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Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)
Hello all:
I have read the FAQ, and I believe I have done my 'due diligence' to
post without having asked the same question that a curt "RTFM" or
"GFI" would normally solve. Unfortunately, my research has not
produced the answers I seek, so I turn now to you.
I am neither an audio engineer nor a computer hardware/software
engineer, yet I seek to do something that may require specialized
knowledge from all these disciplines. To wit - I have a number of old
quadraphonic Reel-to-Reel tapes that I would like to convert to some
form of modern-day surround-sound and store in a digital format, such
as on a CD or a DVD, which would then be capable of being played back
on standard Home Theater (DTS/Digital Dolby) or SACD/DVD-A equipment.
I have the tapes, as I mentioned. I have aquired an elderly Sony
4-track, 4-channel R2R machine, which I am having restored by a
professional. It reads tapes in 3 3/4 or 7 1/2 IPS format and outputs
them as four discrete channels into standard consumer-audio RCA jacks.
With quadraphonic pre-recorded R2R music tapes, there is no
conversion or decoding required prior to output - unlike the various
methods (SQ, Matrix) used by LP records to encode and decode quad
sound. So the sound output is simply four channels; Left Front, Right
Front, Left Rear, and Right Rear. The output is just like a stereo
cassette deck or CD player - just four RCA jacks instead of two (for
those who may not have been around in the early 1970's - the heyday of
quad sound).
I could simply aquire a quadraphonic playback unit such as an amp or a
receiver and just enjoy them as-is; and I may do so at some point.
But as a challenge, and because I think it *can* be done, I would like
to bring these four channels into the digital domain.
I have done some research and I believe that an M-Audio Delta-44 might
do the job - it has 4 channels of input, although the inputs are 1/4"
tip-and-ring jacks. I believe that I can get converters to turn the
1/4-inch jacks into consumer-grade audio RCA jacks, and as I
understand it from reading the owner's manual pdf from M-Audio for
this unit, I can choose an input value that matches the line-level
output from my elderly quadraphonic tape deck.
* So my first question(s) - am I correct that the M-Audio Delta-44
would be a good choice for this application? If not, is there another
unit that would be better/cheaper/easier-to-use?
I plan to use Linux if I can - however, if I find myself struggling
with it too much, I may revert to Windows XP and purchased commercial
software if it is within the realm of a mere mortal to afford. I am
hoping that I can find software for Linux or Windows that will:
a) Accept all four channels of input (LF, RF, RF, RR) and allow me to
store it in that manner as a file, instead of as a mixed-to-stereo
WAV, etc, file.
b) Allow me to concoct some front center channel (such as found in a
5.1 Home Theater system) by summing or averaging LF and RF channels.
c) Allow me to split off all music below a certain frequency (not sure
what the rolloff should be) for ALL channels and sum it and put it
into a 6th channel - the subwoofer or .1 channel.
* My second question(s) - is there such software? Is this only
available in the realm of the professional audio engineer / sound
studio, or can an enthusiastic amateur/dabbler manage such a thing
(and within a several-hundred-dollar budget)?
Assuming that I can do all the above; I would then like to gather
these six new channels (5.1, essentially) and burn it to some digital
media such as a CD or a DVD in such a manner that it could be played
back on a standard Home Theater DVD or specialized CD player (SACD or
DVD-A) and enjoyed as if it were a modern surround-sound musical
recording.
* My third question(s) - is there a means by which I could burn this
to a CD/DVD and what would that be? I understand that most CDROM
burners don't do SACD or DVD-A, but I have heard of people burning
their own DTS-encoded CDROMS that are 'understood' and decoded
properly by a standard DVD player that has DTS/Digital Dolby playback
capability. Am I wrong on this? What software should I seek out to
do this? I have standard CD-burning software and some experience
burning them, but have never seen this capability in the standard
consumer-grade stuff such as Nero or Easy-CD Creator.
My goal, as you can see, is to find and resurrect old quadraphonic
music and move it into a more accessible format for my own enjoyment.
I realize I could not sell such things - I have no desire to violate
anyone's copyrights or cheat any artists. This would be more along
the lines of storing old and soon-to-be-forgotten classics in a format
that might be more accessible for my family in the coming years,
making 'fair use' archival copies of commercial pre-recorded music
tapes that I own. I don't intend to break any laws here, or ask
anyone's assistance in doing so.
I am reasonably sure that it would be fairly trivial to do this if I
were converting old LPs to CD - there are lots of FAQ's on that. Same
thing if I wanted to mix down the quadraphonic sound to two channels.
But since there ARE four channels available, it seems a shame to throw
away that surround information when it might be translated into a more
modern format and enjoyed as surround sound again.
Thank you for any help you might be able to give. If there would be a
more appropriate forum on which to ask these questions, please help
point me in the right direction!
