel records, what happened?.

One thing about this particular record that has always stuck in my mind and going of the topic slightly [Roll Eyes]

was written on the back cover that makes one think...was.....

Saturn... "The Bringer Of Old Age"

We seldom see or hear you coming, we seldom welcome the serenity or horror of your gift.
But it cannot be declined or undone, it is end and beginning interwind.

On that happy note [Eek!]

I better go.

Graham. [Smile]

PS Just a quick mention that over the years I have heard "The Planets" on CD by other orchestras but have found it very disappointing. I keep coming back to this old record, the clarity and depth to the sound leaves anything heard on CD miles behind. Holst "The Planets" by Leonard Bernstein conducting the "New York Philharmonic" is the best I have heard, also a quick mention that I noticed when screening the trailer to "The Golden Compass" a while ago they used a short extract from Mars...The Bringer Of War, so its surprising how often it crops up. I was once told that the music from Jupiter was used in the theme from the 70s popular British TV series "Family at War".. a little bit of history there. I am going to get back into using records a bit more so will soon be on the lookout for a better turntable. [Smile]

[ January 27, 2009, 02:58 AM: Message edited by: Graham Ritchie ]

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 26, 2009 10:28 PM

It always interested me: how do you get four channels of sound out of a two sided record slot?

These days with digital encoding they can have all sorts of information streams coming out at the same time, but I'd love to know how they did this with a record.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Steven J Kirk
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 873
From: Southern England
Registered: Apr 2008

posted January 27, 2009 03:31 AM

A friend of mine is a huge expert on this. He has a JVC amplifier rebuilt with modern components and many records. The SQ records have two further channels encoded within the two. CD4 records, another system, actually have four part grooves, higher and lower on each side.

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VistaVision
Motion Picture High-Fidelity

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 27, 2009 06:15 AM

What I knew... that the grooves are 2 like other records but the other 2 channels are hidden (placed) at high frequency. It can only be played if we use a specialized design 4 ch amplifier.

I think you can wikipedia for a better answer.

cheers

--------------------
Winbert

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted January 27, 2009 12:42 PM

Electric Light Orchestra's first two albums, "ELO: No Answer", and "ELO Part 2" , were done in this four channel quad.

It was a big thing for rock bands that did big lush long numbers, to have thier albums be the ultimate listening experience.

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007

posted January 27, 2009 01:43 PM

Does anybody remember seeing DEVIL WITHIN HER with Juliet Mills - an EXORCIST clone?

This was, in fact, advertised as having Quadrophonic sound.

-Mike

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Paul Spinks
Master Film Handler

Posts: 453
From: Barking, Essex, UK
Registered: Mar 2006

posted January 27, 2009 06:03 PM

Yes I saw it when it came out. It was an Italian movie that was also released in a type of Sensurround system which I think they called Vibrasound. Every time Juliet Mills vomited pea soup the cinema shook and became structurally unsafe. It scared the hell out of my brother who hates horror films [Big Grin]

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 27, 2009 09:33 PM

All about Quad can be found in this dedicated website: http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/

From wikipedia, it says:

quote:
Quadraphonic audio on vinyl records was problematic because some systems were based on discrete sound channels (allowing for full separation of the four original recorded channels, albeit with restricted high-frequency response and reduced record life), while others were matrix encoded into two tracks that would also play back in standard, two-channel, stereo on normal audio equipment (so-called 'compatible' quadraphonic).

http://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Quadrophonic

cheers,

--------------------
Winbert

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Bill Brandenstein
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1632
From: California
Registered: Aug 2007

posted January 29, 2009 02:31 PM

In the last several months I've been given the opportunity to hear some old SQ and QS quad recordings, and found the website mentioned above to be very helpful in obtaining the right technical information (thanks for linking, Winbert).

In my opinion, the failure of quad was cost-benefit ratio. It cost a lot more to buy the extra speakers and a decoding receiver, it cost a lot more living room space for reasonable placement -- thus costing much patience from many wives, and in the end, it didn't sound all that amazing. The matrix systems just didn't provide very good separation, and imaging was always contrived because the matrix process used phase-based encoding. You could do better today by playing a stereo CD through a receiver with a "hall" setting, adding a subtle reverb to the rear speakers.

Dolby Surround/Pro-Logic is also phase-based, but implemented more smartly. Even at that, there's no comparison between a matrixed-surround format and true discrete 5.1, whether Dolby Digital, DTS, or whatever your favorite format might be.

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Bill Phelps
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1482
From: USA
Registered: Jan 2009

posted February 08, 2009 09:07 PM

In addition to collecting film I am also a record collector. I have never owned a quad system but I have had a few LP's.

Zappa/apostrophe'
Mothers/Overnite Sensation
Alice Cooper/Billion Dollar Babies
Jefferson Airplane/Volunteers

These albums played on stereo equipment reveal obvious remixes on some of the song mainly because they had to re mix the songs for the 4 channels so it can still be a treat on stereo equipment. In the case of the Airplane LP they actually used completely different takes on some of the songs!!

Bill

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Claus Harding
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1149
From: Washington DC
Registered: Oct 2006

posted February 09, 2009 06:29 AM

As I recall from then, the thing with 'Quad' was also linked to maintenance. With the high-frequency content of quad discs, the cartridges had to be aligned just right, kept clean, and not allowed to wear out.
Given that only hi-fi buffs would do that in general (even with Stereo) 'quad' just upped the standard even more in that regard.

It is funny though, how multi-channel audio returned with Super Audio CDs...wait long enough, and things come around again [Wink]

Claus.

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"Why are there shots of deserts in a scene that's supposed to take place in Belgium during the winter?" (Review of 'Battle of the Bulge'.)

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted February 09, 2009 12:07 PM

There was a good point there!

I bought one of the "rarities" collection of early ELO, because it had the quadrophonic versions of the songs, and honestly, they didn't sound any better, in fact worse, but this is no doubt because I wasn't playing it on quadrophonic equipment.

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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