Exploring Billboard for Quadraphonic Information

[Old Quad Guy]

June 16, 1973

'Q' Double Inventory Woe;
Labels Weigh SQ vs CD-4

By CLAUDE HALL

LOS ANGELES-
The industry is, without doubt, facing the vast headache of a double inventory as the world of quadrasonic nears. The fledgling quadrasonic industry, however, may reap a great benefit from the woes of double inventory because, in the long run, the result will be the same as if the entire industry underwent a subtle price increase.
Right now, only RCA Records' Quadradiscs are selling at the same prices as stereo records. Most other labels are charging about a dollar higher suggested list for quadrasonic records.
The record industry has long needed-and deserved--price increases. Surging cost increases in such major factors as paper, studio time, jackets, lithography has been hampering the industry for some while. Just printing of slicks alone have gone up 15 percent in recent months.

Other Costs

Quadrasonic brings on other costs that are additional. For example, mixing. Because sounds must be spread around a total of 360 degrees rather than just a "sound wall" in front, much more time and care has to be taken in mixdown. Special equipment is required, regardless of whether the system is matrix or discrete.
And, if you're talking about discrete records, a special compound is necessary. It not only costs more, but there's a lot of work and time spent in cleaning up the pressing equipment between cycling a stereo record and cycling quadrasonic and vice versa.
In any case, it's the majority opinion in the industry that quadrasonic records cost more and while the charges may not amount to a $1 per album, other rising costs inherent in the music industry and the high risk factors of putting out a record, more than offset the dollar per album.
One cost that the industry will obviously have to bear with for a while, for example, is the cost of double inventory.
RCA Records had hoped to avoid a double inventory by selling their discrete CD-4 Quadradises at the same price as stereo, but found that perhaps this very fact was more of a handicap than a boon as dealers stocked their compatible product in special displays and not in regular bins with stereo product, thus, in effect, causing the label to lose sales to stereo customers.

Huge Display

Recently, a survey of one Rush Street Chicago dealer found that CBS Records SQ matrix quadrasonic albums were stocked in a huge display, but none of the RCA Records discrete CD-4 albums were displayed at all.
RCA was closely discussing the possibilities recently of going to a double inventory instead of just releasing compatible quadrasonic versions of individual records.
"There's no question," an RCA
Records spokesman said, "but that an educational process is needed at the dealer level to educate him to the fact that Quadradiscs should be stocked at both places-not only under stereo, but under quadrasonic.
We had no problem with the recent Elvis Presley albums ... it sold more than a million units even though it was a 2-LP set. But that particular album was generally placed near the cash register because it was such a big seller." The album jacket also pointed out the stereo possibilities of the albums other than the quadrasonic capabilities.

Survey

A survey of 59 key record dealers in the nation in May by Billboard revealed that most customers who were buying quadrasonic albums didn't even know whether they were buying matrix or discrete quadrasonic-each system plays the other as ordinary stereo. However, 15 percent of the dealers in the Billboard survey said their customers requested discrete albums specifically when they bought quadrasonic, as opposed to only seven percent of the dealers stating that their customers specifically requested matrix product. But, 64 percent of the dealers said they were only stocking quadrasonic in special displays and not also in the regular bins with stereo (both discrete and matrix quadrasonic albums are compatible when played on stereo players and emit stereo sound).
Nearly all factions of quadrasonic are gearing up for educational cam-paigns. John Mosely, consultant to Sansui, has been touring and giving quadrasonic demonstrations. The WEA Group of labels has an education campaign in the wings.

Refraining

Right now, however, because of the confusion at the dealer level, several record companies are refraining from any commitment to any quadrasonic system, whether matrix or discrete. All of the systems—Sansui, CBS, and CD-4-claim they have several labels standing up about ready to commit. The possibility is that they all are counting their chickens before they hatch. Because informal surveys with chiefs of manufacturing and/or engineering at some of the labels not yet committed reveal an amazing lack of knowledge of what quadrasonic is really all about and, in many cases, a "don't care" attitude.
But, on the other hand, CBS
Records claims to be racking up half a million dollars a month in quadrasonic records and tapes in the U.S. alone, according to Stanley J. Kavan, vice president of planning and diversification. "Abraxas" by Santana has sold more than 60,000 copies in SQ form and many classical albums are selling better in quadrasonic than they are in stereo.
Last February, the label did around $750,000 in quadrasonic records and tapes.

Only Way

CBS feels that its SQ system is the only way to go, pointing out that no one can broadcast a discrete CD-4 record on the air. Jac Holzman, president of Elektra Records, on the other hand, said the reason he guided the WEA Group of labels to discrete quadrasonic was that he wanted their product in the best system possible.
A major handicap in discrete product right now is the shortage of cutting lathes in the U.S. More cutting lathes are en route to the states though and this bottleneck should be eliminated soon. Another problem right now with discrete is that pressing the records takes more care; some poor pressings are hitting the market on the RCA label. However, a new IC (integrated chip) that will be unveiled soon will greatly rectify this problem; it eliminates any popping noise caused by poor pressing.
Matrix systems, too, are not without their handicaps at the moment and the greatest of all is in the hardware stage. To effectively get even a "sense" of direction from the rear speakers, you've got to have a decoder with a logic gain circuit built in. These are just now hitting the market to any great extent and a matrix IC due out soon will give matrix advocates a better chance.

 

[par4ken]

When I was a kid in Northern California in the early 70s, there were Top 40 stations. "Album rock". Oldies. Country. Easy listening. Jazz. Classical. Split between AM and FM.

Yes, in large population areas in the US there would be more room for more narrowly formated stations. In Canada FM format was heavily controlled and approval was need to switch. We had country, jazz, classical stations on FM but few people listened to them. One station simulcasted AM/FM top forty.

