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

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » What is "Shockwave Cinema Sound"? (Page 2)

This topic comprises 3 pages: 1  2  3

Author Topic: What is "Shockwave Cinema Sound"? Jason Burroughs Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 654 From: Allen, TX Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-10-2005 03:45 PM                     The THX certified GCC Northpark Cinema I, arguably one of the best cinemas in the US, had house eq's in the rack so that the EQ could be tweaked as necessary from film to film. The ShockWave!CinemaSound certianly sounds like annother sound system out there, I think it has a four digit number in its name  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-10-2005 04:26 PM                     quote: David Stambaugh Hmmm... "600 Gallon HydroSubs [and 67 speakers per auditorium]". We have one customer that has some hydro subs. They defintely rock but the bass overhang is the built in killer in them. Once you start vibrating 800 gallons of water you don't just stop it on a dime which is THE requirement for good transient response. Anyway, he didn't like the results with them and hasn't used them since. I want to say that one may have sprung a leak once but I'm not 100% sure on that, perhaps he will see this post and clear that one up. Imagine the fruitless expense of shipping all that water with the cabinet. quote: David Stambaugh [and 67 speakers per auditorium]". Now, if you add up the drivers in a large 3-way JBL(5674's) system with 6 -4642's, and 24 8330a surrounds... a system like we installed in Casper, WY.... the total driver count is 102 so we've already left em in the dust. Mark [ 05-11-2005, 03:33 AM: Message edited by: Brad Miller ]  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-10-2005 05:07 PM                        Is this where I complain about how every THX house that I have heard sounds different? And about how horrible the Graumann's Chinese theatre (supposedly THX certified) sounded horrible circa Y2K (and perhaps has improved since then)? In principle, I like the THX concept and there are many THX houses that sound good. They just need to work on their consistency. This is probably also where I point out how great the (non-THX, non-any-other-system) Cinerama Dome in LA sounded circa Y2K. And where I point out that the best-sounding theatre in the Boston area is the Imax house at the New England Aquarium. For conventional theatres, The recently upgraded system in the big house at Coolidge Corner is pretty good as are the big houses at the Loews Boston Common (cinema 2) and the AMC Fenway Cinema (cinemas 12 and 13, both THX). There are lots of mediocre systems (and a few that genuinely sound bad) in this area, too. Mono systems are not unheard-of, either.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-10-2005 10:42 PM                        So if the Northpark had the best sound system ever, and it's gone now, where is the best sounding theatre nowadays? I got vacation time coming up.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 05-11-2005 01:03 AM                     quote: Floyd Justin Newton The good old days when we filled a 3,000 seat house with eight (8) watts of mono audio ...must of had Altec/Lansing's "Voice of the Theatre" speaker hiding behind that screen. Those things were the most efficent speakers-one can hook up a little pocket radio to those cabinets and even that little radio can sound pretty good in a huge palace auditorium. Didn't take much to drive those things. thx-monte [ 05-11-2005, 03:39 AM: Message edited by: Brad Miller ]  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-11-2005 09:04 AM                     quote: Mike Blakesley So if the Northpark had the best sound system ever, and it's gone now, where is the best sounding theatre nowadays? I got vacation time coming up. Go to Casper, WY and visit the America Theatre. JBL 5674's, a stack of JBL subs all in a full baffle wall, 24 or 28 8340 surrounds. Lots of power, A Panastereo CSP-1200 with Panastereo EX adaptor,DTS XD-10, DP-70 with Christie SLH lamphouse. Very similar to the MPAA system in all aspects. The theatre was recently completely re-done with stadium seating, larger screen. Definately the best theatre in the western states and its not all that far from you either. Mark  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 05-11-2005 01:40 PM                     I don't care WHAT equipment they are using. This is good old-fashioned PT Barnum promotion at its best. The audience THINKS the product is better, so, to them, it really IS better. Nice to see someone being different out there. This is a theater I would seek out, just to see what is going on. As for great sounding theatres, I wouldn't put any of the current theatres in my area in the running. Northland 8, an 80's vintage THX house (General Cinema), was the best around, but it is long gone. It had the sweetest sound for music I've ever heard.  |  IP: Logged David Buckley Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 525 From: Oxford, N. Canterbury, New Zealand Registered: Aug 2004 posted 05-11-2005 02:48 PM                        Theres this other thread going on right now, you've probably all seen it - Entertainment Weekly article - "Why Isn't Anyone Going to the Movies This Year?" Well, someone isnt sitting down and watching their audiences dwindle, they're trying quite hard to get the people in. Sure, what they are saying may be at best hyperbole, and at worst , but whatever they are doing, people are talking about the Abingdon Cinemall. They claim that they've been "rated" (whatever that means) by USA today as one of the top three cinemas in the USA to see Episode 1. People write in blogs and newsgroups that they travel distances to see movies there. How many of the houses represented here have ever been mentioned on national telly?  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 05-11-2005 03:20 PM                     Mark, you mean the AMPAS or possibly the Egyptian...the MPAA theatre is tiny and uses Altec A-6s  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-11-2005 04:25 PM                     Thanks Steve for that correction...... You're right!! Mark  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 05-14-2005 08:22 PM                        This reminds me of the theatre we opened in the 1970's with "Floatation Stereo Sound " in the newspaper. Inasmuch as the system I was installing was the mono Century , reverse scan package, I asked the owner "what is this??" He replied "you know.. PR...press bull shit!" Now, with water-bed speakers, floatation stereo is possible!  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Jorgenson Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1002 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Feb 2005 posted 06-09-2005 04:42 PM                        quote: Scott Norwood And about how horrible the Graumann's Chinese theatre (supposedly THX certified) sounded horrible circa Y2K (and perhaps has improved since then)? I lived in North Hollywood on and off from summer 1999 until summer 2004. I went to the Chinese a few times in 1999 & 2000 and enjoyed it for the history and spectacle but I agree with you that I was quite unimpressed with the presentation. Then in 2001 they closed for a bit and underwent a renovation: equipment, seats (and to stay on topic for this thread) entirely new sound system. By the time the first Harry Potter came out, their presentation had improved tremendously both for the audience’s eyes and ears... it became one of my favorite theatres to see a film. The JBL trailer they played to show off their new speakers was always played at an ear piercing level though.  |  IP: Logged Don Furr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 509 From: Sun City, Ca USA Registered: Nov 2002 posted 06-09-2005 06:28 PM                     I seen 4 or 5 flicks at the Chinese in the past 2 years and I've always thought it was a far better presentation than anything I've seen in Atlanta. The sound is awesome. Don  |  IP: Logged Thomas Hauerslev Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Copenhagen, Denmark Registered: Aug 2000 posted 06-10-2005 02:17 AM                        Bet they don´t have a Coolbooster (TM) and one of the new GøjnerScope lenses ;-)  |  IP: Logged Larry Zuverink Film Handler Posts: 98 From: Caledonia, MI, USA Registered: Nov 2002 posted 06-10-2005 12:57 PM                     Without turning this into a THX thread, the one thing I don't like is no tolerance for the X curve. Many house sound over EQ'ed to pass the R2/D2 analyzer test. Scheduled 2006 ZuverBang Sound Systems. If can hear when you leave. The show was not in ZuverBang  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 3 pages: 1  2  3

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.