8mm Forum: Sound system?

This is topic Sound system? in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Colin Fish (Member # 5679) on October 15, 2019, 02:08 PM:

Does anyone have recommendations for a decent sound system to link up with a projector. I know there are dedicated processer/amp options but that seems like overkill for home use. I have a couple of vintage amps which I use with surround speakers and a subwoofer which give respectable results but didn't know whether to try a small p.a. system. What do you use?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on October 15, 2019, 02:30 PM:

I use a regular old home stereo system (Tuner/Amp, CD Player, and some nice speakers...) and plug into the "tape" input.

Out of the box, this didn't work at all right, so I had to figure out a way to deal with ground loops. I built my own little electronics module, but there are commercially available solutions and strategies to side-step the problem in the first place.

After that, I had to figure out how to deal with multiple projectors connected at the same time: so I added in a mixer:

Adding a Mixer Panel

Am I done adding to this now?

-Nooooooo!

This may be good general knowledge:

An Easy Hookup from a Projector to a Stereo Amplifier

Posted by Mathew James (Member # 4581) on October 16, 2019, 02:21 PM:

I recently got into fixing speaker stuff....not by choice, but because my meidong soundbar going kaput(should be me-a-ding-dong-for-buying). Here is a link. i DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT AT ALL: dingdong soundbar

Anyways, we took it apart to salvage the speakers. I then saw that the problem was the audio control board gone bad. It used a remote and the switch wasn't switching so i could never change modes.
Instead of stopping there, i found an audio control board on ebay from china optical audio board
that had the necessary optical attachment for my TV. When it arrived it worked good, but didn't amplify the signal and i didn't have a mixer or amp, so i got this amp unit from a frined called crown 135Ma
crown 135ma amplifier

I am using my 'found in my neighbours garbage many years ago' B&W DM110i Speakers DM110i speakers
and also these little meidoing speakers(10W X4) and it all sounds wonderful around the room. There are several inputs so as long as a projector has headphone jacks or other output, i can hook up.

i like using bluetooth as well to hook up. I am always trying new things...

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on October 16, 2019, 02:35 PM:

Hi Matt,
Yes I also like the convenience of a Bluetooth wireless connection to the projector and, as Steve Klare recently pointed out, it eliminates any possibility of ground loop hum in the system. Only problem is latency, namely some loss of sync, in my system its about 1/4 second.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on October 16, 2019, 03:34 PM:

Yes, and for another thing;

-under the china cabinet,
-behind the fireplace,
-around the corner,
-behind the couch,
-beneath the endertainment center,

You will find about 30 feet of shielded audio cable between my projectors and my Amp. It is getting stepped on, mashed by furniture legs, abused by cats and run over by model trains (only at Christmas time...).

If I went wireless this would go away!

Posted by Mathew James (Member # 4581) on October 16, 2019, 06:23 PM:

Hi Paul,
I'd like to try this out one day...

"World’s First DUAL-LINK aptX LOW LATENCY Bluetooth Transmitter
The Audikast uses aptX Low Latency to reduce audio lag to undetectable levels (<40ms) making it ideal for watching TV / movies / videos."

aptX bluetooth transmitter- no delay(so they say...)

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on October 17, 2019, 02:49 AM:

I haven't played through mt amplifier for a while but I have it the same end of the room as the projector (and blue ray player) with long leads to the front speakers and shorter ones to the surrounds. It is mainly run round the picture rails so nowhere near the damage area of the floor.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 17, 2019, 09:57 AM:

This is a very good topic! It may sound silly, but when I "organized" my sound system specifically for projecting films, i went very old school.

The reason for this is that, as we all know, as a general rule, films are a "low tech" audio (unless were talking 35MM digital audio, of course), and so, I assumed ...

... old school audio demands old school tech!

Therefore, I have a early 1980's Radio shack/Realistic Dolby sound processor. This is the very old 1970's style surround and not the later 5.1 or even better audio that came later.

The nice thing about this is the Dolby settings also allow for a "simulated" stereo form mono as well and actually makes that mno magnetic soundtrack sound pretty good and for the stereo super 8 sound films that I have (like my STAR WARS scopes), the surround is almost passable.

Oh, and that goes along with a very old school equalizer with lots of fun lil ole "levers" and a 8 big old speakers, 2 in each corner!

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on October 17, 2019, 11:39 AM:

My dream sound system would have a tube amplifier on each channel, maybe even ones I had to fix first. I want to throw some big switch and see that glow building up.

-If nothing else, on chilly days I could warm my hands over 'em!

I'd definitely have some old-style panel meters in my booth pulsing up and down with the audio...even if just for atmosphere!

My two screen speakers came into the family when Dad gave himself a new stereo for his 50th birthday. Around my own 50th, the foam surrounds on the woofers were completely shot. I could have replaced them, but instead I bought kits to refurbish them and they've been on the job ever since, and doing just fine.

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