There was a switch in the late seventies, simulcasting was disallowed. The Jazz station switched to hard rock, the simulcasted top forty station switched to soft rock. Call letters were changed to better differentiate the FM station from their AM counterpart. That was the period that I began to listen to FM more, that was the golden age of FM for me.

Sunday nights the stations had to play music from their original format. Modern jazz on the rock station. Comedy on another. Radio dramas on another. That was my favourite night for radio. Lots of variety. I'm not much of a supporter of government regulation but it seems that every time a good regulation is in place the industry clamours for change and then things go downhill! Back then a single corporation could only have one AM and one FM station in any given market. Now one or two big corporations own and control everything!

The FM format regulations eventually changed allowing the stations to switch at will, like AM could. That brought in the situation where stations began either to play basically the same music each, with little variety, or else played a very narrow format to a narrow base. AM was squeezed out of music and then off the air altogether. Digital technology allowed stations to run on autopilot much of the day. No need for a DJ to spin records past midnight anymore.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

June 23, 1973

CES Trend 'Q'
-Berkowitz

By BOB KIRSCH

CHICAGO-
Quadrasonic is here and is beginning to meet acceptance at all levels. This is one of the major trends to emerge at the Consumer Electronics Show here, according to Panasonic assistant general manager Jeff Berkowitz.
Berkowitz also feels there is more emphasis toward the youth market in tape, with better quality and higher prices than at previous shows as well as feeling the show is becoming more of an audio show than ever.
"Four-channel is certainly here if this show is any evidence," Berkowitz said, even though there has been a lot of resistance at all levels, including dealers and manufacturers. The market has settled down now and is leaning more and more toward quadrasonic. Above the $200 level, four-channel is becoming the dominant factor."
Berkowitz pointed to the many 2-channel/4-channel combinations in receivers at the show as an example, and added that while the software situation in disk remains in a somewhat unsettled situation, the industry is likely to see more of these "universal" systems.
"Our sales on 4-channel receivers have been very successful," he added. “and I think by the end of the year the quadrasonic end of the audio business should be about 70 percent. One important reason for this is that the dealers have been getting behind the configuration.
We've been helping dealers with a lot of promotions and programs and it has paid off.
"It's not only us," Berkowitz added. "Most of the firms involved have done a good job getting behind quadrasonic in both their own promotions and aiding dealers."
Berkowitz said one of the most common questions asked at dealer seminars is why should there be a switch to quadrasonic? "We tell the dealers that it's a question of evolu-tion," he said. "We took monaural and expanded it to stereo to try and achieve a sound closer to a natural environment. Now, with four-chan-nel, we can come closer to this goal than ever before.
"There has also been a general upgrading of stereo as a result of quadrasonic," Berkowitz added. "We're seeing good demand for stereo in a number of price ranges."
As for appealing to youth, Berkowitz sees the manufacturer going to more attractive design to appeal to the younger buyer, especially in tape. But he is also going to better features and a somewhat higher price, which the more sophisticated young buyer is now willing to pay.
How would Berkowitz sum up the show? "Much of the showmanship is gone," he said, “and this can be a good thing. The dealer is getting a chance to see what's going to be in the market this fall, not a group of prototypes. Obviously, quadrasonic would seem to be the main feature at the show, but there are several other points worth mentioning.
"One of these points," he continued, "is that all product is becoming more quality oriented. The day of the gimmick feature is falling by the wayside, primarily because consumer awareness and sophistication is getting higher all the time. The show is also becoming an audio show, with tape and audio products more dominant all the time. And in these categories, the consumer is not looking for low end merchandise and neither is the dealer. The loss leader or purely low end good may have seen its day.”
Berkowitz also feels that technology is becoming more important to the average consumer, and this is one reason why the show lacked a great deal of low end merchandise.
“Along with the better technology goes the higher prices, but this is what the consumer wants," he said.
Talking about the battle or lack of it between the various 4-channel systems, Berkowitz said that "discrete and matrix will probably coexist for quite some time. There is a lot of software in both areas and a lot of consumers own equipment of each kind.
"Again, you have the receivers incorporating CD-4, SQ and regular matrix, which is one indication that all of the modes will be around. As for quadrasonic in general, it should keep growing providing dealers continue to do a good job. In our training programs we tell dealers that hardware and software should go hand in hand. If he's purely a hardware man, we will try and put him in touch with record contacts. If he carries hardware and software, we will try to show him various means of display."

 

[Old Quad Guy]

June 23, 1973

QUADRASONIC LETS LISTENER
RELATE TO THE SOLO

THE RECORD INDUSTRY may be moving slowly in terms of getting involved with quadrasonic sound, but the jazz musician “is the easiest guy in the world to convince to go into the medium.
In the opinion of Dick LaPalm, a veteran record executive with lots of knowledge of jazz, "the jazz musician has always been ahead of everything. He's ready for something new all the time.”

Jazz buff Dick LaPalm turned studio honcho

LaPalm, now general manager of the Village Recorder, which specializes in jazz and blues dates in its $3 million West Los Angeles complex, says that quadrasonic recordings allow the musician's solo to be highlighted. "There isn't any other music where solos are that important," LaPalm points out.
He should know. He used to work for the Chess-Cadet operation in Chicago under the leadership of Leonard Chess and that label was one of the hotbeds of jazz in the 1950'5 and '60s.

