my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Dolby processors (Page 2)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1  2  3  4

Author Topic: Dolby processors Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-31-2004 03:42 PM                        There is a Dolby-A-only version of the CP-65, which has a cat. 222 card and no SR capability. There is also a mono version which has A and SR noise reduction, but it set up out of the box for a mono sound system. It's missing the L and R cat. 64B EQ cards and maybe some other bits. I've seen a couple of those in various theatres. I guess that the idea was to make for an easy upgrade to a full 4- or 5.1-channel system at a later date.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-31-2004 03:43 PM                     The short, short answer. The cat222 cards do not properly decode SR, but it's close. Only a discriminating ear can hear the difference. Cat280 and cat350 cards decode SR properly. Most people also agree the CP650s digital SR emulation is right on the money as well. Also, just like all Dolby processors, the CP65 came in various versions. Some have no SR, some have the "pseudo/fake SR" and some use genuine cat 350 cards for real SR. Take the CP650 for example, that comes with SRD and EX. Go a notch down to the CP650D and you lose the EX. Take another step downwards and you have the CP650SR. You would think the "CP650" would be the base processor and the "CP650D" would add SRD and the "CP650E" would have SRD and EX...but Dolby decided to name them in an odd manner. Let's not forget the CP650XO.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-31-2004 03:56 PM                     "Only a discriminating ear can hear the difference." _________________________________________________________________ And a very, very good system so you are even able to tell the difference!! Its easy to hear the differences with a really good pair of headphones. Best thing is to buy a Panastereo if one is considering a new processor. It's SR is as good and very possibly better than real DOLBY SR. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 07-31-2004 07:14 PM                    Steve G. discovered that the fake card uses a two consumer Dolby S circuits in cascade to emulate SR. Search more and you will find his discussion about scoping out both real and fake and determining where the fake SR deviates from the real thing. Comments, Sam?  |  IP: Logged Edward Jurich Master Film Handler Posts: 305 From: Las Vegas USA Registered: Jul 2003 posted 08-01-2004 09:43 AM                     My 2 cents on the CP-45, it's crap in a box. The small town theater I do work for has 2 CP-50's in use and the CP-50's sound 10 times better than the CP-45.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 08-01-2004 10:18 AM                    As long as you don't need a 6 channel B chain for digital a CP50 with upgrades is an excellent optical sound processor. You don't even need an external SR box since the 280T cards can plug right in and the need to switch to A so rare (read that as virtually never) that you can swap in the 22's if it ever happens. I'm sure Mark G. will want me to say that the upgrades should include a beefier power supply.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-01-2004 12:13 PM                     Actually the CP-50 with all upgrades will perform as good as a CP-65 and will do 5.1 chanels as well. Its a bit of a pig to setup and align though. One must include an upgraded supply if there is not yet one in it or the supply rails of the older supply will sink too low to operate all the upgrade cards. Mark  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 08-01-2004 01:36 PM                     quote: Steve Kraus ...and the need to switch to A so rare (read that as virtually never).... What if you play "kiddie" shows or you work at a rep house? I've heard or read somewhere that playing an SR film in A-type isn't too bad, but the reverse is not true. What would be the consequences of playing A-type in SR?  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 08-01-2004 04:19 PM                    Well obviously if you frequently run films from the A era then you might encounter A films often enough to decide you'd rather have pushbutton format change rather than swap the cards. I screen tons of art, foreign, and restorations and while I encounter mono not infrequently according to my notes since 1/1/03 I've only had 1 "A" film which was the Life of Brian reissue. There were 2 in 2002. I think A in SR would sound muddy as the low level stuff brought up in level on encoding is dropped back down farther than it should but it would be kind of screwy because SR's bands move about dynamically instead of being fixed. Plus it would be too loud at your calibrated fader level.  |  IP: Logged Rich Ferrando Film Handler Posts: 64 From: Royal Oak, MI Registered: Nov 2003 posted 08-01-2004 10:29 PM                       The muddiness you describe is is dead-on, but I've noticed in the last few Dolby-A films we've shown (several lately thanks to our Midnight movies) that the level of an A-type soundtrack in SR is very low, not loud. At least, that was the case with "Sound of Music" and "NeverEnding Story." It sounded like somebody was playing with the knobs- the sound would weave between near-silence and mildly audible. The print of the "Life of Brian" re-issue that we got was SR (we had it about two months ago, so they perhaps struck new prints since your run.) And, weirdness of weirdness, we got a print of "Willy Wonka" that was Dolby Digital. It sounded amazing.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 08-01-2004 10:41 PM                        Willy Wonka was restored last year for some reason. I remember they also showed it at the American Cinematheque in Hollywood in SR*D.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-01-2004 10:58 PM                        Wonka was reissued around 1994-95 with SRD prints. They look and sound great. I ran two of these prints (different prints) fairly recently. I don't know if the SRD track was from original elements or some sort of fake stereo, but whatever it was sounded terrific.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 08-01-2004 11:06 PM                        AFAIK, there was a six channel 70mm mix for "Willy Wonka", so the multi-channel SRD release is likely from that.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 08-02-2004 01:34 AM                        I thought the reason they played it at the Cinematheque last year was because it had just been restored. Apparently I misunderstood that. In any case, the director or screenwriter was there, maybe that`s why they plaxed it but I don`t remember which it was because I had no time to stay for the q&a session.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 08-02-2004 10:38 AM                    SR is recorded at a lower level than A so a processor fully equipped for it compensates automatically; if you do the card swap you must change fader levels. But what you report makes sense too as the greater downward expansion of low level sounds might drop them severely. Good to know about the Brian prints. I was under the impression that the new prints would be struck from the existing negatives, therefore Type A. Guess not.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1  2  3  4

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.