Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: question on ASR-40

This is topic question on ASR-40 in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Scott Balko (Member # 438) on 01-06-2003, 09:03 PM:

What is the difference between the low cost C.E. ASR-40 analog reader and the costlier ones? If there is no difference in sound quality, why is the more expensive reader still offered? If you had your choice, which analog reader would you install(among all brands)?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-06-2003, 09:10 PM:

The BACP and no other! The ASR-40 and others are also very good but don't offer the installation convenience and build quality that the BACP offers. The LED's on the BACP are also very handy at times.
Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-06-2003, 09:26 PM:

The 40 series is indeed a lower cost unit. Some short cuts were taken with it...there are no adjustments on it for lateral position, for instance.

The 30 series reader is considered essential for a combo digital analog soundhead in order to ensure both the digital and analog readers are optimized.

For readers...I like the Component Engineering stuff. I do mostly basement readers so the BACP doesn't fit my typical installation.

I like the Kelmar readers and actually think they have better tracking than most (digital) but for installations in Century projectors one has to do too much surgury to the casting of the soundhead.

Steve

Posted by Scott Balko (Member # 438) on 01-06-2003, 09:42 PM:

I'm not familiar with BACP. Can you give me a link?

Posted by Bob Koch (Member # 1062) on 01-06-2003, 09:59 PM:

Regardless of what Guttag says, Sam Chavez designed both of these readers, including Purdy`s[not one of my favorites] you can reach BACP readers ;www.bacp@aol.com

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 01-06-2003, 10:02 PM:

From the ITEA Membership Directory:

http://www.itea.com/members/b.htm

Bay Area Cinema Products
1025 Pine Meadow Court
Martinez, CA 94553
925.372.7603, fax 925.372.7658
Sam Chavez
Bay Area Cinema Products is a manufacturer of complete "turn key" audio racks for cinemas as well as various audio accessories to ease sound system installation. It is also a full-line cinema equipment dealer. As a dealer, we offer products from Dolby, QSC, Strong, EVI Audio and Ultra-Stereo, to name a few. As a manufacturer, we offer the finest in cost-effective audio racks that cut installation time to a bare minimum.

Posted by Don Olson (Member # 90) on 01-07-2003, 11:40 AM:

The difference between the 30 and 40 series readers are essentially as Steve G. outlines. The readers are made of the same active parts and assembled in a less expensive manner. The LED end of the product is identical in both kits. The power supply that is included with the 30 kits is a module that plugs into a chassis. This is simple for non technical persons to swap when trouble shooting. The 40 series supply has plugs on all the wiring connections and takes a little more effort to swap.

FYI.....The original Component Engineering reader with IR led was already being field tested in Landmark Theatres before S.Chavez came on the scene. I was doing the testing. First hand...............

Posted by Jim Alexander (Member # 226) on 01-07-2003, 08:24 PM:

As I am not all that familiar with any of the other LED readers, I cannot make comment on them. I installed the ASR-40 in my theatre this past summer and I was very impressed with it. Installation was very easy and other than a stupit mistake on my part, everything worked very well.
I had a choice of using the Kelmar LED reader or the ASR-40. The reason I chose the ASR was because it did not require any machining to my projector as the Kelmar did. Also, price was a very big factor. At almost 60% of the price, it looked like the best choice all around.
BTW, I found out about the ASR-40 through this site... Thanks guys [beer]

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-07-2003, 08:30 PM:

What soundhead do you have as I haven't had to remachine for one brand more or less than the other. Depending on vintage issues of scanner drum clearances and slit tube mounting are equal

Posted by Jim Alexander (Member # 226) on 01-07-2003, 09:11 PM:

I have the R-3 on a Century C projector. According to the Kelmar Rep, the Impedance Drum needed to be machined down a couple of thou to allow the fitting of the LED and mount.

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 01-07-2003, 10:13 PM:

The machining of the drum is sometimes necessary on Westrex and or Indian machines since the camfered edge on the drum is usually thicker and the Kelmar LED mount does not allow much gap due to the size of the unit. On installs we carry a spare sound drum if we have to exchange it and reuse ( if salvageable ) the old one after some machine work

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-08-2003, 01:52 AM:

If you had the northern electric version then machineing would be need with almost any led if you wanted a flat illumination. The CE reader could usually be made to work but the illumination isn't even unless some machineing is done. Also the Northern Electric scanners were much harder than the american or westrex one were and they have to be ground down not just lathe turned

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-08-2003, 06:38 AM:

Never had any problems with the many Northern Electric reproducers I brought down from Canada. Was using the early Kelmar scanners on them at the time and they set up really nice.......must be the magnetic influence [Big Grin]

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 01-08-2003, 09:32 AM:

"Sam Chavez designed both of these readers, including Purdy`s"

Bzzzt........wrong

Posted by Clint Koch (Member # 1179) on 01-08-2003, 12:58 PM:

I am placing this response for Sam Chavez of BACP as he is unable to do so at this time. I spoke with Sam and this was his response...

"My original role in the basement reader project as follows. The design
concept came from Lonny Jennings and me as employees of Dolby Labs in early
1992. My role was in promotion of the new technology and in selecting
vendors to participate in the project. I also supervised the implementation
of Dolby's basement (I still prefer the term, Inboard) reader hardware by
various vendors; among them Component Engineering, Kelmar, Strong and
Cinemeccanica.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 01-08-2003, 02:30 PM:

Ok here's where you're getting confused

A "design concept" would be something like...
"I want to build a rocket that would go faster than the speed of light and be pulled by 8 tiny reindeer"
"Engineering design and implementation" would be actually building it and making it work.
As you can see coming up with an "idea" and "making it happen" are two different things.

[ 01-10-2003, 09:24 PM: Message edited by: Greg Mueller ]

Posted by Christos Mitsakis (Member # 143) on 01-08-2003, 04:56 PM:

scott, here is your link.
http://www.bacpinc.com/

Christos