QUESTION about 8-Track Tapes

[Terry[_3_]]

If a old 8-track tape player is considered 8-tracks when it plays
stereo on (4) tracks then wouldn't a auto-reverse stereo reel-to-
reel be a 2 track?

Terry

[William Sommerwerck]

I assume this is a troll, but...

The number of tracks is the total number of tracks the tape width is divided
into, regardless of how many are used at one time.

[Richard Crowley]

"Terry" wrote ...
> If a old 8-track tape player is considered 8-tracks when it plays
> stereo on (4) tracks then wouldn't a auto-reverse stereo reel-to-
> reel be a 2 track?

Even for a troll that makes absolutely no sense at all.

[Mike Rivers]

On Dec 1, 5:46 pm, Terry > wrote:
> If a old 8-track tape player is considered 8-tracks when it plays
> stereo on (4) tracks then wouldn't a auto-reverse stereo reel-to-
> reel be a 2 track?

Yes, it is. But "8 track" was a marketing term. If they called it "2
track" nobody would get very excited about a stereo format on a
cartridge. How exciting would it be if a cassette was called a 1-
track? Or 2-track (mono)? But maybe they should have called it 4-
track, just like the Beatles were using about the time it came out.

Now, what was your REAL question?

[Six String Stu[_2_]]

"Mike Rivers" > wrote in message
...
> On Dec 1, 5:46 pm, Terry > wrote:
>> If a old 8-track tape player is considered 8-tracks when it plays
>> stereo on (4) tracks then wouldn't a auto-reverse stereo reel-to-
>> reel be a 2 track?
>
> Yes, it is. But "8 track" was a marketing term. If they called it "2
> track" nobody would get very excited about a stereo format on a
> cartridge. How exciting would it be if a cassette was called a 1-
> track? Or 2-track (mono)? But maybe they should have called it 4-
> track, just like the Beatles were using about the time it came out.
>
> Now, what was your REAL question?
I remember back in the late 60's and early 70's 8tracks hooked up in cars.
individual front and back left and right channels. I had allways thought
that this was where the eight tracks designation came from.
never gave it much thought, as a 9-12 year old. I do remember listening to
drum rolls going all around the car's four speakers as proof that the front
and back were working as seperate sets of channels though.
Something called Quadrophonic Stereo or the like. The great grand daddy of
surround sound I guess. :)
Four speakers with a total of eight wires coming out of the back of the
player to them, made enough sense to my mind back then.

[D C[_2_]]

Mike Rivers wrote:

> Yes, it is. But "8 track" was a marketing term. If they called it "2
> track" nobody would get very excited about a stereo format on a
> cartridge. How exciting would it be if a cassette was called a 1-
> track? Or 2-track (mono)? But maybe they should have called it 4-
> track, just like the Beatles were using about the time it came out.

I think there was a cartridge format called four track. And I don't mean
quad eight track.

[Scott Dorsey]

Terry > wrote:
>If a old 8-track tape player is considered 8-tracks when it plays
>stereo on (4) tracks

No, an 8-track cartridge has 8 tracks across the tape. The head moves
back and forth to play two at a time, so it is said to have four programs
of two tracks each.

>then wouldn't a auto-reverse stereo reel-to-
>reel be a 2 track?

Okay, open reel tap comes in various kinds. The standard studio format is
2-track or half-track, which is to say two tracks across the width of the
tape and only one "side" of the tape.

In the sixties, quarter track tape was introduced as a cheap consumer format.
It used tracks half the normal width, and heads that could record and play on
two interleaved tracks. You could then flip the tape and "use the other side."

There were, sad to say, some "autoreverse" machines that moved the quarter
track head up and down rather than having the users flip the reels.

SOME of the vendors, most notably Columbia, called quarter track tapes
"4-Track" because there were four tracks across the width of the tape, even
though the machines themselves were only capable of dealing with two at
a time. This is called "marketing."
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

Six String Stu > wrote:
>I remember back in the late 60's and early 70's 8tracks hooked up in cars.
>individual front and back left and right channels. I had allways thought
>that this was where the eight tracks designation came from.

Okay, that's not standard 8-track. That is "8-track quadrophonic cartridge"
which gives two programs of four tracks each on a cartridge. It required
special playback equipment and had half the running time.

