Happy accidents in quad

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boojidad

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2005
Messages
246
Location
Seattle
So it started so innocently: about 3 years ago, I came across a quad 8 cartridge sitting all alone and forgotten on a thrift store shelf. I didn't have a player, wasn't really interested, but it intrigued me so I picked it up. 'Imagination' by Gladys Knight and the Pips. Cost: Ten Cents.

Then last summer, I was at an antiques place and saw a Sony TC-248D quad player. Again, I didn't really have an interest in getting into 8-tracks, so even though I had Gladys at home, I passed it by. Lord only knows if it even worked (it was being sold "as is"). Saw it again in fall. Then in December, I saw it was still there but now shoved back behind newer merchandise. Finally took the plunge. Cost: $10.

Took it home, used up a lot of isopropyl alcohol cleaning the remnants of the old belt that had basically melted away, and getting everything else as shiny as I could. Ordered new belt from TurntableNeedles.com, took only about four days to arrive. Cost of belt and cleaner: $16.

I initially tested it with some regular 8-tracks (25 cents each) in case something went crazy. Good thing I did: the tape in one of the cartridges got stuck and unspooled all over. But another cleaning job and positive tests later, I finally installed the Gladys Knight tape. Sure, the dynamic range wasn't amazing (this is an 8-track after all) but the clarity of separation was everything I hoped for.

I still don't plan on going 8-track crazy, but I have just one that I'm dying to hear: Switched-On Bach. We all know how much Wendy Carlos hated what the quad album sounded like, but her complaints were all about the SQ encoding/decoding. With the 8-track, there's no matrix involved, so I can at least get an better idea of what it sounded like in the studio.

For less than a $27 investment, I think I did OK.
 
Glad to hear of your happy happening. I have a similar story except I still don't have a player.

It's a bit strange as I was involved in production of 8-track decks for Ford in 1978 - 1982 so you might think I would be 8-track nuts. At one time, I guess I was, installing a system in my car with which all my friends were amazed. The common exclamation was, "It's all there!"

Anyway, we made both stereo and quad decks, stereo for the Lansdale, PA Philco factory and quad for the Don Mills (Toronto) Philco factory. At our factory, we only had one quad tape - Pink Floyd's DSOTM in a purple cartridge. We had a quad set up in our office and it sounded terrific. The quad deck was one of Ford's fancy no knobs - just sliders and rocker switches units they put only in Lincolns and Thunderbirds.

When the Telex factory closed in 2002, I kept the quad deck but alas, when I tried it a few years later, it no longer worked, didn't even light up (digital fluorescent display). I took it apart to fix it but it still is in a box, still apart. I still have the tape.

So, I have been tempted to buy a deck because I already have my vintage quad setup but I just don't want to spend all that much on one. I have a feeling it would lead to spending a lot on tapes in spite of the shortcomings of 8-track.

Maybe someday.

Doug
 
At our factory, we only had one quad tape - Pink Floyd's DSOTM in a purple cartridge.
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Got the Bach tape, even had a new pad. Two songs played great - and then the tape broke. Sigh.
 
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