CD-4 Test Pressings of "Switched on Bach" and "Clockwork Orange"

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jdmack

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I was looking at an article on CD-4 cartridges in the March 1974 issue of Audio Magazine, and I noticed that two of their test records were Wendy Carlos' "Switched On Bach" and "Clockwork Orange." Both were designated "Experimental Record". Given that Columbia didn't release any CD-4 albums, I wonder how these came to be? And "Clockwork Orange" was never released in quad, but this article shows that at least one test pressing was made.

Direct link to the .pdf of this issue:
http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Audio/70s/Audio-1974-03.pdf (reference on page 39)
 
Wendy Carlos was not a fan of Columbia/CBS SQ MATRIX QUAD , so she had her discs mixed in quad cut at the CBS Test Lab using their CD-4 Modulation System.

Yes CBS had their own cutting facility for CD-4 .
 
"Difficult Passages" -CD-4 Experimental Record

Never heard/read about that one ?


Lucky buggers those guys at Audio Magazine ,3 CD-4 Experimental discs they got to play with ,2 by Wendy Carlos . Would love to get a quad copy of that "Clockwork Orange ".
 
Without belaboring any of this too much, let's remember:

SWITCHED-ON BACH (SOB if you will, heh) was a very fine quad title that D/V could license, maybe; it's possible. BUT...CLOCKWORK was a pastiche of music and dialogue that went beyond Carlos' music (and released by Warner Bros.); it's also not all stereo, let alone possible for any viable quad release, so that's one to forget.

Even if D/V could put out SOB, we will be thankful their sales expectations are what they are opposed to any US company that might think about doing the same thing. My pre-order will be in ASAP.

And it was Walter, not Wendy, Carlos--at the time. If we get a quad disc of SOB, I don't care if it's a he or a she as long as the sound is what I hope it *could* be (and I've never heard this album to its potential since its 1968 release--that much I'm sure of. I'd like to live long enough to hear it in something near its dynamic range potential).

ED :)
 
Hello everyone. I have been doing a lot of research on the CD4 Quadraphonic Test Pressing by Walter Carlos that includes Clockwork Orange and Twisted on Bach. This article along with the link seems to be the only 2 things I find. I believe that I may have one of these rare albums. There was a man that passed away that way in the film and video industry and worked for RCA. At his estate sale his family was there along with tons of work things he had patented and invented. His record collection was a very nice big collection of mostly all classical music with endless quadraphonic albums. One of the albums I was lucky enough to purchase a few test pressings and one was a blank test pressing of Walter Carlos with Clockwork Orange on one side and Twisted on Bach on the other. I am looking for any kind of help or direction to verify what I have may be that or if it is a different kind of test pressing that has never reached the surface. I am a record collector and dealer but I have no way of checking this album to see if it is CD4 Quad in my possession. I do not want to put it into an auction without a buyer knowing that what they purchased is exactly what it is. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am attaching pictures of what I have to see if anyone has ever even seen anything like it or any information. I have attached pictures of the matrix runout as well.
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Without authority, I'd have to say that it looks legit to me visually. It does match up with the way others have described this LP. Could be a great find.
 
Thank you all for the quick responses. I never knew about this so I just took a few pictures with the flash of my camera on. Then I also got a flashlight out and shined it on the album as you can see since my flash was not giving off very much light. Would love to hear your thoughts, ideas or suggestions from seeing the pictures. Thank you again everyone for the responses and help.
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Thank you all for the quick responses. I never knew about this so I just took a few pictures with the flash of my camera on. Then I also got a flashlight out and shined it on the album as you can see since my flash was not giving off very much light. Would love to hear your thoughts, ideas or suggestions from seeing the pictures. Thank you again everyone for the responses and help. View attachment 64996View attachment 64995 by View attachment 64992View attachment 64993View attachment 64994
Looks like cd-4!
 
If you have a record player connected to an amplifier and speakers/headphones, start the turntable, place the stylus on the outer starting groove, hold your finger against the edge of the disc to slow it way down, if it's a CD-4 disc, the carrier(s) will be audible.


Kirk Bayne
 
Yes. it looks like a CD-4 record. You can find out for sure with a regular stereo system by putting the stylus on the record, in the play area, withe the platter stopped, and spin the record by hand very slowly. You will hear the 30kHz frequency being tracked. Even at such a slow speed, the frequency heard will be fairly high.

I swear Kirk's post wasn't there when I typed.

Doug
 
Do any of you by chance have a video of the sound frequency I would be looking to hear as an example? Being a dealer myself this is great knowledge I never knew.
 
Do any of you by chance have a video of the sound frequency I would be looking to hear as an example? Being a dealer myself this is great knowledge I never knew.
I don't understand the question, video of the sound? I guess a video of CD4 turned slowly by hand with the volume up?
Looking for the sound of the 30khz carrier by ear, if record is turned at 1/4 speed, that is about 8 RPM, the 30khz would reproduce at around 4khz and it would be a consistent tone. Stereo records don't do that.

Here is 4khz,
 
Sorry for the confusing wording of the question. Was not sure exactly how to make sense of it. What you sent is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you. The record appears to have never been played. If so, it was carefully done with no signs of a needle drop. So I want to make sure I do this carefully, being what this may be.
 
Here we go. Did what you all suggested. Compared it to normal non CD4 or Quad albums and could tell a total difference. Would like to hear the thoughts after watching the video I made for everyone's feedback. Thanks again.
 
I would like to thank everyone for all the help. I was able to find one of the CD4 Quadraphonic Gil Evan LP's that I got at the same place and test and compare them side by side. Definitely the same frequencies and almost identical rainbow colors. I think the big difference in it not being as vibrant is the Gil album is 140 gram and the Walter Carlos Test Pressing is only 100 gram. Thank you all again. If any of you may be interested in this album in an auction or know anyone who may be please feel free to email me here or at [email protected]. I will be more than glad to let you all know when I list it. I did not want to list something I was unsure of and sell misleading things to heavy collectors.
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