making 8 track quad tapes from dts 5.1 disks

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newbyquad

Well-known Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2004
Messages
172
Location
San Jose
hey,

you all have me hooked now. i just bought an akai 8 track quad recorder and a quad 8 track player for my wv bus.

i also have several dts disks and was wondering if i could record ONTO the 8 track recorder using the dts encoded disks so i can play them in my bus.

i figured that i could buy some new unopened 8 tracks off ebay and then record onto them because they would be cheaper and more reliable.

what do you all think about that plan?

has anyone done this?
 
Should not be a problem. Watch out for the "side change". Just make sure your DVD player has an internal DTS decoder, and 5.1 analog outs. If so, you got it made!
 
Wow, there's a change! Make an 8-track tape from a DTS CD. Who woulda thunk it! Why, that is positively retro! :cool: We have indeed completed the quad loop...
 
yea,

the pioneering spirit at work in 2004.

maybe i can be the alternate universe tab. he goes from 8 track to 5.1, i'll do the reverse.

actually, i thought it would be pretty wierd to go about this this way BUT my bus has a lot of room for speakers and I was thinking I could use 4 removable speakers with speaker wire and play the tapes when i go camping or to the baseball games outside in the parking lot.

ill just set them up around my lounge chair and have frankenstein playing or fly like an eagle.

it'll make the day go by a little better.

i just can't justify spending big bucks for a modern dts car decoder when this way is perfectly fine. all i need is a cassette adaptor to play cassettes and cds through that so what else is there?

i'm a 3 format man ... ;'>

now can i use regular 8 track tapes or do i need special quad tapes?

i just bought 2 quad tapes on ebay and they have 2 pads instead of one which surprised me.

if i have to find blank quad 8 tracks, i think this plan is doomed. they are too hard to find.

anyway, on ward and up ward ...

Cai Campbell said:
Wow, there's a change! Makan 8-track tape from a DTS CD. Who woulda thunk it! Why, that is positively retro! :cool: We have indeed completed the quad loop...
 
The only thing you would have to do is somehow split the center into the front left and right to make sure you get everything. Also set your sub setting to off so you get the bass into all the other channels.
 
newbyquad said:
yea,

the pioneering spirit at work in 2004.

now can i use regular 8 track tapes or do i need special quad tapes?

i just bought 2 quad tapes on ebay and they have 2 pads instead of one which surprised me.

if i have to find blank quad 8 tracks, i think this plan is doomed. they are too hard to find.

Great thinking... (y)

You'll need blank quad tapes.. Or maybe even undesireable quad tapes that someone can't sell and record over them..

You should be able to find blanks on ebay.. Or you could place a want ad in www.8trackheaven.com free ad space... And it has all you would want to know about 8 track tapes... Malcolm did a great job with his website...


Later, Brent
 
newbyquad said:
actually, i thought it would be pretty wierd to go about this this way BUT my bus has a lot of room for speakers and I was thinking I could use 4 removable speakers with speaker wire and play the tapes when i go camping or to the baseball games outside in the parking lot.

anyway, on ward and up ward ...

It may be a stupid question, But is the 8-track player in the bus a Quad player??? If it's not, problems.
 
Sorry, just saw that you do have a Quad player.
 
Most DTS encoded discs are only 4.0, so you don't have to worry about the center channel. (If you are going to do SACD or DVD-A, that's a different story.
 
awesome,

this is great.

Just put an ad up at that 8 track heaven for any kind of quad tape. hopefully, i will get some kind of a response.

i am sure there are lot of quad 8 track tapes around now that people don't want or need because you all are making those amazing dts cd's. i wouldn't even think about this except for the fact that i want to listen to quad in my car and on my akai deck at home.

can you imagine 'ten years after' playing inside of the bus during a boring rush hour or 'wish you were here' playing outside in the dark while camping at yosemite? i already have.

and i can make up some new 8 track covers, take off those old bubbling ones and make them look nice again. or not, if i find it is taking too much time.

we will have to see.

soon i will blow people away with my new quad sgt pepper and electric ladyland thanks to a great guy on this site who i can't mention publicly.

and also, thanks for that great cd full of dts cd covers too. it was just amazing.

maybe i can contribute by making new quad 8 tracks for some of you who want them in the future too. i am not a electrophile but i'll give it my best.

were any quad tapes made in 1979? if so, i'll have to do that one first for my bus since it is a 79. and when i take it to the bus shows with the quad system, i'll win for sure.

jealous judges you know...

=============



if i get some tapes i want to try and make
JonUrban said:
Most DTS encoded discs are only 4.0, so you don't have to worry about the center channel. (If you are going to do SACD or DVD-A, that's a different story.
 
I think RCA still made a "Ford" Q8 tape or two in 1979, but that's about it. Most Q8's in 1979 would be found in a cut out bin at Woolco or somewhere like that!
 
newbyquad said:
yea,

the pioneering spirit at work in 2004.

maybe i can be the alternate universe tab. he goes from 8 track to 5.1, i'll do the reverse.

actually, i thought it would be pretty wierd to go about this this way BUT my bus has a lot of room for speakers and I was thinking I could use 4 removable speakers with speaker wire and play the tapes when i go camping or to the baseball games outside in the parking lot.

ill just set them up around my lounge chair and have frankenstein playing or fly like an eagle.

it'll make the day go by a little better.

i just can't justify spending big bucks for a modern dts car decoder when this way is perfectly fine. all i need is a cassette adaptor to play cassettes and cds through that so what else is there?

i'm a 3 format man ... ;'>

now can i use regular 8 track tapes or do i need special quad tapes?

i just bought 2 quad tapes on ebay and they have 2 pads instead of one which surprised me.

