Matrix H ?? -maybe

[ingresman]

The BBC have signed an agreement with EMI to release some of its archive material. See http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article4107726.ece for some details.
Hopefully they will issue some of the Matrix H sessions done by Queen, Jack Bruce, Uriah Heap, The Motors, Steve Gibbons band and Elvis Costello.
I can't imagine that they will explicity mention H but being a matrix we can only hope that the encoding stayed intact.

 

[JonUrban]

I have one of these reels (Jack Bruce) and it says they're SQ! Are they really H or were they converted at some point?

 

[ingresman]

I remember it being broadcast on a Saturday evening. In those days we used to get what were called sight and sound concerts where the pictures were on TV and the soundtrack synced on the radio - great times !
However, does your tape start with the presenter doing a test where he says hello in each channel and maybe goes on about mikmen, if he does that I guess you've got (at least) the H source.
To my memory the BBC didn't do any other matrix system broadcasts (I bet they did though without telling any one!)

 

[JonUrban]

Here's a scan of two of the pages that came with my Jack Bruce Reel

 

[Kazaam]

Wow... you mean there was yet another format back in the day? I've read up on the SQ/QS and some of the discrete LP formats like CD-4. (Here at the QQ, of course. Or linked from it.) But I don't recall anything called "H". Was it considered better than SQ?

Anyway... I suppose it would be cool if the new CDs still had the encoding in tact. That is, it'd be cool for y'all who have that old school gear.

(Maybe it'd still give nice simulated surround using modern PL2, etc.?)

 

[omega4]

The BBC experimented with matrix systems mainly to discover if broadcasting a matrix encoded quadraphonic system would affect the perception of "normal" stereo broadcasts. A very few Matrix H decoders were produced; I think Denon produced one. However, to my knowledge there have not been any commercial releases. The BBC developed Matrix H into Matrix HJ, although I cannot say what the difference was. It was probably a variance in the phase shift to lessen possible audible effects from the encoding. I think that HJ formed the early incarnation of Ambisonics, but I believe there are others on this forum with far greater knowledge than me.

Anyway, for a couple or so years programmes were broadcast on a reasonably regular basis in Matrix H/HJ. My main enjoyment was on a Saturday afternoon on the Alan Freeman Show. Well known bands of the day would record sessions for the show and a few were in Matrix H. The BBC also recorded some live shows and I seem to recollect them presenting Pink Floyd from Wembley Empire Pool (now called Arena) about 1973/4. There were also a lot of live recorded classical concerts, and I still have an organ recital, designed to recreate the space and ambience of a cathedral in your living room.

I was only able to try to decode it with a Sony SQ decoder/amp (without logic) with indiscriminate results! However, just as the BBC perfected the system quadraphonic hit the buffers and that was that! I understand that a slightly modified QS decoder will do a very good job of decoding Matrix H.

As far as the deal between EMI and the BBC is concerned I would be very doubtful that any quadraphonic material will emerge, or escape. I do however live in hope.

 

[Bonzodog]

Matrix H decoding, from the BBC:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/reports/1977-02.pdf

There is a lot more information there as well.

 

[omega4]

See also the "Matrix H" thread under the Ambisonics folder in the main QQ menu.

 

[ingresman]

I see Brian Mathew introduced this concert, he definitly didn't do the H broadcast. So the BBC did do some SQ - well you live and learn !.
Just going back to the days if H, when Wish You Were Here came out Alan Freeman broadcast the entire album in H. I often wonder if that was the mix that was used for the SQ release or did the BBC have a go?. Perhaps some one knows here.

 

[rustyandi]

I see Brian Mathew introduced this concert, he definitly didn't do the H broadcast. So the BBC did do some SQ - well you live and learn !.
Just going back to the days if H, when Wish You Were Here came out Alan Freeman broadcast the entire album in H. I often wonder if that was the mix that was used for the SQ release or did the BBC have a go?. Perhaps some one knows here.

