What's the Latest DISCRETE Quad LP Added to Your Pile? CD-4, UD-4

[steelydave]

Nice score on that Yellow Fever LP, in my experience those later-era RCA's (the late '75 and early '76) including the last couple of Hot Tuna and Jefferson Starship LPs, the two Pure Prairie League LPs, Nilsson Sandman etc. are difficult to come by, at least in this day in age. Your copy looks to be in amazing shape too, which I think is essential when you're treading the CD-4 waters!

 

[steelydave]

Could be something like that, FW.. every record I've bought off the seller has been a promo of some kind, regardless of label or the Quad format etc., with a variety of stamps, usually only on the rear sleeve but sometimes on the record label too.. I'll be a record promo stamp collector soon.. would that make me an audiophilatalist?

Thanks as always for the pics and info Fizzmeister, I do appreciate it, ta muchly

I wonder if it's also because the labels were trying to dump quad stock as the format was failing without having to pay royalties to the artist. Any LP that has a promo stamp, or any kind of cutout marker (cut corners, notches, or punch holes) or 8-tracks that have slashes or burn holes in the spine (indicating a cutout) mean that the label didn't pay the artist any mechanical (songwriting) or performance royalties for the item in question.

Sun Ra signed a contract to do a bunch of quad albums for Impulse! records and after the 3rd or 4th one either the label lost confidence in him or they had a falling out, and apparently they cut-out over a million copies of his unsold albums they had in their warehouse just to avoid paying the royalties on them, so it's not an uncommon practice.

 

[fredblue]

Nice score on that Yellow Fever LP, in my experience those later-era RCA's (the late '75 and early '76) including the last couple of Hot Tuna and Jefferson Starship LPs, the two Pure Prairie League LPs, Nilsson Sandman etc. are difficult to come by, at least in this day in age. Your copy looks to be in amazing shape too, which I think is essential when you're treading the CD-4 waters!

Thanks for the great info as always, Dave :upthumb
I do have some later one's on order (one of the Pure Prairie whatsits, can't remember which off hand and one of the Jefferson Starships; Red something I think it is, I don't know these albums or artists tbh.. surprisingly I'm finding some that I thought would be a doddle harder to track down in decent nick like AWB, Donny Hathaway, Graham Central Station S/T, etc proving impossible to get from UK dealers in acceptable condition.. if I have to import I will, though would rather not obviously. I'll put some more pics up either tomorrow or next week, all very exciting but I can't do anything with any records again til I'm all setup and the CD-4 demogitator still hasn't arrived yet.. Grr..!!

 

[fredblue]

I wonder if it's also because the labels were trying to dump quad stock as the format was failing without having to pay royalties to the artist. Any LP that has a promo stamp, or any kind of cutout marker (cut corners, notches, or punch holes) or 8-tracks that have slashes or burn holes in the spine (indicating a cutout) mean that the label didn't pay the artist any mechanical (songwriting) or performance royalties for the item in question.

Sun Ra signed a contract to do a bunch of quad albums for Impulse! records and after the 3rd or 4th one either the label lost confidence in him or they had a falling out, and apparently they cut-out over a million copies of his unsold albums they had in their warehouse just to avoid paying the royalties on them, so it's not an uncommon practice.

Creepy that Mumm Ra.. I'd have thrown him in the cut out bin too given half a chance! :yikes

 

[fredblue]

Sound In Motion - Brad Miller & The Mobile Fidelity crew (before MoFi went soft on Quad!) (CD-4 LP)

 

[bigbillquad]

Hi. All

More CD-4LP`s came today.

