Matrix H Articles

[Soundfield]

BBC Quad chronology:
Dual transmitter discrete quad / triphony experiment.
Commercially available matrix laboratory assessment and, with the rejection of all of those as being unsuitable, in-house matrix development undertaken by the Research Dept.
Resulting Matrix H private demonstrated to a handful of journalists and interested parties.
Matrix H Demos to the radio region heads and European broadcasters via the transcription services disc.
A low key press conference and an announcement in The Radio Times.
Matrix H and latterly Matrix HJ Broadcasting begins (this was the 'public demonstration').
Broadcasting fizzles out.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Thanks Fizzy that’s very interesting.

But it wasn’t a public test of Matrix H (I don’t believe there was any such thing) it was clearly a private demo session purely for Angus McKenzie in his (self appointed and unofficial!) role of independent technical QC auditor for BBC FM broadcasts (and who I was lucky enough to meet some years later) :

View attachment 42302

In much the same way that Lynn Olsen was offered the opportunity to examine what the BBC were up to (his interview on the subject linked from here https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/index.php?threads/sq-shadow-vector-soundfield-mapping.25293/post-423202 )

Well yes there were tests open to the public as these 2 articles testify.

Putting my H and HJ book in a chronological order and came across this from Angus and the other from Clem Brown.

 

[Soundfield]

Well yes there were tests open to the public as these 2 articles testify.

Not really.....
Once the broadcasting period had started (and not before) the BBC did relay a few of those programmes ‘live’ to either to the old Langham hotel or to the radio theatre in B.H. , as Angus makes clear:

But those simultaneous relays did not constitute any form of prior ‘public testing’ (there genuinely was absolutely none, the BBC went straight from development to broadcasting with no public involvement). All these shows meant was that you could go and have a listen to a broadcast at the same time as everyone else if you didn’t have Matrix H decoder at home.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Not really.....
Once the broadcasting period had started (and not before) the BBC did relay a few of those programmes ‘live’ to either to the old Langham hotel or to the radio theatre in B.H. , as Angus makes clear:
View attachment 45499
But those simultaneous relays did not constitute any form of prior ‘public testing’ (there genuinely was absolutely none, the BBC went straight from development to broadcasting with no public involvement). All these shows meant was that you could go and have a listen to a broadcast at the same time as everyone else if you didn’t have Matrix H decoder at home.

Well geeze louise , would not free tickets open to the public in order to listen to the commencement of the April 30th H relays consitute a public invite ??

Your really missing my point.........that H demos/tests were indeed available to the public and not just audio journalists (plus the private listen for Angus ).

 

[Soundfield]

Your really missing my point.........that H demos/tests were indeed available to the public

Sorry, I thought your point was that the public were invited to tests before the commencement of the broadcast experimental period.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

@Soundfield.

Did you ever get the opportunity to record any of the BBC H or HJ Quad transmissions from the BEEB ?

I got all my recordings from a " reverant " audio journalist who took the time to record some 22 reels of :

Classical , Middle Of The Road, and Popular/Rock , and Radio Dramas.........all in H and HJ Quad .


If so please share your thoughts.

 

[Soundfield]

Yes Fizzy - I recorded loads of them using various expensive tuners and very high quality cassette decks. By the end of the experimental period I had quite an archive - several boxes of tapes - most of The Proms, lots of other classical concerts (most of them live transmissions), documentaries and probably all of the plays and dramas. My only H /HJ decoder at the time was my home built kit of the Wireless World / NRDC Ambisonic Decoder. Frankly it wasn't a very good design in performance terms for any of the matrix formats it was intended for (despite its claims to the contrary) so I probably never heard the broadcasts at their best (like 99.9% of the audience I suspect). The plays were probably the most effective using it. The BBC put a lot of money into very elaborate productions with big name casts and musical scores with some memorable results (A Mid Summer's Night's Dream springs to mind). Sadly, in a moment of weakness many years ago, during a house move, I threw them all away thinking both quad and the cassette format were dead and I'd never have any use for them! A decision I've often regretted since.
My only remaining Matrix H material is the BBC Transcription Services in house Demo LP!

