(1973-04) H F mag - 4 Channel Compact Cassette (Astrocom)

[kfbkfb]

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/A...idelity/70s/High-Fidelity-1973-04.pdf#page=30

(kinda looks like the discrete quad compact cassette format was close to being marketed)


Kirk Bayne

 

[par4ken]

The article says that the first run was used to fill government and institutional orders. I would suspect that hey were to serve some purpose other than Quad?

To comply with Philips compatibility standard they would of had to split the already narrow stereo tracks in half. That would, I'm sure reduce overall fidelity. Running four tracks in one direction as was done with open reel would have made more sense. We had to wait for Philips control over licensing lapsed until those type machines were produced. Used primarily for home studio recording, sadly too late for quad.

 

[kfbkfb]

Yes, the statement about the first run of machines is unusual, I'm not sure why a discrete quad compatible compact cassette would be of interest to groups other than consumers.

I wish this Astrocom format & machine had been sold, they could have used both Dolby B and the Philips DNL NR systems, maybe the 3dB S/N loss could have been mitigated with this approach.


Kirk Bayne

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

Running four tracks in one direction as was done with open reel would have made more sense. We had to wait for Philips control over licensing lapsed until those type machines were produced. Used primarily for home studio recording, sadly too late for quad.

I had a second-hand Tascam Portastudio 244 (4-track recorder) that could do this. I used it for recording my friends pub bands back in the day. Great device...

 

[barfle]

I worked on a 4-track cassette recorder in the 1976-77 time period. It ran 15/16ips and was intended as a courtroom recorder. One channel for the judge, one for the witness, one for the defense, one for the prosecution.

The company was GYYR, who later made time-lapse VCRs (modified RCA decks), a division of Odetics, who made tape recorders for satellites and the space shuttle, although the art moved past tape fairly quickly.

I designed the hub drive circuits, which had to be powerful enough to not stall but slow enough that the 1st generation microprocessor could keep up with the hub count. My first servo.

 

[MidiMagic]

I have a Tascam Portastudio 246. I use it to make matrix recordings.