In this video, we put a Quadraphonic Vinyl Record (Both SQ and CD-4) under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) You’ll see: • How it all works? • SQ and CD-4 quadraphonic formats. • Ultrasonic pattern • Physics behind all these things. I love putting "everyday" objects into an electron microscope — and Quadraphonic vinyl records reveal one of the most beautiful micro-worlds I’ve ever seen. Is analog sound really magic? Or just physics? Let’s take a look inside the groove. ---/---/---/---/--- Here's a link to the images: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ux0yYtuo_q0n6ghRHBaGOqHl9W9P_2f7?usp=drive_link If you want to support my channel - I'll be happy. https://buymeacoffee.com/ericmuzipov #vinyl , #VinylRecord, #AnalogSound, #ScanningElectronMicroscope, #SEM, #Microscopy, #education, #electronmicroscope, #StereoSound, #HowItWorks, #science, #Physics, #AudioEngineering, #HiFi, #Turntable, #RecordPlayer, #dynamicrange, #audiophile, #Nano, #MicroWorld, #TechExplained, #engineering 0:00 - 0:40 - Intro 0:41 - 1:53 - Stereo separation 1:54 - 3:29 - CD-4 Quadraphonic 3:30 - 5:14 - Stereo Quadraphonic (SQ)
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It blows my mind how you can all at once record someone singing, with the musical instruments, and then hear a siren go by in the background, and then hear a glass fall off table and break, a virtual Infinity of combined sounds-- and be able to preserve it and distinguish it all, on a single groove of a piece of vinyl. 🫠
It is SO awesome to see a new channel that doesn't have one second of AI slop, with an ACTUAL person speaking and showing REAL video and images that HE HIMSELF recorded/created. Well done, sir! This was OUTSTANDING! You have a new subscriber.
The reason that a stereo recording has one channel phase inverted is not to reduce vertical movement of the stylus, although it also has that effect. The primary reason was so that a monophonic recording which only has horizontal movement of the groove and stylus can be played with complete compatibility using a stereo cartridge, amplifier and speakers, since the left and right channel signals are then in phase, and the user hears a centered sound source between the speakers rather than two out of phase sound sources.
I still have my 1980 Technics direct drive turntable. After seeing this video, I think it's time to break out the old vinyl and go back to my youth. Thanks for the video.
A friend of mine's dad had a quadraphonic system, the records were so so, the reel to reel was excellent.
Hi kid. Greetings from the Rust Belt USA. I remember "quadraphonic". Mainly because of the expense. Also limited disc availability. The major record labels didn't seem all that interested. Too much reorganization of recording sessions and the expensive equipment. For the public, it meant more expensive equipment, especially 2 more speakers. As well as wiring. I remember later, after the "Quad" fad faded, a cartoon in one of the "Stereo" mags where a buy came into a store and the salesman was excited, exclaiming How about Quad ? In the background a shelf of Quad equipment lith dust and cobwebs For me I found I heard 4 channel effects simply by hooking up 2 different pairs of speakers with different sound characteristics, front and back.
Great respect and appreciation to this kind of technical content (with self-created research, no less) !
You finally solve the mistery I'd during my childhood. My dad had a Sony HP-319 (not sure but close) quad turntable & amp and we had only one quad vinyl record: "Gitano" Werner Müller And His Orchestra... It was 60 years ago, and I still remember this magic. Thanks you!
I purchased a Quadraphonic HiFi system in 1974. It included a Pioneer QC800A 4-channel preamplifier, QM800A 4-channel power amplifier, four Bose 301 speakers, Dual 721 turntable, Pioneer stereo tuner, Koss E-9 electrostatic stereo headphones, and a JVC CD-4 demodulator. Audio Technica CD-4 cartridge with Shibata type nude diamond stylus. I still own this equipment and it works well to this day. My Quad vinyl albums are mostly SQ quadrahonic and some CD-4 quadradiscs. Unfortunately the separation between the channels was never that great and a lot of distortion with the CD-4 system. Today, I’m enjoying great surround sound with my new Yamaha 9.2 Home Theatre receiver with Dolby Atmos. What an amazing evolution of sound! lol
CD-4 was a joint project between JVC and US-based RCA, they developed a new type of vinyl called Super Vinyl, which is way harder than normal LP vinyl using technology from the picture vinyl. Also in order to play a CD-4 encoded disc you need a special cartridge from Audio-Technika. This format soon faded because of the cost of components and also a limited number of CD-4 recordings. Columbia Record(CBS) SQ along with very similiar Sunsui QS both used the matrix technique of encoding the 2 rear channels, but it had limited channel separation. The leader in this race was CBS' SQ, but soon people lost interest and it faded, and today we are back to plain old, 2-channel stereo.
I listen to my collection of 5.1 SACDs' Pure Audio Blu Ray and DVD 5.1. I try to buy most of my music in a surround format as it is immersive and like being there. So much space between instruments a vocals, the whole room comes alive. The Who's Quadrophenia, Queen's A Night At The Opera and the Pink Floyd immersive collection are incredible in 5.1. The Beach Boys Pet Sounds has no centre channel and sounds great as quadrophonic. It still places the audio within a full sound area within the room. I grew up back in the 1950's and 60's listening to vinyl and was blown away with stereo but the advent of 5 discreet channels, produced properly, became a new revelation.
There was also a move towards quad with 4 track reel to reels, and maybe other tape formats. That died out too.
Even without a dedicated decoder, phase-shifted 2-channel stereo audio can produce a sensation of 3D audio, with sounds appearing to come from behind the listener.
Incredible. Thanks for making that video and sharing it with us. Most of us don't have quadrophonic records, let alone electron microscope to explore the differences. Cheers!
The first electronmicroscope photos were enough to subscribe.
Thank you for putting this video together! I was a teenage audiophile in the early 70's. I had an EV-4 matrix decoder, which was OK for Columbia's SQ discs. I did buy a Grado CD-4 cartridge but never purchased a CD-4 decoder. Even though Quadroaphinic discs lasted only 3-4 years, it led to Dolby surround-sound in theaters and the recent Dolby 5.1 at home. Thanks again!
Thank you for interesting photographs.
Both Pentatone (through their Remastered Classics series) and Dutton/Vocalion have reissued a bunch of classical and opera quad recordings from the 70s on SACD. The implementations are fascinating, for example some recordings have the whole orchestra surround you. Others use the rear channels for specific effects (off-stage singers or soloists). I was listening to La Damnation de Faust and when Mephistopheles magically appears there’s a fast, loud, discordant brass fanfare. They engineered it so all four speakers go “boom” and it really gives the impression of that devilish puff of smoke when he shows up. Brilliant stuff.
thanks super good video, you are right: not much music exist in multichannel, we have the tech to record and distribute music in as many channels we like, with as much fidelity and channel separation as we can measure, today many people have home cinema systems 5.1 and 7.1 i am one of them :-) i love to sit a listen to the end music while the credits scrolls since it is often in super good multi channel quality
I'm so happy this popped up in my feed.