The jazz listener wants to relate to the music, and quadra sonic "let's you relate. It's important for a jazz musician to let the listener feel he's part of the music."
Charles Earland knew nothing about 4-channel before he came to the Village, LaPalm points out. But he's had his first LP mixed in 4-channel and "he freaked.”
The studio's owner, Geordie Hormel, has himself been deeply involved in jazz, having had his own label Zepher and recording such names as Art Blakey and Herbie Mann. Hormel was also one of the first to use J.J. Johnson and Ernie Freeman as jazz arrangers. He gave Roger Kellaway a job as accompanist when he was singing with a trio. He gave Sergio Mendes and his group a place to rehearse and cut tracks when Brasil 66 started out.
The studio's jazz business is very much tied to the activity of Impulse and Bluesway. These ABC lines have been mixing their LP's exclusively in the Sansui system.
Jazz in quadrasonic, says LaPalm, "is an exciting experi ence. You don't have to say, 'hey listen to that figure the piano's playing. It's right there.' "
LaPalm's relationship with jazz people in records and broadcasting has naturally resulted in his drawing business to the studio.
Joel Dorn, Atlantic's ace producer, mixed his first project
LP there several weeks ago. Dick knew Dorn when he was a disk jockey in Philadelphia. In other activity: Ed Michel overdubbed a new Gato Barbieri project; Quincy Jones dropped by to do some projects, and Kenny Burrell did his new LP there because LaPalm told him about a perfect studio for jazz improvisation.

Woody Herman asked LaPalm if he should record his band in 4-channel. "I told him he should. To feel like you're right in the sax section and hearing the horns behind you is a great feeling.”
Thus far the amount of jazz in 4-channel is small, but as the music grows in popularity, which is what is happening, the medium will undoubtedly be used with greater frequency. It's not that the musicians aren't for it; they generally are. The labels are holding back. Those who have made the plunge, boasts LaPalm, are happy with the move.

 

[key_wiz]

Yes, in large population areas in the US there would be more room for more narrowly formated stations. In Canada FM format was heavily controlled and approval was need to switch. We had country, jazz, classical stations on FM but few people listened to them. One station simulcasted AM/FM top forty.

There was a switch in the late seventies, simulcasting was disallowed. The Jazz station switched to hard rock, the simulcasted top forty station switched to soft rock. Call letters were changed to better differentiate the FM station from their AM counterpart. That was the period that I began to listen to FM more, that was the golden age of FM for me.

Sunday nights the stations had to play music from their original format. Modern jazz on the rock station. Comedy on another. Radio dramas on another. That was my favourite night for radio. Lots of variety. I'm not much of a supporter of government regulation but it seems that every time a good regulation is in place the industry clamours for change and then things go downhill! Back then a single corporation could only have one AM and one FM station in any given market. Now one or two big corporations own and control everything!

The FM format regulations eventually changed allowing the stations to switch at will, like AM could. That brought in the situation where stations began either to play basically the same music each, with little variety, or else played a very narrow format to a narrow base. AM was squeezed out of music and then off the air altogether. Digital technology allowed stations to run on autopilot much of the day. No need for a DJ to spin records past midnight anymore.

I didn’t realize radio formats were controlled in Canada. Interesting. Here in the US we had none of that, of course. It is all “let the market decide”. The closest we had to “variety” was that in the 60s and 70s Top 40 stations had a lot of variety because they played whatever were the best-selling singles regardless. So you might get Aerosmith, Charlie Rich and Donna Summer back to back. Beyond that, everything else was already quite niched.

But I liked that because that is one of the main reasons my musical tastes have always been so diverse (I believe)

But after a few decades of less diversity, I see it coming back. My 15 year old, who wouldn’t even know how to find a station on an actual “radio”, has a quite diverse playlist on her phone because she hears songs from all sorts of different sources and downloads the ones she likes with little regard for what is new or hip. She’s just as likely to like a Frank Sinatra or Billy Joel tune as Taylor Swift. But as always, it’s how the tunes are sold to the kids. The methods have changed but the rules remain largely the same.

 

[kfbkfb]

The puzzling dual inventory/where to stock quad in the record stores issue.

The record cos. could have said handle the quad versions the same way the stereo versions were handled during the mono -> stereo transition era, the article didn't mention that that was even thought of.

I must be missing something, it seems so simple...


Kirk Bayne

 

[Old Quad Guy]

 

[Old Quad Guy]

June 16, 1973

Gabbert Rips
EIA 'Q Lag'

By CLAUDE HALL

LOS ANGELES-
The big cloud hanging over the head of quadrasonic records is radio. . . or, rather, the lack of radio. Because, to date only matrix quadrasonic has been broadcast to any great extent and even then it's rather speculative whether or not the broadcasts were heard outside of the stores of a few enterprising dealers of hardware who set up equipment displays.
To many, the Federal Communications Commission might seem to be dragging its heels in regards to quadrasonic radio, since it has been sitting on any decision to approve or not approve discrete broadcasting.
Actually, however, the FCC had some time ago passed the buck on any quadrasonic broadcasting decision to the Electronics Industries Association, which established a series of panels to investigate all aspects of quadrasonic.
And Jim Gabbert. owner of KIOI-FM in San Francisco, the radio station that piloted experimental quadrasonic one-station broadcasts, believes that the ElA committee—the National Quadrasonic Radio Committee—is the one that's dragging its heels. Strangely enough, Gabbert is a member of the committee.
But Gabbert, no heel-dragger himself, was last week involved in "location” tests for quadrasonic broadcasting, experimenting with the various systems and trying to determine if a sound continued to be heard from the direction after broadcast that it had been "placed” prior to broadcast. About 50-60 people are involved in the experi-ments.
It was KIOI-FM that performed the first one-station quadrasonic broadcasting in America. Earlier, as far back as 1969, the station had teamed up with another FM station in town for two-station quadrasonic broadcasts. But a young college student named Lou Dorren called Gabbert, claiming that he could broadcast quadrasonic on a single station. At first, Gabbert was skeptical. Later, he became convinced as Dorren and his partner, Tom Lott, formed Quadracast Systems Inc. and developed a method of broadcasting discrete quadrasonic. It is this system that is pending before the FCC still and it's this system that Gabbert put on the air in December, January, and February of 1970 and 1971. Path-blazing in broadcasting was nothing new to Gabbert; his station, in those days known under the call letters of KPEN-FM, had been the first stereo station in California and fifth in the nation.
"And history repeats itself," Gabbert said recently. “When we switched to stereo, broadcasters came to us and said we were screwing up the industry. . . that FM wasn't even a valid factor and we were coming up with something new that would only cost them money.
They've said much the same thing about discrete quadrasonic.

