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Author Topic: Perspecta System on ebay Dick Prather Master Film Handler Posts: 259 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 06-26-2003 04:07 AM                     Most of what Bernie says is right on. I don't know how many films were in Perspecta. I was told most of MGM's films from 1953 or so for a few years were. I know the 1954 GWTW was released in Perspecta with approval and guidence from David O himself. It didn't sound too bad. I did like the VistaVision use of it with the V expanding to all three channels. "White Christmas" sounded OK as did "To Catch a Thief". You can add "Friendly Persuasion" to the Allied Artist list as I have a purple print of it and it is Perspecta. The Japanese seemed to have it longer than we did. I read one of their sales flyers called "The Far East News" dated 1955 with licensed 6 Perspecta companies and only 1 for 4 track magnetic. I believe "The H Man" had Perspecta Stereophonic Sound in the credits. I think that was made in the early 60's. I have rebuilt the exact Fairchild that was on ebay and thought it sounded fine. I still have it. Not full stereo but added a depth that mono did not have. I also do have a Hare version but no pre-amp, power supply, or manual. Some time when i get time i will tear into it. It does look a lot better built then the Fairchild. I do agree with Gordon the card from the UK is the way to go. I have one and am very satisfied with it. It just goes in place of the Dolby Cat #150.  |  IP: Logged Bernie Anderson Jr Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: Woodbridge, New Jersey Registered: Apr 2000 posted 06-26-2003 08:17 AM                        Dick, Perspecta was introduced by MGM in the Summer of 1954. There were no releases from 1953 in the process. Somebody wrote in a Macfarland book on 3-D movies that some of those films had Perspecta tracks. That's not true. 3-D was dead by the time Perspecta premiered. I've been told that AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS used Perspecta on the surround channels to steer the mono optical signal to left, center and right speakers. When we ran a new 35mm print of FORBIDDEN PLANET in Perspecta at the Loew's Jersey last year (on a 50 foot screen) it sounded terrific. Quite a few people commented after the show that they thought it was real stereo! The fifty foot speaker spread helped a great deal. Have you noticed the problem with gain levels on some of the Universal titles? THE BENNY GOODMAN STORY and ONE DESIRE are like that. You'll have a reel change, and all of a sudden one channel will kick in at twice the audio level. Sure can be annoying! How is the mix on FRIENDLY PERSUASION? Were they going for a full spread, or just occasional dialogue and effects? Also, I've heard that the Dolby card does not accurately replicate the systems ability to alter gain levels on the 3 seperate channels. Is that true?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-26-2003 09:54 AM                     The from the Uk that replaces the cat 150 has full gain riding using LM3900 transconductance amplifiers. I beleive the one from chase that fits a Cat 150 or the USL switchs channels I would like to get the actual test reel that was carried by Altec  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 06-26-2003 02:15 PM                     Two bids, sold for $179.50.  |  IP: Logged Dick Prather Master Film Handler Posts: 259 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 06-26-2003 03:03 PM                     Bernie, The UK card seems to work very well and handle the volume levels nicely. I don't have my Fairchild on line any more so I can't make a side by side comparison. Remembering the same cartoon I used for testing the Fairchild being held on reacted a teenie bit better. I had not found the test film until after I removed the Fairchild. The card played the test film perfectly. I still would recomend the card for anyone wishing a good Prerspecta showing with out rebuilding an origional unit. I have never heard the Chase version. I have not heard any Universal prints at all. Friendly Persuasion was just occasional effect and some directional. Not the best track mix. The Perspecta mix on "Around the World in 80 Days" was on the 4 track only mag print in the surround track. I sent Marty at Widescreen Museum a copy of a RCA service bullitin describing the surround Perspecta encoding and it's posted on the site. That will explain it better then here.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 06-27-2003 05:12 AM                     Dick wrote: quote: The Perspecta mix on "Around the World in 80 Days" was on the 4 track only mag print in the surround track. I sent Marty at Widescreen Museum a copy of a RCA service bullitin describing the surround Perspecta encoding and it's posted on the site. That will explain it better then here. Did you ever hear this? I think it would have been an interesting mix, but I've nver met anyone who actually heard it. Most of the Perspecta I have heard has been cartoons, perhaps the least appropriate use for it, as most of them rely heavily on music. Most cartoons seem to keep almost everything in the centre, with just an occasional panned effect. I have even seen one which said Perspecta on the leader, had the center channel 35 Hz. tone present throughout at constant amplitude, and was therefore single channel non-directional mono. Why? Using Perspecta on the surround channel, being as it is, largely effects, might work rather well. It is probably the only way that a system with directional surrounds could have been carried on a 35mm print at that time, given the very limited track space available. It's a pity it wasn't used on any other films. I have heard conflicting reports as to whether the 70mm version used a Perspecta surround, does anyone know for sure? Of the conventional Perspecta tracks I have heard, I think the 'Forbidden Planet' one was the most effective.  |  IP: Logged

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