Exploring Billboard for Quadraphonic Information

Find deals on ebay
Advertise with us
Amazon
QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
July 14, 1973

CD-4 Lathes Go Global;
48 in '74

By CLAUDE HALL.

LOS ANGELES-
Discrete quadrasonic--the CD-4 Quadradisc system-invades Europe officially Aug. 20 when DGG will be shipped the sixth master-cutting unit, according to Jim Mochizuki, board member and vice president of JVC America, the Los Angeles quadrasonic master-cutting operation.
In between, the custom pressing division of CBS Records is receiving the fourth unit. RCA Records, New York, is receiving unit number five.
The demand for the cutting units is so great that each of these firms is being supplied by air freight. The seventh unit will go to Pioneer in Tokyo, with JVC America, Los Angeles, receiving the next unit about the same time.
Only two other units are expected to be available this year and just who will get them-EMI Records, London: Sterling Sound, New York:
Teichiku, Tokyo--is still being debated.
However, as of the first of the year, this will all be a moot point because the Victor Company of Japan, parent firm of JVC America, will be into high gear on production of cutting units, turning out four units per month, Mochizuki said.

Second Generation

“The unique thing about the units that will be hitting the market from January 1 on is that they will be second generation. The current two modulator cabinets are being miniaturized into a single cabinet which will include everything from modulator and mixer to a noise reduction system. All a record company and/or pressing plant then needs is an interface, which everyone has already, and Neumann amplifiers for the cutters,” said Mochizuki.
Cutting is still at half-speed in order to maintain better quality control. At this time, only JVC America, Los Angeles, has a half-speed unit; the two earlier units, one at the Victor Company of Japan in Tokyo and the other at RCA Records in New York, operate at one-third speed.
JVC America set up shop in Los Angeles this past March and started cutting masters April 15, but those first 30 sides (which would make a total of 15 albums) were all test cuts and sides produced strictly for refer-ence. In May, however, things began in earnest and 80 sides were cut. In June, 100 sides were cut. "We have about a shift and a half working now," Mochizuki said. "Our second lathe is coming in September. I have already asked for additional trained cutting personnel from Japan just because it would take a year to train local people. We don't have the time to wait."

Testing 4-Channel

In addition to cutting master, JVC
America has been extremely busy testing quadrasonic pressing from PRC in Richmond, Ind.: RCA, Research Craft, Monark, Keyser-Century, and Victor Company of Japan, Tokyo. “We've been testing for noise ratio, wear, and the cutting level.
The JVC compound is evidently better on retaining the carrier current, however the new Q-540 compound which Keyser-Century started using as of May 10 is one of the best compounds around ... the best for the price because it only costs about 20 cents a pound and the JVC compound in Japan costs about twice that much."
Also, the new Q-540 has been achieving outstanding results on wear tests, Mochizuki said.
Aside from the breakthrough in cutting units, CD-4 also has another improvement due to hit the market about the end of the year, a new
demodulator which has only three integrated chips and will cost about $7.50 at the manufacturing stage.
That's about a third again as much as the unit had been expected to cost, but Mochizuki pointed out that this three-IC demodulator will be replacing a demodulator that now costs around $100.
This low-cost demodulator is creating a little confusion because many turntable manufacturers are installing demodulators in their turntables. "We're now trying to convince everyone to leave the demodulator up to the amplifier manufacturer because there's no need for a redundancy of demodulators."

Compound Improvement

Only two more problems remain, he said, but they're not such big problems. First, to get all hardware companies involved. The other problem, well, I think that's been solved, too, by the new Q-540 compound of Keyser-Century. One must really give credit to people like Howard Hill and Russell Peters for pioneering in quadrasonic pressing compounds.
Frankly, he admitted, JVC America had sort of been laying back "since Jac Holzman, president of Elektra Records, made his announcement at the annual convention of the National Association of Record Merchandisers about the WEA Group going discrete. But, when we get those two cutting units into Europe. it's obvious that all of Europe will swing toward the CD-4 discete system. As for Japan, many hardware people, including Matsushita and Toshiba are no longer building equipment with matrix and CD-4 discrete ... it's only discrete.
"And, to tell the truth, when those 24-26 albums by the WEA Group hit the retailers... and I understand that RCA Records is expecting a release of about that many albums, too, between now and sometime in August... well, when these actually hit the market and start getting consumer response. I think several record labels now sitting on the fence will also swing toward discrete. After all, there's no comparison between matrix and discrete.
 
July 7, 1973
1690452395856.jpeg
 
Old Quad Guy said:
July 14, 1973

CD-4 Lathes Go Global;
48 in '74

By CLAUDE HALL.

