Hamburg, Germany. I'm totally surrounded!
UK Members
- Thread starter Oldvalvemic
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Spain
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- Mar 2, 2002
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Well, it's home of Dutton Vocalion and SDE, not too bad. At present time probably is the country that do the bigger number of multichannel music releases, with US second and Japan third, plus some UK band such as Jethro Tull Genesis Pink Floyd... Elsewhere... nothing.
In the analog past EMI UK had quite a few releases on LP/tape along with the PRT group. Not a bad score even then...
yes well said and Cherry Red/Esoteric also do a lot of Surround and are based in the UK
This is true, Dutton, Burning Shed, SDE…lots of things you folks in the states frequently have to pay a premium for. But the UK is unique from the states (at least California where I moved from) in that the shops are wholly uninterested in multichannel releases, the few new shops (Fopp, HMV…I don’t generally do much business in them admittedly) don’t carry the multichannel releases unless they’re packaged with another release while 2nd hand shops tend to look at you confusedly if you ask about them. On more than one occasion I’ve had to explain what SACD meant to shop people. Conversely, there were shops in the SF Bay Area with whole multichannel and SACD sections. So, mostly you do mailorder over here. A few shops in London get some stuff in, but it’s not a market they seem to think bears indulging. As for the distant past, when quad vinyl and tape was happening, it appears it largely wasn’t happening here. I’ve been through lots of record shops and seen probably tens of thousands of records in shops here since moving and have seen exactly 1 used quad LP. I’m guessing that quad systems weren’t as widely marketed here as in the US, but Germany seemed to get on board based on what I’ve seen in German shops. The problem is that UK electrical currents aren’t compatible with EU and US, so importing equipment for quad use was not doable. Ultimately, it just seems an even more outsider hobby/fetish over here than in the states.
madscot
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
Hot and sunny Scotland here 
The UK and the EU have the same mains voltages so 220V AC 50Hz, but different mains plugs even across the EU.
Back in the 1970s there was a lot of adverts for Quad equipment in the Hi-Fi magazines (being a youngster I had no money to buy though, just drooled at the adverts and dreamt). I built myself an SQ decoder in my 2nd year at Uni so 1977-78, where there was only one shop in Cardiff that had Quad LPs, they even had CD4 releases. I wanted CD4 but the decoder was too much, and not an easy home build even with the kit in the Uni. I had to specially order Floyd's Wish You Were Here SQ release when I was back at home in St. Albans. One of my much older relations back in Scotland got a Quad system, and had loads of classical releases after I enthused about Quad on a visit back to Scotland. My father didn't go for Quad, he had enough difficulty getting a stereo system my mother liked!
I think cost of equipment, plus our UK homes have possibly smaller rooms so limited space for 4 speakers, and lack of availability of Quad releases back in the 70s meant it was not really a success, but the BBC did work on Matrix H/HJ transmissions.
As for DVD-A, SACD, BD releases I haven't seen one in any shop!
madscot
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
Fopp in Glasgow has a very small section of boxsets, usually multichannel including Marillion, Pink floyd, Steve Hackett etc but the prices are way more than you would pay online. I go in once a week and fantasise they have a sale on but it never happens, i did buy two Moody blues sacd’s, two Porcupine tree dvd a’s and Dire straits BIA sacd in there so they do stock them
Scotland here :>)
Hi from East Yorkshire
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2017
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Hi. Brighton here. My system is ambisonic, rather than quad. As surrounders, we are a bit thin on the ground everywhere, I think.
Hi from Westmorland
Born in London, brought up in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire where I lived up 'til 16 years ago when I moved to Swansea, South Wales.
Soundfield
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
Hi from the majestic snow capped peaks and crystal lakes of Essex.
Having built a "neo" quad system based around a SMv3 and a CD-4 decoder into a modern surround controller and a modern 4 channel power amp what do people use for amplification if you are doing analogue quad ...do you rely on good old fashioned vintage amps ...digital stuff is easier with an AV amp of some sort but they dont cater for old style formats. Its been a dilemma for me as older amps become less reliable.
Shout out to local UK quadies ...good to know you are out there.
Shout out to local UK quadies ...good to know you are out there.
What a great idea.
I would be happy with a location search function in user profiles. And a reminder, keep your profile detailed & up to date. It doesn't do any good to list your location as "Audio Nirvana" or whatever.
Sure thing, 804.672 KPH EARS. Hello from "Infinity Nirvana"
UK cheers to get really drunk.
good question! my setup's maybe a bit of an unconventional affair but it works so i've stuck with it.
first, the outputs from the various bits of source gear get routed through a splitter.
so that's; 1.) 4ch out from a CD-4 demodulator (using a JVC 4DD-5 at the moment but i swap it out from time to time with either a Marantz CD-400B or a Grundig Quadro), 2.) 4ch out from the Surround Master, 3.) 4ch out from a Q8 8-track player (not connected at present, as my Akai Q8 deck's not working properly) and 4.) 6ch out from a BD/SACD/DVD-A/V universal disc player, all routed through a splitter box.
the splitter was originally designed and sold as a component video switchbox, with 4 sets of 6 x RCA/Phono Inputs and 1 set of 6 x RCA/Phono Outs, it's so handy because i can select a Quad/5.1 source at will, without having to mess about swapping connections in and out.
the MultiCh output of the splitter/switchbox is then fed into a MOTU multichannel audio interface, which is connected to a Computer via FireWire.
finally, the Computer is connected via HDMI to a modern AV Receiver, which is configured for 6ch playback with a Centre channel & LFE, so all Quad and 5.1 content is played back through the correct speakers.
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