Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? quad

[sukothai]

I was inspired to play my CD copy of Something/Anything? through my Tate II yesterday and I as very pleasantly surprised by the discreet activity in the rears as well as lead vocals always positioned in the fronts. It is good enough that I'm tempted to believe it was purposed for SQ. Has anybody else tried giving this disk SQ treatment?

 

[oxforddickie]

I would doubt that as the label it was released on was firmly CD-4. Just another happy accident i'd guess

 

[Quad Linda]

I'll go with Dickie on this. IF (big if) it had been a few years earlier, there were a few "secret" WEA titles in RM/QS. By the time of Something/Anything, WEA was releasing all current and forthcoming Quad titles on CD-4.

Nevertheless, thanks, Sukothai. When I'm done listening to my literally hundreds of unopened recent purchases, I'll have to pull out my CD's of S/A and try them on PLII, RM & SQ. I'll report back when I get a round tuit.

I would doubt that as the label it was released on was firmly CD-4. Just another happy accident i'd guess

 

[quadsearcher]

For when you need it:

 

[sukothai]

My copy is the MFSL Rhino release -- don't know if that makes a difference. Todd was an all around musical genius and was known to experiment on the technical side of sound. This is just too good to be an accident. I'd say it is almost identical to the DTS copy I found elsewhere (OD).

 

[Quad Linda]

I doubt the mix on the MoFi is any different, although the EQ and mastering are undoubtedly better.

My copy is the MFSL Rhino release -- don't know if that makes a difference. Todd was an all around musical genius and was known to experiment on the technical side of sound. This is just too good to be an accident. I'd say it is almost identical to the DTS copy I found elsewhere (OD).

 

[Q8]

I would imagine that if the engineer had the know-how, it would have been possible to create an SQ encoded album without the label knowing about it. Are there any documented cases of this happening?

 

[Quad Linda]

There are lots of "secret" Quads, nearly all of which are RM/QS. Tommy (movie soundtrack) - The Who, Beach Boys, Beaver & Krause, and many mid-'70's A&M/Horizon jazz titles. Although anything is possible, if this was intended for Quad, it would have been a discrete tape earmarked for CD-4/Q8 release.

I would imagine that if the engineer had the know-how, it would have been possible to create an SQ encoded album without the label knowing about it. Are there any documented cases of this happening?

 

[Q8]

OOOoo. Might there be a list somewhere on the forum or elsewhere of these "secret" quads. Nothing makes me happier than the idea of more quads to look for. Some possibly hiding in my very own collection.

 

[oxforddickie]

There are lots of "secret" Quads, nearly all of which are RM/QS. Tommy (movie soundtrack) - The Who, Beach Boys, Beaver & Krause, and many mid-'70's A&M/Horizon jazz titles. Although anything is possible, if this was intended for Quad, it would have been a discrete tape earmarked for CD-4/Q8 release.

I'm afraid but the Tommy soundtrack isn't QS encoded. I've determined this using 4 different sources. This all came about because the film was encoded, and mentions QS, but in no way does it mean the album is.

The Beach Boys albums are in fact DY encoded, which isn't QS compatible.

It's also known than none of the Who's albums were ever released in Quad, but Quadraphenia was planned to be,but they were unhappy with QS (which is what their company was backing) so it was dropped.

 

[Q8]

I'm afraid but the Tommy soundtrack isn't QS encoded. I've determined this using 4 different sources. This all came about because the film was encoded, and mentions QS, but in no way does it mean the album is.

The Beach Boys albums are in fact DY encoded, which isn't QS compatible.

It's also known than none of the Who's albums were ever released in Quad, but Quadraphenia was planned to be,but they were unhappy with QS (which is what their company was backing) so it was dropped.

And the plot thickens...

 

[cupboy]

Beach Boys Surf's Up sounds rather quad through a Sony SQD-2020 set to "RM".

 

[oxforddickie]

I'm sure it does, but then you have to remember one of the strong points of the RM/QS matrix decoders is that it is capable of producing reasonable surround sound from most stereo sources.

The DY (and EV) maths are not compatible with either QS or SQ.

 

[Quad Linda]

Most later pressings of CTI/Kudu US albums that were released in SQ use the SQ masters. There is no marking on the jacket or label, but the etched # (matrix #) in the lead out groove has SQ as part of the #. It is discussed in this thread: https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...-CTI-Kudu-LP-s-In-Quad&highlight=secret+quads

OOOoo. Might there be a list somewhere on the forum or elsewhere of these "secret" quads. Nothing makes me happier than the idea of more quads to look for. Some possibly hiding in my very own collection.

 

[Quad Linda]

Beach Boys Surf's Up sounds rather quad through a Sony SQD-2020 set to "RM".

Sunflower was also encoded and decodes/synthesizes reasonably well on RM and PLII.

 

[sukothai]

oxforddickie, are you thinking your DTS cd of this was sourced from the CD-4 masters?

- Ben

 

[Lokkerman]

I've been following the S/A? story for ages. I don't know of the CD-4 actually existing, not least ever heard it. OD's DTS version was for AFAIK of (that's what I was told when I "gained" it) Rhino background. Definitely not MFSL as a lot of this was discussed in the Hoffman forums and the edits/mixes are different.

 

[sukothai]

as a lot of this was discussed in the Hoffman forums

Could you point me to the SH threads? I'd be interested in reading about this, but I can't find anything with the SH search tool or google search.

Thanks, Ben

 

[Lokkerman]

THis link is all i can find now but there was a longer piece that can perhaps be searched for with this thread here: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=46288
There is a Todd forum that captures the differences between the MFSL and the Rhinos ( I am of course referring to stereo recordings) the main difference being the punch-out on the end of SLUT. I think I have all the CD versions of this album and there are sonic differences, although I may have to revisit them to catalogue the sound. The DTS I was told was a test master from the Rhino days.

 

[Pibroch]

I've been listening to this nonstop for the past month or so. It's tough to tell, but it sounds discrete to me, or a really well-done upmix.

What I notice is it seems to be 5.1, which makes me think it's the DTS test master as mentioned. Todd was remixing this album in '01 I've read.

I'm interested in more info about this. D-S quad blog on this had an argument in the comments section, people debating if it was upmixed or actually discrete. Someone claiming to be in the know on the subject said that there are portions officially mixed and some upmixed. I'm not sure if this was in the official mixing stage or if there is some that was done after the incomplete test master was leaked.

Either way, it all sounds cohesive and nicely done, and it's become a favorite of mine in 5.1, especially the first side.