8mm Forum: T2 - Re-recording

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Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on February 23, 2007, 03:35 PM:

PHEW! Just completed the re recording for the super 8 stereo soundtrack on Terminator 2. I was lucky enough to pick up the feature second hand and as new, but the mono sound recording I had to say left something to be desired. Lots of wow on the mono track so it needed a Lee special!

Its years since I recorded a feature, something I used to do a great deal of 20 years ago on the old GS and sound quality being top of the list for me. With such a superb print of T2 all that was needed was a quality sound track such as we are used to on a good projector, and good quality stripe.

To start with I needed the theatrical version of T2. This was soon found on Hi-Fi VHS and later on DVD via auntie ebay. With all this in hand I had to hunt for my recording leads but no can find. To make up some new leads was the next job, then check the left & right were left & right to stripe. Fun eigh? All set up and ready to go.

All my stereo recordings were either done of the GS800 or Sankyo 800 in years past as I found I got the best results with these. I fitted a variable electronic control to the Sankyo which always did a grand job, but this was some time ago. Time for a change in this new era of Super 8 so out with the Eumig Stereo! Hurrah..

Mechanical speed control as fitted to the Eumig Stereo machine is not the best of ways to trim the sinc but I thought I would give it a go, just on one reel. The results were so good I did the whole feature.

I cheated a little as in the studio we have digital to analogue converters to get a spot on feed which helped not to overload the old Eumig. Enen so, I am astounded at the sound quality and T2 now has real passion as those speaker cones vibrate.

Whoever striped T2 did a superb job as no ripple could be heard on the balance stripe at all, and the level showed level with the main when it should have done. Well done Mr Striping man.

Don’t you just love a happy ending?

Next up The Terminator . Phew again.....

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on February 23, 2007, 04:23 PM:

Hi Lee,
I share your enthusiasm for the sound quality that can be obtained on the Eumig 938 Stereo. This is the machine I use to re-record all my films, and like you the results are usually stunning, with beautiful rich sound and great stereo separation. I've said it before, but in my humble opinion, the 938 beats the sound quality of the GS1200, and the outboard sound mixing console, with linear pots and beautiful illuminated analog meters, is much better than the GS controls. And as you have noted, the mechanical speed control on the 938 is really very precise, so 'wild' re-recording is quite a feasible proposition if you have just a little patience.
The Eumig engineers did an incredible job when they designed the 938.

Posted by Oskar Jalink (Member # 667) on February 23, 2007, 06:21 PM:

Nice to read a post about such a great movie. Oh boy is that one on my list! As for my S938; I'm in the middle of repairs and restoring (both drive and audio) and there's a lot of work ahead of me. It's good to read that it's worth the effort.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on February 24, 2007, 11:36 AM:

.

[ January 08, 2013, 05:24 AM: Message edited by: Lee Mannering ]

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on February 24, 2007, 03:33 PM:

Another very interesting video clip from Lee.

Lee, I have sent you a PM.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on February 25, 2007, 05:06 AM:

Hi Paul. I have posted the reply to your PM here as others may be able to help you more than I.

All the shutter blade conversions I have carried out over the years have been done on machines with limited value just in case I made a mess of it, and not wanting to botch an expensive machine. However, as the Eumig 926 was obtained at very small cost and was in fact new in the box I wasn’t so shy to convert it to two blade. I wanted a good running machine that was stereo, so came up trumps when I was offered this new Eumig and set about converting the shutter blade with a view to using it for my scope shows.

It may surprise some to learn that I did not remove the blade from the machine but converted it in situ. The metal used on this blade is quite soft so it was a simple job to remove the back and front of the machine to gain access. Once inside I covered all the inner workings with cloths and tape in place so as to protect the circuit board. Holding the blade I marked the one that covers the gate aperture as the film is moving down, and this must not be touched. Looking to the centre on the other two I marked a centre spot between the two blades and then cut them off. One blade was then attached between where the two blades used to be and aligned, then temporarily fixed in place with gaffer tape and a film laced up.

I did a short test to make sure it was ok then secured the blade using Araldite resin to both sides. (One side each day) The projector was laid on its side during this process and I did secure the blade edge having laid a ruler along it to check the new blade was straight.

I left the machine for a few days for the resin to go hard and all that was left was for the back and front of the machine to be secured in place once again.

In truth a top job would have been to remove the drive shaft and perhaps rivet the blade on, but this machine was new so I didn’t want to tempt fait!

Now to answer your question.
If memory serves me right the 938 & 940 have a twin shutter blade which closes the aperture a little when running the machine in reverse? Quite what effect altering the mechanism within will have on projection I am not quite sure, but have a very close look around the drive shaft near the blades as I expect some sort of sprung clutch may be used to engage the reverse shutter blade.

The 926GL was the last Eumig to be made as we knew them and very much a lets see what parts we have left to make a projector machine I think. I wrote a article some years ago for the IAC Film & Video Institute charting the rise & fall of Eumig and the many money worries they had in the early 80’s. Fearing collapse they received a large loan from the Austrian bank to keep them going around the time of the 824D model, but it was not long after they folded following the issue of the superb 938 & 940 machines. By the time the 910 models came and went that was about it as video had a firm hold. But machines like the 824D and Stereo models if converted to two blade shutter are great for film projection with two blades, and my 824D has also been adapted to two blades for standard 8 use and has worked well. Hope all this info helps..

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on February 25, 2007, 10:08 AM:

Thank's for the input Lee. I am tempted to give this a go, as I have an old 926 which I can mess around with first, and if that works out maybe then I will feel like trying 2 blades on the 938 (which is my most prized machine, so I'd better get it right!).
Your comments about the article you wrote about Eumig's history are very interesting. Any chance you could post the article here?

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on February 25, 2007, 10:17 AM:

Hi Paul.
Thats the idea. Try to upgrade the shutter on a slightly aged machine first and see how you get on. On the 926 GL you can take the main shaft out, but I am a little chicken to opted for the leave well alone job. The light output gained is huge, and as you can see from the video clip I have posted I have also fitted the f1.2 lens from a broken 940. Stick to the Osram lamps, keep the lens clean and you have a superb image.

The show I gave last night ended at 1AM and the 926GL did a grand job. I was interested to hear peoples thought on some gates scratching films, and as you will know the front plate is plastic in these. To stop me thinking about my films being scratched by the Eumig I ran a test on friday for 1 hour as follows.

I spliced a length of film in a loop and left the Eumig running with an old lamp fitted as not to use a good one. Net result, no scratches. Seems the plastic front plate does a good job. Phew..

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