What's the Latest DISCRETE Quad LP Added to Your Pile? CD-4, UD-4

[Simon A]

I don't know..I do have my doubts whether GOD (whichever one you may be referring to) is a Surround fan... if a Deity were a Surround fan, it should have NEVER gone away...so I think we're dealing here with Saints...who , some of them , are the REAL deities......

I think a rebellious angel is responsible for Quad.

 

[fredblue]

I don't know..I do have my doubts whether GOD (whichever one you may be referring to) is a Surround fan... if a Deity were a Surround fan, it should have NEVER gone away...so I think we're dealing here with Saints...who , some of them , are the REAL deities......

noo.. I didn't mean all that! I just meant after all the hassles I've had with the format, it'll be a miracle if I ever get to do anymore CD-4's to anywhere near approaching satisfactory results!

 

[bigbillquad]

The old proverb.....Never say Never.....We don't no what our Ausie Friend will come up with a Super Duper CD-4 DECODER .......:spot

noo.. I didn't mean all that! I just meant after all the hassles I've had with the format, it'll be a miracle if I ever get to do anymore CD-4's to anywhere near approaching satisfactory results!

 

[fredblue]

Planet Waves - Bob Dylan (CD-4)

 

[fizzywiggs41]

noo.. I didn't mean all that! I just meant after all the hassles I've had with the format, it'll be a miracle if I ever get to do anymore CD-4's to anywhere near approaching satisfactory results!

Well.......


If the demodulator doesn't work , you could run em through the S.M. unit .Give it a try see what you get ?:upthumb



BTW nice catch on the Dylan CD-4. It's a winner, I think.
We really, really, really need that in Blu-ray or SACD or "HELL" even dvd.

 

[fredblue]

Well.......


If the demodulator doesn't work , you could run em through the S.M. unit .Give it a try see what you get ?:upthumb



BTW nice catch on the Dylan CD-4. It's a winner, I think.
We really, really, really need that in Blu-ray or SACD or "HELL" even dvd.

I did try that with a couple of them.. but the results were not great (I then realised I'd had the SM set in SQ mode.. ..so I will try it again!)

seemed appropriate to post about it on the day he gets the Nobel Prize..

 

[timbre4]

Given that CD-4 is not a matrix technique I wouldn't expect anything.


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[fredblue]

Given that CD-4 is not a matrix technique I wouldn't expect anything.


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Well I'm going to need another copy or something if I want to hear the Quad from CD-4 cos mine (despite looking in great condition and playing fine in Stereo) sounds like absolute crap when demodulated! Sandpaper Central here we come! Haha!

 

[DuncanS]

That'll sound abrasive @: (sorry!) worse than the Rice Krispies style Snap! Crackle! & Pop! from normal vinyl

Well I'm going to need another copy or something if I want to hear the Quad from CD-4 cos mine (despite looking in great condition and playing fine in Stereo) sounds like absolute crap when demodulated! Sandpaper Central here we come! Haha!

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Given that CD-4 is not a matrix technique I wouldn't expect anything.


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I've tried it once or twice back in the day, but was never impressed........with accuracy. But I never doubt the ability of an advanced decoder to give me something in the surround soundfield.
And I might want to give the "RM" or "QS" modes a tryout as well as the "SQ" in that Surround Master.


It's a bummer to be stuck with CD-4 and no demodulator to hear it properly.

 

[fredblue]

I've tried it once or twice back in the day, but was never impressed........with accuracy. But I never doubt the ability of an advanced decoder to give me something in the surround soundfield.
And I might want to give the "RM" or "QS" modes a tryout as well as the "SQ" in that Surround Master.


It's a bummer to be stuck with CD-4 and no demodulator to hear it properly.

