Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: FP 38 DTS Installation

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Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 04-10-2004, 12:03 AM:

Just wanted to share a unique installation of DTS on a pair of Kinotone FP 38 projectors. These machines were originally equipped with 4-track mag clusters, which in this case were totally unusable. The lens turrets displaced the heads causing the sound to be about 1.25 seconds (!) out of sync.

Thanks to the generous donation of a DTS-6D system to this location (University of California, Irvine), it solved two problems and made great use of "dead" space. And the timecode is rock steady!

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-10-2004, 06:22 AM:

In many theatres that had a long travel distance from the platter to the projector I have mounted many DTS readers in the place of the mag head to damp out film sag (really shuld have been using reels with changeovers anyway [Smile]

)

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 04-10-2004, 08:45 AM:

Tony

That DTS install is not that unique. I have a pair of Magna-Tech PR-135 projectors (FP20's), that has the same DTS mounting set-up.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 04-10-2004, 09:12 AM:

Two perfectly good 4-track penthouses all shot to hell. [Mad]

::walks away muttering::

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-10-2004, 10:43 AM:

Steve,
I'm not too disappointed on nixing the 4-track mag in favor of a format like DTS...In fact, I want to come up with a DTS reader that can plug in where the mag head lived..at the scanning area, all that is needed is the LED, lens and cell..the electronics and rest elsewhere.
Steve

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-10-2004, 11:24 AM:

Tony,

Great job!! Just don't use the full tight loop tension on thet reader as it might be a bit too much load for it. Loosen up the spring tension on the dancer arms cinsiderably or you'll wear out the drum bearings in short order...Normally the DTS reader its meant to have very little load on it. keep up the good work!

Steve,
Aside from being somewhat expensive to do there is not too much use for that sort of thing and you would might likely be violating some of DTS's patents in doing so. It would also make changing from 35mm to 70mm DTS a bit difficult to do in an instant which would be consistant with changing formats on a projector.

Its alot easier to just make a mounting bracket ayyached to each TC reader that bolts in place of the mag head. This allows quick change outs to either the 35 or 70mm time code readers within a format change time constraint. I have one like this in progress for a JJ. Have already done so one like this for the DP-70.

What would be much better accepted would be a combination SRD- and DTS reader that would go in place of several different projectors penthouses. Then you'd really have something!

Mark

Posted by Dan Lyons (Member # 1454) on 04-10-2004, 03:08 PM:

quote:
Thanks to the generous donation of a DTS-6D system to this location (University of California, Irvine),

What building is this in? I might have to go check it out.

Last time i went to see a show at UCI, it was in a lecture hall, with an lcd projector and dvd! yuck. even worse, they had it set to show the 1.85 dvd on a square screen, so it was like watching a scope film in flat! disgusting.

I wonder if they even have someone there who knows what a dts reader is even for... it might just be another "funky roller" for the students to misthread. [puke]

danny

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-11-2004, 09:07 AM:

Actually Mark, My plan was to dismember a DTS reader to do it...some how I doubt DTS would have any problem with a device that aided in their installed base.
Unlike you...Mag seems to still be in my world. In fact, I've been installing it (and it has been used rather well!). As such, for a Century JJ...I would rather put the DTS reader where the 35-mag head lives and leave the 70mm mag stuff alone to do its job. In the case of a AAII...I'd rather have an interchangeable system between DTS and 70mm magnetic.
As to the combo reader...that has already been looked into by a prominent penthouse manufacturer and one of the Digital manufacturers didn't like the idea...a shame because I agree that for the typical installation that wants both capability, it would be a great solution.
Steve

Posted by David M. Dorn (Member # 2298) on 04-11-2004, 04:23 PM:

Check out the Sondor web site
url=http://www.sondor.ch/newproducts.html
They show a new product the Sondor "Soundhouse" with both Dolby Digital and DTS readrers.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-11-2004, 04:44 PM:

Yea, nice idea and products...all the stuff Sondor makes is first class. The only problem is the cost of it, around 6K, and the fact that the analog scanner is on top requiring a digital delay. Since I'm against most things digital except for digital control of mechanical mechanisms it is only another uneeded addition of distortion into the processing chain. A version with just Dolby and DTS would be what most of the world would want, especially since the installation of RED LED scanners has already penetrated so very far.

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-11-2004, 08:47 PM:

Ah but Mark this is indeed an interesting idea for schmos like me...I have customers like the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the American Film Institute plus a couple dozen more venues that run existing films...what if the IR or even a white light reader went up there with reverse scan optics and that nifty delay?

Regardless of the success or failure of the cyan thing, I (and others) will need to handle existing soundtracks for the forseeable future.

Steve

Posted by Larry Shaw (Member # 388) on 04-12-2004, 08:59 PM:

Steve,
Kinoton makes machines with the standard red LED opt/dig basement reader plus a incandesent opt penthouse reader with a delay (same as the stock 16mm one). See BKSTS Cinema Tech Vol 17 #1 (Mar 2004) Pg 16. BTW it is 16 opt + mag /35 dual soundhead opt + Dolby dig + 4 track mag.