music

Music Screeners (1995)

The Music Screeners series was a short-lived format that offered multimedia content on a 3.5-inch floppy disk.

Using content from Sony Music Entertainment labels (Epic and Columbia) the disks were themed around one hit song and offered a 30 to 40-second clip from the music video along with some screensavers and games.

The software was designed to run on Windows PCs only, and supported Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later.

Sony launched Music Screeners in September 1995 with 21 titles, including songs from Michael Jackson, Gloria Estefan, Céline Dion, and Cyndi Lauper. More were planned for release in November and it was also planned to support Macintosh computers in 1996, but it doesn’t appear that either of these things happened.

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Ambisonic UHJ (1977 – )

Padre Antonio Soler - Gilbert Rowland: Sonatas For Harpsichord Vol. 1, 45 rpm LP (Nimbus Records NIMBUS 2123) (1979)
Various Artists: Fiddle Sticks: Irish Traditional Dance Music from Donegal (1991) (Nimbus Records NC 5320)
Nimbus Digital Sampler 1986, Nimbus Natural Sound (NI 5062) (1986) (Ambisonic UHJ encoded)

Ambisonic UHJ is a matrix encoded quadraphonic audio system introduced around 1977 to deliver four-channel playback using standard two-channel stereo formats like LPs and music cassettes. From 1983, Ambisonic UHJ encoding was also used on Compact Discs. Ambisonic UHJ was part of the Ambisonics system developed in UK universities, that aimed to reproduce a more accurate and immersive soundfield. Licensing of the system was initially handled by the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) in the UK, eventually passing to Nimbus Records who released most of the Ambisonic UHJ-encoded recordings.

In its basic two-channel form, Ambisonic UHJ-encoded media could be played back on regular stereo systems, and with an Ambisonic UHJ decoder (along with a suitable amplifier and extra speakers) the system could reproduce quadraphonic sound.

On regular stereo systems, even without a decorder, Ambisonic UHJ-encoded media could provide a wider stereo effect. On systems using an Ambisonic UHJ decoder, regular unencoded stereo recordings would also sound like they had a wider stereo field.

Like other quadraphonic formats, Ambisonic UHJ saw limited commercial success due to lack of widespread decoder availability and consumer awareness. LPs using Ambisonic UHJ encoding were marketed until around 1987. Only a handful of cassettes appear to used Ambisonic UHJ encoding, and these were marketed from 1988 to around 2016.

Ambisonic UHJ-encoded Compact Discs are are fully compatible with the Red Book specification, and some continue to be marketed by Nimbus Records.

Padre Antonio Soler - Gilbert Rowland: Sonatas For Harpsichord Vol. 1, 45 rpm LP (Nimbus Records NIMBUS 2123) (1979)
Padre Antonio Soler - Gilbert Rowland: Sonatas For Harpsichord Vol. 1, 45 rpm LP (Nimbus Records NIMBUS 2123) (1979)
Various Artists: Fiddle Sticks: Irish Traditional Dance Music from Donegal (1991) (Nimbus Records NC 5320)
Various Artists: Fiddle Sticks: Irish Traditional Dance Music from Donegal (1991) (Nimbus Records NC 5320)
Nimbus Digital Sampler 1986, Nimbus Natural Sound (NI 5062) (1986) (Ambisonic UHJ encoded)

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UD-4 (1974 – 1976)

UD-4 was a quadraphonic sound format for phonograph records that was introduced by Nippon Columbia (Denon) in 1974.

LP records containing UD-4 sound actually contained two different quadraphonic systems, matrix and discrete, that were together known as UMX (Unified Matrix Theory). BMX (basic matrix) was a two channel matrix that could be played on a standard stereo record player and a matrix decoder (such as those used for QS, SQ or EV-4) used to play the quadraphonic sound. In addition, there was additional information recorded as high-frequency carrier signals (known as TMX and QMX) that enhanced the channel separation further but required a special cartridge and special UD-4 demodulator (the Denon UDA-100 appears to be the only model sold).