It certainly is Fizzy.. I so wish Involve could get a new CD-4 solution out asap so i could throw the 2 JVC units in the dustbin!

fwiw I tried a couple of tracks off the Planet Waves CD-4 thru the Surround Master in QS mode last night and not only was it not much cop it didn't resemble the Quad thru the JVC demod (sandpaper and all).. damn shame..

very tempted to go down the Q8 route (against my better judgement and especially the judgment of at least one QQ-er who knows more about the perils of Q8 than most to put it mildly who has advised - I'm paraphrasing but - "don't go there!") I have to say, really rather fed up with CD-4 all round.. I was up til 5am trying to get it "just right" and every time I thought I had it licked and the front vocals all but cancelled out in both rear channels BOOM I got sandpaper - even on tracks that never had sandpaper before I started tinkering with it again last night I was getting sandpaper and bursts of distortion!

oh yeah and I don't know what has happened since the last time I used it but using the setup record I now cannot get the 30khz tone to "meep" smoothly at any of the 30khz level settings 1 thru 10, its just tiny weeny degrees of greater or lesser distorted "meeping" whereas before I got a splatting meep at about 5-ish which then calmed down at around 4-ish to a smooth meep with very occasional tiny splatting at the end of the test tone.. ugh!

to those Quad maestro's here who have conquered CD-4 and got the kind of separation out of it that truly rivals discrete I take my big old top hat off to you cos I just can't and I've tried and tried and tried and tried and tried...!! how trying..!

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Freddie,

Q8 ? Oh oh. Q4 yes indeed. It's a shame they did not make more quad reels available at the time.

And Q4C would have been cheaper, but Phillips patent interferred as not to their own, Too much control ego I think .And that one way playback or record in discrete cassette was my preference, but it wasn't to be. This was a BIG PISS OFF for me.

Two or three quad decks did happen, though. Astrocum/Marlux , Neal Ferrograph, and (Teac ? )


It sure does sound like you need another demodulator, if no local electro shop will fix it.
A cheap alternative is a HARMON KARDON 44+ , btw. It worked fine and still did even though (please don't hate me for this) I did toss it in the bin around 2001.


fizzy, not considering future sorry.:couch

 

[fredblue]

:yikes

 

[DuncanS]

Blimey Adam, 5am that's Quad-edication! Have you checked your stylus condition since playing 'Planet Waves'? Do you have another stylus or cartridge you can try? The reason I'd suspect that (or the TT tracking) is that you've two decoders one for L and one for R (or was it one for Front & one for Rear - can't remember), so its unlikely (though not impossible) that they are both distorting/producing sandpaper audio.

It certainly is Fizzy.. I so wish Involve could get a new CD-4 solution out asap so i could throw the 2 JVC units in the dustbin!

fwiw I tried a couple of tracks off the Planet Waves CD-4 thru the Surround Master in QS mode last night and not only was it not much cop it didn't resemble the Quad thru the JVC demod (sandpaper and all).. damn shame..

very tempted to go down the Q8 route (against my better judgement and especially the judgment of at least one QQ-er who knows more about the perils of Q8 than most to put it mildly who has advised - I'm paraphrasing but - "don't go there!") I have to say, really rather fed up with CD-4 all round.. I was up til 5am trying to get it "just right" and every time I thought I had it licked and the front vocals all but cancelled out in both rear channels BOOM I got sandpaper - even on tracks that never had sandpaper before I started tinkering with it again last night I was getting sandpaper and bursts of distortion!

oh yeah and I don't know what has happened since the last time I used it but using the setup record I now cannot get the 30khz tone to "meep" smoothly at any of the 30khz level settings 1 thru 10, its just tiny weeny degrees of greater or lesser distorted "meeping" whereas before I got a splatting meep at about 5-ish which then calmed down at around 4-ish to a smooth meep with very occasional tiny splatting at the end of the test tone.. ugh!

to those Quad maestro's here who have conquered CD-4 and got the kind of separation out of it that truly rivals discrete I take my big old top hat off to you cos I just can't and I've tried and tried and tried and tried and tried...!! how trying..!

 

[fredblue]

Blimey Adam, 5am that's Quad-edication! Have you checked your stylus condition since playing 'Planet Waves'? Do you have another stylus or cartridge you can try? The reason I'd suspect that (or the TT tracking) is that you've two decoders one for L and one for R (or was it one for Front & one for Rear - can't remember), so its unlikely (though not impossible) that they are both distorting/producing sandpaper audio.

pretty sure its one demodulator per pair with one demodulator for Front Left + Rear Left pair & another to separate Front Right + Rear Right..?

they're not both distorting its 'only' the rear left channel every time, the Right pair are distortion free, albeit lower volume than the Left pair.. when I lower volume with the control for the Left pair the separation effect for the Left channels worsens..

I really think I've got another duff JVC unit tbh (the other unit now doesn't separate the Left channels at all no matter what any of it is set at, I tried the other demodulator again last night just to be doubly sure..) :violin

 

[fredblue]

He Don't Love You (Like I Love You) - Tony Orlando & Dawn (CD-4)

German pressing..

 

[DuncanS]

After all the effort and expense you've put into CD4 it must be ****ing frustrating! I've just been looking at the schematic, if you lower the Left setting (via the trim pot on the bottom) you will lower the LF to LR separation as you reduce the LF+LR signal fed into the decode matrix (which gives the individual LF & LR outputs), so it looks like the distortion is in the (LF-LR) demodulated signal - way too many possibilities as to why that could be (gut feeling is leaking ancient electrolytic capacitor somewhere - there are a lot in the design). Sorry I can't be of anymore use .

pretty sure its one demodulator per pair with one demodulator for Front Left + Rear Left pair & another to separate Front Right + Rear Right..?

they're not both distorting its 'only' the rear left channel every time, the Right pair are distortion free, albeit lower volume than the Left pair.. when I lower volume with the control for the Left pair the separation effect for the Left channels worsens..

I really think I've got another duff JVC unit tbh (the other unit now doesn't separate the Left channels at all no matter what any of it is set at, I tried the other demodulator again last night just to be doubly sure..) :violin

 

[fizzywiggs41]

You have probably tried this but another quick fix comes to mind.

Both demodulators basterdizing the same channel - could mean a stylus/cartridge connection problem.

Disconnect those 4 little wires, and try again. It's worth a try ? Could be that one little connection.

 

[fredblue]

You have probably tried this but another quick fix comes to mind.

Both demodulators basterdizing the same channel - could mean a stylus/cartridge connection problem.

Disconnect those 4 little wires, and try again. It's worth a try ? Could be that one little connection.

oh I've done all that Fizzy (more than once.. ...tbh I don't want to keep manhandling the cart and headshell too much, I just know one false move and I'll bust it and that'll be another £150 down the bloody drain!).. the trouble is that one of the demodulators doesn't separate the Front Left + Rear Left at all.. while the other demodulator separates them like a good'un but with distortion in the Rear Left only (like big blasts of distortion!).. otherwise I would indeed say yes it must be the stylus/cart.. ah well.. it was working great on Tony Orlando and his Dawn chorus tonight.. then I try Bob Dylan's Wavey Planets again and BLAM..! Revenge of the Distorto-tron..!

 

[fredblue]

After all the effort and expense you've put into CD4 it must be ****ing frustrating! I've just been looking at the schematic, if you lower the Left setting (via the trim pot on the bottom) you will lower the LF to LR separation as you reduce the LF+LR signal fed into the decode matrix (which gives the individual LF & LR outputs), so it looks like the distortion is in the (LF-LR) demodulated signal - way too many possibilities as to why that could be (gut feeling is leaking ancient electrolytic capacitor somewhere - there are a lot in the design). Sorry I can't be of anymore use .

it is Duncan.. though I think I've been spoilt by the Surround Master experience with SQ and to a lesser extent QS (which I don't dislike I just wish there had been more released in QS!) which has just been amazing, pretty much from word go with some of those Isley & O'Jays records I was away with something really quite Quad-like thanks to that Surround Master.. CD-4 on the other hand has been a kind of on/off love/hate affair, sadly most of the time its off and I hate it...