Azimuth Co-ordinator

[moundsman14]

Hello,

I am trying to build a Azimuth Co-ordinator. I saw some things about it, but am looking for some direction. Any ideas?

[my breakfast.]

I think you need a four-way blend, using some sort of joystick control.

The Azimuth device was in truth a quad-mono system rather than a true quadrophonic system. By this I mean, it couldn't sent unique audio to each of the four channels, or even a double-stereo signal. A true quadraphonic system would send different audio to each of the four channels.

What the Azimuth Coordinator could send was a mono feed to four different channels in varying degrees. As such, it utilized a simple joystick device to alter the 'volume' (or voltage) sent to four different audio channels. As such, it was basically four independent volume controls ganged to a single control device, in this case a rather nifty joystick.

For which, you need one of these;

http://www.4siteelectronics.com/category_s/62.htm

The middle terminal on each set of three lugs would be the common mono audio source. Each left hand terminal of each set of three lugs would be the 'output', and each right hand terminal on each set of three lugs would be ground (or earth, depending on where you live). Quite how you connect this system up without getting ground loops and other humming is beyond me. I think you would need to buffer each audio output accordingly to stop cross-talk between the channels, ground hum and general loss of signal. You could make this a passive system (ie, it doesn't need an external power supply), but the signal losses would be pretty high.

However, a simple single-transistor buffer isn't too difficult to built. You would have to build four. Look at simple "Altoid tin" circuits and other 'hacker' circuits people put out there. I guess a simple 1-watt amplifier would do (build four, of course).

Now, the original design looks crude as all hell.



It appears to have two channels. I'm guessing one was dedicated to panning the organ and one was dedicated to panning Dave's guitar. I base this on audience recordings of the 1970-71 era when the organ and guitar were panned individually (not easy to hear on recordings, but their volumes fluctuate more than the drums or bass appear to). You could also feed a mono tape-recording to one of these channels.

I wager the cheesy push buttons allowed the selection of one or more audio input source, probably from two banks of four 1/4 inch input jacks on the back. Unless Pink Floyd used a custom cable of some sort I hate to think how they ducted the quad signal back out of the thing. XLR jacks?

For reference, there were at least two Azimuth Coordinators. This photo from 1970 shows Rick Wright's organ setup. On top of the left hand organ (a Farfisa Compact deluxe), he has (from left to right) a Farfisa reverb and amp unit, then a single-channel Azimuth Coordinator and then a Binson echorec.

[moundsman14]

Thank you very much, you have been a great help

[PooF]

'Thank you very much' is not enough. I think you should get down on your knees in awe, as should we all. That's got to be one of the best posts in years.

[moundsman14]

You are right, it is a awesome post! Thank you again for spending the time. The technical data, link and background information has been most beneficial. I do truly appreciate you taking the time to answer my post!

[my breakfast.]

Well I might be wrong in my assumptions!

The part I don't know so much about is running signals to speaker cabinets and such. I don't know where you would place a power amp in this signal chain. You could either place the power amp before the Azimuth Coordinator, and run speaker-level signal to it, or have four power amps after the Azimuth Coordinator, one for each speaker set. I'm not sure what application you want to use your Azimuth Coordinator for.

For example, your signal chain could look like this->

Audio source -> preamp -> Azimuth Coordinator -> Power amps (x4) -> speakers (x4).

Or, Audio source -> preamp -> power amp -> Azimuth Coordinator -> speakers (x4).

I cannot figure out the routing of the Azimuth Coordinator in Pink Floyd's PA setup, and how it received audio from Gilmour's guitar rig. I guess they could have taken a preamp tap out of one of his Hiwatt heads, routed that to a separate power amp then the Azimuth Coordinator... otherwise they took a signal out of his Hiwatt head after the power amp. However, tube (valve) amps like to see a 'load' after the power amp (speakers, or an equivalent resistance in the form of an attenuator) or else the tubes and transformer will be damaged in the amp.

[snifferdog]

Have you ever tried to build one? Or even thought about it?

[The Gunner's Dream]

Given current sound systems and technology, wouldn't building an Azimuth Coordinator be completely obsolete and antiquated? Maybe I am missing something here.

[moundsman14]

The application is this: we will have four speakers that have their own amps at each speaker. I want to be able to take and plug in an MP3 player, a computer, keyboard, ect.. into the device. We have a sound system, but want to be able to put one speaker from the Azithum in each corner of the room. The objective is to be able to control the output to each speaker individually. For example, we want to be able to run a music pad (to help fill in) from say the computer to all four speakers , turn the pad off on one speaker (while continuing to play in the other three) and run something from an MP3 into that one speaker. And also, be able to send sound from one speaker to the next, for example: foot steps and so on. If there is a better way to do this, I am open to it. It seemed to be an economical way to accomplish it. Not to mention an interesting project.

[my breakfast.]

Have you ever tried to build one? Or even thought about it?

Thought about it yes, built it, no! I've messed around with stereo mixers and stuff, but never quad sound.

As Gunner suggests, it is a wholly antiquated design. It is passive, so the signal loss is something to consider. It doesn't deal with phase cancellation, comb filtering etc etc... and, it only allows for a mono signal to be panned. We know a lot more about live sound engineering and sound reinforcement now than we did then. Having said that, I've been to a bunch of shows where I only hear the vocalist, cymbals and the kick drum, so there is still a lot to be learned. There is a trade off between the 'perfect world' live sound systems and budget, space etc... The earlier Pink Floyd sound systems, such as the WEM gear that shows up in the Pompeii film, looks astonishingly crude, and I don't know why they stuck it all in a straight line across the amphitheater. I guess they used the 'add more speakers' mentality to brute-force their way through any phasing issues.

To get back to moundsman14, four amps makes it simpler as you only need to make the audio splitter yourself, and four-way joystick potentiometers are available as per the link I posted above. If you have guitar wiring skills then you should be able to build this device.

[rememberaday]

Not completely related but after reading this thread feel a bit interested in trying and building a theremin, it's summer break so might as well give it a go.

[my breakfast.]

Not completely related but after reading this thread feel a bit interested in trying and building a theremin, it's summer break so might as well give it a go.

Do it! I built one when I was in high school. I learned some decent soldering skills along the way.