LOS ANGELES-
Discrete quadrasonic--the CD-4 Quadradisc system-invades Europe officially Aug. 20 when DGG will be shipped the sixth master-cutting unit, according to Jim Mochizuki, board member and vice president of JVC America, the Los Angeles quadrasonic master-cutting operation.
In between, the custom pressing division of CBS Records is receiving the fourth unit. RCA Records, New York, is receiving unit number five.
The demand for the cutting units is so great that each of these firms is being supplied by air freight. The seventh unit will go to Pioneer in Tokyo, with JVC America, Los Angeles, receiving the next unit about the same time.
Only two other units are expected to be available this year and just who will get them-EMI Records, London: Sterling Sound, New York:
Teichiku, Tokyo--is still being debated.
However, as of the first of the year, this will all be a moot point because the Victor Company of Japan, parent firm of JVC America, will be into high gear on production of cutting units, turning out four units per month, Mochizuki said.

Second Generation

“The unique thing about the units that will be hitting the market from January 1 on is that they will be second generation. The current two modulator cabinets are being miniaturized into a single cabinet which will include everything from modulator and mixer to a noise reduction system. All a record company and/or pressing plant then needs is an interface, which everyone has already, and Neumann amplifiers for the cutters,” said Mochizuki.
Cutting is still at half-speed in order to maintain better quality control. At this time, only JVC America, Los Angeles, has a half-speed unit; the two earlier units, one at the Victor Company of Japan in Tokyo and the other at RCA Records in New York, operate at one-third speed.
JVC America set up shop in Los Angeles this past March and started cutting masters April 15, but those first 30 sides (which would make a total of 15 albums) were all test cuts and sides produced strictly for refer-ence. In May, however, things began in earnest and 80 sides were cut. In June, 100 sides were cut. "We have about a shift and a half working now," Mochizuki said. "Our second lathe is coming in September. I have already asked for additional trained cutting personnel from Japan just because it would take a year to train local people. We don't have the time to wait."

Testing 4-Channel

In addition to cutting master, JVC
America has been extremely busy testing quadrasonic pressing from PRC in Richmond, Ind.: RCA, Research Craft, Monark, Keyser-Century, and Victor Company of Japan, Tokyo. “We've been testing for noise ratio, wear, and the cutting level.
The JVC compound is evidently better on retaining the carrier current, however the new Q-540 compound which Keyser-Century started using as of May 10 is one of the best compounds around ... the best for the price because it only costs about 20 cents a pound and the JVC compound in Japan costs about twice that much."
Also, the new Q-540 has been achieving outstanding results on wear tests, Mochizuki said.
Aside from the breakthrough in cutting units, CD-4 also has another improvement due to hit the market about the end of the year, a new
demodulator which has only three integrated chips and will cost about $7.50 at the manufacturing stage.
That's about a third again as much as the unit had been expected to cost, but Mochizuki pointed out that this three-IC demodulator will be replacing a demodulator that now costs around $100.
This low-cost demodulator is creating a little confusion because many turntable manufacturers are installing demodulators in their turntables. "We're now trying to convince everyone to leave the demodulator up to the amplifier manufacturer because there's no need for a redundancy of demodulators."

Compound Improvement

Only two more problems remain, he said, but they're not such big problems. First, to get all hardware companies involved. The other problem, well, I think that's been solved, too, by the new Q-540 compound of Keyser-Century. One must really give credit to people like Howard Hill and Russell Peters for pioneering in quadrasonic pressing compounds.
Frankly, he admitted, JVC America had sort of been laying back "since Jac Holzman, president of Elektra Records, made his announcement at the annual convention of the National Association of Record Merchandisers about the WEA Group going discrete. But, when we get those two cutting units into Europe. it's obvious that all of Europe will swing toward the CD-4 discete system. As for Japan, many hardware people, including Matsushita and Toshiba are no longer building equipment with matrix and CD-4 discrete ... it's only discrete.
"And, to tell the truth, when those 24-26 albums by the WEA Group hit the retailers... and I understand that RCA Records is expecting a release of about that many albums, too, between now and sometime in August... well, when these actually hit the market and start getting consumer response. I think several record labels now sitting on the fence will also swing toward discrete. After all, there's no comparison between matrix and discrete.
Click to expand...
The most interesting info in this article, at least to me, was that some CD-4 discs were cut at 1/2 speed & some were cut at 1/3 speed. Also they were experimenting with different vinyl compounds. I think this might explain when using a good CD-4 playback that performance can still be variable. The earliest discs would be most dodgy. But clearly things were improving as time went on.
 