'Cinerama Sound'

"But discrete broadcasting offers depth in music and excitement . . . it creates emotionally the same thing as cinerama.”
The cost to move to quadrasonic at an FM radio station would depend: the cost of converting the transmitter would be in the neighborhood of a thousand dollars. "The major cost would be in the studio at the station and that all would depend on how elaborate the station wanted to be. I think the cost would compare with that of going from monaural to stereo."
Quadrasonic discrete broadcasting will come. Gabbert felt that the approval of Q discrete radio is logical. The reason that the NQRC is dragging its feet, he felt, is that "everyone is confused." Most of them (at least until recently) on the panels haven't even heard quadrasonic, or they're only classical music fans and reverberations are good enough for them, they think. The old concert hall approach. Actually, in the U.S. the public already knows more about quadrasonic than a majority of the manufacturers of the hardware systems. Excluding the Japanese. They're way ahead of us. I think the people who are the, quote, leaders in the field . .. the American electronics industry ... needs a shot of Geritol. They're resistant to change."
But, in spite of this, quadrasonic will come. The public will demand it.
"When we started with stereo broadcasting, there were more stereo receivers sold in San Francisco than in the whole country ... and we were the only station broadcasting in stereo in the city. We had it all to ourselves for a full year. It made us a lot of money. We recovered our investment made in going to stereo within three months.
"The same thing will happen in quadrasonic. Most of the income at the start will be from the people who want to sell equipment.
"Actually, I don't think quadrasonic will be for mass consumption for about two years. But it’ll get there. I feel that quadrasonic broadcasting is developing at about the right pace, because by the time a broadcasting system is approved, the product to program with be available."
There is a certain amount of confusion regarding quadrasonic, he said, "and it has been caused by the matrix advocates ... and this could slow down the overall pace of discrete broadcasting. But, actually, matrix is like the U.S. in the Vietnam War …the matrix people are fighting a losing battle in which they just keep pumping money into it and they have no way out.
"FM radio needs quadrasonic very bad. What made FM today was stereo. But stereo has become passe and FM needs something new.

Stereo AM

"Afterwards? Well, I don't think stereo sound for television will be far away ... or even stereo AM radio. There is a good stereo AM system with good fidelity . . . not as good as FM ... but better than current AM radio. So, if stereo happens on AM, FM would need something. And stereo AM could be the saving factor for all of AM radio."
Gabbert, of course, is a staunch advocate of discrete quadrasonic.
Not just because he personally feels discrete is better, but also because his station had a certain discrete mystic going for it as the first in the nation to broadcast via a single-station system. He felt the minimum cost for an FM station to go discrete quadrasonic would be about $4,000 for transmitter, studio, etc.
In the meanwhile, the tests of the NQRC panels continue to go on. And, in the meanwhile, the only quadrasonic broadcasts permitted are matrix broadcasts. Because all of the matrixing on a record is done at the "before mike" stage, a radio station can broadcast matrix records without any new equipment over ordinary FM multiplex operations.
The listener at home needs a matrix decoder to receive the type of matrix broadcast-i.c.. a CBS SQ decoder for a CBS SQ broadcast or a Sansui QS-decoder for a Sansui QS broadcast. If discrete broadcasting is ever approved, listeners would need a demodulator hooked up to their 4-channel amplifier and four speakers, much as listeners need a matrix decoder for their 4-channel amplifier and four speakers now.

‘Fake Q’

Frankly, matrix broadcasting to date leaves a lot to be desired and the reasons are:
• Lack of product:
• Poor quality direction.
What has been happening is that several FM stations have been proclaiming far and near that they're
"quadrasonic stations” and that they're broadcasting around the clock in 4-channel. When, in truth, most of the product they've been putting on the air is only stereo. Some of these so-called "quadrasonic" stations have been encoding the stereo records, claiming that it enhances the sound. But, in reality the enhancement is no more quadrasonic than monaural records was to "electronic stereo."
This tactic is actually befouling the consumer's idea of what quadrasonic is all about and, probably, signing many of them off to quadrasonic altogether, since they'll assume quadrasonic is not better than stereo.
Another factor is poor direction of matrix broadcasts. The reason, of course, is that matrix, at best, only simulates discrete and no matter how loudly matrix equipment manufacturers yell to the contrary, can never be as good as discrete, claim Gabbert and others.
The best that matrix can do is when a logic gain unit is incorporated to pump up signals in the rear and give a better sense of direction to the sound. Even so, there is a loss in sense of direction (sometimes more, sometimes less) when more than one instrument is being played: the sounds cancel out each other directionally more or less. The latest state of the art from Sansui is a vast improvement in the logic gain applications and CBS has made vast strides in improving their SQ equipment. But still, the handicap is there.
In any case, most of the matrix units in the field . .. in the hands of the consumer ... lack the logie gain application and what these consumers are receiving over the air even when a matrix record is being broadcast, in no way resembles what real quadrasonic is all about.
Artistically, true quadrasonic should be discrete and provide total separation. The recording artist and/or the record producer must have total freedom in their creative efforts and their aims should be carried through to the listener. It's possible via the Lou Dorren Quadracast Systems Inc. discrete system. The only drawback to Dorren's system, the major system pending before the FCC, is that the SCA side band (used by background music systems broadcast to grocery stores and hotel elevators) would have to be moved.
But only on those FM stations broadcasting in discrete quadrasonic who also sell their sideband to a background music system.
And, quite frankly, these are relatively few in comparison with the total number of FM stations. In any case, there is a question whether use of these sidebands, for which the broadcast earns a fee, should take precedent over the rights of the public to a better quality broadcasting system. The background music companies could also resort to individual tape units; the public have no other alternative when it comes to discrete quadrasonic music via broadcast.
There is, of course, still a shortage of quadrasonic material. But the lack of any decision by the FCC regarding quadrasonic broadcasting has, in effect, put a damper on product development. One record company, MCA Records, has been mixing for quadrasonic for some time, but putting the quadrasonic masters on the shelve, awaiting a more-definitive direction in the total industry.

