THE QUAD 34 and 44 There are two Quad pre-amplifiers, the 34 and 44 which share many features in common, and differ only in the extent of facilities offered. They represent the result of more than thirty years experience in the design and use of pre-amplifiers. The refinements in circuit design and ergonomics enables the listener to obtain maximum musical enjoyment from the widest possible range of programme material. The pre-amplifier selects the desired programme input, providing optimum matching for the programme source, amplifies the signal up to amplifier level and permits the listener to adjust and apply tonal correction. The Quad 34 and 44 are normally used in conjunction with one or other of the Quad power amplifiers, but can also be used with power amplifiers of other makes. Optimum performance from disc depends upon accurate RIAA de-emphasis and correct matching of both load and sensitivity. Quad pre-amplifiers have a range of plug-in modules which provide correct matching for any pickup cartridge, any output level. It is widely believed that music should be reproduced through a system with a flat frequency response. While this may be "hi-fi' it is seldom likely to reproduce the closest approach to the original sound. It is only necessary to play a good recording on first class equipment in two different rooms to realise just how much variation there can be. While a small number of records can be found which produce excellent results in any one room without tonal correction, this is clearly unsatisfactory if one wishes to choose records on musical rather than technical merit. Quad has developed a system of tone controls and filters which used intelligently enable the listener to achieve optimum results from a wide range of recorded and broadcast programme material.

The Quad filters cope with tracing distortion. Even with modern stylus shapes, the tracing distortion from a gramophone record doubles for every half octave increase in frequency, rising to as high as 5O% at high frequencies and modulation levels. The filter characteristics are carefully tailored to remove the unwanted distortion while leaving the musical information. More of the music and less of the "hi-fi'. The tilt and bass controls cope with problems of the listening room and speaker placement. The tilt control operates exactly as its name implies and produces a very gradual change in balance across the musical spectrum without changing the overall subjective level. When set for ±1—1 there will be a gradual fall of 2dB from bass to treble with a maximum rate of change in the centre of not more than 1/2dB peroctave. This absence of sudden change means that there will be no 'colouration' added to the sound. The sound will remain entirely natural but with a slight added warmth. Such a setting will be used if the recording and/or the listening room are slightly analytical or overbright. Conversely, if both the recordingenvironment and the listening room are rather lush sounding, the —1+1 (or even —2+2) would be used to restore detail. In using this control the extreme bass and extreme treble should not unduly influence judgement because they are separately adjustable. The bass control serves two purposes. In the lift position it acts as a smooth progressive boost for use with small loudspeakers of necessarily limited bass response, and the profile of the bass lift response provides optimum equalisation. In the step mode the control acts as a step filter which removes the characteristic 'honk' caused by the excitation of the room's eigontones when the loudspeakers have to be placed in or near a corner. The difference between the Quad 44 and 34 are confined to the input facilities offered and choice between them should be governed by the requirements of the system. The Quad 34 has four inputs, for disc, radio tuner, auxiliary and tape. The disc input is supplied with two modules, one for moving magnet pickup cartridges and the other for low output moving coil pickup cartridges. Other modules are available for special requirements. The Quad 34 represents the solution for a music system with up to four programme sources. The Quad 44 has five inputs, all modular, so that they can be changed at will. The Quad 44 is supplied with Disc, Radio, Auxiliary and two tape inputs. Additional modules are supplied by the dealer. Thus any combination of five programme sources can be accommodated and any future requirement of the system is met simply by changing a module. The Quad 44 is thus ideal for systems which incorporate more than one turntable or tape recorder. Tape copying and dubbing facilities are extremely simple to operate. Quad 2