>never gave it much thought, as a 9-12 year old. I do remember listening to
>drum rolls going all around the car's four speakers as proof that the front
>and back were working as seperate sets of channels though.

Quad was a huge craze in the early seventies and then it died out, mostly
due to too many stupid ping-pong mixes and too few recordings that used it
artistically.

>Something called Quadrophonic Stereo or the like. The great grand daddy of
>surround sound I guess. :)

No, by the time Quad hit the streets in the seventies, surround sound in
theatres was more than thirty years old. It wasn't common, mind you, but
it was a well-established technology.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

D C > wrote:
>Mike Rivers wrote:
>
>> Yes, it is. But "8 track" was a marketing term. If they called it "2
>> track" nobody would get very excited about a stereo format on a
>> cartridge. How exciting would it be if a cassette was called a 1-
>> track? Or 2-track (mono)? But maybe they should have called it 4-
>> track, just like the Beatles were using about the time it came out.
>
>I think there was a cartridge format called four track. And I don't mean
>quad eight track.

Yes, this is the Learjet 4-track cartridge. Actually an RCA broadcast
cart, but running at half normal speed and with 4 tracks across the width
of the tape. This was the first format that made tape playback in cars
practical.

The 8-track cartridge took the Learjet format and added the stupid moving
head mechanism. They also removed the pinch roller from the machine and
put it into the cartridge, which reduced the complexity of the machine and
eliminated the engagement mechanism, but increased the flutter somewhat.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[D C[_2_]]

Scott Dorsey wrote:

> Okay, that's not standard 8-track. That is "8-track quadrophonic cartridge"
> which gives two programs of four tracks each on a cartridge. It required
> special playback equipment and had half the running time.

I had some of that equipment. The running time was the same, though.
Like you said, there were two programs, which were divided much like
sides one and two of an LP.

I remember "Pussy Cats", "Abraxas" and "No Secrets" in quad. I liked the
mixes.

[Six String Stu[_2_]]

"D C" > wrote in message
. ..
> Scott Dorsey wrote:
>
>> Okay, that's not standard 8-track. That is "8-track quadrophonic
>> cartridge"
>> which gives two programs of four tracks each on a cartridge. It required
>> special playback equipment and had half the running time.
>
> I had some of that equipment. The running time was the same, though. Like
> you said, there were two programs, which were divided much like sides one
> and two of an LP.
>
> I remember "Pussy Cats", "Abraxas" and "No Secrets" in quad. I liked the
> mixes.
Well I'm approaching 47 now, after all the booze, drugs and the brain
surgury it was just a nice ride in the ol time machine, remembering those
days gone by.
They were some huge in dash decks though. lol
Abraxas? Wasn't that a movie the Jessie "The Body" Ventura (former Govenor
of Minnisota and ex wrestler) starred in? One of those low budget scifi
action thrillers?
I gotta go dig through the dime store DVD collection to be sure.

[D C[_2_]]

Six String Stu wrote:

>> I remember "Pussy Cats", "Abraxas" and "No Secrets" in quad. I liked the
>> mixes.
> Well I'm approaching 47 now, after all the booze, drugs and the brain
> surgury it was just a nice ride in the ol time machine, remembering those
> days gone by.
> They were some huge in dash decks though. lol
> Abraxas? Wasn't that a movie the Jessie "The Body" Ventura (former Govenor
> of Minnisota and ex wrestler) starred in? One of those low budget scifi
> action thrillers?
> I gotta go dig through the dime store DVD collection to be sure.

Sorry, I was being lazy. They are albums, respectively by Harry Nilsson,
Santana and Carly Simon.

[Scott Dorsey]

Six String Stu > wrote:
>"D C" > wrote in message
>>
>> I remember "Pussy Cats", "Abraxas" and "No Secrets" in quad. I liked the
>> mixes.

>Well I'm approaching 47 now, after all the booze, drugs and the brain
>surgury it was just a nice ride in the ol time machine, remembering those
>days gone by.

>Abraxas? Wasn't that a movie the Jessie "The Body" Ventura (former Govenor
>of Minnisota and ex wrestler) starred in? One of those low budget scifi
>action thrillers?