if i have to find blank quad 8 tracks, i think this plan is doomed. they are too hard to find.

anyway, on ward and up ward ...
Just use regular 8 track stereo blank 80 or 90 minute tapes for quad recording. I like Scotch and Maxell the best. If your car deck is a "quad only" unit, no worries. If it is a stereo/quad combo deck, the players cartridge trip switch will need to be de-activated or removed altogether.
 
so,

can i record in quad using stereo eight tracks? or will i need to buy quad 8 tracks ONLY?

if i can record quad using my akai recorder, that would be just great.

if not, i'll have to buy used quad tapes and record over them.

thanks for all the help here too...

now i'm over 10 posts so i've moved up the ranks a little ;'>
 
I got into quad in 1979. By then it was all over, but since Ford still offered a quad eight deck in their cars, you could order directly from RCA through an offer on a pamphlet that Ford distributed. It was all old stock, and even then they suffered from old glue syndrome. If you buy old Q8 tapes, you will no doubt find yourself regluing them. Also, Maxell and TDK had blank Q8 tapes. These are the best to find. The main difference between stereo and quad eight tapes is the notch on the top of the tape. The notch clears a switch in the quad eight player, that sets the player to stereo mode. Therefore the player stays in quad mode. It might even be possible to "machine" the notch into a stereo tape. I have never tried this. If the plastic is thin where the notch goes, it won't work. Someone might want to try this. Since I have the Clarion DTS system, I will never do this.

The Quadfather

newbyquad said:
so,

can i record in quad using stereo eight tracks? or will i need to buy quad 8 tracks ONLY?

if i can record quad using my akai recorder, that would be just great.

if not, i'll have to buy used quad tapes and record over them.

thanks for all the help here too...

now i'm over 10 posts so i've moved up the ranks a little ;'>
 
newbyquad said:
so,

can i record in quad using stereo eight tracks? or will i need to buy quad 8 tracks ONLY?

if i can record quad using my akai recorder, that would be just great.

if not, i'll have to buy used quad tapes and record over them.

thanks for all the help here too...

now i'm over 10 posts so i've moved up the ranks a little ;'>
I believe your Akai recorder utilizes a cartridge trip switch within the cartridge door that automatically senses either quad (notched) or stereo(unnotched) carts. My Technics doesn't have a trip switch, instead it has a 4 ch/2 ch button on the front panel, making it possible to record quad using standard 8 track blanks. If indeed your Akai has the trip switch, it will require de-activation or removal. No big deal, .... just open up the unit, disconnect the switch wire, or remove the switch altogether. Your unit will then become a "quad only" record and playback deck. You can do the same to your quad car deck also, that is if it too utilizes a trip switch.
 
I have the same Akai deck, and yes, it has a trip switch to let oyu use a stereo cart for quad tapinig, but that won't help you one your car deck, which undoubtedly does not have this feature. keep an eye out on ebay, as there are often columbia convertaquad blank tapes on there pretty cheap. I have a few of these as I use my deck to record my favorite dts discs AND (sorry, Cai) my favorite DVDAs and SACDs for use at my cabin, where I have a vintage quad system with a Q8 playback deck. I thought about just getting a cheap Pioneer player up there for dts and DVDAs but then I would have to schlep the discs there too. This way, I leave my cheap Q8s up there and don't have to worry in the unlikely event of a breakin. Who would steal blank 8 tracks?
Marc
 
cool idea especially in a vw van. I make Q4 dubs of some of my DTS & DVD quad recordings. Mostly just for the novelty. (I have an AKAI 202D-SS) & just love the look of all 4 meters going beserk at once.) I asked this in another forum, being that blank Q8's are kinda hard to find, has anyone tried dremeling out the notch on regular 8 tracks (using an existing Q8 as a template)? I would also love the idea of recording my own Q8, but at the present only have a player.
 
Mm. ten year old thread making a comeback.

One thing to remember - you MUST pre-mix the center-track equally into the left front and right front before recording to Q8 or QR. if not - you will more than likely be missing the lead.

Good idea to import into the computer, do your front-channel premix and then export onto the discrete 4-track Orange Book CD standard - or master back out onto discrete 4.0 DVD,

As far as the 8-track - see my post here

http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=239119

Also - instead of recording onto the Q8 while it's inside the cart, my personal recommendation would be to get one of the Tad Bartel (google him) re-engineered versions of a Tascam or Fostex quarter-inch 8-channel 8-track reel recorder and just record on that.

For the uninitiated - those have had the motors changed out to run 3-3/4 instead of 15 and have had the recording bias and EQ similarly adjusted to record well at that speed - albeit on the high-bias tapes.

Just remember if you do that to calculate the amount of tape you are going to use for the album and then wind that amount plus a little bit onto an NAB-hub 5-inch reel before recording and then thread onto a similar reel to lessen the tension on the thin tape.

Record the odd tracks first, rewind and record the even tracks, rewind onto a 3-inch `Not For Camera Use' reel and then afterward, wind into the cart and proceed as described on the ARF thread.

Myself personally I like to record at 7-1/2 - i.e. the Fast Forward speed on most 8-track players and then use whatever leftover high-bias broadcast cart tape I run across. Disengage the muting circuit from the button and enjoy the 8-track with more fidelity and wider range than it was ever supposed to have.

Yes I have Madonna on a 4-minute Edison cylinder and Maroon 5 on a 78 RPM gramophone record as well.

Just For The Novelty Of It.
 
Raggal62's idea sounds like a winner. But if I did that, I would install a switch on the front panel or on the side. I can see how someone who maintained a VW van would want to keep it true to the era, which might havew included a Q8 player. Minature toggle switches were around then.
 
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