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Topic: External speaker question
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Martin Davey
Film Handler
Posts: 94
From: Southampton UK
Registered: Dec 2011
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posted January 19, 2017 06:40 AM
When I got my first sound projector in 1982 (chinnon 7800H) I always used an external speaker/ external amp system with the speaker by the front screen right from day one. I wanted to create the right presentation for the films and using the little internal speaker was an absolute no-no. I have never understood why some people watch entire feature films hearing the sound through the internal speaker. Nowadays films are shown through what ever AV amp is in current use in my (predominantly a blu ray) set up, with the cine films audio occupying the centre channel as expected, the 6.5 ft width wall mounted screen used for all formats. Regarding the 'academy curve' I find the 'boomy' base quite unpleasant on super 8 releases of Dolby originated films. The sound on old academy curve films sound pleasant as the low and high frequency's are balanced to allow for the poor sound recording and playback inherent on all film formats at the time. The academy curve was used to solve the problem of heavy base combined with poor high frequency response during the early 1930s. Basically the base was trimmed off to make a more pleasing but, on paper, a less dynamic range track, which made the audio better balanced for greater audibility. It was difficult for the audio chain at the time to record and play back high frequencies. Dolby tracks did not use the academy curve and as we know greatly improved the sound of 35mm optical, both on the bass and high frequencies during the 70s. But this development did not benefit the super 8 stripe with its poor high frequency response. I often heard the sound demonstrations at the BFCC and found the latest blockbuster release would sound quite bad, being just full of heavy, muddy base and virtually no high frequency information no matter how good the speaker/ amp were, compared to an 'old' film shown during the same show, despite the great efforts of all concerned. The bigger bass response means that the high frequencies also have to be well recorded to compensate for a pleasing, balanced sound. The DVD sync'd did sound good as would be expected at the BFCC. I have not had the pleasure of hearing a home re-record however, from a DVD source but suspect this would stand a chance of being respectable.
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Rob Young.
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1633
From: Cheshire, U.K.
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted January 21, 2017 01:12 PM
...I've really got to stick my professional neck in here just one last time, even though I think I'll regret it...
Sound is a measurable and controllable element of motion picture and television presentation...
I won't even begin to talk about it because that's why the internet exists and I'm going to refrain.
There are a lot of knowledgeable resources out there.
Also, Steve, please enlighten me on this post which I really do not understand fully;
"I'll have to say: this is as thoroughly as we've ever answered a question here!
-Brad?
...Brad???!!!
I think the consensus here is find one simple, cheap old 8 ohm speaker, plug it into the DIN socket and see where it takes you. (BTW: Steve Osborne sells the plugs...)
The first time I tried this I learned about chatter, but that's a story for another day!
(-You start people talking about sound...!)"
Sorry, but some of this insinuation bothers me, more precisely,
""I'll have to say: this is as thoroughly as we've ever answered a question here!
(-You start people talking about sound...!)"
Can you clarify what you mean by this; i.e - and I will be blunt, are my comments not welcome?
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Steve Klare
Film Guy
Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted January 21, 2017 01:41 PM
If there is an insinuation here, it must be very subtle, since I am not aware of making one.
Nobody's comment were unwelcome, I was actually praising them. Yes, my post was immediately after yours, but it was not about you.
I was simply enjoying how someone asks a simple question, and before the original poster even posts again this very lively discussion about many aspects of sound gets going.
Film people get excited about sound. I get that: I'm one of them. I've stepped over too many wires on the floor at CineSea (-including my own) not to.
If the discussion bothered me I sure wasn't showing it: I actively joined in.
No offense intended, no apologies offered either.
-------------------- All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...
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Graham Ritchie
Film God
Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted January 21, 2017 05:42 PM
Its been a few years now, but for a while I thought there was something wrong with my speakers, they just did not sound right
Anyway Yvonne my better half got a bout of glue ear thanfully all well now, so I took her to the ear specialist, however she had to have a full hearing check before a meeting with a specialist. I was fasinated how this young lady did all this through her lap top etc. After Yvonne was finished and the report was printed out, I asked her if there was any chance of having it done myself. At a cost of $150 its quite expensive, but very thorough.. so away I went she did it that morning.
I thought I did well, but to my surprise I failed badly in the mid and upper ranges, my hearing was a lot worse than I thought. She recommended that I should consider hearing aids rather sooner than later. Lucky for me the govt would pay for it if it was down to damage caused by my past, and not old age. After more hearing tests and a visit to a hearing specialist, once again I was surprised that I qualified for assistance. After getting fitted out I was surprised what I can now hear....its really amazing and the people that tested and fitted them were brilliant to deal with.
Whats this got to with sound and speakers? well they are only as good as your two tiny eardrums and your brain that can process it all. I told the hearing lady that I can hear music a lot better in the mid to high range, but the down side I told her is that I can now hear the wife telling me what to do ...she smiled with that one
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Adrian Winchester
Film God
Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted January 21, 2017 08:08 PM
This thread reminds me that I mentioned some time ago in another the common problem I had putting 8 and 16mm projectors through a modern speaker. I'd bought a new, solid PA-type speaker to use when presenting shows in public halls. It handles 100 watts RMS and the price was amazingly low - around £35 including delivery. I think this is the same one, albeit for a far higher price: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PASSIVE-DISCO-PA-SPEAKER-10-100W-RMS-/39 1618976344?hash=item5b2e4f5a58:g:NboAAOSwA3dYQV19
It produced excellent full-bodied sound better than any speaker I had used before, EXCEPT you now and again heard an annoying distorted 'edge' to the sound coming from a high-frequency horn. My solution may horrify some readers but in the end I asked my brother (who has good electronics knowledge, so nothing could go wrong), to disconnect the horn, so sound only came from the main speaker. I can't guarantee this would work well with every speaker, but it was certainly ideal for me, and much easier than finding a speaker of comparable quality without a horn or tweeter!
-------------------- Adrian Winchester
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