Quadradude
Member
(Please pardon the somewhat erratic trains of thought, it's been a long day and it's not over yet...)
Basically, I've found a few iso files online that contain files in both the AUDIO_TS (DVD-A) and VIDEO_TS (DVD-V) directories.
I downloaded the iso files that were available for a few of the quad titles that I personally own on either Q4/Q8 or CD-4/QS/SQ, burned them to discs, and quickly learned that not all of these were created equal, many of them are DVD-A only as they have empty VIDEO_TS folders and none of my players will read them.
Apparently the files in the AUDIO_TS folder are the full uncompressed "DVD-Audio" disc version which only some players (that know what a DVD-A disc is) will read while the files in the VIDEO_TS folder are in either DTS and/or Dolby Digital surround formats, both of which are compressed formats, both of which any consumer DVD Player will assume is a video disc and automatically knows what to do with.
I also found that any of these which contain files in the VIDEO_TS folder will work in my DVD and Blu-Ray players, although of course they are compressed and require a modern DD/DTS surround decoder.
The available iso files of CD-4/SQ/QS disc conversions that I've been able to find are all over the map, some astonishing, some terrible for a number of reasons other than artistic, and which of those 3 formats occasionally doesn't even seem to matter. I suspect that the dvd disc creator's choice of format decoder (both hardware and software) plays a major role in their outcome.
I heard one SQ release (which included well suppressed but still apparent turntable rumble when listening at very loud levels) with natural sound on all 4 channels (not all hollow/echoey in back and muddy up front) and separation that I would've damn near sworn was from a Q4 tape if it hadn't been for the rumble of the record on certain tracks when I cranked it up loud.
I also heard a Q4 dub that the original artistic concept was vague and downright disappointing...
Most of the Q8 dubs are somewhere between good and okay, usually either good fidelity with mediocre artistic quad concepts or otherwise impressive quad concepts that get muddled up and lost in the muddy/hissy low-fi mix...
Surprisingly, I realize that DTS and DD are compressed formats but a couple of the Q4 dubs and even a few of the Q8 dubs I've found on these dvd iso discs when played through my modern 5.1 receiver and vintage speakers sounds as good or better than my quad originals and makes me very happy that I found them...
So what I'm seeking is any commercially available releases of the original discs these files came from where the source was either an original release of the Q4 or Q8 tape, especially any by artists I like but don't yet own in quad.
Is there such a thing as commercially available legitimate releases of these original Q4/Q8 content discs or are they all home-made and if so, is there a reference list to browse and choose from?
I've seen a few of these titles listed for sale on amazon and I've seen a couple of services online who are offering to create these types of dvd discs for customers "from your original quad record/tape copy" and I've seen a couple of sites that have fairly thorough lists of what artists/titles were available, what label, and which format(s) but what I can't find is anywhere that lists those originals along with information for buying commercial multi-channel dubs of them on playable dvd discs.
Basically, my only SQ and QS(RM) decoders are built into my Akai AS-980 and I've never heard really good quad from either of them and even with the original Akai CD-4 setup record I've never been very satisfied with that receiver's built in CD-4 decoder.
I have a Panasonic CD-4 decoder but it doesn't always hold one side's front/rear channels apart very well and the Marantz CD-4 decoder I found on ebay a long while ago usually makes me really happy with my quadradiscs but tends to do that sandpaper thing to the highs more often than I'd prefer no matter how carefully I try to set up my AT-440 cartridge so I've mostly hunted for Q4 releases but usually get priced out of range and often settele for a Q8 version which is usually okay but even with my Akai CR-80D-SS player/recorder it's still hit and miss on the condition and quality of those old cartridges...
My Akai GX-280D-SS Reel deck still works but it seems to have gotten noticeably hissy on the front 2 channels, almost as loud as my Q8 Akai SS 8-Track deck is.
So basically, at this point if I could find modern dvd disc offerrings of those original quad recordings I really like, especially from a Q4 original, some Q8's and a few SQ/QS/CD-4 versions, I'd be interested in any site that has legitimate releases of these available for sale and having a list of them to choose from (that included listings of the source types each disc was dubbed/created from) would be awesome...