WEA Labels

The shortage of material will be solved in the near future, to a considerable extent, as the WEA Group of record labels enter the quadrasonic field.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

THE ONLY THING
MASTERWORK
HASN’T CHANGED
IS THE NAME.

There's a lot new at MASTERWORK. Starting with our sound systems. Three price ranges: The highly promotional Total Stereo series; DeLuxe Stereo systems for more sophisticated customers: an SQ Full Logic Quadraphonic for the hottest trade-up item you can handle.

Then there's a broad range of support materials: full color national magazine ads and local black and white newspaper advertising coordinated with an array of point-of-sale materials; and a complete direct mail package and full color envelope stuffers all ready for your imprint.

We haven't cut any corners on the systems or the support. You don't have to cut your margins when you sell. MASTERWORK gives you the products and the profits that go with inem.

Model 141
Suggested retail price $119.95.
FM/AM/FM Stereo compact with built-in 8-track player and built-in full-size BSR automatic turntable, large MASTERWORK Model 010 15” x 10” x 6” speakers. Complete
with slide control, FM Stereo indicator light, black-out dial, dust cover, SQ inputs for adapting to four-channel operation, and more.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

June 16, 1973

Rush CD-4
4-Channel
Cartridges

By PHIL GELORMINE

NEW YORK-
An increasing number of 4-channel phono cartridges are appearing on the market.
Since CD-4 recordings have a higher frequency range than an average stereo record, these premier cartridges are designed to insure maximum 4-channel separation at the lowest possible tracking forces with the highest amount of sound luster.
Pickering has recently introduced the first American-made discrete 4-channel cartridge to be offered commercially. According to a company spokesman, this new product culminates many years of intensive research and development. The cartridge, the UV15-2400Q, is capable of satisfying all the technical and aesthetic requirements for playback of all the material recorded on both discrete and stereo disks. The new cartridge retails at $124.95 and features. Pickering states, a revolutionary new diamond stylus, designed by the Quadrahedral Development Co., which "performs in a superior manner by every measurable test." Empire's Herb Horowitz revealed his company's emergence into the field with a new line of 4-channel pickups which will be demonstrated at CES. The line will be available for delivery shortly after the show. Although Horowitz declined to discuss the new models prior to CES debut demonstrations, he did point out Empire's exclusion of the Shabata-tipped stylus. "There's a very strong trend moving to other kinds of styli designs," he said. "Shabata was a good beginning for the playing of discrete discs, but it does have its limitations. We are going to introduce a superior 4-channel stylus tip design we feel will be outstanding in the areas of tracking, separation and brilliance."

Panasonic plans to reveal at CES a 4-channel semiconductor phono cartridge, according to Howard Holman, Panasonic's audio engineering manager. The EPC-451C uses semiconductor strain-gauge elements which utilize the "Piezo-resistance
effect of semiconductor material and has a unique structure named
"Vertical-drive" system and adopts a thin metal plate resolver processed by etching and a lightweight and strong titanium stylus-lever, which are developed by Panasonic especially for CD-4 disk reproduction, Holman stated. The stylus tip is spe-dial "line-touch” type, a Shibata equivalent, naked diamond for CD-4 use. Currently, Panasonic is selling its SE-405 discrete 4-channel disc demodulator and EPC-4500 semiconductor CD-4 phono cartridge in a 4-channel package deal at a $139.95 list.

Shure

Shure Brothers, Inc. reports a CD-4 phono cartridge in progress. Frank Karlov, manager of electro-development specified that the new cartridge will offer no compromise with regard to stereo, matrix or discrete sound reproduction. "Many of the CD-4 cartridges on the market claim to be totally compatible, but in truth, nothing will track a stereo record like a cartridge specifically designed for that purpose," Karlov said. Although Shure's latest top of the line model, the V-15 Type III, is capable of tracking a discrete disk, Karlov noted, it is not recommended for the reasons he stated. "Until we can manufacture a truly compatible CD-4 cartridge without hedging, Shure will overview the situation.
What with the quadraphonic market increasing every day, it is highly possible for us to put a line in full production by the end of the year," Karlov added.
Available from JVC is the 4MD-20x at $69.95, a V-shaped magnetic discrete cartridge with an extended frequency response which is as much as three times wider than a regular stereo cartridge. According to JVC engineer Gene Yamamoto, the advantages of the Shibata tip cartridge include a high frequency response of up to 60,000 Hz (4MD-20x), longer stylus life in addition to longer record wear and pronounced four channel separation.

Technica

Audio Technica has introduced three discrete phono cartridges since the first of the year. All employ a dual moving magnet principal wherein a separate lightweight magnet is used for each side of the groove allowing the moving mass of the cartridge to be extremely low.
A fourth model, the ATI2S, is being introduced at the CES in Chicago. The AT12S with Shibata tip, as all Audio Technica's discrete cartridges have, will list for $49.50.
"We're buying and selling these in quantity now. That's why we are able to reduce the price significantly on a genuine Shibata tipped cartridge," said Audio Technica's general manager, Jon Kelly, who considers the AT12S a real advance for audiophiles hedging away from CD-4 recordings because of the high cartridge price.
"At the moment, our ATI4S at $75.00 is our most popular model, but I feel that the new one we are introducing will even outsell our top of the line model," Kelly said. "The main difference in the price range of the four models is based upon specification tolerances which get tighter and tighter as you go up in cost.
"The things that make a cartridge good for CD-4 also make it extremely acceptable for playing two channel records. If you have a stylus that is shaped intelligently, with a low mass and wide range design, it will naturally be a good cartridge for stereo or matrix recordings," he added.
Pioneer recommends its PC-01 4-channel phono cartridge at $69.95.
According to the company, when the PC-Q1 cartridge is employed with a quality stereo turntable, clear sound localization and natural 4-channel sound from CD-4 disks will result. Conventional stereo records, as well as all SQ and regular matrix 4-channel records can also be tracked.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