The BBC did a number of SQ concerts I have a copy of
2 tracks from Ronnie Aldrich and 1 track
from Tomita and 1 from Rick Wackman in SQ
There was the full concert from Tomita of FM about 1976
But I missed recording it I also have a couple of brass band type concerts in SQ
Ron

 

[atrocity]

The BBC also recorded some live shows and I seem to recollect them presenting Pink Floyd from Wembley Empire Pool (now called Arena) about 1973/4.

The BBC recorded the November 16, 1974 Wembley show...well, the second half of it. Pink Floyd played then-unreleased material for the first half and (so legend says) didn't allow recording out of fear it would be bootlegged.

BBC aired the entire "Dark Side of the Moon" set and it was also played on radio in the States. "Echoes" was recorded but never broadcast, though a VERY high-quality bootleg has surfaced in the last couple years that includes both the DSOTM set and the "Echoes" encore.

I believe the show was provided to stations in their choice of LP or a reel with the entire set presented without interruption.

 

[ndiamone]

I believe the show was provided to stations in their choice of LP or a reel with the entire set presented without interruption.

Is that the kind of radio promo master that's traded quasi-underground in the various broadcast-memorabilia forums? I kept all my Westwood One and all the other programming services. Every year, our Program Directors would always call up the various programming houses and ask if they wanted `em all back (program houses paying for the shipping) and they always said `You got the same garbage can as us'. So we'd fill out forms every year, stating the titles that were `destroyed' and then in the days before filesharing and widespread CD home burning, passed `em out among ourselves, depending on artist.

 

[atrocity]

Is that the kind of radio promo master that's traded quasi-underground in the various broadcast-memorabilia forums?

Probably. I'm not sure who distributed the DSOTM show in the U.S., though. I've heard it broadcast twice, the last well over 20 years ago, and neither time did it have any of the usual blathering at the head or tail, nor did it have any interruptions.

 

[jaybird100]

Actually, Matrix H did morph into HJ, but also into UHJ, the basis for Ambisonic. This format was commercially released on classical recordings from Nimbus Records, both on vinyl and CD. There was one Matrix H record commercially released (that I know about, since I have a copy) by Virgin Records, "Instructions for Angels", by David Bedford.

 

[mrfloydin]

All,

As a companion to my BBC Radio Show Index originally posted In June, I have just posted a similar index focusing on the mid-'70's BBC quad radio broadcasts done in Matrix H and HJ formats. I have also posted significant updates to my other previous radio show indices from that date.

From some of the feedback I received from my first postings, I got directed to some forum threads and learned more of the nature and extent of these unique broadcasts. From this I initiated some research and received helpful input from others that encouraged me to create and just now post a specific index of these broadcasts.

As with my previous indices, I again honestly state that these are 'rough' versions that I plan to reformat later, though that effort could take me some time. So it may be worth checking back on it in a number of months, to view the improvements.

Should you be interested to check out this new addition, please follow the initial link at: http://www.eclipse67.com/bbchr.htm

If you follow the links in this main page, it will take you to the new index at www.eclipse67.com/bbch.htm, as well as the multi-page sections that are devoted to the King Biscuit Flower Hour and the BBC Transcription Services & BBC Rock Hour programs. These include the cumulative indices for these shows as well. As stated, these are intended to be 'works in process' and are not assumed to be completely accurate or totally comprehensive. There are acknowledged holes in them and my hope is that I will receive clarifying input from viewers, so that I can update and refine these pages over time.

Therefore, I would sincerely appreciate feedback on specific content, clarity of the format, and with any general comments regarding this effort.

Feel free to share this link with any others whom you feel would be interested.

I hope that you find these new pages enjoyable and informative.

mrfloydin

 

[jaybird100]

The BBC experimented with matrix systems mainly to discover if broadcasting a matrix encoded quadraphonic system would affect the perception of "normal" stereo broadcasts. A very few Matrix H decoders were produced; I think Denon produced one. However, to my knowledge there have not been any commercial releases. The BBC developed Matrix H into Matrix HJ, although I cannot say what the difference was. It was probably a variance in the phase shift to lessen possible audible effects from the encoding. I think that HJ formed the early incarnation of Ambisonics, but I believe there are others on this forum with far greater knowledge than me.

