INVOLVE SQ - IS HERE

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Any plans for a logic directed Electro-Voice Stereo-4 Matrix decoder?
(perhaps a modification of the QS decoding system)

Kirk Bayne
 
The Surround Master is as good as you would want
I have a number of EV4 disc's and there is no better decoding
See Vectra Scope demo of Lighthouse decoding
What more would you want?
 
Hi Quadwreck

I accept your challenge.........all we need is a group order for US$100,000 and we will deliver them wrapped up in a blue ribbon in a pretty shinny box within 9 months

Form an orderly que here..............................

Regards

Chucky
 
Hi Quadwreck

I accept your challenge.........all we need is a group order for US$100,000 and we will deliver them wrapped up in a blue ribbon in a pretty shinny box within 9 months

Form an orderly que here..............................

Regards

Chucky

How much without the ribbon?
 
The anticipation is almost over - received the shipping information for my SM SQ Vinyl Edition :banana:
 
Anticipation is over - the SM/SQ arrived today! It's cute. Too nice of a day to commence with the SQ decoding - time to go out and enjoy the :sun


The anticipation is almost over - received the shipping information for my SM SQ Vinyl Edition :banana:
 
Test decode done today. Wow! The only sad thing is all the time, effort and money expended on the path getting to this point and having the SM!

First impression was - this (SM) is *quiet*. I knew the 40+ yr old Sony SQD-2020 was (even after being re-capped and having the solder joints redone) not a quiet/clean unit but the SM is dead quiet - over 30dB quieter.

For a test I grabbed Doc Severinsen's "Fever!" (CQD 40003) - a QS disc as it happens - and got it into the computer. For quick listening it's convenient to encode to AC3 - eventually the goal's to make DVD-Audio discs (thus all the noise I'm making over on the DVD-A parts of QQ ;)).

Oh my goodness - so much more musical and fun to listen to. Not the pulsing (aka pumping) from days gone by. And about a minute in the drums and the marimba coming so clear and clean from the right rear had me jumping out of the chair (well, almost).

Awesome!

The usual mode of listening is to digitize the audio and encode to various forms (interestingly 4channel 48K/24b is valid for DVD use) rather than going directly from the SM to the AVR (which in most cases doesn't have all the needed analog inputs).

The other thing that was needed was to adjust the input levels to the A/D converter - the Sony had a low output level where the SM is more "normal". Most A/D convertedr lack analog preamp stages - but luckily I'd front ended the Apogee Digital Quartet (http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov12/articles/apogee-quartet.htm) with a unbalanced/balanced level converter that has trim/gain (+/- 12dB) capability http://tascam.com/product/la-40mkiii/

Next up - do the entire album :music
 
The other thing that was needed was to adjust the input levels to the A/D converter - the Sony had a low output level where the SM is more "normal". Most A/D convertedr lack analog preamp stages - but luckily I'd front ended the Apogee Digital Quartet (http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov12/articles/apogee-quartet.htm) with a unbalanced/balanced level converter that has trim/gain (+/- 12dB) capability http://tascam.com/product/la-40mkiii/
Hello schultz1010.

By ear?
 
No, I used the meters on the Apogee Quartet and the app they offer to control/run the Quartet - called "Maestro" . http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/maestro

The quartet can even be hooked up to the iPad and yes, there is an app for recording as well as an iPad/phone version of Maestro.

I used two sources for signals - one is the Project 3 test/demo/setup record https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/Project3.htm - track 2 has 1KHz tones to make sure the connectors/channel assignments are correct. Can use that to adjust the levels and trim to get left/right closer. This process goes thru the SM of course

Then I unplug the SM from the level converter and use

a test generator http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=1

on each channel to further refine / adjust the levels without going thru the SM or the phono preamp.

then plug the SM back in and away we go :)

Hello schultz1010.

By ear?
 
Thanks for the compliment - serious playing requires serious toys :)

There's no A/D conversion in the Involve unit itself,

The chain is:

Turntable -> Phono Stage -> Involve SM -> Tascam Level Converter -> Quartet A/D converter

The only place that has any level adjustment is in the Tascam. Once set I plan no further changes to the levels unless I see/hear clipping. I prefer to leave lots of headroom in the A/D process. I digitize using a 24bit sample size and that gives *lots* of room for adjustment later without impacting the quality. If 2 or 3dB of gain is needed it's better, I think, to do that in the digital domain instead of tweeting the levels for each recording. It's best I think to minimize the feeling that constantly adjusting/fiddling optimizes/improves anything (but that's just one person's (mine) opinion) - as the saying goes "better is the enemy of good enough" :)

the phono stage is a Phono Box S dedicated to Quad http://www.project-audio.com/main.php?prod=phonoboxs - like the Involve SM, a cute little box :)

Nice toys, schultz!!! :)

Is there a step in your procedure that optimizes the AD conversion in the Involve unit, by inputting the highest level that won't overload the ADC?
 
Err

Actually the SM has an internal A/D

Regards

Chucky

Thanks for the compliment - serious playing requires serious toys :)

There's no A/D conversion in the Involve unit itself,

The chain is:

Turntable -> Phono Stage -> Involve SM -> Tascam Level Converter -> Quartet A/D converter

The only place that has any level adjustment is in the Tascam. Once set I plan no further changes to the levels unless I see/hear clipping. I prefer to leave lots of headroom in the A/D process. I digitize using a 24bit sample size and that gives *lots* of room for adjustment later without impacting the quality. If 2 or 3dB of gain is needed it's better, I think, to do that in the digital domain instead of tweeting the levels for each recording. It's best I think to minimize the feeling that constantly adjusting/fiddling optimizes/improves anything (but that's just one person's (mine) opinion) - as the saying goes "better is the enemy of good enough" :)

the phono stage is a Phono Box S dedicated to Quad http://www.project-audio.com/main.php?prod=phonoboxs - like the Involve SM, a cute little box :)
 
Just (finally - after my techie got back after being away for a month) got my SQ vinyl chip installed...

I think it sounds better - but I was pretty happy with the original SQ chip anyway - but I had no comparison. (y)
 
My order is placed and I'm looking forward to putting the decoder through its paces.

Question: Does the Involve decoder (in any mode including synthesis mode) alter the front left and right channels? Obviously it utilizes the front channels to create the rear (and center) channels, but does it add, subtract or alter the original front L&R channels?

For that matter, do ANY of the legacy decoders (Tate, Sansuis, Lafayettes, Sonys, EV, Fosgates, etc) alter the original front channels?
 
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