Santana Lotus - Stereo SACD from Audio Fidelity (Dec 2016)

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
This info from Audio Fidelity regarding the upcoming release of SANTANA LOTUS in SQ matrix quad is great news indeed.

HIGH REZ MATRIX QUAD in the form on a SACD .




But I have a question for BRIAN , our multi-channel maven in residence;

Do you know if Audio Fidelity is recieving some SQ matrix encodes in lieu of Discrete Masters ? I ask because it's plausable that the Sony contact could be under the impression that they supplied quad master tapes, when in essence they unknowingly supplied "quad encoded masters " instead.

I'm thinking BS&T GREATEST HITS, the upcoming RTF MUSICMAGIC, etc.


(and let's not forget JOE WALSH-SO WHAT in QS of course)


I've been thinking about this situation for some time now, but it's the LOTUS SQ from A.F. that has me in curiousity-sleuth
mode, and it would be most helpful knowing for all at QQ.


-thanks to Marshall and Brian in advance,

FizzygettingQuizzy
 
I should think, Jon, that one of the prime deterrents in encoding this LIVE is the necessary editing which accompanies ALL Live Rock concerts. You cannot edit or do overdubs ON THE FLY.

Well, if the concert were somehow recorded on the fly into a decoder creating a stereo encoded master, as opposed to a stereo un-encoded master, the stereo encoded master could be edited just as easily as a stereo only master. I don't think edits screw up the encoding as it might a DTS signal.

You do have a point on the overdubs, if there were any.

Again, we'll never know, but I do know that Marshall was indeed trying to seek out the quad discrete master if it did exist. If he can't get it, then it probably is no longer in existence if it ever was.
 
Well, if the concert were somehow recorded on the fly into a decoder creating a stereo encoded master, as opposed to a stereo un-encoded master, the stereo encoded master could be edited just as easily as a stereo only master. I don't think edits screw up the encoding as it might a DTS signal.

Actually editing a matrix encoded Stereo album could change the phase relationships and encoding of the album.
So it might still sound OK in Stereo, but not in decoded Quad.
 
Actually editing a matrix encoded Stereo album could change the phase relationships and encoding of the album.
So it might still sound OK in Stereo, but not in decoded Quad.

Interesting. I suppose one could verify this as follows:

1) Record an SQ signal from a test record such as Quadraphile or the Project 3 Quad Test LP (SQ) Version. Maybe like the tones that appear in each channel for 15-20 seconds. Record in stereo, leaving the SQ encoding intact.

2) Take the wav file into Sound Forge or some other wav editor. Edit out a few second from each tone in each channel, then insert the cut signal back into the same wave form at a different location within the original sound.

3) Record the resulted mixed up patched together SQ encoded wav file to a CD or DVD, in stereo still.

4) Play the CD or DVD back through a Tate or SM and listen.

It might be fun!! Maybe I will try it. If I do, I will report back with a new thread documenting the process and results.
 
wow, no wonder I'd never heard of this one...it's a Live album. Hmmm. Am I interested in this? I dunno....

Yes it is a 1974 live album in Japan me thinks??? not released here until 1991?? Snood throwing out numbers but me thinx me close on them maaaaaaaaaaaaybe lol :banana:
 
Actually editing a matrix encoded Stereo album could change the phase relationships and encoding of the album.
So it might still sound OK in Stereo, but not in decoded Quad.

Maybe, or maybe not.

They (EMI) had little or no difficulty in transferring the intact SQ encode matrix to DVD @96/24 for Barclay James Harvest-Once Again.
 
I'm not following all the posts. Has there been any final verification about whether this is multi-channel?

Nothing as of yet, but I wouldn't expect one.
 
Maybe, or maybe not.

They (EMI) had little or no difficulty in transferring the intact SQ encode matrix to DVD @96/24 for Barclay James Harvest-Once Again.

If EMI did a straight transfer, with no manipulation of the SQ encoded tape, then it would decode correctly. And probably better than the LP since the phase relationships are easier to preserve on a digital medium than an LP.
 
Nothing as of yet, but I wouldn't expect one.

Why would you not expect one? You would expect just a "no comment" for the next couple of months on that topic?

I expect an answer, but it's not looking like the answer I would of preferred. Right, if quad was going to be on a SACD surround layer, it likely would have been shouted from the rooftops by now.
 
Interesting. I suppose one could verify this as follows:

1) Record an SQ signal from a test record such as Quadraphile or the Project 3 Quad Test LP (SQ) Version. Maybe like the tones that appear in each channel for 15-20 seconds. Record in stereo, leaving the SQ encoding intact.

2) Take the wav file into Sound Forge or some other wav editor. Edit out a few second from each tone in each channel, then insert the cut signal back into the same wave form at a different location within the original sound.