 

[Old Quad Guy]

June 16, 1973

OVER 200 STATIONS FEATURE CBS SQ LP

STAMFORD, Conn.
More than 200 FM radio stations coast-to-coast today are featuring CBS Records SQ quadrasonic music, according to Gerald A. Budelman, electrical engineer of SQ projects the acoustics and magnetics division of CBS Laboratories. It was this laboratory that came up with the SQ matrix quadrasonic system. The laboratory is headed by Ben Bauer.
FM radio stations need no additional equipment in order to play SQ matrix nor Sansui's QS matrix.
And recent improvements in the SQ decoder, which the listener has to have at home with his 4-channel amplifier and four speakers, will make SQ reception even better. Budelman pointed to a new Lafayette unit that was to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show, as nearing perfection in the state of the art and a new para-matrix development in the SQ decoder will rival or exceed it.
He foresaw a bright and excellent future for quadrasonic broadcasting even if the Federal Communications Commission never acts on discrete.
Matrix quadrasonic broadcasting requires no ruling by the FCC since basically everything is done "before mike" stage and the FCC has decided such broadcasting doesn't come under its jurisdiction.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

Presenting our new models for 73.

Everyone's got a different idea when it comes to buying a car. The same holds true for buying an 8-track car stereo. That's why Panasonic's engineered 8 different models. One to match anyone's idea of what 8-track stereo is all about.
Take our CQ-959. An 8-track player with an FM/AM/FM stereo radio. A complete car entertainment center that fits in the dash of most any car. Tailored for the customer who wants to hear - in his car - everything he can hear at home.

For the security minded there's our CX-567. An 8-track stereo player with a special lock-tight bracket. To prevent loss. And unlocks for easy removal. 4-channel buffs will flip for CX-601. On the road and at home, it plays 4 as well as 2 channel tapes. Just slide it out of lock-tight bracket and into optional home cabinet.
The CQ-880 and CX-880 are 8-track portables for the car and home. And CQ-880 has FM stereo radio.
For under-the-dash listening, there's CQ-909. For AM fans, there's the CQ-251. It fits right under the dash with our special adjustable control shafts. For economy, our compact CX-325. Big on performance, small enough to fit in his glove compartment.
Panasonic knows everyone's got his own ideas when buying a car and when buying an 8-track car stereo. We just make the 8-track part of it easier for him.

Panasonic
just slightly ahead of our time

 

[Old Quad Guy]

June 16, 1973

Mass Buyer Focus
On 'Q, TV Systems

By BOB KIRSCH

LOS ANGELES-
A tremendous emphasis on 4-channel product, from very high-end components to mass priced compact systems in both tape and disk form, is going to be the main attraction at the Consumer Electronics Show according to many of the nation's major audio buyers.
Most buyers for leading chains also feel that with adequate quadrasonic software on the hori-zon, 4-channel product is finally to be the mass seller it was predicted to be several years ago.
Besides quadrasonic, buyers also see the summer CES showcasing higher quality cassette and 8-track hardware, for the car and home, than in past years, as well as a great deal of interest in video products.
In short, buyers are not looking for the CES to be a particularly exciting show. What they are seeing is a working show with a lot of looking, buying and bargaining to be done.

Federated

"I'm expecting to see a lot of quadrasonic material and a lot of it is going to have CD-4 capability built into the receiver with SQ and QS modes," said Michael Renne, president of Federated Electronics,Inc.
“Basically what I'm looking for and expect to find,” Renne continued, “is a lot of universal product, which means product able to handle everything we know in stereo and quadrasonic. I expect to see quad-rasonic product with more power capability than ever and I expect to see more quadrasonic components, such as preamps. I'm going to be looking for more pure high fidelity equipment in 4-channel and a lot of this is going to come from the high-end, so

Mass Buyer Focus: Federated, Korvettes, Goody, Pacific Stereo, Swollens

called esoteric manufacturers. I also expect to see a good range of 4-channel product in all price fields and modes."
What else is Renne looking for at the show? "I'm looking for a better price spread representation in all phases of the hi fi business," he said, "and a wider representation of firms showing products. I see six or possibly more firms showing universal receivers and I expect more Dolby cassettes for the car. I also think that firms not at the show will be bowing more Dolby software in cassette. In the car cassette we should also be seeing more FM and in-dash product and more units with automatic reverse. As for the home cassette, I think we will see a wide spread of more affluent, $200 plus units.
"In 8-track," Renne continued, “record capability is going to be even more important than ever. I expect more features, better frequency response, less wow and flutter and a lot of fast forward. I think you will see this in the car units also.
“As far as regular stereo product is concerned, Renne said, "I think we will continue to see the constant technical improvements that have been taking place. There should be less redesigning of stereo lines but a more concentrated effort on bringing product up to snuff. There will be more updated designing and the normal progress in the state of the art."
In other areas, Renne sees more tape and/or radio capability in 4-channel and stereo compact systems, more improvement in videotape and price and quality moves in blank tape.
"I don't expect to see a great deal I don't already know about in the way of product," Renne said. "What I'm more interested in is prototypes and manufacturer's marketing plans for the future. But I can't run my business on prototypes. I can only sell what will be delivered. Most buyers have done their major buying well ahead of the show and anything put off is based on the thought that something else might appear at the show, but this is not a really common case.”