 

[kfbkfb]

http://www.pspatialaudio.com/matrix_h.htm^^^
(from the link):
"...Stereo Lab is the only commercial decoder ever available for this quadraphonic format..... Just 42 years late!"


The "Working CD-4..." thread has instructions on how to run Stereo Lab with Windows 10.


Kirk Bayne

 

[fizzywiggs41]

http://www.pspatialaudio.com/matrix_h.htm^^^
"...Stereo Lab is the only commercial decoder ever available for this quadraphonic format..... Just 42 years late!"


The "Working CD-4..." thread has instructions on how to run Stereo Lab with Windows 10.


Kirk Bayne

I suggest you check out some of the prior posts on this thread , Kirk.

Matrix H decoders were made available by a number of European (mostly UK ) brands. You will find pics of :

Compcor , Lintek , Catronics , Integrex , and even Sansui (UK). (posts #26 , 41 , 51 , and 45 --in that very same brand order )

Integrex also had an H and HJ decoder. (post #34)



Lots of H and HJ info to be seen on this thread, fwiw



That link you provide is a very interesting decode , though. And I see it can be accommodating for a 5.1 system.

Always good to add another historic unit providing Quad Matrix H to this thread.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Yes Fizzy - I recorded loads of them using various expensive tuners and very high quality cassette decks. By the end of the experimental period I had quite an archive - several boxes of tapes - most of The Proms, lots of other classical concerts (most of them live transmissions), documentaries and probably all of the plays and dramas. My only H /HJ decoder at the time was my home built kit of the Wireless World / NRDC Ambisonic Decoder. Frankly it wasn't a very good design in performance terms for any of the matrix formats it was intended for (despite its claims to the contrary) so I probably never heard the broadcasts at their best (like 99.9% of the audience I suspect). The plays were probably the most effective using it. The BBC put a lot of money into very elaborate productions with big name casts and musical scores with some memorable results (A Mid Summer's Night's Dream springs to mind). Sadly, in a moment of weakness many years ago, during a house move, I threw them all away thinking both quad and the cassette format were dead and I'd never have any use for them! A decision I've often regretted since.
My only remaining Matrix H material is the BBC Transcription Services in house Demo LP!

I have a handful of those plays , and for me "Bobok " the Russian play ( performed in English ) is the one that stands out for me as a stellar quad demo. It was broadcast early on in 77 in quad matrix H .

Kind of interesting , that it's a radio play of characters speaking all about you in a graveyard . Works well for surround.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Not sure if this was ever posted prior but I thought I'd mention it.

From a 1980 magazine article (Hi Fi for Now ?)

Alan underlined this quick note from Adrian Hope's article on the BBC Broadcasts.

Re : HJ in 1978 and 1979 via Calrec mic.

 

[paligap]

Alan Freeman’s Saturday Show ‘Xmas Eve Quad Special’ - The Steve Gibbons Band, Racing Cars, Andy Fairweather Low, Colosseum II, The Stranglers, The Motors, Phil Manzanera & Lone Star

mrfloydin

Does anyone know where to find the track list for this program?

 

[fizzywiggs41]

GENTLE GIANT-GG AT THE GG (BBC Sight and Sound) MATRIX HJ from 1978

Still available cd and dvd (got mine from "Burning Shed").Only the concert from Jan 78 is quad encoded, approx,1 hour of MATRIX HJ QUAD.
View attachment 20798View attachment 20799View attachment 20800View attachment 20801

HJ BBC Quad matrix ...Gentle Giant cd/dvd----REVIVED



This is the cd/dvd quad hj release for anyone interested.(included picture)

NOTE nly one concert is quad encoded - January 21 1978.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Does anyone know where to find the track list for this program?

A good friend sent me a hard copy cdr in the mail complete with the track list from someone in the know. For those interested I'll list all the artists and songs plus the length of each.