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
Hello all:
I have read the FAQ, and I believe I have done my 'due diligence' to
post without having asked the same question that a curt "RTFM" or
"GFI" would normally solve. Unfortunately, my research has not
produced the answers I seek, so I turn now to you.
I am neither an audio engineer nor a computer hardware/software
engineer, yet I seek to do something that may require specialized
knowledge from all these disciplines. To wit - I have a number of old
quadraphonic Reel-to-Reel tapes that I would like to convert to some
form of modern-day surround-sound and store in a digital format, such
as on a CD or a DVD, which would then be capable of being played back
on standard Home Theater (DTS/Digital Dolby) or SACD/DVD-A equipment.
I have the tapes, as I mentioned. I have aquired an elderly Sony
4-track, 4-channel R2R machine, which I am having restored by a
professional. It reads tapes in 3 3/4 or 7 1/2 IPS format and outputs
them as four discrete channels into standard consumer-audio RCA jacks.
With quadraphonic pre-recorded R2R music tapes, there is no
conversion or decoding required prior to output - unlike the various
methods (SQ, Matrix) used by LP records to encode and decode quad
sound. So the sound output is simply four channels; Left Front, Right
Front, Left Rear, and Right Rear. The output is just like a stereo
cassette deck or CD player - just four RCA jacks instead of two (for
those who may not have been around in the early 1970's - the heyday of
quad sound).
I could simply aquire a quadraphonic playback unit such as an amp or a
receiver and just enjoy them as-is; and I may do so at some point.
But as a challenge, and because I think it *can* be done, I would like
to bring these four channels into the digital domain.
I have done some research and I believe that an M-Audio Delta-44 might
do the job - it has 4 channels of input, although the inputs are 1/4"
tip-and-ring jacks. I believe that I can get converters to turn the
1/4-inch jacks into consumer-grade audio RCA jacks, and as I
understand it from reading the owner's manual pdf from M-Audio for
this unit, I can choose an input value that matches the line-level
output from my elderly quadraphonic tape deck.
* So my first question(s) - am I correct that the M-Audio Delta-44
would be a good choice for this application? If not, is there another
unit that would be better/cheaper/easier-to-use?
I plan to use Linux if I can - however, if I find myself struggling
with it too much, I may revert to Windows XP and purchased commercial
software if it is within the realm of a mere mortal to afford. I am
hoping that I can find software for Linux or Windows that will:
a) Accept all four channels of input (LF, RF, RF, RR) and allow me to
store it in that manner as a file, instead of as a mixed-to-stereo
WAV, etc, file.
b) Allow me to concoct some front center channel (such as found in a
5.1 Home Theater system) by summing or averaging LF and RF channels.
c) Allow me to split off all music below a certain frequency (not sure
what the rolloff should be) for ALL channels and sum it and put it
into a 6th channel - the subwoofer or .1 channel.
* My second question(s) - is there such software? Is this only
available in the realm of the professional audio engineer / sound
studio, or can an enthusiastic amateur/dabbler manage such a thing
(and within a several-hundred-dollar budget)?
Assuming that I can do all the above; I would then like to gather
these six new channels (5.1, essentially) and burn it to some digital
media such as a CD or a DVD in such a manner that it could be played
back on a standard Home Theater DVD or specialized CD player (SACD or
DVD-A) and enjoyed as if it were a modern surround-sound musical
recording.
* My third question(s) - is there a means by which I could burn this
to a CD/DVD and what would that be? I understand that most CDROM
burners don't do SACD or DVD-A, but I have heard of people burning
their own DTS-encoded CDROMS that are 'understood' and decoded
properly by a standard DVD player that has DTS/Digital Dolby playback
capability. Am I wrong on this? What software should I seek out to
do this? I have standard CD-burning software and some experience
burning them, but have never seen this capability in the standard
consumer-grade stuff such as Nero or Easy-CD Creator.
My goal, as you can see, is to find and resurrect old quadraphonic
music and move it into a more accessible format for my own enjoyment.
I realize I could not sell such things - I have no desire to violate
anyone's copyrights or cheat any artists. This would be more along
the lines of storing old and soon-to-be-forgotten classics in a format
that might be more accessible for my family in the coming years,
making 'fair use' archival copies of commercial pre-recorded music
tapes that I own. I don't intend to break any laws here, or ask
anyone's assistance in doing so.
I am reasonably sure that it would be fairly trivial to do this if I
were converting old LPs to CD - there are lots of FAQ's on that. Same
thing if I wanted to mix down the quadraphonic sound to two channels.
But since there ARE four channels available, it seems a shame to throw
away that surround information when it might be translated into a more
modern format and enjoyed as surround sound again.
Thank you for any help you might be able to give. If there would be a
more appropriate forum on which to ask these questions, please help
point me in the right direction!
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks