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Quadrophonic questions here

bldozier

bldozier

Active Member
So, thanks for stoping in.

Can anyone recommend a quadraphonic decoder. im just getting into 8 track bought a Wollensak 8056. 2ch 8 track player. id like to enjoy quadrophonic, so a decoder is needed. I like the qs1 for its main and pre which would allow fron an rear bias amplification. I think a sansui and a tate ii will be a nice set up being I can afford to purchase a tate.

Second Id like to record backups of quadrophonic 8 tracks. my initial though was to purchase a reel to reel (2) for quadrophonic playback, open the tape an transfer to a reel cake.

My question would the Wollensak record in 2ch or 4ch. if using the Wollensak as a player and the reel to reel as a recorder, and a 4ch decorder will this give me 4ch 8 tracks. I guess I could buy a blank 8 track and record in 4ch, or use the opend quadrophonic 8 track to house the recorded 4ch audio. and reseal it.

Maybe 2 4ch 8 tracks wouldmbe eaiser by far, bjt with decoders available, id like to use the equipment I own already. any help is appreciated.
Brian
 
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You need a 4 channel 8 track and 4 channel
Cartridge player for 4 channel sound
Decoders for matrix ( sq ,qs ,ev)
Demodulator for cd-4/quadradisc

Can be backed up to 4 channel reel to reel
with right setup , amp with dual quad tape loop perfect
Qs-1 is a very early basic decoder
Got one ,vu meters are great
 
8 track Quad is discrete. Your machine is a Stereo deck. For Quad, you need a Quad machine. For records, major systems were SQ from Sony, QS from Sansui, and CD-4 from JVC. In real life, the QS system was the best system given the reality of oil shortage era vinyl plating and pressing. Each system needs a decoder.
 
Alright, my idea should have been
Wollensak 2ch 8056 to
Discrete decoder qsd1, qs1, ect. ( quadrophonic )
Reel to reel 4ch to decoder. tape loop

Shouldn't the system already be outputting 4ch through the decoder?
 
ig88 said:
You need a 4 channel 8 track and 4 channel
Cartridge player for 4 channel sound
Decoders for matrix ( sq ,qs ,ev)
Demodulator for cd-4/quadradisc

Can be backed up to 4 channel reel to reel
with right setup , amp with dual quad tape loop perfect
Qs-1 is a very early basic decoder
Got one ,vu meters are great
Click to expand...

I know I need a quad for 4ch playback, I felt the decoder would carry-on the conversion from 2ch. if im recording converted 4ch from the decoders playback loop,

my only option baring purchasing a quad tape deck is popping a quadraphonic 8 track & loading it onto a cake for reel to reel, an having them do the playback & recording. .. then taking my copy back to the tape cartridge an sealing that, good as new, keeping my 7 1/2" reel to reel backup in my mothers attic.

20160407_125158_zpsc1myndsd.jpg
 
You don't need a decoder for a 4 channel R2R just a quad receiver or preamp or AVR with analog multi-channel inputs. Quad R2R just uses wider heads and records the front channels in the normal stereo position and the rear channels in the tracks that normally would be the B-side. It'll have four RCA jacks on the back for playback rather than the normal two. Easy peasy hookup.
I'm pretty sure the same holds true for 8-track. IOW a quad "8-track" plays half as long as it's using four of the 8 tracks for each section of program rather than two. There's stereo, and there's discrete quad, but I'm not aware that there was ever a 2-channel 8-track recorded in a matrix format (someone please correct me if I'm mistaken.) Now what you MIGHT be able to do is play the front channel tracks and digitize them or record to R2R, then play the rear channel tracks and do the same, but you'd need both machines to have exceptional speed stability, or some funky software to keep it all matched up.
Decoder would be for your turntable, although if you're planning on using an old school quad receiver it will be built in. However you could use a decoder with a turntable if you have an AVR. Now the question is do you put the encoder before or after the phono pre, I don't know the answer to that question.
 
Ok.

Im using separate front and rear pre/amp
Sansui au7500 pre ( seperate ) front kenwood ka7300 amp
sannui au7500 pre ( seperate ) rear kenwood ka7300 amp.

The sansui qs1 4ch has main pre front and main pre rear. so id run the two pre & amps to it.
The sansui has a tape loop. I would run the Wollensak 8056 to it..or do I need a 4ch Wollensak 8 track player?

Is this correct so far.
 
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Tapes are not matrixed as a rule. And to do matrixed tapes you need a rare encoder which only was sold to studios. Your Wollensak 8 track is Stereo, it does not do Quad, it is a 2 channel machine.
 
Your right.
Its 2ch. I was thinking using the special qs 7000 decoder, id be able to achieve stereo 2ch to 4ch conversion, I i know what I got is 2ch. but whad about conversion?
 
If your decoder has a synthesizer mode that will work to 'fake' quad, some have said that straight QS also gives good results with 2 channel material. just gotta play. I haven't tried it, my only working quad unit stays in discrete 4 channel as it is a bedroom 'AVR'
 
The odd 8 track and cassette were matrix
Stereo to synth quad is do able with a stand alone decoder, then recorded.
But if you have a decoder eg. Vario matrix
It does it real time , no need to pre split
Unless your trying for a dts conversion
 
ig88 said:
You need a …4 channel Cartridge player for 4 channel sound
Click to expand...
It depends on what you mean by “4 channel Cartridge player”.
“4 channel Cartridges” do not exist. All cartridges for 4 channel sound are 2 channel.

The differences are:

For “matrix” systems, 20…20000 Hz high quality cartridges.
For “UD-4” system, 20…30000 Hz high quality cartridges. And wires from the cartridge to the “UD-4” decoder capable to transmit well 20…30000 Hz band.
For “CD-4” system, 20…45000 Hz high quality cartridges. And wires from the cartridge to the “CD-4” decoder capable to transmit well 20…45000 Hz band.
 
Portkula said:
It depends on what you mean by “4 channel Cartridge player”.
“4 channel Cartridges” do not exist. All cartridges for 4 channel sound are 2 channel.

The differences are:

For “matrix” systems, 20…20000 Hz high quality cartridges.
For “UD-4” system, 20…30000 Hz high quality cartridges. And wires from the cartridge to the “UD-4” decoder capable to transmit well 20…30000 Hz band.
For “CD-4” system, 20…45000 Hz high quality cartridges. And wires from the cartridge to the “CD-4” decoder capable to transmit well 20…45000 Hz band.
Click to expand...

Are you certain about that? When I first started at CBS Records and Tapes back in 1976, we had an 8-track player which used four track tapes and had two selectable "tracks". It would play the first four channels on the tape then the last four when the track changer button was pressed. I remember listening to Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Taking Care of Business" album in quad on JBL Studio monitors driven by McIntosh 2125s in one studio or Crown 150W amps in another.
 
Portkula said:
It depends on what you mean by “4 channel Cartridge player”.
“4 channel Cartridges” do not exist. All cartridges for 4 channel sound are 2 channel.
Etc. …
Click to expand...
kfalls said:
Are you certain about that?
Click to expand...
I meant vinyl records playing cartridges on turntables. The parameters of cartridges and wires necessary for playing quadra (matrix and discrete) records.
 
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Matrix a good standard cartridge
Cd-4 they top out at 45-60hz ,Shibata stylus
Many examples still available
Turntable with low capacitance wiring
Of course a cd-4 demodulator
JVC ,shure,audio technica all made cd-4 carts

4 channel 8 tracks have 4 outputs
 
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