Old Quad Guy said:
July 7, 1973

A&M 1st to Issue
Both SQ & QS LP's

By BOB KIRSCH

LOS ANGELES-
A&M Records has become the first major U.S. record manufacturer to offer disk product in more than one quadrasonic mode with the release of Rick Wakeman's "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" using Columbia's SQ 4-channel method.
The firm already offers three LP's. "Tommy" and “Carole King Music" on Ode Records and Joan Baez's
"Come from the Shaddows" on
A&M using Sansui's QS system.
The company is not "making any commitment to any form of quadra-sonic." according to quality control director Marv Bornstein. “I mixed this album for the best possible sound and simply thought that SQ was the best in this case. It offered more breadth and dimension here, but quadrasonic releases will most likely continue to depend on the individual record."
Wakeman also played a part in choosing the quadrasonic mode for this recording. “I played a discrete tape for Rick and then I played him two cuts in SQ. He didn't feel the record had lost anything in the encoding process and was entirely happy.
The LP is expected to be available by the middle of the month.
Click to expand...
We know A&M didn't stick to this. The three albums in question were the only ones "officially" released in QS, but no more were issued beyond that in that system. They continued with SQ for several releases, then switched to CD-4 (big mistake, in my opinion). I wish they would have stayed with QS; they might have convinced other labels, that balked at releasing any quad vinyl, to at least give it a try.
 
Part 2 of 3. Here is a link to Part 1 interview, followed by Parts 2 and 3.
Part 1:
Exploring Billboard for Quadraphonic Information

August 11, 1973

INTERVIEW:

Jac Forecasts Quadrasonic Surge Soon
_______________
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second installment of an in-depth interview with Jac Holzman, president of Elektra Records, regarding quadrasonic. The interview was conducted by Claude Hall, associate news editor, and Lee Zhito, editor-in-chief, of Billboard Magazine.
_______________

HALL: You're coming out with these albums now. Are any more slated and when?

HOLZMAN: We will have another major release before the end of the year.

HALL: How many albums? Do you know yet?

HOLZMAN: I don't know. As many as we can mix that makes sense. We're not going to be doing everything in quadrasonic just because it was recorded in multitrack.
We are going to only put those albums into quadrasonic that show quadrasonic to its best advantage... where quadrasonic is an enhancement of the music ... where it opens up the music so that people can dive into it with a greater sense to the receptivity and creative listening.

ZHITO: Do you think quadrasonic adds to all of these?

HOLZMAN: It depends on the technique. Once you listen to a record in quadrasonic, it's very difficult to go back and listen to it in any other way, because suddenly things are missing and things are collapsed and it sounds not as majestical and emotionally fulfilling ... and that's one of the great contact points about quadrasonic ... that it communicates in a kind of extrasensory language that goes beyond the details of
- information coming out of merely two channels.

ZHITO: Wouldn't you eventually go to that point where everything you release will have to be in quadrasonic? You're putting the listener into that position, too.

HOLZMAN: Well, the big advantage to the CD-4 system is that the listener can go out and buy CD-4 records and play them in perfect stereo on his present stereo system, which he can't do at all with any of the other systems.

ZHITO: What about the guy who has quadrasonic equipment now?
He probably won't be buying stereo records anymore?

HOLZMAN: No, he probably won't. And that's why we feel that all important records, whether they are proven sellers or not, will be released in quadrasonic ... and that will be pretty much the Warner Bros., Elektra, Atlantic philosophy.

HALL: Even though the album may not be a big seller?

HOLZMAN: If we think that a special dimension is added.
..for example, the "Star Drive" album.. and I can talk more intimately about my own product . .. is a satisfactory seller, but not a giant seller yet. But we think that quadrasonic adds such a dimension that it may be a quadrasonic hit ... and, you know, just a good, solid stereo seller.

HALL: Right now, you are turning out quadrasonic from the old stuff... when are you going to turn out new material?

HOLZMAN: Some of the product we're turning out now-that you claim are old stuff--are really new things ... conceived with the medium in mind. The "Star Drive" album was conceived for quadrasonic and composed for that. There's even a track on the album called “Quad Play." When we started researching the whole quadrasonic disk concept, which was two years, we knew that quadrasonic was going to be a reality whether it was the SQ system, the QS system, the Q-8 tape cartridge system or whether we were going to engrave the music on the head of a pin. So, it didn't make any difference to us what the disk format we would be in. Thus, two years ago we started to create for the medium. We always cautioned our producers about this.

ZHITO: When do you predict everything on record will be in quadrasonic?

HOLZMAN: I don't know. I would say that it's a couple of years away. At least. If not longer. I don't know and I really don't think that's necessarily important, Lee. These things have a way of determining their own motion. Once you set the forces into action, you follow the impetus wherever that takes you.

HALL: Have you tried to get other labels to join the CD-4 system?

HOLZMAN: I've talked to virtually every significant record manufacturer discussing all of our finds with regards to quadrasonic. I believe that we have made a more-de-tailed, exhaustive study of quadra-sonic ... with all of its nuances. without prejudice ... than any other record company. We are not hardware manufacturers. We have no hardware axe to grind. I've talked to the chief engineers in some cases.
I've certainly talked to principals who're heads of the companies. We are making progress.. We have shared all of our technical expertise with anyone who asks.