Anyway, for a couple or so years programmes were broadcast on a reasonably regular basis in Matrix H/HJ. My main enjoyment was on a Saturday afternoon on the Alan Freeman Show. Well known bands of the day would record sessions for the show and a few were in Matrix H. The BBC also recorded some live shows and I seem to recollect them presenting Pink Floyd from Wembley Empire Pool (now called Arena) about 1973/4. There were also a lot of live recorded classical concerts, and I still have an organ recital, designed to recreate the space and ambience of a cathedral in your living room.

I was only able to try to decode it with a Sony SQ decoder/amp (without logic) with indiscriminate results! However, just as the BBC perfected the system quadraphonic hit the buffers and that was that! I understand that a slightly modified QS decoder will do a very good job of decoding Matrix H.

As far as the deal between EMI and the BBC is concerned I would be very doubtful that any quadraphonic material will emerge, or escape. I do however live in hope.

There was at least one commercial LP release in Matrix H, from Virgin Records. It was "Instructions For Angels", by David Bedford. It didn't sound awful via QS, but it just wasn't quite right. Same with SQ.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

There was at least one commercial LP release in Matrix H, from Virgin Records. It was "Instructions For Angels", by David Bedford. It didn't sound awful via QS, but it just wasn't quite right. Same with SQ.

Actually there were two Matrix H lps .

David Bedford - Instructions For Angels... on the Virgin label
and
Norrie Paramor - Forty Years Of BBC T.V. Themes .....on BBC Records (unmarked quad from 1976 )
I think discogs has a for sale copy.



And well, there was also a test and demo MATRIX H , but it was very exclusive , not really made readily available to consumers /collectors .

 

[jaybird100]

Actually there were two Matrix H lps .

David Bedford - Instructions For Angels... on the Virgin label
and
Norrie Paramor - Forty Years Of BBC T.V. Themes .....on BBC Records (unmarked quad from 1976 )
I think discogs has a for sale copy.



And well, there was also a test and demo MATRIX H , but it was very exclusive , not really made readily available to consumers /collectors .

I didn't know about the Norrie Paramor album. Good information; thanks!

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Also there were one or two classical MATRIX HJ quad albums on the Nimbus label .

Nimbus started with a few QS then a tiny amount of BBC MATRIX HJ and then of course started releasing everthing in UHJ ambisonics .

 

[fizzywiggs41]

The BBC have signed an agreement with EMI to release some of its archive material. See http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article4107726.ece for some details.
Hopefully they will issue some of the Matrix H sessions done by Queen, Jack Bruce, Uriah Heap, The Motors, Steve Gibbons band and Elvis Costello.
I can't imagine that they will explicity mention H but being a matrix we can only hope that the encoding stayed intact.

Was not aware of any quad MATRIX H or quad HJ broadcasts of Uriah Heep , nor Elvis Costello .

Would love to know ALL of the Artists /Groups that were broadcast in 77 and 78 .

Elvis Costello would be fantastic as he was releasing some of his finest punk related material at this time . Such as
"My Aim Is True " , etc.
I only knew of one other Irish band that was broadcast in BBC MATRIX H/HJ.
Namely 4 album tracks by " The Boomtown Rats " and all were tracks fr their latest album " Tonic For The Troops " (Q4 tracks supplied by Mercury/Vertigo Records , for quad encoding by the BBC ).

There is a plethora of info on these BBC QUAD MATRIX H AND QUAD HJ broadcasts , that can be found in the Legacy section of QQ under a thread relating to the various quad matrix systems , btw.
All the artists and Groups that I know of from the H/HJ broadcast demos and tests , that is.

So Elvis Costello and Uriah Heep are two that I was never aware of , thanks.