Does such a thing truly exist these days?
Basically, I've found a few iso files online that contain files in both the AUDIO_TS (DVD-A) and VIDEO_TS (DVD-V) directories.
I downloaded the iso files that were available for a few of the quad titles that I personally own on either Q4/Q8 or CD-4/QS/SQ, burned them to discs, and quickly learned that not all of these were created equal, many of them are DVD-A only as they have empty VIDEO_TS folders and none of my players will read them.
Apparently the files in the AUDIO_TS folder are the full uncompressed "DVD-Audio" disc version which only some players (that know what a DVD-A disc is) will read while the files in the VIDEO_TS folder are in either DTS and/or Dolby Digital surround formats, both of which are compressed formats, both of which any consumer DVD Player will assume is a video disc and automatically knows what to do with.
I also found that any of these which contain files in the VIDEO_TS folder will work in my DVD and Blu-Ray players, although of course they are compressed and require a modern DD/DTS surround decoder.
The available iso files of CD-4/SQ/QS disc conversions that I've been able to find are all over the map, some astonishing, some terrible for a number of reasons other than artistic, and which of those 3 formats occasionally doesn't even seem to matter. I suspect that the dvd disc creator's choice of format decoder (both hardware and software) plays a major role in their outcome.
I heard one SQ release (which included well suppressed but still apparent turntable rumble when listening at very loud levels) with natural sound on all 4 channels (not all hollow/echoey in back and muddy up front) and separation that I would've damn near sworn was from a Q4 tape if it hadn't been for the rumble of the record on certain tracks when I cranked it up loud.
I also heard a Q4 dub that the original artistic concept was vague and downright disappointing...
Most of the Q8 dubs are somewhere between good and okay, usually either good fidelity with mediocre artistic quad concepts or otherwise impressive quad concepts that get muddled up and lost in the muddy/hissy low-fi mix...
Surprisingly, I realize that DTS and DD are compressed formats but a couple of the Q4 dubs and even a few of the Q8 dubs I've found on these dvd iso discs when played through my modern 5.1 receiver and vintage speakers sounds as good or better than my quad originals and makes me very happy that I found them...
So what I'm seeking is any commercially available releases of the original discs these files came from where the source was either an original release of the Q4 or Q8 tape, especially any by artists I like but don't yet own in quad.
Is there such a thing as commercially available legitimate releases of these original Q4/Q8 content discs or are they all home-made and if so, is there a reference list to browse and choose from?
I've seen a few of these titles listed for sale on amazon and I've seen a couple of services online who are offering to create these types of dvd discs for customers "from your original quad record/tape copy" and I've seen a couple of sites that have fairly thorough lists of what artists/titles were available, what label, and which format(s) but what I can't find is anywhere that lists those originals along with information for buying commercial multi-channel dubs of them on playable dvd discs.
Basically, my only SQ and QS(RM) decoders are built into my Akai AS-980 and I've never heard really good quad from either of them and even with the original Akai CD-4 setup record I've never been very satisfied with that receiver's built in CD-4 decoder.
I have a Panasonic CD-4 decoder but it doesn't always hold one side's front/rear channels apart very well and the Marantz CD-4 decoder I found on ebay a long while ago usually makes me really happy with my quadradiscs but tends to do that sandpaper thing to the highs more often than I'd prefer no matter how carefully I try to set up my AT-440 cartridge so I've mostly hunted for Q4 releases but usually get priced out of range and often settele for a Q8 version which is usually okay but even with my Akai CR-80D-SS player/recorder it's still hit and miss on the condition and quality of those old cartridges...
My Akai GX-280D-SS Reel deck still works but it seems to have gotten noticeably hissy on the front 2 channels, almost as loud as my Q8 Akai SS 8-Track deck is.
So basically, at this point if I could find modern dvd disc offerrings of those original quad recordings I really like, especially from a Q4 original, some Q8's and a few SQ/QS/CD-4 versions, I'd be interested in any site that has legitimate releases of these available for sale and having a list of them to choose from (that included listings of the source types each disc was dubbed/created from) would be awesome...
Does such a thing truly exist these days?