( AM. Records. CD-4 4D-22 QU-53601 -Carpenters The Singles )-
( RCA. CD-4 ARD1-0081 -Heavy Organ At Carnegie Hall Virgil Fox factory sealed )-
( Columbia. CD-4 + RM=QS ST-5001 4Channel Demonstration Record )-

 

[fredblue]

Red Octopussy - Jefferson Starfish (CD-4 rekkid)

 

[fredblue]

Baby I'm A Want You - Bread On Fire = Toast (CD-4)




]

 

[fredblue]

Two Lane Highway - Pure Prairie League (CD-4)

 

[fredblue]

CD-4 Quadraphonic Experience Sampler (you know, the one with the four sets of lips and Billy Cobham on it.. good enough to kiss..! )

 

[fredblue]

Love The One You're With - The Mystic Moods Orchestra (CD-4)

(I think this is the only one of the Mystic Moods Quads that didn't make it out on DTS CD..?)

 

[fizzywiggs41]

I'm guessing that BBQ and Fred are accessing discs from some very caring collectors.

Just look at the album covers for Starship ? And that Carpenters disc ? Incredibly good almost new !! And that's only two examples of the many you two have aquired.

If they took that much care in the covers, the discs should be of equal quality.:sun

 

[fredblue]

I'm guessing that BBQ and Fred are accessing discs from some very caring collectors.

Just look at the album covers for Starship ? And that Carpenters disc ? Incredibly good almost new !! And that's only two examples of the many you two have aquired.

If they took that much care in the covers, the discs should be of equal quality.:sun

Well yes I have been fairly lucky with some of them Fizzy but it's still v.variable tbh (look at the state of that Sound In Motion, ringwear central! :yikes ..at least it was cheap, we'll see how it sounds!) but by and large I'm happy with a healthy proportion of the old Quad records the last year-ish.. I've had a few Quad LPs now from the chap I got the Red Octopus off and by and large they've all been rather nice all round (that Red Octopus was not even the best copy on CD-4 he had at the time!) he certainly looked after his records well.. and the CD-4 experience one was from a lady (yes! our Linda is not the only female of the species into Surround! I've had quite a few off that lady dealer, she's great, fair prices and pretty harsh grading so never any nasty surprises!).. anyway, there you go, FW, a brief catch up on all that jazz for you! hope I didn't bore you too much! ..just need time to play them all now the gears turned up its the only thing stopping me, such is life eh!

 

[fizzywiggs41]

As long as you get a good (modern) turntable ,2ndly a recommended CD-4 cartridge, and a decent demodulator, you can not fail.

And you may hear a loud hum at times and the ticks and pops and encounter some breakup of the CD-4 carrier on the latter tracks but you will get true discreet quad from some great artists.This is all part and parcel of the CD-4 experience and should not frighten you if your committed.For the most part problems occur with a bad pressing not so much the equipment.


I thought I read somewhere's years back quality control on CD-4 discs was a nightmare.Unlike quad matrix or stereo discs they pressed from the metal masters only 100 discs versus 1000 for quad matrix or stereo as the pressings tended to become substandard after a 100 or so.
They must of had multiple multiple metal masters made from the original wheras stereo etc was not so particular.I'm surprised that the discs only cost one or two dollars more given the investment and extra scrutiny required.
Additionally , in the first couple years anyway.....they had a time limit per lp side due to degradation of the carrier signal.This "likely"eliminated some discs (beyond 35min per side) from being utilized and jeopardized discs which we may not know that were quad ready.
This problem was short lived though, better cutting lathes saved the day.


Complex that CD-4 was, eh

"That's a highly sophistamacated dowacky"(H.S.)




-dizzyfizzy

 

[bigbillquad]

Hi. fred & fizzy

I have been buying Quad LP`s over 30 years, off & on but the last 6 years I have accelerated to point ooow??? though the high price of postage is killing me her in NZ.
The source that I buy from in Japan is very reliable price wise as well in there description I have only had 2 LP`s that was not to par, I have been dabbling with CD-4 of and on for the last 30 years the last time I had my CD-4 system up and going was about 2 years ago I had 3 JVC 4DD-5 units and just got back into listening found out of the 3 units 1 is still in working condition and I have been listening to my collection rediscovering how good CD-4 is, when everything is running in harmony its fantastic I agree with fizzy there will be some LP`s that want be up to par & there is a bit of setting thing up to get to ..... Havana.... so fredy good luck into the realm of CD-4 ....