ZHITO: What about A&M?

HOLZMAN: Well, they've just come out with one SQ album and even though it's SQ, it just says matrix. Uh. I've talked to everybody … I think I'm making substantial progress. I've not only talked to everybody in the United States, but I've worked very hard with some of the European manufacturers.

ZHITO: What's the resistance.. like with a company like A&M?

HOLZMAN: I don't think that there is resistance.

HALL: What's going to be the next label to go CD-4?

HOLZMAN: I have no idea. I don't think it's going to be just one label. I think you're going to see a whole bunch of labels go. And I would guess that the next important labels to adopt the CD-4 system would do so this Fall.

HALL: What percent of your overall album sales do you think quadrasonic will be by the end of the year?

HOLZMAN: It's too small of a sample to make any projection. I would say that it would be a significant percentage. I would hope for a 10 percent weight during next year sometime. Whether 10 percent for the entire year, I don't know, but I don't think a 10 percent ratio at some point during the year is unobtainable.

ZHITO: Is there a profile yet of the quadrasonic buyer?

HOLZMAN: You can overdo market research, I feel. I think that the profile of the quadrasonic buyer would have to be substantially the same as the profile of the stereo buyer.

HALL: For the past four or five weeks, I've been visiting hardware stores such as Pacific Stereo and Federated Electronics here in Los Angeles. They are certainly selling quadrasonic hardware.

HOLZMAN: The hardware is there. The one thing I'd like to stress is that no matter what system a person buys, every quadrasonic system is substantially compatible with every other quadrasonic system. They all feature a 4-channel amplifier and four speakers. The basics are all there. The integrated chip is coming through now for CD-4. The cartridges ... well. they're finding out how to mass-produce the Shibata styli, which was a bugaboo for a while. The problems are tending to be solved. And, the more companies that get involved in quadrasonic, the greater impetus there will be and the more discoveries will take place and the faster quadrasonic will become the factor. I just cannot see, from a logical standpoint, that the public or the record companies will accept a disk system which is less discrete than the Q-8 tape cartridges that exist now and which is a basic standard for consumer product. It just makes no sense to me to compromise . . . because to compromise is to know what can be done is to say that the disk has minimum headroom for growth and is to put blinders on to the evolution of the disk in the future.

HALL: What was the initial pressing of the quadrasonic records now being released by the WEA group?

HOLZMAN: I don't remember ...but I do remember that when we first went out with Q-8 tape car-tridges, we had a very fast reorder pattern.

HALL: When are the WEA quad-rasonic disks hitting the market?

HOLZMAN: Within 30 days. Maybe even right now.

ZHITO: Which is stronger right now Q-8 tape cartridges or quadrasonic disks?

HOLZMAN: I would imagine that there are probably more Q-8 tape decks in the field than CD-4 demodulators. CBS' figures--which they disseminated to people within the industry-tended to indicate that their Q-8 tapes were outselling cassettes.

HALL: Do you think your initial disk product in quadrasonic will meet with good acceptance in the field? that there is a shortage of CD-4 product at this time?

HOLZMAN: Yeah I think RCA has been doing their homework on marketing... but going to a double inventory at this stage. I feel, will make the discrete disk much more obvious. One of the problems of a single inventory is that frequently the records got lost in the shuffle . .. people didn't know they were buying a quadrasonic record ... the way quadrasonic was presented on the jacket itself varied from record to record.
.. sometimes it was obscure. In our releases, we're keeping the artwork the same, but have actually printed up separate jackets rather than just sticking a label on that said: Quadradisc. We're making it very clear as to what the records are. We also explain on the inner sleeve everything about quadrasonic. In addition, there is a special sampler being prepared that has a lengthy explanation (Billboard, Aug. 4).

ZHITO: Will it be ping-pong in nature?

HOLZMAN: No, it'll be music. There's a certain amount of ping-pong that occurs, I guess. We're going to use it as an educational tool ... whether it'll be available as a commercial sampler ... well, we may be doing two of them, one commercially and one that is a demonstration album. This one is basically a demonstration album, which may or may not be sold. The problem is that on some artists we don't have the right to couple them for sale.

HALL: What's going to happen to the record industry when the other labels get involved?

HOLZMAN: It's inconceivable to
me that this industry could be other than a CD-4 industry within the space of 12 months. The fence-sitters will be off the fence within the next year. Enough fence-sitters will be off the fence to guarantee the unified CD-4 discrete disk concept.

ZHITO: With Clive Davis out at Columbia, do you see any softening there for discrete by Goddard Lieberson?

HOLZMAN: Well. Goddard has a lot to study at this point. I have been in contact with Goddard about discrete. We're going to meet about it. As you know, CBS has ordered a CD-4 lathe for master cutting.

HALL: They said that was for CBS' custom pressing division. Of course, they custom press for a lot of labels.

HOLZMAN: They're not pressing those disks for us.

HALL: Are you involved in any of the broadcasting aspects of quad-rasonic?

HOLZMAN: We've kept abreast of it... cooperated with Lou Dorren on the technical standards.
..and I've spoken with Federal Communications commissioners about it.

HALL: Have you talked to Harold Kassens of the FCC?

HOLZMAN: No, but I intend to. But I intend to do my job on quadrasonic education with the FCC as well. The FCC, as a government agency. is ponderously slow. But I have every hope that they will do the right thing. Discrete broadcasting works .. and works beautifully.

HALL: How is the record industry going to educate artists on Quad sonic?

HOLZMAN: The best thing to do is let them hear their music in quadrasonic.

HALL: But it's true what you said earlier in this interview-that more and more artists have all rights regarding their product.

HOLZMAN: Record artists have obligated to themselves ... and record companies have relinquished ..some of the control, especially in the case of a major artist. And I can understand an artist being reluctant to become involved in something new when he's already under so much pressure just to get out his next record. And it takes time and it takes money. And it's a process. At Elektra, we have ultimate control over everything, but we exercise it with a very loose set of reins. And we have a very good kind of dialogue in the working relationship with our artists. And some of the artists said:
"You've had more experience in quadrasonic than we've had, so why don't you mix it for us." And that we're happy to do ... we'll take an engineer and producer who've a lot of experience working with quadrasonic, having already made the mistakes, and we'll do the album for the artists.

HALL: Do you have quadrasonic in your own home?

HOLZMAN: I've got two units in my home ... conspicuous consumption. No, I have a small studio in my house that has a quadrasonic setup, and I have a quadrasonic in my living room. My bedroom is only stereo.

EDITOR'S NOTE: To be continued.
 
Part 3 of 3.

August 25, 1973

HOLZMAN INTERVIEW:

W/E/A Allocates $250 G's
To Bow Quadrasonic LP;
Eyed as Aid to 2-Channel
_______________

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the concluding installment in an in-depth interview with Jac Holzman, until recently president of Elektra Records and then and now a pathblazer in new technology in music. The interview was conducted by Lee Zhito, editor-in-chief of Billboard Magazine, and Claude Hall, associate news editor of Billboard Magazine.
_______________

HALL: Are you familiar with the progress being made by Lou Dorren at Ouadracast Systems regarding discrete quadrasonic?

HOLZMAN: I even worked with Lou on the breadboard of the integrated chip. I've been through every aspect of that with him. He and I are in close touch. I even know what the orders are on the chip. Very encouraging.

HALL: It's said that the new chip will even solve some of the bad pressing problems with records .. discrete records, that is.

HOLZMAN: The chip is a perceptible improvement over the best existing demodulator for CD-4 records. But the great thing about a chip is that you don't have to bother with it; you put it in at the manufacturing stage and it's there.

HALL: Well. you've been using his handmade units, haven't you, for testing?

HOLZMAN: We have a dozen of them. We bought Panasonic units and sent them up to him for his magic ..
.. his mystical incantations.

HALL: Lou was good enough to build me one, it's better than any that I've heard since.

HOLZMAN: Pioneer is trying out a very good discrete demodulator now. But the chip is the ultimate answer. After the chip, your biggest improvements in quadrasonic records are going to be in the mastering process.

HALL: I would think they could reduce the size of the cartridge, too.

HOLZMAN: Well, I'm not sure it's too big. I know one thing: The various CD-4 cartridges l've been playing around with-Technics, Pio-neer, JVC-play my stereo records better than my top-of-the-line stereo cartridge. I think the stylus may go through an evolution. But the fact that the CD-4 stylus ... the entire pickup... is more evenly distributed over the groove wall, substantially improves the performance. I'm hearing some high end stuff that I never heard before.

HALL: Do you think some of this quadrasonic technology will carry over into the video disk concept?

HOLZMAN: I'm not sure. The reason is that the video disk ... well, any of the laser systems will handle quadrasonic audio ... you may lose a slight amount of information density ... I'm trying to study now exactly how much ... it could be between five and seven percent.

HALL: You're working on the video disk then?

HOLZMAN: Well, the sane technique that's been employed in the determination of the quadrasonic disk system will be employed in the determination of the video disk system.

HALL: A committee?

HOLZMAN: I don't know how, yet, I'lI do it.

ZHITO: When are you going to start working on it?