The use of a carrier signal for the TMX/QMX encoding meant it had some similarities to the CD-4 system, but the carrier signal was not as high-frequency so cartridge setup was not as critical.

UD-4 was marketed in Japan, Europe and the UK, but only used on around 30 LP titles between 1974 and 1976. There were plans to launch UD-4 into the US market, but these never came to fruition.

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ProDigi (1982 – mid-1990s)

ProDigi (professional digital) was an open-reel professional digital tape format introduced by Mitsubishi in 1982. ProDigi’s predessor was Mitsubishi’s X-80 machine, a 2-track digital tape recorder using ¼-inch tape that was introduced in 1980. Although the two systems were incompatible, some ProDigi X-86 series machines could playback tapes recorded on the X-80 system.

In the ProDigi system, audio was recorded linearly on the tape and an error correction system was used. There were three different variations of recorder – 2-track machines in the X-86 series used ¼-inch tape, 16-track machines in the X-400 series used ½-inch tape and 32-track machines in the X-800 series used 1-inch tape. As well as Mitsubishi, ProDigi machines were also made by Ontari.

The tape itself looked identical to standard NAB open reel analogue tape but tape for use in ProDigi machines and the competing (and incompatible) Sony DASH system used metal particle tape that was not suitable for use in analogue systems due to the faster wear on the heads. Several companies produced open-reel metal particle tape for digital audio systems and some examples included 3M Scotch 275, Ampex 467 and EMTEC 931. Metal particle tape was even more expensive than ferric oxide-based tape for analogue systems.

Unlike some other digital audio recording systems using tape such as DAT or U-Matic which used helical scanning, the ProDigi and DASH systems used a stationary recording head.

ProDigi and DASH were the two main open-reel digital audio recording systems in use from the early-1980s to the mid-1990s, but eventually the falling price of hard-disk space, as well as more compact systems such as DAT, made them less viable. Mitsubishi left the professional audio market at the of 1992, but some ProDigi machines continued to be sold by Ontari.

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Busy Bee Record (1904 – 1909)

Busy Bee Records was a Chicago-based phonograph manufacturer and record label started around 1904 by the O’Neill-James Company. The phonographs (the Busy Bee Talking Machine) had a standard-size spindle but in addition had a rectangular lug fixed to the turntable near the centre hole so that only Busy Bee Records with the corresponding cut-out could be played. However, Busy Bee Records could be played on any other phonograph.

Busy Bee was one of a number of Chicago-based labels that operated this type of premium scheme whereby the phonograph itself was inexpensive but the purchaser was locked-in to purchasing discs made for the player. Other Chicago labels that used this type of premium scheme included Standard Disc Records (½-inch centre hole), Harmony Disc Records (¾-inch centre hole), United Records (1½-inch centre hole), and Aretino Records (3-inch centre hole).

Busy Bee Records generally licensed recordings from other record labels. Cylinder were also produced under the Busy Bee Records label.

The Busy Bee Records label was dropped in 1909 following lawsuits with the Columbia Phonograph Co. and Victor Talking Machine Co.

The releases appear to be mostly single-sided, and while many were 10-inches in diameter, there were a number of 7-inch discs and a few 10.75-inch discs.

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PEL Music cartridge (1970s – 1980s)

This was a background music system created by Planned Equipment Ltd. that used 8-track cartridges. The cartridges were the same design as standard 8-tracks but were incompatitle as the tape ran at half the normal speed (4.75 cm per second) and all eight tracks were used to produce mono sound (as opposed to 8-track’s four stereo programmes). With eight tracks providing 30 minutes of playback, a single cartridge could offer four hours of background music.

Cartridges were leased from Planned Equipment Ltd. and each one was dated with the month and year.

It’s unclear when Planned Equipment Ltd. started or ended their use of 8-track cartridges for background music, but PEL started as the UK franchisee for the Muzak Corporation in 1959, when it was known as Planned Music Limited.

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Dynaquad (1970 – 1976)

In 1969, Dynaco introduced a system to ‘derive’ surround sound from stereophonic LPs by using a passive electronic circuit called a Hafler Circuit. This was designed by Dave Hafler of Dynaco in the early 1960s and required four speakers in a diamond configuration for derived quadraphonic (2:2:4) sound.

