Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: CP55 & Smart mod8 advice!

This is topic CP55 & Smart mod8 advice! in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 08-02-2009, 05:30 PM:

We have a Mod 8 that is only used for mono and digital sound,it falls apart in sr or stereo A but i have a CP 55 not set up for sr or split surrounds just sitting here.
The mod 8 is excellent for Dolby Digital , D.T.S and i really like the circle surround. We are set up for 7.1 with Crown xls 602 amps.

My question is could i get away with using the cp55 for analogue but keep the mod 8 connected to the amps for digital?

In other words both the 55 and mod 8 connected to the amps at the same time?

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 08-02-2009, 07:44 PM:

Please research this resource for multiple connections:

http://www.rane.com/note109.html

I think you will find all of the answers there.

KEN

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-03-2009, 05:42 PM:

Why not just get a 441 card for the 55 and get it set up properly for split surrounds.. oh and you will need at least a 222SRA card as well for the 55. Overall I'd throw the Smart in the dumpster and use the CP-55 for all formats after doing the proper mods to it. It's still a dam good processor!

Mark

Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 08-03-2009, 05:58 PM:

Hi Mark and Kenneth!

Yes upgrades to the cp55 is the ultimate plan but money is so scarce right now. I worry about playing Back to the future in the fall in mono [Confused]

How do you think digital would sound through the cp55 without the upgrades?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-03-2009, 08:49 PM:

You'd have just mono surrounds... not split as they should be. The NR is also going to be askew with only type A available. Although the Dolby Type A might be better sounding then the NR on the Smart.

Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 08-05-2009, 11:38 PM:

What if... [Smile]

I put a switching device between the cp55,mod8 and amplifiers?
As a temporary solution of course.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 08-06-2009, 06:34 AM:

LCR & sub will be fine in Digital. AS Mark said, you will only have mono surrounds (which may be all there is). Be sure you tie L & R surrounds together so no information is lost.

BTW: When Dolby Digital was launched, the cp55 and 65 was all there was in recent processors. I assure you that (except in optical) they are perfect for a DA20 and probably well ahead of anything Smart ever made under their own name.

The SR upgrade is common and I still have many (30+) in stock. PM me privately if interested. Louis

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 08-06-2009, 07:26 AM:

The sub card cat241 that was used in the cp55 doesn't support an external sub signal going into the signal path

Posted by Paul Gordon (Member # 3320) on 08-06-2009, 07:52 AM:

Another option would be to sell the Smart and CP55 and buy a used CP65 with split surrounds and SR. Theres one on ebay right now.

Posted by Jarret Chessell (Member # 5077) on 08-06-2009, 07:40 PM:

Can you not send the sub signal from a DA20 or DTS directly to the amplifier??? (Which I guess would also suggest you can't have it hooked up for analog audio at the same time?)

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 08-10-2009, 03:15 PM:

Louis,

You Got Mail!

KEN

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 08-11-2009, 12:14 AM:

quote: Jarret Chessell
Can you not send the sub signal from a DA20 or DTS directly to the amplifier??? (Which I guess would also suggest you can't have it hooked up for analog audio at the same time?)

Which means you will have a constant level of the subwoofer. Bad idea.

Victor I too recon the CP55 upgrade

Posted by Paul Trimboli (Member # 1509) on 08-11-2009, 06:27 AM:

The other option is to do what I had done after some advice I received on here and that is to mix the surrounds down into a mono channel and feed that into the AUX inputs and then feed the subwoofer channel into pin 14 on the J18 test connector (the D connector along side the outputs on the back plane)- this IS then controlled by the fader with the downside being it is not switched as you change formats. My way around this was build up a smaller board that used the LED outputs on the Cat 321 card to trigger a transistor which in turn turned on a relay that I had wired the sub signal into- this way when I changed formats the sub would also turn off. All this was done with a stock CP55.

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 08-11-2009, 06:55 AM:

quote: Demetris Thoupis
Which means you will have a constant level of the subwoofer. Bad idea.

At least with DTS (I'm not sure about Dolby Digtial) that is how the manual says to set it up on a CP-200.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 08-11-2009, 09:33 AM:

That is correct that DTS did suggest that the sub not have a fader control on the older un upgraded cp55 that doesn't make it right and it also didn't work all that well either

Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 08-12-2009, 12:14 AM:

Would a Dolby 363 Dual SR/A 2 CH Noise Reduction unit with 2 CAT 300 SR/A cards be useful for the CP55 upgrade?
I see one for sale on E-bay.

Posted by Paul Gordon (Member # 3320) on 08-12-2009, 11:08 AM:

wouldn't advise it...

You need Cat 280T cards with either a SRA5 dolby frame or a Ultra Stereo frame...

Your best bet would be a SR/A 222 card that would fit in the CP55 though.

Posted by Jarret Chessell (Member # 5077) on 08-12-2009, 09:43 PM:

I also happen to know Victor and I wish to add a magnetic audio sound head in the very near future... am I correct in assuming that isn't a good idea with the 222SR/A??

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 08-13-2009, 12:00 AM:

Well there are to my knowledge no 4 track mag SR prints only some A type ones
A will run fine through the 222 but that only covers 2 of the channels
If that is what you want to have mag with NR then it is a CP65 70mm version