HOLZMAN: I've been working on video recording since 1968. My files on the subject are voluminous.
I've been in touch with all of the developments. One danger, I think ... well, engineers will always design up to the limit of their capability. The challenge is to relate engineering capability to software needs. What happened in the video cassette revolution, which was never a revolution, was that everybody talked a good game about possibilities, but nobody ever sat down to figure out what kind of software would work.
Well, I will not think of video records as anything less than a whole system. Because if you think of only the technological aspect, you're not serving yourself, the public. This involves also the marketing. You have to think of everything. I would imagine that sometime in six-to-eight months we would set up a committee to study the video disk. I'm not too sure, incidentally, how the video disk system could be most sensibly employed. Actually, what are you going to put on a disk that people would pay a high price tag for? In regards to the video cassette, anybody should have known that a $25-550 price tag for a hour's presentation effectively eliminated consumer ownership. Although I don't think the failure of the video cassette tells us a great deal.

ZHITO: Regarding quadrasonic, would you say that there was considerable pressure from the other systems for WEA to go to their particular form of matrix?

HOLZMAN: I would say that there was appropriate pressure from both CBS and Sansui. They were willing to extend themselves to accommodate us. As was JVC, I think they all acted consistently in good faith and did their best for us.

HALL: There had been a press conference scheduled for the announcement of WEA going to the Sansui system.

HOLZMAN: That was the rumor, but, yes, we were going to announce in favor of a matrix system. But we had no contact with JC. And found it very difficult at that time to make contact with them. At the last minute, a Japanese friend of mine was instrumental in getting us a demonstration of the discrete system. Five days before the press conference. We said: This decision doesn't have to be made today; let's hold up a while. So, we gave some tapes and the results that came back were sufficiently intriguing to pursue discrete further. So, we sent an engineer to Japan for a while and his reports came back and all of us went over and made a group evaluation; I later went over other times.

HALL: How come you became so firmly personally committed to quadrasonic?

HOLZMAN: It's more emotional than intellectual. There comes a time when you realize it's time to step forward ..
time to move from one island of experience to another. My final comment in my memo to my fellow record company president about why we went quadrasonic was: It felt like the right thing to do.
And that was as good a reason as the 22 reasons that preceded it. You can over-research things; most of the great strides have always been made by people operating on instinct.

HALL: How much other WEA product is coming in quadrasonic?

HOLZMAN: We have 45-50 more releases planned for this year.

HALL: How come you aren't releasing more?

HOLZMAN: We want to get some feel on what makes sense. I don't want to put out some records that are going to bomb on their musical merits, irrespective of their quadrasonic merits. I think, incidentally, that the quadrasonic technology is going to upgrade all records, stereo, too. Because stereo records had gone downhill..
.. we're not making the best possible stereo records. Due to many reasons, such as the tremendous quantities we're required to turn out on a hit album.
The shortage of good nickel. It's time we pulled ourselves up, so far as quality is concerned. We have the ability. The United States is the most important creative impetus in the world now. Our creativity in the arts is unparalleled. Our failure to present that creative concept in the best quality format is something we should be ashamed of. But we're capable of doing better and we must do better and we will do better.

HALL: How much money are you going to spend advertising this first record release?

HOLZMAN: Initially, $50,000 in a variety of consumer and trade publications, ranging from Rolling Stone to Home Furnishings Daily.
Forty thousand dollars of that is consumer advertising starting Aug. 26. And there'll be other ads. We'll get our money back. We expect that quadrasonic is going to be a highly significant factor in recorded music.
We don't have unlimited funds, but we have allocated a substantial amount. We'll spend a quarter-of-a-million dollars in the launching of our quadrasonic…
by the end of 1974. That doesn't include mixing costs, manufacturing costs ... those things.

ZHITO: Have you conferred with
RCA about their plans? Maybe there's something companies could do together.

HOLZMAN: You have to give RCA a lot of credit for their first venture into quadrasonic, but I think each company should go its separate way. We're willing to make any information available to them.
They were very courteous, incidentally, in abandoning rights to the term Quadradisc . .. the people at RCA have been enormously cooperative ... Rocco Laginestra, John Pudwell, Bill Dearborn ... they shared their knowledge with us and we've shared our experience with them. That's the way this business should be. I mean, I'll go beat their heads in to get an artist I want, but on this level, there's no reason why we shouldn't cooperate.
 
^^^
The reason is that the video disk ... well, any of the laser systems will handle quadrasonic audio...


This is the 1st comment I've read about putting discrete quad audio on laser videodiscs (MCA and Philips didn't combine their laser videodisc systems until 1974).


Kirk Bayne
 
Yes, I found the interview completely fascinating. Absolute must read for anyone into surround music.

They almost went exclusively with QS. RCA let them use the Quadrasonic logo. And just about every question you would want to ask now was there. Like going back in time and being there.
 
I wish they had done what RCA did with the USA color rollout - AFAIK, RCA was the lone maker of color TVs from the late 1950s to the early 1960s, but they kept introducing new models at lower prices and kept advertising, I wish the big record companies had cut back to just the biggest acts in quad (and single inventory + same price as stereo) until quad took off again.