 

[fredblue]

Hi. fred & fizzy

I have been buying Quad LP`s over 30 years, off & on but the last 6 years I have accelerated to point ooow??? though the high price of postage is killing me her in NZ.
The source that I buy from in Japan is very reliable price wise as well in there description I have only had 2 LP`s that was not to par, I have been dabbling with CD-4 of and on for the last 30 years the last time I had my CD-4 system up and going was about 2 years ago I had 3 JVC 4DD-5 units and just got back into listening found out of the 3 units 1 is still in working condition and I have been listening to my collection rediscovering how good CD-4 is, when everything is running in harmony its fantastic I agree with fizzy there will be some LP`s that want be up to par & there is a bit of setting thing up to get to ..... Havana.... so fredy good luck into the realm of CD-4 ....

Well Bill, while you've been dabbling with CD-4 for the last 30 years, I've been dabbling with CD-4 for all of 30 minutes!
You know I'm always gonna be on "permanent catch up" with this hobby, I'll never be able to get to the level of long-time highly experienced and knowledgable Quaddies such as yourself, Fizzy, Dave, Duncan, Jon, Bob, Linda, Tim, etc.! Meantime, I'm so grateful for all the help and advice I get from members like yourself here and Fizzy, etc, thank you guys and gals! :upthumb (but most of all, I want to thank my agent, my make up artist and my hairdresser, without whom none of this would be possible! LMFAO! )

 

[bigbillquad]

Your a real GAS fredy ......:upthumb

Well Bill, while you've been dabbling with CD-4 for the last 30 years, I've been dabbling with CD-4 for all of 30 minutes!
You know I'm always gonna be on "permanent catch up" with this hobby, I'll never be able to get to the level of long-time highly experienced and knowledgable Quaddies such as yourself, Fizzy, Dave, Duncan, Jon, Bob, Linda, Tim, etc.! Meantime, I'm so grateful for all the help and advice I get from members like yourself here and Fizzy, etc, thank you guys and gals! :upthumb (but most of all, I want to thank my agent, my make up artist and my hairdresser, without whom none of this would be possible! LMFAO! )

 

[fredblue]

Your a real GAS fredy ......:upthumb

Thanks mate
Just call me Jumpin' Jack Fred! :banana:
Its all good fun til it turns ugly! Haha..

 

[fredblue]

Oh dear.. now I go back to try and use the bloody CD-4 thing and its stopped separating the Front Left and Rear Left all of a sudden..! :yikes

Front Right and Rear Right separate ok, not 100% there is still some very very faint crosstalk.. but for reasons completely unknown now just getting everything out all at once of both Left speakers. BOO..!!

If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. HA! Right, I'm off for a drink, sod it!

 

[DuncanS]

:brew good idea, everything seems better after a :beer2 or 5!

What CD-4 demod did you get? there might be a circuit diagram available, if there is I should be able to work out what may have happened, maybe more than one scenario though!

My suspicion is that the Left demod that mixes down the LF-LR (or LR-LF) (to the audio 20Hz-ish - 15kHz) isn't working for some reason, so nothing is being subtracted, so the Left decode matrix just outputs LF+LR to both Front & Rear. With old equipment the most common failure is with capacitors, especially electrolytics.

Oh dear.. now I go back to try and use the bloody CD-4 thing and its stopped separating the Front Left and Rear Left all of a sudden..! :yikes

Front Right and Rear Right separate ok, not 100% there is still some very very faint crosstalk.. but for reasons completely unknown now just getting everything out all at once of both Left speakers. BOO..!!

If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. HA! Right, I'm off for a drink, sod it!