Around 1970, Dynaco introduced the Dynaquad system for encoding matrixed quadraphonic sound (4:2:4). The system was similar to EV Stereo-4 (EV-4) introduced in 1970, and was broadly compatible.

A sampler disc for the Dynaquad system was released in 1971 on the Vanguard Records label, and by this time it was suggested that the four speakers were placed in the four corners of the room rather than the diamond configuration.

Very few records appear to have used Dynaquad encoding. The 1970 eponymous album by The Flame may have used Dynaquad, along with some of the ‘Environments’ series by Syntonic Research. There were also some LPs and 7-inch singles produced by KL Recordings in the mid-1970s.

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Harmony Disc Record (1907 – 1916)

Harmony Disc Records was a Chicago-based record label launched by the Great Northern Manufacturing Co. in 1907. It produced 10-inch shellac records that were identical to other disc records of the time, except for a large centre hole of ¾-inch diameter. The larger hole was so that only Harmony Disc Records could be played on the Harmony Talking Machine.

Harmony was one of a number of Chicago-based labels that operated a premium scheme whereby the phonograph itself was inexpensive but the purchaser was locked-in to purchasing discs made for the player since the player had a correspondingly larger center spindle to prevent discs with standard holes fitting onto the turntable.

Harmony Disc Records were sometimes single-sided in the early days, and all were 10-inch in diameter.

Around 1912, Great Northern Manufacturing Co. left the record business, and Columbia took over the Harmony Disc Record label, which was renamed Harmony Record with the company name as Harmony Talking Machine Co. Columbia resurrected the Harmony name in 1925, but this time with a standard centre hole.

As well as the Harmony Disc Record, the other Chicago-based labels included Standard Disc Record (½-inch centre hole), United Records (1½-inch centre hole), Aretino Records (3-inch centre hole), and Busy Bee Records (rectangular cut-out in addition to standard ¼-inch centre hole).

In 1916, Harmony, Standard, United and Aretino were brought together under the Consolidated Talking Machine Company. It’s unclear when the Harmony Record label was discontinued and it may be that like the Standard Disc Record label, some recordings would have been available for a while with the larger centre hole.

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Durium Junior (1932 – 1933)

Durium Junior was a flexible single-sided 4-inch phonograph disc made from Durium (a synthetic brown resin invented in the US in 1929) with a cardboard backing. These were introduced in 1931 by the Durium Products Corp. who also made the 10-inch Hit Of The Week phonograph records in the US.

The Durium Junior mostly offered advertising and music combined though some were just music, and they played for around one and a half minutes. The format was also used for some childrens records.

The last Hit Of The Week release was in June 1932 and Durium Records in the UK ended production in January 1933. It’s unclear when Durium Junior ended, but it was likely around the same time.

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Yoto card (2018 – )

The Yoto Player is an internet-connected audio device for children that uses physical cards. Introduced in 2018, it is available in two sizes with a larger device (the Yoto Player) incorporating a night light for home use, and a Yoto Mini for portable use. Although it needs initial set up via a smartphone to connect it to Wi-Fi, once done it is designed to be simple to operate for children and promotes itself as having no camera, microphone or adverts.

Both devices have a screen that displays pixel art when a card is playing to indicate the track and when no card is inserted shows the time.

A range of cards are available including stories, educational titles and a handful of music releases. There are also blank cards (‘Make Your Own’ cards) available for adding content to via the app. The cards operate by NFC (near-field communication) so can be inserted into the device any way – the first time they are inserted, content is downloaded from the cloud and stored in the devices memory so that the next time the card is used access is immediate. The content is not stored on the cards themselves which simply tell the device what to download and play.

As well as physical cards, Yoto now also produce digital-only cards. These can be linked to a ‘Make Your Own’ card (so children can still put them in the player) or they can be played directly from the app. As of 2024 Yoto have indicated that they have no plans to stop selling physical cards.

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