Kirk Bayne
 
Oboy reading all the hype from Jac Holzman , WEA Records on their commitment to CD-4, makes you wonder why , only 2 years later ,( or 3 yrs, )
what was it that caused such a turnaround . Re their Decommissioned Quadraphonic Program.

With foresight on our side we can actually joke about it now.
 
November 24, 1973

Should Industry
Standardize 'Q’
Record Systems?

By CLAUDE HALL

LOS ANGELES-
Should the entire quadrasonic question-the greatest debate affecting the music industry since the advent of stereo- be decided by the software or hardware industries or by the consumers in the marketplace?
This is one of the big problems now being voiced pro and con within the industry.
To some extent, any progress toward a meeting of the minds is being hampered by confusion. Some record labels just don't know which way to go- to the CD-4 discrete system or to one of the two matrix systems, the CBS SQ matrix system, or the Sansui OS matrix system. Advocates of all three systems stoutly affirm that their system is the very best and the only way to go ... and all three systems quietly boast behind the scenes that "several" labels are preparing to announce for their particular system within the next few weeks.
According to Jim Mochizuki, vice president of JVC America (JVC developed the CD-4 discrete system), a quadrasonic decision must be made by the record industry or the hardware equipment industry within the next few months in order to protect the American public.
On the other hand, Stan Kavan, vice president of planning and diversification for CBS Records, felt that standardization of quadrasonic will come about in the marketplace.
"I think that's the kind of standardization we can look forward to." In equipment, there's currently a form of co-existence among the three different systems, he said.

Should Industry
Standardize 'Q

In high-priced equipment. the manufacturers are putting in both CD-4 and SQ capabilities, but SQ is in most low-price and high-price equipment, Mochizuki, however felt, “either the Recording Industry Association of America or the Electronics Industries Association will have to announce in favor of a quadrasonic system one way or another. They will have to standardize or the American consumer is going to get hurt," he said.
At present, there are three major quadrasonic disk systems vying for the consumer dollar in the market place. These are the JVC CD-4 Quadradise discrete system, the CBS SQ matrix system, and the Sansui QS matrix system.
Naturally, Mochizuki is firmly convinced that the discrete CD-4 system is the one that is not only best, but the one that will survive.
The current confusion is at the consumer level, where customers are often purchasing quadrasonic records without actually knowing in most instances whether it'll fit their particular system.
Many engineers at record labels in Los Angeles also feel that the confusion of the systems is hampering the growth of quadrasonic. Tom Nish-ida, director of JVC Cutting Center in Los Angeles, a firm that cuts quadrasonic discrete masters, said that at a meeting of 22 engineers Oct. 24 at a Warner Bros. movie studio here, (Billboard, Nov. 10) the consensus was that as long as three systems co-exist, 4-channel disks will not become popular and that only one system should be standardized as soon as possible.
No decision about which system should be chosen was made because thorough evaluation has not been made on each system and each system has made great progress recently, Nishida said.

Discrete

Some of the opinions expressed on the CD-4 discrete system were:
• Cutting the CD-4 master is still harder than cutting a matrix master:
• The disk requires special compound and a special phonograph cartridge is needed on the turntable:
• It's easy to mixdown to make a
4-channel master tape for the CD-4 system:
• The sound of a CD-4 disk is better than a matrix disk;
• The CD-4 system is the only one with which the original sound field of the master tape can be transported to the consumer.
Regarding the QS Sansui matrix system, it was noted;
• It's more practical to manufacture: it can use present vinyl compound, cutting system and phonograph playback cartridge:
• It is very hard to mixdown for
QS system:
• OS with Vario Matrix capabilities is better than the engineers expected, but sometimes instrumental location is varied (during a demon-mstration, the drums moved from right back on master tape to left back).
Nishida said that the engineers were of the opinion, too, that the quality of 4-channel tape cartridges wasn't satisfactory due to high speed duplication.

No CBS Representative

Although representatives of CBS’ SQ system were invited to the meeting, no one attended. The CD-4 system was explained by John Pudwell of RCA Records the Sansui QS system was explained by John Mosely of Sansui. Both CD-4 and Sansui systems were demonstrated. Nishida said, but only the CD-4 disk was A-B'd against a master tape. The QS system A-B test used a master tape only through encoder-decoder, but not against a disk.
Mochizuki said that he felt that a decision on a quadrasonic system might be made by April. "All of the record companies have been evaluating the various systems for a year now.”
Attending the meeting of engineers in Los Angeles were: Phil Kaye and Jerry Ferrec of ABC Records and Ed Michel of Impulse:
Larry Levine and Mary Bornstein of
A&M: Ralph Cousino, Mike Ebson, and Carson Tavlor of Capitol: Brian Ingolsby and Brent Albright of MCA: Jack Hunt of MGM: Lee Herschberg. Al McPherson, and Doc Siegel of Warner Bros.: John Pudwell and Charles Pruzansky of RCA: John Mosely and four Japanese engineers from Sansui: and Nishida of the JVC Cutting Center.
 
