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**YOU!! YES YOU!! STAND STILL LADDIE!! This is a DTS CD image. If you don't have a DTS conversion at playback (we're talking NOT your computer, we're talking your stereo/Home Theatre playback system) then don't download this. All you'll hear is static if you don't have a bona fide DTS playback chain, happy and working!**
Ok, now that that's out of the way, for the rest of you, yes, this is the highly rare Q8 British version of Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd. For most purposes, the band had aimed for their audience to hear the album THIS way, but unfortunately QUAD playback didn't take off like people thought it would, and this Q8 was definitely an obscure item, considering in the UK, 8-Track cartridge technology was not a sought-after mainstay of playback like it was in the US circa the 1970's.
Supposedly this CD/DTS was encoded by Tab Patterson, although I can't be totally sure. Here's what I DO know, and you BETTER READ THIS BEFORE YOU COME OUT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE POST:
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1. This is a Q8. Technically, a rip from a 8-channel, 2 program cartridge (yep! just like an 8-track). It was recorded using fairly mediocre 1/2 track technology, therefore, the sound will be less than most versions of this albums on CD. Why post? Because it's QUAD and you may have a lot of fun. So, before you have delusions of grandeur that this disc will sound absolutely kick ass sonically over a MFSL or Capitol CD, you might find that it....uh.. doesn't. Still, it's the authentic Quad presentation in about as good as most Q8's as you could expect.
2. There is noise reduction at a -10db to -16db noise level (say "OUCH" with me!). This cart supposedly had some prevalent tape hiss, which was removed at the cost of some 'soundstage' presence. Again, this is something you'll have to put up with for the experience. You'll notice the disc has noise reduction slathered on it. It's not really that bad, but I'm warning you.
3. Oh, since the program material is from Q8, please remove use of your subwoofer and center channel, as in some instances, your preamp or DTS playback might downmix into these channels. Being only 4-channels of sound, only 4 of the 6 DTS channels were utilized at encode. Wanna use the woof anyway? Fine. But the mix was intended for 4 identical full-range speakers, even at birth back in the early 70's. I'd suggest you at least try to listen to it that way, if you can. Most preamps have a feature to turn off certain 'accessory' channels using the remote and on-screen menus.
4. Really stupid (but cost saving) method EMI used in producing this little miracle, instead of taking Program 1 & 2 (to duplicate the sides of the album 1 & 2) they let "Money" run at the end of Program 1, then fade back up at program 2. The crossfade was not overlapping, so during the 1st 1-2 minutes of "Money", the sound quality might take a dump, okay? This was when the author (not moi) tried as hard as he could to pair the program breaks together without interrupting the music. You'll hear it, trust me.
Cost effectiveness, means they could save ~23 shillings per tape, if you get my drift. Instead of using 2 minutes of blank space run out at Program 1, as Side 2 of the album is definitely longer, they broke "Money" up (ironic!) between the channel change. Yes, it sucks, but whatcha gonna do??
5. You will notice some things left in the mix that was not originally left in for the album as YOU know it. This might excite you or annoy you. What's the difference???  Just have fun with it. Besides the theme of the album is about confusion and madness.
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