TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Artists => Fairport Convention => Topic started by: Harping Kevin on September 03, 2017, 05:51:05 PM



Title: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Harping Kevin on September 03, 2017, 05:51:05 PM
You might need to be of a certain age on this one!

Did FC ever release quadraphonic versions of any of thier albums!

Another hobby of mine is quad and I've never come across  and references.

Any help great fully received


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Andy on September 03, 2017, 06:26:26 PM
Pretty sure not. The (brief) heyday of quad was about 1979 but it was expensive to produce and quad sound setups were rare indeed.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Harping Kevin on September 03, 2017, 07:18:15 PM
Some guys have done some great software decodes which have much better separation than the hardware decoders, great fun!


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Jim on September 03, 2017, 07:43:39 PM

Pretty sure not. The (brief) heyday of quad was about 1979 but it was expensive to produce and quad sound setups were rare indeed.


I would have said a bit earlier probably around 73, when Quadrophenia toured in quadrophonic sound. I have to say it wasn't great especially if your seat was near the pa that was doing the sea effects because that was all you could hear, even at a who show. Wasn't Dark side of the moon one of the first quad releases? I seem to remember the quad rack in hmv Manchester was mostly program stuff which I wasn't into.
    I'm pretty certain FC never dipped a tentative toe into the pool of quad.they never sold enough for the labels to take a chance. In fact I dont remember any quad releases on Island.  
     As always, feel free to put me right.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Harping Kevin on September 03, 2017, 08:02:04 PM
I think you are right, I've done lots of research to no avail.
DSOTM was an early release, the immersion set has the original quad mix ,on it as well as the SACD 5.1 mix. Wish you were here had the same treatment.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Andy on September 03, 2017, 08:03:52 PM
This site (http://www.surrounddiscography.com/quaddisc/quadpall.htm) claims to list all known quadrophonic recordings in different formats. No sign of Fairport or the 'oo.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Jim on September 03, 2017, 08:10:25 PM

This site (http://www.surrounddiscography.com/quaddisc/quadpall.htm) claims to list all known quadrophonic recordings in different formats. No sign of Fairport or the 'oo.


Ah! I must admit I dont remember quadrophenia itself coming out in quad but they definitely toured with a quad set up. Read the Who's Wikipedia page for a brief resume of the sound problems on that tour. I must have caught them on one of the better nights :o ::)


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Harping Kevin on September 03, 2017, 08:27:00 PM
As ever there is debate on what quadraphenia was released as, http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?1798-The-Who-Quadrophenia-QS-Quad-Mix is worth a   read.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Paul on September 03, 2017, 10:28:37 PM
I remember our music teacher had a quadraphonic system in the music room. Unfortunately, he only had the demo record, which mainly appeared to be racing cars racing round the room.

Paul


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Andy on September 03, 2017, 10:40:32 PM
Super Audio CD (SACD) and Audio DVD 5.1 versions of DSOTM definitely exist, they've been remixed so the whole album is 5.1 (as opposed to the original two quad tracks, "Brain Damage" & "Eclipse") and, with the right setup, it's grand (I have the SACD version). Atom Heart Mother was mixed in quad but I'm unsure any modern version exists. Quad WYWH exists on BluRay, but the 5.1 remix is/was available in SACD and Audio DVD.

I've never heard a quad Quadrophenia and don't think much would be gained by that, anyhow.

Anyhow, back to the subject, which is Fairport in quad. Ask Simon for a definitive answer.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: bassline (Mike) on September 03, 2017, 10:49:55 PM
AHM and also Echoes quad mixes are on the Early Years box set....I couldn't tell you if they have been folded down to stereo while retaining the mix, or if they play in quad.
As an aside, there is a guy who is a sound engineer by trade who is putting together a quad mix of audience recordings from the 1977 In The Flesh tour...could be good.....


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Neil on September 04, 2017, 06:05:46 AM
It just seems that the music of Fairport Convention would not be enhanced by the quadraphonic mix.

I have never heard of such a thing but as Andy says ask Simon.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Peter H-K on September 04, 2017, 10:30:24 AM


Pretty sure not. The (brief) heyday of quad was about 1979 but it was expensive to produce and quad sound setups were rare indeed.


I would have said a bit earlier probably around 73, when Quadrophenia toured in quadrophonic sound. I have to say it wasn't great especially if your seat was near the pa that was doing the sea effects because that was all you could hear, even at a who show. Wasn't Dark side of the moon one of the first quad releases? I seem to remember the quad rack in hmv Manchester was mostly program stuff which I wasn't into.
    I'm pretty certain FC never dipped a tentative toe into the pool of quad.they never sold enough for the labels to take a chance. In fact I dont remember any quad releases on Island.  
     As always, feel free to put me right.


