Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: cp65 missing 2 cards will it work?

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Posted by Paul Vollmers (Member # 927) on 10-09-2013, 05:58 PM:

Will a Dolby CP65 work with both 300SR or 350SR cards missing?
Optical
Dolby SR
DTS
Dolby Digital

Or play with which systems?

Posted by Pete Lawrence (Member # 130) on 10-09-2013, 07:06 PM:

According to the manual you have a CP-65A. Everything should work except Format 05, Dolby Stereo SR.

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 10-09-2013, 07:17 PM:

Check and see if there is a 222SR/A card or a 222A card. If it's the first, you can play either A type or SR prints. The 222A card will only decode A type as the card number suggests.

The 300's were "real" SR but very few customers went for 300's or 350's due to the high price.

Posted by Pete Lawrence (Member # 130) on 10-09-2013, 08:14 PM:

Sam is, of course, correct.
If you have a standard Cat. 222 card you have a CP-65A. If you have a Cat. 222SR/A you have a full CP-65, but with a less than optimum SR emulation. At least that's some people's opinion of the 222SR/A.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 10-10-2013, 03:15 AM:

quote: Sam D. Chavez
The 300's were "real" SR but very few customers went for 300's or 350's due to the high price.

Sam, It's interesting that you say this, and I read the same from somebody else recently. I've probably used about a dozen CP-65s and all of the ones which I've used have been the CAT.350 type. I've never seen a M, A or 300 version. I think I did once see, but not use, a single 222SR/A version, but I'm not certain about that. I wonder what the reason for this was? Was the 222SR/A less popular in Europe than it was over there?

I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, that the CP-65 pre-dates the 222SR/A, so wouldn't all of the earlier ones, except for M and A configurations have used either 350 or 300 cards?

There are several Dolby units for sale on Ebay at low prices which contain two Cat. 300 cards. These are not cinema devices, but could be a cheap source of cards for anybody wanting to upgrade a 222SR/A type CP65 to a CP-65 300, complete with four channels of type A, should they ever have a need for it.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 10-10-2013, 06:45 AM:

I think the SR/A cards are not as bad as some think unless you are in a small room with very high quality amps and speakers. If you are using a passive crossover in a moderate (200+) room, you will not tell the difference. The major difference occurs above 12k. HF does not cover large or reverberant rooms especially well. I can tell the difference, but consider it only a moderate problem. In the days before the LED readers, the A chain problems covered it well. Mag and high quality optical made it a little more obvious. Louis

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 10-10-2013, 10:29 AM:

Not that it matters at this late date but the 22SR/A was considered SR "lite". The thought at the time was most cinemas would be running SR.D so the SR was just backup.

At the time one could buy three or four basic versions of the CP65.

The basic version in the USA was with one 222SR/A.

The other main version featured 2 300SR/A cards that would play either SR or A soundtracks in optimum fashion.

Or, one could buy 2 350's and a 222 and play SR and A type soundtracks that way. This had the added benefit of having 4 channels of A type to play external soundtracks.

There was also a version with 2 300's and a 222SR/A that had 4 channels of SR or A type.

That's what I remember in any case.

Posted by Paul Vollmers (Member # 927) on 10-10-2013, 03:00 PM:

I'm posting this info for a friend that reciently purchased a used CP65 that was to come with "all cards" however when it arrived the 300/350 SR, 2 cards were missing.
So he is asking will the cp65 work with the cards missing?
I was not sure which systems would work and would not work.
When he applies power to the cp65 the verious cards and panels light up.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 10-10-2013, 03:16 PM:

If the Cat. 222 card is in fact a Cat. 222 SR/A then this is a complete processor, with everything which it should have. If it has just a CAT. 222 (not SR/A) then it will play mono and 'A' type tracks only. To play SR tracks you would have to add a pair of 350 or 300 cards, or swap the 222 for a 222 SR/A.

To use the 222 SR/A required some backplane modifications on older processors, but later ones were built to take it.

The CP-65 has buttons for magnetic and Dolby Digital tracks, but does not contain the required electronics to play these tracks without additional, external, equipment. This would be a MPU-1 for magnetic, unlikely that you would need that today, and/or a DA-20 for Dolby Digital.

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 10-10-2013, 03:20 PM:

The 300's were optional not standard equipment so I would call it complete if that is all that is missing. I believe the backplane needed mods for the 300's not the 222SR/A.

No way to tell if the unit works just because all the lights come on. The 150 card could be bad and often is.

Just a guess, but it sounds like your "friend" wants to find a way to get part of their money back.

Sounds oddly familiar.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 10-10-2013, 03:36 PM:

Sam; I believe you have reversed the 300 and 350. The 300 would give you 4-"A" for mag playback of 70mm. The 350 is SR only, used in conj. with the 222a board. Louis

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 10-10-2013, 08:57 PM:

Louis,

You are taking over Guttag's job of correcting me but you are right.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 10-11-2013, 12:01 PM:

If you like, I could correct him about how wrong he is about the 222SR/A...it really sucks...doesn't sound right and mistracks at all frequencies.

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 10-11-2013, 11:22 PM:

I agree with Steve about SR Lite.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 10-12-2013, 07:44 AM:

One of my biggest beefs with the CAT 222SR/A was that it legitimized all of the other SR knock offs. If you don't have to track it properly in a Dolby processor, why should anyone else have to?

I found SR to be most unforgiving when levels were not spot on. When they were, it was wonderful...when it wasn't, HF response really suffered.

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 10-12-2013, 10:08 AM:

Yep.