3) Record the resulted mixed up patched together SQ encoded wav file to a CD or DVD, in stereo still.

4) Play the CD or DVD back through a Tate or SM and listen.

It might be fun!! Maybe I will try it. If I do, I will report back with a new thread documenting the process and results.

Bit annoyed with myself I can't just post waveforms etc now to back it up (i stupidly didn't 'back it up' :eek: )
because I could prove to you there is no detrimental effect on editing an SQ LP rip before decoding or after decoding, the results are the same.

I will redo a few comparison tracks over the weekend, since my 2nd to last Mac went bye bye's I had SQ transfers in 2-Ch with and without edits then decoded and the same SQ records decoded first with and without edits etc. Not many but a few.

Why did I have it both ways? Well, I found it much easier to transfer the SQ LPs in 2-channel, then decode them, than what I have been doing more recently which is play the 2Ch SQ and decode on rhe fly recording the decoded 4-channels in. It saves an entire process (so for a 45 minute album it used to take me 90 minutes in all to capture the 2-ch SQ and then decode those 2/SQ into 4/Quad.. whereas latterly it just takes 45 minutes to do the same 45 minute record). I'm probably explaining it really badly since I'm not technical but suffice it to say it takes half the time roughly when doing the process all in one go than it does to 1.) Record 2-CH SQ, 2.) Playback 2-CH SQ and decode into 4-CH, 3.) Edit and other processing etc.than it does 1.) Record decoded 4-CH, 2.) Edit and other processing.

Somebody on here posted to the effect that it is detrimental to the SQ decoding process if you click repair or edit the 2-channels before decoding and you should only edit and declick the resultant decoded 4-channel rendition and that's what I have been doing most of the time but it made things bloody difficult with manually click repairing since you've got not 2 but 4 sets of tracks to clean up and work on..!!

More recently I've been trying to get SQ LPs either sealed or in the best like NM condition I can find and that the records are as clean as clean can be (new machine helps Hoover the dust away! suck suck suck!) and then I just don't bother doing any or much click stuff etc., the bulk of the clicks left with these most recent things are in the bands of silence between tracks and I think some of those were always there inherent in the cutting where one track stopped and they stopped cutting and another track started so they started cutting again and that introduced clicks. Maybe.. :eek:

anyway, so when doing them now I either fade in or fade out each song once the actual musical information in each tracks finished or use the amplify tool to lower the overall volume by it's max of -50db to make the bands of "silence" and the run in and run out grooves (usually clicks and noise with vinyl records) more silent!

Ah.. time for a juicy hangover beer, I've given myself a headache! :upthumb
 
Note that this has been pushed back to 'Dec 25th 2016' which I think is the generic 'no release date available' date.
 
Why would you not expect one? You would expect just a "no comment" for the next couple of months on that topic?

I expect an answer, but it's not looking like the answer I would of preferred. Right, if quad was going to be on a SACD surround layer, it likely would have been shouted from the rooftops by now.

My apologies for not being more clear when I answered Gene's question. What I meant was that I wasn't expecting a Quad on this release. Not that I don't want one, because like everyone here I want this set to have a Quad mix, but I don't think it will happen.
 
Note that this has been pushed back to 'Dec 25th 2016' which I think is the generic 'no release date available' date.

I read on another thread that the Austrian SACD pressing plant is experiencing a three month production 'back~up' so that could be the problem but I also find it patently absurb that NO mention of whether this 2 disc SACD set will be true QUAD is ridiculous. I did email Marshall Blonstein @ AF to inquire but so far, NO response.
 
I read on another thread that the Austrian SACD pressing plant is experiencing a three month production 'back~up' so that could be the problem but I also find it patently absurb that NO mention of whether this 2 disc SACD set will be true QUAD is ridiculous. I did email Marshall Blonstein @ AF to inquire but so far, NO response.

Is it that absurd at this stage really if AF haven't located the tapes they intend/hope to utilise, as has been indicated by our Jon since Marshall Blonstein has asked him if he knows the whereabouts of the 4-CH master of the Lotus Quad..?
 
Is it that absurd at this stage really if AF haven't located the tapes they intend/hope to utilise, as has been indicated by our Jon since Marshall Blonstein has asked him if he knows the whereabouts of the 4-CH master of the Lotus Quad..?

Right, they haven't located the tapes, and are looking for quad master, and yet it is currently backed up at the pressing plant, and now it will arrive on Christmas day!

That's a lot to get your head around. :mad::
 
If they need a mint condition original tri-fold Jacket and all inserts (to scan) for Lotus, I can help out there. The art presentation is going to be important here don't you think.
 
Back
Top