Intro fanfare (1:13)
Steve Gibbons Band -Right Side Of Heaven (0:48) fr Right Side Of Heaven
Steve Gibbons Band -Rolling On (6:19) Fr Right Side Of Heaven
Racing Cars -Weekend Rendevous (5:09) Fr Weekend Rendevous
Coloseum II-Put It This Way (5:11) Fr Electric Savage
Phil Manzanera/801-Law And Order (4:31)fr Listen Now
Andy Fairweather Low - Shimmy Do- Wa- Say (4:19)fr Be Bop And Holla
The Stranglers -Burning UpTime (2:15) fr No More Heroes
The Motors -Phony Heaven (4:18) fr Motors I
The Motors -Freeze (4:43) Fr Motors I
Phil Manzanera/801 -Falling Feeling (5:16) fr Listen Now
Andy Fairweather Low -Ain't No Fun Anymore (5:14) fr Be Bop And Holla
Steve Gibbons Band -Two Lane (3:17) Fr Right Side Of Heaven
Racing Cars -Standing In The Rain (4:23) fr Weekend Rendevous
LoneStar -Bells Of Berlin (8:44) fr Firing On All Six

Tony Wilson Best Of Quad Creations from 1977. BBC Radio One , Presented by Alan Freeman.
4 Track Album Recordings .

 

[paligap]

A good friend sent me a hard copy cdr in the mail complete with the track list from someone in the know. For those interested I'll list all the artists and songs plus the length of each.

Intro fanfare (1:13)
Steve Gibbons Band -Right Side Of Heaven (0:48) fr Right Side Of Heaven
Steve Gibbons Band -Rolling On (6:19) Fr Right Side Of Heaven
Racing Cars -Weekend Rendevous (5:09) Fr Weekend Rendevous
Coloseum II-Put It This Way (5:11) Fr Electric Savage
Phil Manzanera/801-Law And Order (4:31)fr Listen Now
Andy Fairweather Low - Shimmy Do- Wa- Say (4:19)fr Be Bop And Holla
The Stranglers -Burning UpTime (2:15) fr No More Heroes
The Motors -Phony Heaven (4:18) fr Motors I
The Motors -Freeze (4:43) Fr Motors I
Phil Manzanera/801 -Falling Feeling (5:16) fr Listen Now
Andy Fairweather Low -Ain't No Fun Anymore (5:14) fr Be Bop And Holla
Steve Gibbons Band -Two Lane (3:17) Fr Right Side Of Heaven
Racing Cars -Standing In The Rain (4:23) fr Weekend Rendevous
LoneStar -Bells Of Berlin (8:44) fr Firing On All Six

Tony Wilson Best Of Quad Creations from 1977. BBC Radio One , Presented by Alan Freeman.
4 Track Album Recordings .

Thanks so much!

 

[atrocity]

Phil Manzanera/801 -Falling Feeling (5:16) fr Listen Now

Oh, to hear that one in quad..!

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Oh, to hear that one in quad..!

I agree.
There may be an actual discrete tape with a bonus live track "Out Of The Blue". (possibly the whole album , plus)
The original broadcast had that song included with 3 BBC H quad tracks from that album.
4 quad tracks were broadcast in total.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Simple decoding of Matrix H :

With the use of a Sansui QSD-2 fitted with an appropriate phase change of 60 degrees in the right channel you should achieve the H decoding.
This according to "Angus MacKenzie " as he reported in HI FI News And Record Review May 1977 .

Attached pic.

 

[DuncanS]

Simple decoding of Matrix H :

With the use of a Sansui QSD-2 fitted with an appropriate phase change of 60 degrees in the right channel you should achieve the H decoding.
This according to "Angus MacKenzie " as he reported in HI FI News And Record Review May 1977 .

Attached pic.

Somewhere buried in my Electronics library in an ancient Wireless World I seem to remember there is an article on what you need to do to a Matrix H (possibly HJ) signal pair to get a QS decoder to decode it correctly. I'll have a look at the weekend.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Good on you Duncan.

The articles in my Matrix H book mention in the clippings that the BBC engineers and Mr Mackenzie preferred a 60 degree phase shift in the decoding of H , which differed over the encode which conformed to a 47.5 degree shift.
This was the end result with the BBC Engineers and Angus MacKenzie's preferred aural reception of the quadraphonic broadcasts.