Korvettes

David Rothfeld, vice president, divisional merchandise manager for Korvettes, agrees with Renne in many cases. "There is no question that there will be a tremendous emphasis on quadrasonic," Rothfeld said. “I think most of the high-end quadrasonic components we will see will be universal, with CD-4, SQ and QS capability. This is going to make it a little easier to get 4-channel really off the ground and make it a more meaningful fall selling season for 4-channel disk software.”
Rothfeld feels that the universal quadrasonic components will definitely reflect in record sales, but also believes "that it would help if we had one inventory in 4-channel records. This is what we really need to get quadrasonic off the ground. The configuration is going to do well, anyway," he added, "because it's going to be shown across the board and it's now in the eyes of the consumer. He wants it and needs it." In other areas, Rothfeld sees more Dolby cassette units for the home and some in the car, though he doesn't see it as being quite as critical here. “Record capability is going to be even more important in 8-track, especially in the deck," Rothfeld added. "Portability is going to be very important in 8-track and portables with AM-FM radio are going to be healthy sellers.
"As for videotapes," he continued, "it's something we've been looking at and expecting for sometime but it's still going to be a while before this is any kind of a consumer item. I'm going to be looking very eagerly at video disk prototypes and demonstrations."
Like Renne, Rothfeld said that most of his major buying is done before the actual show itself. "But you can't see everything," he added. "There are a lot of secondary purchases that have to be made. This is not downgrading these items, it's just that we didn't have the time to see and judge before showtime."

Goody

Jay Schwab, audio buyer for Sam Goody, said he is going to be looking for "very tangible evidence that the WEA group, RCA and all others involved in CD-4 software are going to come out with decent titles that will let the consumer feel an investment in quadrasonic is a worthwhile investment.
"In the hardware end," he continued, "I do expect to see a lot of new product in both 4-channel and stereo with emphasis on CD-4, either alone or in combination with the other modes. There is going to be a lot of universal material. This kind of product is here now," he empha-sized, "so it's now more than ever that the software is needed."
In other product areas, Schwab expects to see "a lot of new looks but not a great deal of new features. I think we can expect more Dolby cassette units and higher prices in this configuration. At the same time, I would like to see a continuing strong market in low-end, portable cassette units. Reel-to-reel will probably be less important except in the high-end market. In 8-track, I think we've just seen the beginning of growth in devices with record and playback capability. I think we are going to see more quadrasonic 8-track product and an entirely new generation of record and playback decks."
What about other areas? "There should be more modular turntables with the cartridges built in," Schwab said. "I'm also looking for a third head machine with a monitoring head on cassette units. I'd like to have some guidance on what the manufacturer's position in the car cassette is, because it seems to be spotty so far. More Dolby in the car would be good. Getting back to quadrasonic, I think that most demonstrations will have CD-4 demodulators to aid in the demonstrating.
For me, there will not be enough quadrasonic units with CD-4 built in, but there will certainly be enough to make things very interesting.”

Pacific Stereo

Dick Schram, merchandise manager for the Pacific Stereo chain, also expects to see "increased activity in CD-4 when quadrasonic is demonstrated and a lot more universal systems. This is going to be a lot more important in components because compacts are not an extremely large part of our business in this area. I think virtually every manufacturer already in quadrasonic will have additional material and there should be a lot more promotion of the configuration to create additional consumer interest."
In other product areas, Schram sees "a lot more 8-track record units, some possibly with Dolby. I think the consumer is now willing to pay the price for higher quality. Fast forward is going to be more important in 8-track, and in cassette i think Dolby is beginning to be almost a password, especially in the home decks. In the car Dolby is helpful but not a necessity, but auto reverse is a very important feature. Fast forward and rewind, however, are still the most important features here.
"We're doing well in reel-to-reel," he continued, "and I do expect some resurgence here." Like most mass buyers, Schram has done most of his purchasing before the show. "I go to see the manufacturers and other buyers," he said, "and to find out manufacturing programs and promotions. I also get a chance to see everything under one roof, such as more high powered amplifiers, more updating in auto items and a general improvement in the quality of all items as well as some facelifts. As for video, I can say that I'll certainly be looking.”

Swallens

A spokesman for Swallens, the large Ohio department store chain which has traditionally been very involved in audio and tape, said that "we've been promoting 4-channel and stocking a lot of it. There just isn't enough software yet. I'm going to be looking for universal quadrasonic systems at the show and I think these are going to be more and more important. In 4-channel, I feel there will be a lot more high-end, higher quality product that the consumer is now willing to pay for.
There will probably be additional power in 4-channel and you need this as you move into the better receivers. The lower-end quadrasonic compacts will continue to sell, but not like they have in the past." In other areas, the spokesman said that cassette decks are becoming much more popular and he expects to see more Dolby. "I'm not looking for any more features," he added,
"but I expect better quality. In 8-track, record decks are getting even more important and fast forward is another important feature and I think better frequency range will become another important feature.
Reel-to-reel decks, in the high-end are also going to be more important than ever."

 

[Old Quad Guy]

June 16, 1973

WEA Preview
Of Quadiscs

NEW YORK-
Warner-Elektra-Atlantic will preview several of its quadradiscs at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago Sunday-Tuesday (10-13), according to Jac Holzman, chairman of the joint engineering and technical committee of the WEA group. Special literature describing the WEA selection of the discrete format as its standard will also be distributed. WEA plans to introduce its first major release in mid-summer.

 

[gvl_guy]

Yes, in large population areas in the US there would be more room for more narrowly formated stations. In Canada FM format was heavily controlled and approval was need to switch. We had country, jazz, classical stations on FM but few people listened to them. One station simulcasted AM/FM top forty.

There was a switch in the late seventies, simulcasting was disallowed. The Jazz station switched to hard rock, the simulcasted top forty station switched to soft rock. Call letters were changed to better differentiate the FM station from their AM counterpart. That was the period that I began to listen to FM more, that was the golden age of FM for me.

