Re: [ARSCLIST] Stereo records.

[Mike Richter <mrichter@xxxxxxx>]

Don Cox wrote of AM/FM Stereo

> It might have worked better with the sum on one channel and the
> difference on the other - then they don't have to be matched.
>
> But that would need a decoder of some kind. Just a passive network, I
> think.

I believe you're operating in another world of electronics, not the one 
which existed in that era. In that period - the late 50s before the 
multiplex standard was established - we were told to put the AM radio a 
few feet from the FM radio to get stereo. No wiring needed at all except 
to the power line (mains).

In practice, sum-and-difference would have been better only in that the 
loss of highs would be balanced on the two sides. Presumably, AM would 
be the difference signal, so it is easy to see that separation in the 
midrange would be largely defeated by the absence of separation in the 
highs.

At any rate, AM/FM stereo was an experiment that was clearly doomed from 
the start. There was also an attempt using two FM stations which had 
little chance from the beginning given the value of bandwidth even then. 
Multiplex isn't a very good choice for fidelity, but it is practical and 
that's what counts.

Mike
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mrichter@xxxxxxx
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