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Author Topic: 16mm Sound problem Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 09-10-2009 07:19 PM                     I've never heard anything good about Eiki preamps. After wasting a lot of time trying to get satisfactory results we finally routed to cell to an external preamp.  |  IP: Logged Laura Jean Kahl Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Pittsburgh, Pa USA Registered: Apr 2009 posted 09-15-2009 03:00 PM                        alright guys. after some soldering i successfully bypassed the preamp, so sound is directly in the mackie. have to use quite a bit of gain from there, but it sounds good. now time will be the test to determine if it was indeed the preamp causing the spiking then the cutting out, or some other onerous working of electricity. thanks!  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-15-2009 05:37 PM                     you may want to check just how well regulated your excitor lamp powersupply is a voltage increase there will increase the gain  |  IP: Logged Jarret Chessell Master Film Handler Posts: 288 From: London, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jan 2009 posted 09-15-2009 10:49 PM                     might be an excellent time to replace your exciter lamp. For the sake of balance anyways.  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 11-23-2017 02:17 PM                 It has been 2990 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Abraham Robinson Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Oakland, California, USA Registered: Oct 2017 posted 11-23-2017 02:17 PM                    can someone explain what is meant in the earlier post by: "For those that don't however, Pro-Co has what they call the AV-1. It takes "speaker out" from a 1/4" input and drops it to either "line-out" or "mic-out". One nice thing it does is put a low impedance load on the projector's amplifier. Most 16mm amps do NOT like feeding high-impedance inputs. Its always a good idea to put at least 8 or 16-Ohm resistors across the ouput when padding them down." I understand the difference between the Speaker, Line, or Mic level outs, but am confused by the hi/lo impedance part. I am looking at DI boxes for portable 16mm projection; is the 'Pro-Co Av-1' ' s low impedance load different, than say the Radial Engineering AV-1 box? or a much cheaper option than something like a 'Behringer ULTRA-DI DI20' ? I am leaning towards buying the Radial box, as it is a bit more versatile, but I definitely need something that can do as described earlier by the Pro-Co, does the Radial do this too? or is that something unique about the Pro-Co's DI?  |  IP: Logged Gary A. Hoselton Film Handler Posts: 59 From: Portland OR U.S.A. Registered: Nov 2005 posted 11-29-2017 10:21 PM                     If mfr doesn't spec what their low impedance load is, then you'll have to measure it with an ohmmeter, hoping to find 8 to 16 ohms. The main thing is to always load the projector amplifier's output with an 8 to 16 ohm resistor rated at 10-15 watts, wirewound is fine, even if volume is down to zero and you are just using the exciter lamp power supply. The resistor costs a dollar or two; amplifier repair can be quite expensive.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-05-2017 04:51 PM                        quote: I think the Eiki line is the best in 16mm. Those things just keep running and running. My only complaint is the lens barrel/focusing assembly. It leaves a bit to be desired. Boy, no kidding. I just got involved in a Film Department that as a dozen or so Eiki (and those same Eikis that B&H slapped there name on -- the 3585), and ALL of them have that rubber sleeve on the focusing knob shaft that has deteriorated into this glob of melted orange goo. When you were working with them Brad, they probably were just softening up -- given an additional decade or two and they're now just a oozing mess. And of course that is useless for moving the lens back and forth, so an otherwise perfectly good working projector that needs only a bit of cleaning and lubrication to work perfectly, more or less becomes an interesting looking door stop. Does anyone know if there is a work-around fix other than getting an exact replacement part should someone even have such a part, it probably would be in the same useless state as those in the projectors. It was certainly a terrible design to begin with. If I can't find something that will make a good substitute, I am thinking of just drilling into the lens holder unit and tapping it so I can use a set screw in it. This will at least allow you to manually move the lens and then when you get the image focused, lock it in place with the set screw. Anyone ever found DIY remedy for this problem?  