Recording quadrophonic.

[bldozier]

So im on ebay looking at scarce quadrophonic albums, im just starting out in quadrophonic 8 tracks, but if I wanted to record a quadraphonic 8 track for a back up, would I need two 4ch players? as a tape a & b would work.

I have a Wollensak 8056 its not quad, it needs belts, I was considering a reel to reel for quadrophonic playback, I have read a q8 8 track player will play stereo 8 tracks, maybe eaiser to buy a dedicated q8 player then two reel to reel 4ch players.

Any thoughts

[hsosdrum]

If you want to back-up the music on a quadraphonic LP you need 1) a quad decoder with quad analog recording outputs, and 2) a recording device that will record 4 analog channels in parallel with no timing errors between them. For this you could use an old Teac A3340 1/4-inch reel-to-reel tape recorder or any number of professional 1/2-inch, 1-inch or 2-inch multi-track analog tape recorders. This route will cost you many thousands of dollars by the time you're done (properly-functioning A3340s are very rare and expensive; properly-functioning professional multi-track tape recorders will command a 5-figure price-tag, and must frequently be aligned by someone who knows what they're doing to perform properly; blank 2-inch multi-track tape for professional machines can run close to a thousand dollars or more a reel). OR, you can get a good audio recording computer program (DAW) and a 4-channel audio interface unit for your computer, the total of which would cost you well under a thousand dollars. If you want to create your own quad 8-track cartridge tapes you need a quad 8-track recorder. (I have no idea if such a device ever even existed.)

I know you're trying to keep everything as retro as possible, but if you really want to chase the quadrophonic dragon with nothing but 40-year old equipment it's going to be very, very expensive by the time you're done, and it still won't sound anywhere near as good as playing CDs through a home theater surround processor with a good multi-channel music mode. (Assuming the same speakers in both the quad system and the modern system.) I'm old enough that I heard lots of quad when it was originally introduced, and it's not the audio game-changer you may think it was. If all you are is curious about it, find someone who's already invested the time, energy and money in assembling a quad system and quad software and get yourself invited over for an audition.

[bldozier]

Yeah cds definitely carry a different level of fidelity, especially those newer robust sound tracks, im more into old cartoons but at least were in the same boat...


I saw a 3340 on ebay an watched it go for under a few hundred dollars! I was reading a fostex r8 maybe better qualified for recording with the pitch feature,

they are 90s in make and had for around the same as the one mentioned above, I was told by an expert that if I use a decoder (sansui qa7000) with my 8056 as a player and have a 4ch recording device, I will be able to play and record quadrophonic. or for an easier route, just buy a quad player an record to the reel to reel, or two quad players one with the record feature, akai, panasonic.

Lastly I read I could disassemble a quad 8 track tape, ok. spool it onto a reel to reel cartridge/cake and record to another reel to reel baring I had two. then replace the spare into the old q8 tape housing, for safe keeping.

again, your thoughts.
bRian

[hsosdrum]

Yeah cds definitely carry a different level of fidelity, especially those newer robust sound tracks, im more into old cartoons but at least were in the same boat...


I saw a 3340 on ebay an watched it go for under a few hundred dollars! I was reading a fostex r8 maybe better qualified for recording with the pitch feature,

they are 90s in make and had for around the same as the one mentioned above, I was told by an expert that if I use a decoder (sansui qa7000) with my 8056 as a player and have a 4ch recording device, I will be able to play and record quadrophonic. or for an easier route, just buy a quad player an record to the reel to reel, or two quad players one with the record feature, akai, panasonic.

Lastly I read I could disassemble a quad 8 track tape, ok. spool it onto a reel to reel cartridge/cake and record to another reel to reel baring I had two. then replace the spare into the old q8 tape housing, for safe keeping.

again, your thoughts.
bRian

If you're "more into old cartoons" you must realize that all cartoons created before the 1980s had mono soundtracks. (I'm a collector of old Warner Bros. cartoons.) All you'll hear through a quadraphonic rig will be a phantom center image, with nothing through the surrounds. Again, this is where a modern surround processor will help: My Lexicon DC-1 has a "Mono Surround" mode that manages to create a surround soundfield from mono sources! I'm not sure exactly how it does it (some pretty advanced digital algorithms, I'm sure), but it sounds quite good.

A 3340 selling for a few hundred dollars may have needed some repair work; if not, the buyer got a great deal. I don't see how a pitch control will make any difference for what you're trying to do — it's mostly for musicians who need to match the tape playback pitch with instruments like a Hammond organ, which has no way of altering its own pitch.

The expert told you the same thing I did: you need a quad decoder with 4 recording outputs and an analog 4-track recorder. You can use a reel-to-reel, but not a conventional stereo one; you'll need one that will record on all 4 tracks simultaneously in synchronization. Stereo reel-to-reels only record on 2 tracks at a time in one direction, then on the other 2 tracks in the other direction (you flip the tape over). This won't work for your purposes.

I'm not familiar enough with 8-track tapes to advise you on your scheme to disassemble, record on reel-to-reel and reassemble (8-track wasn't a high-fidelity enough format for me to ever bother with it).

Good luck.

[bldozier]

Thats alright its not like were married, I just like vintage junk, thanks for the candor, I going inthe right direction.

brian