Discrete Quad FM Test Station (KPEN/KIOI)- some station history w/stereo

[kfbkfb]

The BBC could have begun recording new content in (discrete) quad and used a combination of the Electro-Voice Universal matrix combined with the Dorren discrete quad FM system FM station by FM station (interconnects permitting).

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/1972-matrix-encoded-cd-4-proposal.27700/^^^
Similar to this concept, the stereo compatible portion of the Dorren discrete quad system would carry the E-V Universal matrix encoded quad content (from the BBC FM stereo stations) and the full Dorren format signal would fully decode into discrete quad (from the BBC FM quad stations).

The E-V U matrix from the BBC FM stereo stations could be decoded with the simple DynaQuad passive speaker matrix or QS/SQ decoders (w or wo/logic).

Seems like it could have been done as a slow National rollout, the only requirement being that new content be recorded in discrete quad.


Kirk Bayne

 

[Soundfield]

The BBC could have begun recording new content in (discrete) quad and used a combination of the Electro-Voice Universal matrix combined with the Dorren discrete quad FM system FM station by FM station (interconnects permitting).

The BBC FM radio network is not a series of local stations like the US. There are a relatively few high power transmitters that cover the entire country carrying all of the BBCs national channels. The audio distribution to these widespread and often remote transmitters was (and still is) extremely complex and consisted of land line and microwave links, all duplicated over a secondary fall-back network. The costs of conversion of this system alone to stereo, which as I explained above was still only just starting, were massive. No one in their right mind was going to add to those costs to provide capacity speculatively for an unproven quad system for which there was no demand or interest.

 

[Owen Smith]

And note in the 1970s the BBC national distribution system for stereo FM was gradually going digital, which was an expensive thing to do back then. The conversion to analogue and FM encoding was done at the transmitters. To go to discrete quad would have required twice as many digital channels for the national distribution, and quad encoders at every transmitter. The costs would have been prohibitive. It took about a decade for the digital distribution to extend to the entire of the UK, and that was partly down to costs. I remember in the early 1980s how great BBC stereo FM from Holme Moss transmitter sounded, but we were the only family I knew of with proper hifi and working FM reception.

 

[gvl_guy]

It's a shame about quad FM. Given today's new FM "HD" technology, (dumb name. But that's a whole other story,) quad, 5.1, etc., could likely have been easily integrated into the digital FM format.

 

[kfbkfb]

Given today's new FM "HD" technology...could likely have been easily integrated into the digital FM format.

https://www.twice.com/news/hd-radio-gets-new-option-surround-sound-41318^^^
Dolby Pro Logic II (DPL II) has become the second matrixed-surround format to be approved by HD Radio inventor iBiquity for use by digital AM and FM broadcasters. Circle Surround II (CS II) was approved more than a year ago.


I just checked, it was! (2004/2005).

I have a Sony HD table radio, it's the only radio I've owned that has to initialize at power on (7 seconds).

About 2/3rds of our FM stations are broadcasting an HD signal (maybe there's some hope, an secondary, national surround sound HD only channel...)

Also:
https://www.telosalliance.com/support/51-Surround-For-Real-on-Radio^^^
Interest in surround is quickly growing, and it will soon be big time. It is going to be everywhere except radio


Kirk Bayne

 

[Soundfield]

And note in the 1970s the BBC national distribution system for stereo FM was gradually going digital, which was an expensive thing to do back then. The conversion to analogue and FM encoding was done at the transmitters. To go to discrete quad would have required twice as many digital channels for the national distribution, and quad encoders at every transmitter. The costs would have been prohibitive. It took about a decade for the digital distribution to extend to the entire of the UK, and that was partly down to costs. I remember in the early 1980s how great BBC stereo FM from Holme Moss transmitter sounded, but we were the only family I knew of with proper hifi and working FM reception.

Yes, the BBC started to introduce PCM distribution in the early seventies and it wasn’t until the mid-eighties that the entire network was digitised. But by 1983 the network was already being further upgraded with the introduction of NICAM links.
Here are some of the original PCM encoders at Broadcasting House:

And here are the matching decoders at a transmitter site (in this case Sandale, Cumbria):

 

[DuncanS]

Yes, the BBC started to introduce PCM distribution in the early seventies and it wasn’t until the mid-eighties that the entire network was digitised. But by 1983 the network was already being further upgraded with the introduction of NICAM links.
Here are some of the original PCM encoders at Broadcasting House:

View attachment 71137

And here are the matching decoders at a transmitter site (in this case Sandale, Cumbria):

View attachment 71138

....... and today you can do all that on a phone

 

[kfbkfb]

https://www.bbceng.info/Technical Reviews/pcm-nicam/digits-fm.htmlWhen the CD appeared ~40 years ago, there was some bellyaching about 16bits/44.1kHz being inadequate, yet the BBC used 13bits/32kHz for FM starting in 1972 with excellent (fidelity) results.


https://www.nytimes.com/1978/05/13/...-system-in-effort-to-improve-sound-of-tv.htmlHere, PBS had to bypass AT&T to get Hi Fi sound for TV (and NPR radio).


Kirk Bayne

 

[kfbkfb]

We needed an RCA/NBC TV for Quad:

David Sarnoff of RCA was able to convince RCA stockholders to accept a little lower profitability from the NBC TV division because, since 1954, NBC produced and broadcast an increasing number of TV shows in color each season, even though 10 years after the start of color broadcasting (1953-12) only about 3% of viewers had a color tv.

NBC TV relentlessly promoted color tv, for about 10 seconds before every color tv show (mid-1950s to mid-1970s) there was a short promo/reminder that the show was in color.

None of the major record companies promoted Quad with this kind if vigor (either to FM radio stations or consumers).


Kirk Bayne

 

[kfbkfb]

https://www.radiodiscussions.com/threads/eq-prior-to-broadcast.740068/#post-6422064
Some history of radio audio processing during the 1970s Quad era, it's probably a lot of work, but (IMHO) it would be interesting to simulate this processing and see if QS or SQ matrix encoding survives in some sort of usable way.


Kirk Bayne

 

[MidiMagic]

https://www.radiodiscussions.com/threads/eq-prior-to-broadcast.740068/#post-6422064
Some history of radio audio processing during the 1970s Quad era, it's probably a lot of work, but (IMHO) it would be interesting to simulate this processing and see if QS or SQ matrix encoding survives in some sort of usable way.


Kirk Bayne

I get some ads in Dolby Surround on TV and FM.

 

[kfbkfb]

AFAIK, FM (and TV) audio processing got a lot more sophisticated in the early 1980s (just in time for Dolby Surround ).

Unfortunately, Discrete Quad FM audio would probably have been heavily processed too, had it been approved right after the NQRC tests were concluded in 1975.


Kirk Bayne