[QuadList] Happy Birthday, QuadList--a look back and a look ahead.

[Ted Langdell]

One year ago (Friday, July 25, 2008), the first of more than 1,263  
posts to the QuadList went out, titled "Welcome to the Quad List/ 
Special Quad tape restoration event today in LA."

As of that 1:03am PDT posting, we had 13 members, most from from our  
NAB lunch. By 10:30 am we had 16, and by early the next morning, we  
had four more.

As of this 1,263rd post, we have 65 members receiving e-mails and one  
former e-mail recipient reading the archives on-line.

Our list membership includes a wide range of people:  Folks who have  
never had the chance to push Play on a Quad machine; Archivists who  
though self-taught about Quad operation and care, are—with  
determination, and sometimes the help of Quad-era engineers—recovering  
content for future generations to see.

We have engineers—active and retired—who made sure that machines  
worked in comfortable and in extreme conditions, and several folks who  
earn their living today by ensuring that content plays smoothly from  
Quad reels that have been maltreated.

Some of our members haven't seen Quads since their employers migrated  
to newer tape formats and the machines they tweaked, whacked and  
thumped with loving hands went out the door. Others have embraced  
collecting or restoring Quads with the high level of care and  
attention given to Concours D'Elegance automobiles.

The depth of experience represented by the people on this list is  
pretty amazing. If we all gathered in one room, I'd expect that the  
din would be pretty easily measured on a decibel meter... and the data  
flowing from our members would easily overwhelm a courtroom full of  
stenographers.

This month—July, 2009—is our biggest month for list traffic so far,  
with 261 messages including this one.

It seems this month was a nexus of several intersecting things that  
involved Quad tape in some way and propelled discussion: The Apollo 11  
moon activities, Walter Cronkite, The JFK assassination... each one  
spinning off a raft of recollections and valuable recorder maintenance  
tips.

Through the list, members have been able to share their experiences  
restoring Ampex and RCA Quads to life, and link readers to video clips  
showing what they've done and why.

Looking ahead, we'll see more of that, and more Quad history being  
discussed and clarified, as we did in June with posts about Japanese  
and German Quads, and some hybrid nationality quads made in a magical  
place that extended the life of machines made by others.

At NAB, AMIA and other regional opportunities, members will gather for  
cuisine and conversation, and just as likely, an opportunity to push  
play... hear a familiar "zing" and see some vintage content that can't  
be otherwise seen.

Could we see an annual QuadFest or QuadConcours D'Elegance?

This fall, The Quad Videotape Group will recognize someone for their  
contributions to the art, craft and science of Quadruplex Videotape  
recording, recovery and retaining the knowledge necessary to do so for  
future generations.

Hope to see many of you there, during the AMIA Conference, Nov. 3-7 in  
St. Louis... and in the Raleigh, NC area for an informal gathering  
TD&P to be arranged between Aug. 14 and 17.

Ted

Ted Langdell
Secretary
Skype: 	TedLangdell
e-mail:	ted at quadvideotapegroup.com

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