It's bad form to take all those drugs without listening to Abraxas. Might
even be illegal.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Six String Stu[_2_]]

"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
> Six String Stu > wrote:
>>"D C" > wrote in message
>>>
>>> I remember "Pussy Cats", "Abraxas" and "No Secrets" in quad. I liked the
>>> mixes.
>
>>Well I'm approaching 47 now, after all the booze, drugs and the brain
>>surgury it was just a nice ride in the ol time machine, remembering those
>>days gone by.
>
>>Abraxas? Wasn't that a movie the Jessie "The Body" Ventura (former Govenor
>>of Minnisota and ex wrestler) starred in? One of those low budget scifi
>>action thrillers?
>
> It's bad form to take all those drugs without listening to Abraxas. Might
> even be illegal.

Oh it's illegal alright and one of the reasons why i no longer imbibe. well
that and the financial aspect.
I've matured in more ways then just age since them days. :-)

[Six String Stu[_2_]]

"D C" > wrote in message
. ..
> Six String Stu wrote:
>
>>> I remember "Pussy Cats", "Abraxas" and "No Secrets" in quad. I liked the
>>> mixes.
>> Well I'm approaching 47 now, after all the booze, drugs and the brain
>> surgury it was just a nice ride in the ol time machine, remembering those
>> days gone by.
>> They were some huge in dash decks though. lol
>> Abraxas? Wasn't that a movie the Jessie "The Body" Ventura (former
>> Govenor of Minnisota and ex wrestler) starred in? One of those low budget
>> scifi action thrillers?
>> I gotta go dig through the dime store DVD collection to be sure.
>
> Sorry, I was being lazy. They are albums, respectively by Harry Nilsson,
> Santana and Carly Simon.
Ah, oic. Carly and Carlos comes right to mind. Harry rings a faint bell.
Back in those days I was into Black Oak Arkansas, Mason Proffitt and oddly
enough anything that was on a honky tonk juke.
"Green door what's that secret you're keepin"

[D C[_2_]]

Scott Dorsey wrote:

> It's bad form to take all those drugs without listening to Abraxas. Might
> even be illegal.
> --scott


Now that was one of those albums with crazy joystick mixes of Carlos'
guitar. The drugs helped.

[D C[_2_]]

Six String Stu wrote:

> Ah, oic. Carly and Carlos comes right to mind. Harry rings a faint bell.

"Pussy Cats" was produced by John Lennon.

http://www.harrynilsson.com/page-pussy-cats-us-deluxe-cd-reissue.html

[Six String Stu[_2_]]

"D C" > wrote in message
...
> Six String Stu wrote:
>
>> Ah, oic. Carly and Carlos comes right to mind. Harry rings a faint bell.
>
> "Pussy Cats" was produced by John Lennon.
>
> http://www.harrynilsson.com/page-pussy-cats-us-deluxe-cd-reissue.html

Stu smacks self in forehead,
I know this guy! Well not personally but I was one of those who enjoyed his
music and sang along. :)
"Without you" brought it all back. Thanks for the link.

[Scott Dorsey]

D C > wrote:
>Scott Dorsey wrote:
>
>> It's bad form to take all those drugs without listening to Abraxas. Might
>> even be illegal.
>
>Now that was one of those albums with crazy joystick mixes of Carlos'
>guitar. The drugs helped.

I think the drugs were the primary reason for the popularity of quad....
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[D C[_2_]]

Scott Dorsey wrote:

>> Now that was one of those albums with crazy joystick mixes of Carlos'
>> guitar. The drugs helped.
>
> I think the drugs were the primary reason for the popularity of quad....
> --scott


And surround?

[Scott Dorsey]

D C > wrote:
>Scott Dorsey wrote:
>
>>> Now that was one of those albums with crazy joystick mixes of Carlos'
>>> guitar. The drugs helped.
>>
>> I think the drugs were the primary reason for the popularity of quad....
>
>And surround?

No, 5.1 surround is ONLY popular because of the home theatre thing. People
buy home theatre systems, and they want to play music on them. You do not
see any market for 5.1 music-only surround installs.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[D C[_2_]]

Scott Dorsey wrote:

>>> I think the drugs were the primary reason for the popularity of quad....

>> And surround?
>
> No, 5.1 surround is ONLY popular because of the home theatre thing. People
> buy home theatre systems, and they want to play music on them. You do not
> see any market for 5.1 music-only surround installs.
> --scott


I do have a bunch of music only discs, however. But anyone who is here
is not Joe Consumer.