Quad Cassette Dolby C?

[timbre4]

I see that this TOKI ADEYEFA - Keyboards In Space quad cassette is listed as having Dolby C encoding which was not introduced until 1980. Does anyone know what year this was cassette released?

 

[DuncanS]

Its down on quadro-surrounds.de as soon to be re-released https://www.quadro-surround.de/english/analog_productions.html

 

[timbre4]

Its down on quadro-surrounds.de as soon to be re-released https://www.quadro-surround.de/english/analog_productions.html

What a bizarre coincidence! I see the word 'ambisonics' in the description which would indicate something not discrete? Somebody here will be brave enough to order it and then we'll learn what it actually is. (have yet to hear anything impressive with ambisonics origins)

 

[4-earredwonder]

What a bizarre coincidence! I see the word 'ambisonics' in the description which would indicate something not discrete? Somebody here will be brave enough to order it and then we'll learn what it actually is. (have yet to hear anything impressive with ambisonics origins)

FRANNY AND THE FIREBALLS?????? double YIKES!!!!!!

 

[surround.sound.enthusiast]

Interesting, but I don't know about a quadraphonic cassette... maybe Ambisonic though, like you mentioned. Quadraphonic cassettes have been discussed before, and aside from apparently none being made
and no consumer level equipment (I think Technics made a genuine 4-channel cassette deck, but I can't my info now), there was discussion about the technical difficulties of channel bleed on such a narrow tape.

However, I have tripped across photos of Tony Mattola and the Quad Guitars on cassette (could conceivably have been from an matrix encoded master, but quite possibly just an issue of artwork on the cassette
packaging), Roberta Flack Killing Me Softly (couldn't be, as it was a discrete-only release), and a blank cassette from Audio Magnetics Corporation advertised as "QHFC-90" and "Quadrasonic".

 

[timbre4]

Interesting, but I don't know about a quadraphonic cassette... maybe Ambisonic though, like you mentioned. Quadraphonic cassettes have been discussed before, and aside from apparently none being made
and no consumer level equipment (I think Technics made a genuine 4-channel cassette deck, but I can't my info now), there was discussion about the technical difficulties of channel bleed on such a narrow tape.

However, I have tripped across photos of Tony Mattola and the Quad Guitars on cassette (could conceivably have been from an matrix encoded master, but quite possibly just an issue of artwork on the cassette
packaging), Roberta Flack Killing Me Softly (couldn't be, as it was a discrete-only release), and a blank cassette from Audio Magnetics Corporation advertised as "QHFC-90" and "Quadrasonic".

The idea of a quad cassette came and went before Technics; could have been Panasonic prototype but I’ve never seen it. There was one quad cassette deck listed in the equipment directories by Astro Com Marluxe of Oneonta, NY. It was 4 tracks one direction and discrete by design. Later Tascam Porta Studios started like this and later adopted 8 tracks on 1/8” Tape.

Matrix quad with tape had phase issues etc. these references to Ambisonic are only recent comments seen with this 2018 reissue.


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[Mark Anderson]

Interesting, but I don't know about a quadraphonic cassette... maybe Ambisonic though, like you mentioned. Quadraphonic cassettes have been discussed before, and aside from apparently none being made
and no consumer level equipment (I think Technics made a genuine 4-channel cassette deck, but I can't my info now), there was discussion about the technical difficulties of channel bleed on such a narrow tape.

However, I have tripped across photos of Tony Mattola and the Quad Guitars on cassette (could conceivably have been from an matrix encoded master, but quite possibly just an issue of artwork on the cassette
packaging), Roberta Flack Killing Me Softly (couldn't be, as it was a discrete-only release), and a blank cassette from Audio Magnetics Corporation advertised as "QHFC-90" and "Quadrasonic".

The porta studio was introduced around '79 as I recall and by the mid 80's Dolby C was available on a 4-track cassette deck. Klause Honnmann (sp) was the one who alerted me about the quad cassttes being released in Germany.

Below is a photo of the Mattola cassette, I have not heard it so cannot atest to it's validity


And if Quad could not be more confusing to the masses we have labeling that could mislead the novice

Here the Roberta Flack in 4 channel Stereo that is not quad


QHFC-60

 

[rustyandi]

The porta studio was introduced around '79 as I recall and by the mid 80's Dolby C was available on a 4-track cassette deck. Klause Honnmann (sp) was the one who alerted me about the quad cassttes being released in Germany.

Below is a photo of the Mattola cassette, I have not heard it so cannot atest to it's validity
View attachment 32510

And if Quad could not be more confusing to the masses we have labeling that could mislead the novice

Here the Roberta Flack in 4 channel Stereo that is not quad
View attachment 32508

QHFC-60
View attachment 32509

I brought the 45 of the Quad guitars to try it was not Quad
Ron

 

[4-earredwonder]

Obviously, if they were discrete QUAD there would be NO side 2 on either cassette tape. Wonder whose bright idea it was to try to cram all that info on such a narrow band of tape traveling @ 1 7/8 ips without alien intervention?

 

[timbre4]

Obviously, if they were discrete QUAD there would be NO side 2 on either cassette tape. Wonder whose bright idea it was to try to cram all that info on such a narrow band of tape traveling @ 1 7/8 ips without alien intervention?

It certainly wasn’t the inventor (Phillips) as they never approved it. Without their backing, it died on the launchpad. If the matrix scheme was used as implied, that seem’s a fool’s errand. The wow & flutter, phasing issues would negate going in that direction. If you can slap a quadrasonic label on a cheap blank stereo cassette, that’s a marketing end-run around reality.


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[Mark Anderson]

Wonder whose bright idea it was to try to cram all that info on such a narrow band of tape traveling @ 1 7/8 ips without alien intervention?

This was an idependent label in Germany that utilized new technology to get discrete quad into the home. If you look at the time period multichannel digital did not exist, it was 10-15 years after 4 channel reel and 8-track and I welcomed utilizing a 4 track cassette as one more tool to record in surround

 

[surround.sound.enthusiast]

I had to dig around about the 4-channel cassette deck I mentioned, but what I was remembering was the Tascam 134 and 234. I knew it was a company name known magnetic recording and playback...
While the two Tascams are indeed cassette format, the 234 runs at a faster speed than consumer cassettes, and the 134 may actually be able to run at two speeds (including consumer speed?); they may
both require a special cassette, or at least a particular variety.

There was a post in the past few months that brought the 234 to my attention.

And apparently Audio Magnetic Corporation wanted to cover all bases in the blank "quad cassette" market, with both 60 and 90 minutes offerings .

 

[humprof]

I had to dig around about the 4-channel cassette deck I mentioned, but what I was remembering was the Tascam 134 and 234. I knew it was a company name known magnetic recording and playback...
While the two Tascams are indeed cassette format, the 234 runs at a faster speed than consumer cassettes, and the 134 may actually be able to run at two speeds (including consumer speed?); they may
both require a special cassette, or at least a particular variety.

There was a post in the past few months that brought the 234 to my attention.

And apparently Audio Magnetic Corporation wanted to cover all bases in the blank "quad cassette" market, with both 60 and 90 minutes offerings .

This is a different can o' worms, but I remember in the 80s when my brother, an amateur musician, got a Tascam four-channel cassette recorder for his home studio. (He may still have it, for all I know.) Does anyone know if there was a way to rig those for four-channel playback? And speaking of two-speed cassette players: who remembers the BIC T-1 and T-2, which could record at 3-3/4 ips as well as the standard 1-7/8? I think Teac may have had a model like that, too.

 

[bigbillquad]

This is a different can o' worms, but I remember in the 80s when my brother, an amateur musician, got a Tascam four-channel cassette recorder for his home studio. (He may still have it, for all I know.) Does anyone know if there was a way to rig those for four-channel playback? And speaking of two-speed cassette players: who remembers the BIC T-1 and T-2, which could record at 3-3/4 ips as well as the standard 1-7/8? I think Teac may have had a model like that, too.

I think that Elcaset ..was the one to run at 3-3/4 ips Sony invented this system, didn't last very long on the market...

 

[humprof]

I think that Elcaset ..was the one to run at 3-3/4 ips Sony invented this system, didn't last very long on the market...

View attachment 32522View attachment 32523

Yeah...I remember those, too! (Sony has quite a track record with formats that never caught on, eh?) The BIC decks used ordinary cassettes--the downside being that the higher speed halved the running time, obviously.

 

[Circular Vibes]

Marantz also made a 2 speed cassette ndeck in the late 70's or early 80's. I recently purchased a Yamaha 4 channel cassette deck (model MT44D) that has Dolby B and C. I haven't tried it yet, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that the tracks don't perfectly align to standard 2 channel cassettes. I do hope it works as the 4 other cassette decks I have around don't work to my standards. The Yamaha requires a special sticker with a sensing foil to be stuck on the window of the back of a standard cassette in order to access the 4 channel playback and record features. My plan was to record my 4 channel Dolby reels and play back in Dolby.

 

[timbre4]

My original comment about the Dolby C was based on the Anderson Quad listing being a vintage quad (1972-1975) release. Now I’m thinking this was a 1980s project aimed at Portastudio decks; which is it?


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[Mark Anderson]

My original comment about the Dolby C was based on the Anderson Quad listing being a vintage quad (1972-1975) release. Now I’m thinking this was a 1980s project aimed at Portastudio decks; which is it?
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I will have to make a note in the discography about the details of the tape as to eliminate any confusion in the future.. I never looked at the discography documenting a time period and ran will past '75 to the mid 80's, just 4 channel recordings or all things quad.
Exactly! a Portastudio project professionally released (to an extent).
I had so many over the years being the first tascam, yamaha, fostex either DBX or Dolby B & C that only recorded on Hi-Bias 70mseq tape and would record at 1-7/8 of 3-3/4. 4 inputs 4 outputs and a stereo bus output to mix the 4 channels into stereo right on the deck. Sure beat dealing with a reel while traveling. Although I must admit to hauling a 4 channel reel on the road from time to time until 2000.
Unfortunately the new decks like yamaha and fostex seemed to die much more, tascams were always reliable.
First Dolby C deck as I recall was a NAD which I had in 1980

 

[boxhead]

This thread tickled a memory from the 70's when I was in my teens. Being an avid reader of technology and HiFi mags I was sure I recalled JVC developing a double sided quad cassette deck - that's right, with 8 discrete tracks on a standard cassette. Went searchin' and found this:

Billboard 7 July 1973

'Q' CASSETTE ARRIVES

CHICAGO - A fully compatible 8-track 4-channel cassette deck was introduced for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show last week by JVC America, Inc. According to Karl Kohda, tape recorder engineer of JVC parent company, the Victor Company of Japan, the new system gives perfect playback of two 4-channel programs from the same cassette that, not so long ago, could only give two monaural programs.

“What makes it possible” Kohda said, “is the revolutionary new head developed by JVC. This ‘Cronios’ head is engineered with the precision necessary to pick up 8 separate signals from the standard 0.15” wide cassette tape. Compatibility means that regular 2-channel cassettes and even mono cassettes can be played on the deck, the 4CD-1680, with no loss of musical information. The cassettes, Kohda said, will be manufactured by the Victor Company of Japan and will be completely compatible with existing stereo cassette decks.

The deck incorporates 4-channel ANPS (sic) noise reduction system, a crosstalk elimination circuit, special low noise amplification circuits, bias circuit, equalization circuit and an independent drive mechanism.

“The 4CD-1680 is expected to be ready for mass merchandising by late next Sprint” Kohda revealed, “and will probably retail for approximately $500.”

I even found a picture of a demo cassette from BASF

 

[surround.sound.enthusiast]

Wow, that's an interesting critter...

The thing that doesn't quite make sense is that the Billboard article seems to imply discrete 4-channel (8-track, 4-channels), but the labeling on the demo (prototype?) cassette includes "SQ" which is matrix.

But either way, an interesting curiosity, and interesting turn in the ol' quad cassette discussion.