Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: CP500 w/ Automation

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Posted by Matt Hollis (Member # 2954) on 08-16-2005, 09:35 AM:

Just another inexperienced question...

I've got a automation with a timer in it. Let's say when the C/O opens I want the sound to swith to SR-D. Do I need a way to interface my automation to the "automation" input on the back of the 500 or is there a way to just pulse that format? Same thing for the shutdown cue, that way the tail doesn't pop at the end. Is this a quick and easy fix?

Thanks,

Matt

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 08-16-2005, 10:09 AM:

It's a momentary contact closure, just like on previous models. The CP500 installation manual should have all the necessary information.

Note that on the CP500 the automation will select the format specified by the soft key (e.g. if you configure the automation to pulse to the SK1 format and you then later change the format assigned to SK1, the new format will be selected, not the original one).

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 08-16-2005, 01:47 PM:

yea, it's called giving that SK key a format assignment or target. The lower left key window, which is the "10" format should have a small "a" in the corner meaning that this key has been assigned a target assignment for a particular input. When the system recognizes a signal from the SR-D reader, the system will then automatically switch to that format. Format "5" should have the small "s" meaning the source, or default format.

True, you should be studying the CP-500 manual, or get a tech over there to get your system straight and then give you instruction of proper operating procedures. For the 500 can be a tricky animal to tame if you don't know what you're doing.

-monte

Posted by Jason Miller (Member # 2341) on 08-16-2005, 02:04 PM:

Matt,

are you at the Malco theatre?

Posted by Matt Hollis (Member # 2954) on 08-16-2005, 04:04 PM:

Yes Jason

Posted by Jason Miller (Member # 2341) on 08-16-2005, 06:43 PM:

Isn't Fred Fisher your tech?

Posted by Matt Hollis (Member # 2954) on 08-16-2005, 06:48 PM:

I don't believe so, but we aren't really making this modification. I was just curious. In a little twin theatre like ours, someone is always available to simply close the hand douser manually as well as change over the sound. It would be neat to have it automated like the bigger theatres though.

Matt

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 08-17-2005, 12:49 AM:

Matt,
You have a 500 and an automation. I am willing to bet that it is already hooked up. You say that you manually have to change the sound, and close the douser at the end of the show. That tells me it isnt seeing a showend cue. I would guess that the guys at Malco set it up properly, I can't see Mike letting that slip. What kind of automations? Are all of the cues on correctly?

I would ask someone in your tech department how this is set up. I'm guessing you're fairly new to the booth, and maybe this is just an ongoing problem that no one in that booth has been aware of or cared about, and you were trained as this is the way it works.

Rick

Posted by Matt Hollis (Member # 2954) on 08-17-2005, 10:22 AM:

Thanks Richard, I do believe you're referring to Mike Thomson, our sound engineer. I've heard many good things about him, and I don't believe he hooked it up wrong. I think over time, something has happened though that isn't letting the sound changover on a cue. If we use a showend cue, the C/O douser will close, however the sound will not change over to non-sync. By the way Monte, our autodigital is setup to where Format 10 will occur from other formats. Also Richard, I am new in the booth! [Smile]

Thanks,

Matt

Posted by Scott Manley (Member # 867) on 08-17-2005, 11:21 AM:

Hey Jason....is that the Fred Fisher that was with UA years ago?

Posted by Jason Miller (Member # 2341) on 08-17-2005, 01:58 PM:

Yeah. The last time I talked with him he was with Malco out of memphis or something.

I guess its not his theatre though. I think Mike needs to be notified by the theatre that there is an issue rather than the projectionists trying to make modifications.

Posted by Don Sneed (Member # 955) on 08-17-2005, 04:50 PM:

Matt, what automation are you using ??

Posted by Matt Hollis (Member # 2954) on 08-17-2005, 06:06 PM:

Don,

The automation is a homemade box built by an ex-Malco employee. It has a cam timer and the and outboard (soundtrack) cue acts as a shutdown cue. The box has a set of 7 (I believe) relays in it that trigger events.

Cue detector is FM-35 by the way.

Matt

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 08-20-2005, 07:47 PM:

I have added a pair of 120 volt relays to inexpensive automations to switch the CP-500. When the changeover opens, you want format 10 and when it closes you want format 60, SR will take care of itself 99.9% of the time. (Don't use a spare contact on the relay that carries the changeover 120 volt power. These are rarely isolated enough to protect the sensitive logic circuits in the Dolby equipment.) Louis