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EMI BTR 3 · 26th Mar 2020, 2:57 am

Speaking of the Seekers and fake stereo, the US compilation THE BEST OF THE SEEKERS is one of the worst sounding albums from a major label (Capitol) I've ever heard. Quite a number of songs on it that are in true stereo on albums in other parts of the world appear in Duophonic (their name for fake stereo), phase-shifted, time-delayed, compressed and washed out sound.* I found a circa 1980 budget reissue of it that omitted one song from the original track lineup a few months ago and was appalled at how bad it is. If the Duophonic rubbish wasn't bad enough, the record also sports uneven volume levels from one track to the next, and even severe azimuth misalignment on one track.

*Starting around late 1966, Capitol stopped using such a brutal method of creating fake stereo, and simply used mild EQ (more highs on one side, more lows on the other) instead. This fared much better for mono compatibility for broadcast purposes.

26th Mar 2020, 2:57 am	#71
EMI BTR 3 Tetrode Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mountain Home, Arkansas, USA. Posts: 68	Re: "Technically augmented stereo" Speaking of the Seekers and fake stereo, the US compilation THE BEST OF THE SEEKERS is one of the worst sounding albums from a major label (Capitol) I've ever heard. Quite a number of songs on it that are in true stereo on albums in other parts of the world appear in Duophonic (their name for fake stereo), phase-shifted, time-delayed, compressed and washed out sound.* I found a circa 1980 budget reissue of it that omitted one song from the original track lineup a few months ago and was appalled at how bad it is. If the Duophonic rubbish wasn't bad enough, the record also sports uneven volume levels from one track to the next, and even severe azimuth misalignment on one track. *Starting around late 1966, Capitol stopped using such a brutal method of creating fake stereo, and simply used mild EQ (more highs on one side, more lows on the other) instead. This fared much better for mono compatibility for broadcast purposes.