Yes, I thought of 1973 too, for similar reasons. I believe the original plan was to mix the album in quadrophonic, but that it appeared too difficult. By the way, seeing (what's left of) The Who perform Quadrophenia live in 2013 was the absolute highlight of my gig-going career.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Harping Kevin on September 04, 2017, 10:48:04 AM
I have the immersion editions of both DSOTM and WYWH (for my 50th) and they are indeed fine mixes, also got the recent  box set of Sgt Pepper's and it is also a fine piece of     work, but yes.....

By Simon do you mean Simon Nicol? How would I get in touch with Simon (other than faceBook for example)


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Andy on September 04, 2017, 10:59:31 AM
Facebook should suffice.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: David W on September 04, 2017, 12:29:08 PM
Sorry if this is a daft question but why would Fairport have bothered?

DW


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: davidmjs on September 04, 2017, 12:39:16 PM
It really isn't the sort of music that warrants it, is it?  And that's definitely not a criticism...


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Dubai Danny on September 04, 2017, 05:12:53 PM
Babbacombe Lee might have lent itself well, if they'd decided to add character voices, sound effects, atmospheres etc.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Jim on September 04, 2017, 05:57:09 PM

Babbacombe Lee might have lent itself well, if they'd decided to add character voices, sound effects, atmospheres etc.


but they didnt


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: PeterJ on September 05, 2017, 08:44:43 AM


Pretty sure not. The (brief) heyday of quad was about 1979 but it was expensive to produce and quad sound setups were rare indeed.


I would have said a bit earlier probably around 73, when Quadrophenia toured in quadrophonic sound. I have to say it wasn't great especially if your seat was near the pa that was doing the sea effects because that was all you could hear, even at a who show. Wasn't Dark side of the moon one of the first quad releases? I seem to remember the quad rack in hmv Manchester was mostly program stuff which I wasn't into.
    I'm pretty certain FC never dipped a tentative toe into the pool of quad.they never sold enough for the labels to take a chance. In fact I dont remember any quad releases on Island.  
     As always, feel free to put me right.

I accidentally bought a quad copy of Pretzel Logic in 1975. Took it back when it started to penetrate my teenaged brain that it was considerably more expensive than it should have been.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: PaulT on September 05, 2017, 09:36:31 AM
An acquaintance of mine had a quad copy of Tubular Bells. After the final track, there was a recording of a line-controlled model aircraft flying round and round the speakers. Not good for the senses if one had, er, over-indulged...


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: jonmuse on November 13, 2017, 09:00:54 PM
This thread spurred me to dig out the Close to the Wind DVD Audio from 15 or so years ago to see if the 5.1 "mixes" were as bad as I remembered. They were worse than I remembered.  ;)


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Jules Gray on November 13, 2017, 09:06:18 PM

An acquaintance of mine had a quad copy of Tubular Bells. After the final track, there was a recording of a line-controlled model aircraft flying round and round the speakers. Not good for the senses if one had, er, over-indulged...


Cool!  I didn't know about this.

Jules


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Jules Gray on November 13, 2017, 09:09:32 PM

As ever there is debate on what quadraphenia was released as, http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?1798-The-Who-Quadrophenia-QS-Quad-Mix is worth a read.


Pete wanted to do it in quad, for obvious reasons, but by the mixing stage his hair was falling out in clumps.

Pink Floyd kind of pioneered it with their Azimuth thingie, back as far as 1967 in concert.

Jules


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: PaulT on November 14, 2017, 08:10:04 AM
Ah yes, the Azymuth Coordinator.  Sadly, I missed the tour where they used it at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, but they did use a surround sound setup at the Empire theatre in 1974 - I'll always remember a disembodied voice from over my shoulder saying "Roger, where's Syd?"


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Andy on November 14, 2017, 08:11:38 AM
They used that in the Roundhouse when I saw them to have a motorbike roaring around the perimiter.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Jules Gray on November 14, 2017, 11:36:35 AM

They used that in the Roundhouse when I saw them to have a motorbike roaring around the perimiter.


Blimey, you were there?  *fist bump*

Jules


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: William on November 14, 2017, 05:07:59 PM
I think that in the late sixties someone, possibly Motoroller, were developing a quad system for use in cars. I remember standing in a booth at the Earls Court Motor Show listening to sports cars whizzing around my head. It was in the pre digital age and I think that they were using the old 8 track cartridge system. More of yesterdays technology.


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Neil on November 15, 2017, 03:06:52 PM
And then we all got back on topic ;D


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: Jules Gray on November 15, 2017, 03:26:19 PM

And then we all got back on topic ;D


We've not strayed that far off topic.  We're still talking quad, if not Fairport.

The answer to the Fairport part of the content has pretty much been addressed already, ie it's doubtful, bordering on an almost certain 'no'.

Jules


Title: Re: Fairport in Quadraphonic?
Post by: bassline (Mike) on November 15, 2017, 05:51:52 PM
You                                                                                                                                                                                                  may                              










be                                                                                                                                                                                                 right.