INVOLVE SQ - IS HERE

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It is so nice to see so many happy SQSM customers.

Natural is a great way to describe it. It actually sounds like a discrete recording. Its easy to forget that this thing is decoding. You really can't say that about ny other matrix decoder. While they may sound good, they aren't as natural.

Its awe inspiring to hear this thing decode things where some of the mix is seperated into the corners, while at the same time other sounds move around closer to you. Accurate depth. No decoding distractions. Just good pure listening.

Now I can not feel as crazy for buying almost every matrix record I can lay my hands on.

Ill stop rambling, the SQSM just makes me so excited
 
YAY!!!! My chip upgrade is installed and working.... phew!

Thanks to all at Involve Audio - Nice to put a face to the names....:D

I had a minor worry that one of the channels wasn't working.. it turns out my switch box is on the blink....:howl after I figured that out it is all good...

Listening to Joan Baez - Blessed Are... very nice.

I would have put on Dark Side of the Moon, but my brother (who did the chip upgrade) forgot to bring it back...:howl

:51banana:
 
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OK - As part of getting my Dark Side of The Moon SQ back I decided to take my Surround Master around to my brother's place and have a SQ session.... He has better gear than me anyway - so I wanted to hear it on his set-up.....:eek:

We listened to (in SQ):

Dark Side of the Moon - This put a smile to my face....if I didn't have the discrete version(s) of the quad mix I'd be content with this... It sounded great.... This will probably be my reference disc to "wow" friends about SQ decoding...

Chicacgo - Greatest Hits - better than I was expecting from the reviews... I really enjoyed this..

John Lennon - Imagine - Nice pressing - say no more...:banana:

I'm VERY VERY happy....

The hunt for SQ, QS and RM now gets serious for me...
 
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I've been reading through the posts on the Involve SQ decoder and haven't been able to figure out if its a gain-riding type decoder or a true matrix multiplier vector cancellation decoder like the Tate DES - does anyone know?

also, does the Involve SQ Decoder also encode SQ or does Involve make a separate SQ encoder?
 
I've been reading through the posts on the Involve SQ decoder and haven't been able to figure out if its a gain-riding type decoder or a true matrix multiplier vector cancellation decoder like the Tate DES - does anyone know?

also, does the Involve SQ Decoder also encode SQ or does Involve make a separate SQ encoder?

It's probably closest to a Vario-Matrix approach since the unit is a 3 band decoder and is based on QS matrix decoding techniques modernized as I understand it. But best to let the Surround Master guys answer that one.
 
I had to put off installing/testing/listening to my Surround Master, as i had pressing duties as Motor Sergeant, working on servicing and repairing my motor vehicles. In the Republik of Mancavia, I'm not only the ruthless dictator, I'm also the oppressed peasant. Well, last night, I finally got to play with my system and I got the SM installed. Last night's listening didn't go so well, as my ears weren't cooperating. This morning was much better. I haven't done any 'critical' listening, but from what I heard from its work on Edgar Winter "They Only Come Out At Night", Chase 'self-titled' and Santana "Caravanserai", I ain't gonna worry about being critical. I can say that I agree with what the others have said and I am going to try it with QS records and some stereo records. I'm thinking of some Alan Parsons Project for that one. This was worth every cent and then some. As for my Tate 101A, it'll go to my bedroom setup.
 
Disclord said:
I've been reading through the posts on the Involve SQ decoder and haven't been able to figure out if its a gain-riding type decoder or a true matrix multiplier vector cancellation decoder like the Tate DES - does anyone know?

also, does the Involve SQ Decoder also encode SQ or does Involve make a separate SQ encoder?

I don't think many details of the logic process have been published.

And they haven't made an SQ encoder thus far. Theremay be one on the fancy preamp unit they will be making. You will have to wait for their answer on that stuff...
 
Hi Disclord

The core matrix technique used for both the QS and SQ version of the Surround Master use variomatrix techniques to control the base matrix. The real difference in the Surround Master is the timing/ shaping of the steering constants applied to the variomatrix. We use a bundle of psychoacoustic factors that match the human hearing perception response to effectively mask any pumping or smearing effects that would otherwise be heard.

We have a QS/ SQ special edition on our web page:

http://www.involveaudio.com/products/surround-master-sq-edition

Regards

Chucky

I've been reading through the posts on the Involve SQ decoder and haven't been able to figure out if its a gain-riding type decoder or a true matrix multiplier vector cancellation decoder like the Tate DES - does anyone know?

also, does the Involve SQ Decoder also encode SQ or does Involve make a separate SQ encoder?
 
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Holeman is the asshole that destroyed the idea of a soundfields by introducing that evil center channel. Fuck Tom Holeman and his desire to ruin music for video needs. And THX is a joke to make him money. Asshole to 10th degree.
Thanks Brad (try and rest in peace) for the desire to keep this information in the front of his name.

