Azimuth Co-ordinator

The Azimuth Co-ordinator was a joystick device for controlling a quadraphonic sound system. By swivelling the stick, the sound output could be shifted from one speaker bank to another; with the joystick in the central position, the sound output would be equal in all speakers. It was used almost exclusively by Pink Floyd, in conjunction with a quadraphonic sound system, and was operated by keyboardist Rick Wright.

This equipment was used at their 1969 Royal Festival Hall show and was one of Pink Floyd's first uses of quadraphonic sound in a live environment. This was an early surround sound technique which utilised a four speaker system with a speaker in each corner of a room, or four banks of speakers in the case of a live performance. They would later go on to develop and champion the quadraphonic system for their album Dark Side of the Moon.

Quadraphonic sound never took off to any large extent, however, despite its availabilty to the home consumer. In 2003 Dark Side of the Moon was re-released, this time in 5.1 surround sound, the updated and more successful progression from quadraphonic sound. Consumer technology had, by this point, caught up with Pink Floyd's early sound experimentation.

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leevitalone1 said:

see my avatar!

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Quad Linda said:

As I recall, you posted a what-the-hell-kind-of-deal-is-that? thread a year or two ago.

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leevitalone1 said:

and your right!

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Quad Linda said:

... and my left, too.

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Obbop said:

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O...pment-bernard-speight/#.UIKyJPUEdAg.pinterest

At the above link there is a second tab called "more information." There we discover "This is an early quadrophonic sound system made by Bernard Speaight, an Abbey Road sound engineer, for Pink Floyd in the late 1960s; the first system produced was used by them in May 1967 at their concert 'Games for May' at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, but was stolen after the performance. This was the first appearance at the hall of what was essentially a pop band, and it also marked the first appearance in Britain of a rudimentary quadraphonic PA system, effected by additional speakers erected around the room and an early version of an amazing device. This particular one was introduced at their Royal Festival Hall concert in 1969; it has now gone down in Floyd folklore as the 'Azimuth Coordinator'. This elaborate name was given to what was essentially a crude device which used four large rheostats converted from 270 degree rotation to 90 degree. Along with the shift stick, these elements were housed in a large box and enabled the panning of quadraphonic sound.

The coordinator was also used on the recording of their Dark Side of the Moon album which was released in March 1973. The album was produced by the band between June 1, 1972, and January 1973, and engineered by Alan Parsons who had worked for The Beatles. Parsons was largely responsible for many of the sound effects, most notably the clock montage leading into 'Time' on side one, which Parsons used to demonstrate the power of quadraphonic sound."

So even though 1969 sounds early, it was in fact 5/12/67 that quad made it's 1st appearance in Britain. See also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Games_for_May

I have seen another history where multichannel had appeared earlier, but this I believe is the 1st appearance in pop music.

Ken

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leevitalone1 said:

see my avatar!

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Snood said:

That's what the hell that is!!! Snood was like what is that all the time @:

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