It's puzzling about QS and QS variomatrix decoding - the Involve Audio SM decoder demonstrates that variable matrix decoding works very well.

For some reason, the Sansui QS variomatrix decoders didn't acquit themselves very well, as reported in this 1973 semi-formal test and later in the 1974 BBC tests and 1975 NQRC tests.


Kirk Bayne
 
October 13, 1973

Telecast Mktng. Joining TV Spot Record Derby; Pushing $6.98 'Q' 4-LP Kid Set

By INGRID HANNIGAN

MINNEAPOLIS-
"Rocked” versions of 118 traditional children's tunes in a 4-channel four- LP set will be sold for $6.98 in mass retailer chains nationwide to coincide with the November 5th start of a TV ad campaign produced and arranged by Telecast Marketing here.
Telecast head D.V. Dewey Roberts explained that the firm plans to saturate 125 markets with one minute ad spots for "Cock A Doodle Do and Mother Goose Too." The promotion will emphasize that the set was recorded in matrix quadrasonic.
Roberts was not convinced at first that quadrasonic recording was a sales plus, but he quickly changed his opinion “when the Sansui people offered to help with the sound mix, and then purchased the tape rights.
Many special music effects such as moog, bells, and standard rock instruments sound great even on ordinary stereos," Roberts continued,
"but they are terrific in quadrasonic.”
The firm, one arm of Carlson Companies, specialists in premium plans, is making its entry into records with the campaign.
"Merchandising this novel gift item to parents, family friends, and even youngsters themselves may open doors for Telecast in this field," suggested Roberts.
Telecast assigned arranger Bob
Piper to create interesting interpretations of "classic" tunes. The singers and musicians, most of whom usually back up commercials, were allowed to contribute to the arrangements.

Top 40?
Several singles will be released about the same time. They will sell for under $1. Like the set, the singles will be sold through rackjobbers to mass retailers.
All sets will be sold on 100 percent return, with TM paying freight to and from the store. The retailer will receive 25 percent of purchase price for merely selling the set. All TV spots will be tagged with participating retailers' names.
The TV spot shows a group of small children responding almost spontaneously to the song excerpts on the soundtrack. "We decided on fresh approach. School teachers, parents, and youth group representatives encouraged us in the test situation," Roberts claimed.
Same McCloud, TM's general manager, stated that the sets are shipping currently. It's understood that TM is readying a test campaign on another kidish set prior to Christmas.
 
November 24, 1973

‘Q' Jukebox Will
Bolster Concept

By EARL PAIGE

CHICAGO-
The jukebox is emerging as the newest vehicle to boost quadrasonic stereo. Wurlitzer Co. bowed a 4-channel system set for spring delivery incorporating CBS matrix SQ at the annual jukebox convention last week and Stan Kavan of CBS has suggested that it would be a logical promotion to feature the quadrasonic jukebox in stereo equipment stores and departments because unique aspects of the machine allow it to function with a minimum of software.
Kavan, vice president, planning and diversification, and A.D.
Palmer, advertising and sales promotion manager at Wurlitzer, both indicated the availability of software is being worked out now that the concept is fully operational. Wurlitzer used the Music Operators of America show here as a logical kickoff point even though a minimum of quadrasonic disks were available (Billboard, Nov. 10).

See 'Q' Jukebox
Boost to Retailer
4-channel Promo

Wurlitzer's 3800 model, which looks no different than a 2-channel machine except for a decal, has a feature (standard on all models) whereby a group of from six to 10 records are selected by punching either a Program 1 or Program 2 button. Thus only 10 quadrasonic disks are necessary at the very least. Quadrasonic disks can also be programmed on another section of the box devoted to 7-in. diameter albums and they can be mixed in this section with albums (the hole size determines turntable speed).

Quarter Price

Patrons see the Program 1 or Program 2 titles in one row identified in various ways such as a colored plastic overlay, a star or whatever, said Palmer. The nature of the box, however, means that the entire six to 10 records would not necessarily play sequentially, as the box will scan between disks and pick up other records punched.
Palmer sees no problem with the programming.
Pricing of quadrasonic disks on jukeboxes will probably follow a quarter per side philosophy, he said, because the material CBS has supplied initially is longer than usual, offering a bonus in effect. The special disk CBS produced that was used here with dancers runs 4:52 minutes. This quarter pricing follows a trend of operators wanting to charge more for longer recordings anyway (see Jukebox Programming section this issue).
The idea for a quadrasonic jukebox came from the rock clubs as a fill-in when acts are taking a break, Palmer said. At present, the extra amplifier and decoder are separate but will be combined. He said Wurlitzer made an effort to stress the compatibility feature of matrix and both Palmer and Kavan added that the extra enhancement of regular stereo disks is an important aspect for the new program.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top