Tomlinson Holman and his huge credibility is behind Audissey. I'd guess his success with THX and Audissey in making them industry standards is the reason he was hired by Apple.
 
Hi Quadtrade

I share your views on the whole THX/ Dolby mythology of the 5.1 based surround setup. Firstly when ever I hear a center channel in a domestic setup, I hear the voice coming from under the TV and the visual image above the voice - quite disturbing to me. We will prove our Total Perspective system shortly to QQ that gets rid of the need for center channel.

In addition one of the great myths is that you cannot directionalize bass below 80Hz. I don't know about you but whenever I walk into a sound room I can always point to the woofer upon entry - after a while I cannot as my brain tries to put it all together. We tested the whole subwoofer thing some years ago and came to some interesting and controversial results based on blind trials on test audiences. They were:

1 On pure sine wave signal audience members COULD NOT directionalize up to 1 Khz

2 For pink noise or music (using brick wall filters) audience members COULD directionalize all the way down to 35 Hz

A huge difference between pure tone and actual music or pink noise.

Meaning the whole 80 Hz thing is a myth.

Controversial eh?

Regards

Chucky
 
That's why I'm not in a hurry to get a Center channel..yeah yeah yeah, I know that i'm screwing up the phase of the fronts by mixing it with the L & R , but, the thing is,,
DIRECTIONALITY
I have NOWHERE to put it...
Underneath the TV? It will sound weird..OVER the TV???...even weirder!!
 
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OK, after playing with my new Surround Master SQ for about two weeks, I've found that I'm rather impressed with this unit. Compared to my SQ 2 plugged into my Marantz 4400, I find that the Surround Master tends to have much more separation in the rear channels with more clarity / volume. The QS or Involve mode seems to have Dolby pro logic II like capabilities. I have found that I can have actual true quad effects from youtube videos that have been encoded with Dolby Pro Logic II with each channel separately recorded. I have my laptop hooked into my Soundblaster 5.1 soundcard, and I have the soundcard's headphone output hooked into the Surround Master using the Involve setting, and setting my Marantz to "Discrete" with little or no Dolby noise reduction on the receiver. The results are amazing! Yes, you can get true quad from youtube videos that are encoded correctly. On Youtube, there's a Prologic II version on Pink Floyd's "Money" that does a nice quad job, and also a person Named Tab Patterson that has a channel with very good Enoch Light's reel to reel discrete recordings using this process. You should check them out, while hooking up your computer to the Surround Master. ** I also have to add this in.... I HIGHLY suggest using a decent separate phono pre-amp. I used the pre-amp built into my turntable, and have since removed it from the unit, and soldered the RCA cable wires direct from my cartridge pickup, and using a Cambridge Azur 551 moving magnet pre-amp as my turntable's new sound stage. HUGE difference!
 
I received my decoder back today and have it all set up. I'm just a little confused. I see SQ and Involve on the front. I am assuming that using the 4 channel outs in the Involve mode is the same as QS? By the way, I am loving the SQ mode!!!
 
Bob Romano said:
I received my decoder back today and have it all set up. I'm just a little confused. I see SQ and Involve on the front. I am assuming that using the 4 channel outs in the Involve mode is the same as QS? By the way, I am loving the SQ mode!!!

Yes, the Involve mode is what you use for QS/synthesizing from stereo.
 
I received my decoder back today and have it all set up. I'm just a little confused. I see SQ and Involve on the front. I am assuming that using the 4 channel outs in the Involve mode is the same as QS? By the way, I am loving the SQ mode!!!

You're going to have a blast! The Surround Master is very impressive. And don't forget to pick up a few QSound encoded CDs along the way... !
 
bmoura said:
You're going to have a blast! The Surround Master is very impressive. And don't forget to pick up a few QSound encoded CDs along the way... !

I haven't had much input about your QSound musings because I didn't know what QSound was! I did some research today. Sounds neat! Do you think that the surroundmaster is actually moving things in the directions that the engineer intended you to hear when you listen with a normal stereo setup? Or do you think it just detects front/rear seperation and seperates sometimes in the wrong directions?

If this works, it is likely that dolby headphone tracks will also sound nice on the Surround Master.

I need to find some QSound discs.
 
bmoura said:
You're going to have a blast! The Surround Master is very impressive. And don't forget to pick up a few QSound encoded CDs along the way... !

I haven't had much input about your QSound musings because I didn't know what QSound was! I did some research today. Sounds neat! Do you think that the surroundmaster is actually moving things in the directions that the engineer intended you to hear when you listen with a normal stereo setup? Or do you think it just detects front/rear seperation and seperates sometimes in the wrong directions?

If this works, it is likely that dolby headphone tracks will also sound nice on the Surround Master.

I need to find some QSound discs.
 
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