4 more Quadio titles coming in May 2024!

[HiFiWiFiWeAllFi]

I was able to listen to all of the latest Quadio discs. I like a lot of different types of music, but mainly focus on 1960's - 1990's rock, modern pop, and some classical.

I loved the first song on the Roberta Flack disc, the SQ was stunning as was the song. Probably one of the only songs I recognized on the album, the rest seemed a bit like lounge performances, which is cool if that's your thing.

The rest of the albums were country, and rhythm and blues type. They were fun to listen to once, but will likely never see my disc player again.

Oh well, I'm still happy to support the effort, but hopefully the next batch is a bit more rock-n-roll focused, please

 

[steelydave]

If I was to nitpick I would say that the vocals were too buried in the mix. It sounds very much like Jefferson Airplane from which it is descended from, but no Grace Slick. Otherwise a great mix!

I think the lack of more dominant/distinctive vocals is what makes Hot Tuna for me rather forgettable.

Thinking about Jefferson Airplane (on Grunt) makes me wish that "Long John Silver" had also been done in Quad!

A lot of the RCA quad titles that were mixed in-house at their own studios (which is the majority of the early ones) need considerable EQ work to sound "right." I can't remember the exact type of monitoring speakers used in their studios (my memory wants to say "horn loaded driver?") but Steve Hoffman mentioned it when AF's Best of the Guess Who quad SACD came out as he did a lot of work to the stereo mix to make it sound as it should. Effectively, RCA's studios had speakers with a really pronounced top end, so the master tapes (transferred flat) are dull sounding because trebly speakers + dull mix = balanced-sounding end result going in your ear 'oles.

I haven't heard Burgers yet but complaints of 'muffled vocals are a telltale sign of a rolled-off upper-midrange/top end frequency response, which is exactly what I'd expect from an RCA quad master tape of this era transferred flat. So complaints about the vocals being muffled are entirely valid and shouldn't be discounted, and it's worth noting that these are defects of an EQ issue and not a (too low in the) mix issue.

If you listen to how much hiss there is in the intro of the stereo mix of These Eyes on the AF SACD it'll give you some idea of the kind of upper midrange/treble boost that Hoffman had to apply. Similarly, compare the quad mixes of the other tracks on this compilation (aside from the ones sourced from the Share the Land album, which sound decent) which weren't mastered by Hoffman but instead 'transferred by Gus Skinas' - which I think we can infer are basically a flat transfer or close to it - to the equivalent songs on their respective releases from the D-V issues of these albums (which were very much mastered by Mike Dutton) and you can see the difference that getting the EQ right has on making things like lead vocals image properly in the phantom center position.

 

[atrocity]

for most of the disc the rear speakers seemed much louder than the front and at least one instance of a volume discrepancy between tracks. Does anyone else hear this?

Yes, but I can't swear that my system is set up 100% properly.

 

[atrocity]

I’ve only listened to the Hot Tuna disc so far. I thought the quad mix was great. Also nice phantom center effect. I had to walk over to the center speaker to confirm nothing was coming out.

I had to do that for Roberta Flack!

 

[bookofsaturdays]

Thinking about Jefferson Airplane (on Grunt) makes me wish that "Long John Silver" had also been done in Quad!

I mean, as long as the multitracks are available, it’s not totally off the table…

 

[quicksrt]

Hot Tuna "Burgers" production credits, fairly vague.

Recorded At – Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco, CA
Mixing – Betty Cantor, The Masked Mixer
Engineer – The Unknown Engineer

 

[quicksrt]

Just a boring shipping comment, but like others I got my four discs from the latest batch with two cracked cases. Super annoying.

All four of these were shipped together in thin wrap around cardboard. I know I can buy new cases but obviously shouldn't have to.

I noticed the Rhino Joni Mitchell box shipping was light years better, in a good sized box with packing material.

Would very much like to see the future Quadios shipped like the Joni Box and plan to let Rhino know that.

I'm wondering your location? Different fulfillment center maybe.

My Joni came in exact same box as the 4 Quadio bundle came in, but in a thin bag over the small box.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

Hot Tuna "Burgers" production credits, fairly vague.

Recorded At – Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco, CA
Mixing – Betty Cantor, The Masked Mixer
Engineer – The Unknown Engineer

Betty Cantor is a very specific and historically important figure in the 70s San Francisco scene.

 

[texeast]

To my ears, Hot Tuna's BURGERS was an incredibly hyperactive QUAD mix ...probably intended to show off the 'new' format at the time. IMO, there is absolutely nothing 'technically' wrong with it!

The vocals are too low compared to all the instruments which just makes it not sound right to my ears. Maybe there is nothing technically wrong with it based on the original mix but hearing in my head which may not coincide with what you hear in your head it just does not sound right to me. I know this can be a subjective topic so I will just leave it at that. Thanks for your comments.

 

[Bruce00]

Since mine arrived an hour or so, Iam listening one after another.
On Robertas Killing me Softly was the only song Iam familiar with. As someone mentioned the rest sound like lounge music, not that there's anything wrong with that. But not my cup of tea, so to speak.
Hot Tuna played will I was in and out to the garage. Nothing stood out to me
Seals & Crofts, will not get played until my reciever gets finished
Donny Hathaway, while only on the first song, seems like it will be the only one to get into my rotation.

I'll still support the Quadios as long as Rhino produces them........Now back to Robin Trower

 

[aoxomoxoa]

I received 8 quadio discs all with broken hubs. The cases weren't cracked.
Must have taken a beating on the week and a half trek from fed ex.
I wish they just put these in cardboard sleeves. Like the Joni box

 

[dabl]

I'm wondering your location? Different fulfillment center maybe.

My Joni came in exact same box as the 4 Quadio bundle came in, but in a thin bag over the small box.

I'm in Indianapolis, IN. Good point about the different fulfillment center which would explain all the different ways these things ship, some more successful than others.

 

[dabl]

I wish they just put these in cardboard sleeves. Like the Joni box

Good idea, +1 on that.