Sunday nights the stations had to play music from their original format. Modern jazz on the rock station. Comedy on another. Radio dramas on another. That was my favourite night for radio. Lots of variety. I'm not much of a supporter of government regulation but it seems that every time a good regulation is in place the industry clamours for change and then things go downhill! Back then a single corporation could only have one AM and one FM station in any given market. Now one or two big corporations own and control everything!

The FM format regulations eventually changed allowing the stations to switch at will, like AM could. That brought in the situation where stations began either to play basically the same music each, with little variety, or else played a very narrow format to a narrow base. AM was squeezed out of music and then off the air altogether. Digital technology allowed stations to run on autopilot much of the day. No need for a DJ to spin records past midnight anymore.

Do you know if Canada still has a rule about playing Canadian artists? I remember going to Denver to learn how to use a music scheduling system and two of the folks were from Canada. I remember that a certain percentage of airplay had to be Canadian artists and it kinda screwed them up. They tended to play mostly anything in the important dayparts- morning and afternoon drive times. Midday and nights was oversaturated with Canadian artists to make up for the other dayparts. A vaguely remember that Ann Murray and Bryan Adams were big on their station, but I could be wrong.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

June 9, 1973

Syndicated Concerts Prove Power of Rock

By SAM SUTHERLAND

NEW YORK-
Just as television is discovering the potential impact of rock programming on a network basis, DIR ("Dig it Radio") Broadcasting, newly-formed FM programming syndicator here, is carrying the same concept forward via
"The King Biscuit Flower Hour," a monthly, hour-long rock concert being broadcast in quadrasonic and hosted by Bill Minkin.
With DIR's list of affiliates showing steady growth during the first two months of programming, Bob Meyrowitz, DIR president, noted that by early May "Flower Hour" had spread from its initial network to first 54, then 75 stations.
While DIR's biggest complaint to date has been what Meyrowitz terms "advertisers, who don't understand why we're spending so much on our production budget," Pioneer Elecironics and Landlubber clothing have already made full-year commitments to the fledgling series.
Meyrowitz saw the radio network as an alternative to "rock festivals, which you really can't have anymore."
Now, "Flower Hour" is being programmed towards single evening, "network" status, with most stations programming on the same Saturday.
That scheduling, coupled with 16-track recording from the Record Plant remote facilities here and on the West Coast, is designed to reach that 15-30 target audience through the music, not the format, and Meyrowitz emphasized that "Flower Hour's" recordings of live concerts are being produced more closely with the artists, who enjoy from 10 to 20 hours of mixing time for the final SQ-encoded signal, as opposed to shorter mixing times available to the same groups when appearing on television syndicated rock shows.
"Flower Hour is being programmed in New York (WNEW-FM), Los Angeles (KMET-FM), Boston (WBCN-FM), Detroit (WABX-FM),
Philadelphia (KSAN-FM), Chicago (WSDM-FM), as well as other primary and starter markets, DIR's talent buyer and music coordinator, Peter Kanff, has already completed recording dates here and on the West Coast with Edgar Winter, Richie Havens, J. Geils Band, Frampton's Camel, Slade, Humble Pie and others.
Since its initial airing in late April, "Flower Hour" has also provided Meyrowitz with a further profile of his audience through a growing mail response. Meyrowitz is particularly enthusiastic about the response to the quadraphonic format, which, Meyrowitz asserts, has generated "an inordinately heavy response," suggesting that the first quadraphonic "network" attempt may augur well for hardware manufacturers.

 

[par4ken]

Do you know if Canada still has a rule about playing Canadian artists? I remember going to Denver to learn how to use a music scheduling system and two of the folks were from Canada. I remember that a certain percentage of airplay had to be Canadian artists and it kinda screwed them up. They tended to play mostly anything in the important dayparts- morning and afternoon drive times. Midday and nights was oversaturated with Canadian artists to make up for the other dayparts. A vaguely remember that Ann Murray and Bryan Adams were big on their station, but I could be wrong.

Yes that rule still exists. I don't think that stations are allowed to oversaturate late at night anymore. Ann Murray got a lot of airplay and won a lot of "Juno" awards, I think that she got tired of the whole thing as well and started to snub the awards ceremony. Bryan Adams and many other Canadian artists that are lesser known in US were definitely overplayed.

I strongly disagreed with the rule when it first came out, I remember Susan Jacks (Poppy Family) in a radio feature voicing her displeasure about the new rule as well. Susan (and Terry) wanted to be played because they were good not because they were Canadian!

At the time of that ruling there was a surge of excellent Canadian talent, I don't know if it was a coincidence or if helped/caused by the rule. There was so much new good stuff back then that I don't remember anything being overplayed until the eighties. The content percentage was upped over the years making the situation worse causing the oversaturation.

Powerhouse CKLW broke a lot of Canadian talent into the US market during that early period.

Canadian records, singles at least started to carry the MAPL logo a circle quartered with black and white letters indicating Canadian content based on four categories.

MAPL System Canadian Content

 

[MidiMagic]

I will just agree to disagree with you. Meanwhile, I will continue to enjoy my CD-4 system which works very well and as it should.

Doug

I am really interested in how you did it. I could never get it to work right.

 

[MidiMagic]

How did they do that? Did those old mechanical contraptions have a way to record what selections had been played?

Disagree, even the rock stations delved into folk, country, easy listening, soul. It was just music then. Music Radio! Check out the old radio station charts to see the great diversity. Some stations that were primarily rock programmed country for part of the day. Small market stations programmed everything imaginable, more like network TV.

We had a Wurlitzer that had a toothed wheel and moving pointer on a screw that counted plays. There was one for each record next to its selector coil. You recorded the numbers when you serviced the jukebox and then reset the pointers to 0.