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-05-2017 05:19 PM                     I had success using roundthane (you know, belting material for take up reels). You have to size it though, it won't be right out of the box/roll. I recall mounting the knob on a drill press with the tubing on it and then sanding the roundthane down until it was the desired size. It has been a LONG time since I had to do one though.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-05-2017 05:23 PM                        The usual fix for the Eiki focus knob problem is to remove the focus knob, scrape off the goo, and put on a bit of windshield washer tubing in its place, which is basically Steve's method. The tubing comes in two diameters and I don't remember which is correct. Or just order a focus knob (I believe that all Eikis use the same one).  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-05-2017 07:19 PM                        Yah, had the same idea -- took the outer jacket of audio cable and tried that, but it wasn't quite the right size. Tried shrink wrap, but once shrunk, it wouldn't protrude out of the slot to engage the lens -- it seems to really need rubber -- hense, your windshield wiper tubing, Scott. Sanding down roundthane...Steve, you are one tenacious tech! Ah...Larry Urbanski just emailed me and said to use the silicone tubing that they use in fish tanks. Definitely will try that. He says he's had success with it. Still am going to do a set screw in addition to make sure once it is in focus, it stays in focus; I'll get a set screw with a knurled head on it so it can be tightened by hand with no need for a screwdriver.  |  IP: Logged Bill Brandenstein Master Film Handler Posts: 413 From: Santa Clarita, CA Registered: Jul 2013 posted 12-05-2017 09:20 PM                     Frank, I did one similar to Larry's solution - silicone tubing, but it was fuel line from a hobby store. (Probably the same stuff.) It was actually too large by a minuscule amount, but by bunching it up slightly on that tiny shaft, it's functioned perfectly for years now. Cost almost nothing.  |  IP: Logged Lindsay Morris Expert Film Handler Posts: 233 From: Darlington, WA, Australia Registered: Sep 2002 posted 12-06-2017 01:30 AM                     What we in Aust often use is the very easy to source reticulation tubing which one uses to take off small sprinklers or sprays from the 13mm or 19mm poly retic lines. The stuff is exactly the right size to slip over the spindle of the focus knob AND IF you purchase the SOFT version of that tubing the OD is exactly spot on to grip the lens threads & the focus works well. NEVER moves with vibration. Sometimes the ID is a tad large for a snug fit on the shaft but a dob of contact adhesive on the spindle as you push the tube on goes off nice & firm & stops the spindle slipping inside the tubing. BE aware that there is a couple of styles of this small gauge tubing. One type is quite stiff & almost semi rigid but the right ID & OD and the other is a swine as it is under size on both ID & OD and IF you manage to get it onto the focus knob spindle it simply will NOT grip the thread of the lens barrel. It is a fair cow to actually get the small sprays & drippers that are meant to be inserted in this stuff actually go in without a lot of mucking around often breaking the sprays or drippers. So far have done dozens of Eikis with this stuff & never had a comeback and have used it on RT, NT & SSL models as well as the Xenon 4000P unit. It is the same barrel design on all.  |  IP: Logged Colin Brant Film Handler Posts: 4 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Aug 2017 posted 12-14-2017 01:10 AM                     This thread has a lot of great info in it, just wish it was broken up by topic and that I had found it sooner! I've had to learn a lot of this the hard way... Question #1: does anyone have a preferred high-quality preamp for replacing the standard Eiki one? I've been looking into doing this for both my Eiki SSL-0 and EX3000. Question #2: is there a way to apply an "Academy Cure" to 16mm mono optical soundtracks? I can approximate it using a 32 band graphic EQ but I believe the actual spec requires -18db parameters. Curious if it can be done with either the Dolby CP750 or 650? Anyone ever tried this? Eiki Focus Mechanism: I like using heat shrink tubing (the kind w/ adhesive) and a heat gun. I believe the 1/4" diameter stuff works with two layers and should last a lifetime. The second layer requires stretching with a pair of needle nose pliers and you just slide it over the first layer before it resumes its normal size. But Larry Urbanksi is a great resource and I'd trust any advice he or his wife gives.  |  IP: Logged Bill Brandenstein Master Film Handler Posts: 413 From: Santa Clarita, CA Registered: Jul 2013 posted 12-15-2017 04:50 PM                     #2 - I'm not an expert in the process of mastering audio to 16mm negative, but I'm pretty sure there is no Academy X-curve on 16mm. Most 16mm titles of any vintage can't afford to lose any of the precious little high frequency content present.  |  IP: Logged

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