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Topic: Small problem with Smart booth monitor.

Aaron Flack
Film Handler

Posts: 21
From: Hixson, TN, USA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-29-2000 01:23 AM

One thing I love about Smart's booth monitor is the LED audio level indicator witch many other booth monitors don't have. But one of our monitors that is hooked up to a Smart MOD IV processor has a very low volume level and doesn't pick up the mid or low frequency sounds very well. Now this is when it's monitoring the amplifiers. I have to turn it up all the way to hear the film sound. It's like it's monitoring just the processor, witch can be done by pushing the decoder button. Also, the audio normal light is lit but the backup light blinks during a movie. Of course the music format is low too but you can barely hear it.

Since this doesn't effect the theater sound no one has ever tried to fix it, but I would like to. Could this be a wiring problem or what?

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Oscar Neundorfer
Master Film Handler

Posts: 275
From: Senoia, GA
Registered: May 2000

posted 07-29-2000 04:59 AM

Aaron,

Do you have a EX500B monitor? If so,it sounds like you may have a bi-amped system and the monitor is only monitoring the high frequencies from the amps. This would be a wiring problem. Now these monitors were never set up to monitor bi-amp systems, but it could be done by adding some resistors to the wiring between the amp outputs and the monitor inputs.

Do you have a MN554 or MN556 monitor? (could also be a EXM554 or EXM556 if it has exciter supply built in.) On the front panel it would say SHOWMAN 4 or SHOWMAN 6.

These could monitor bi-amped systems, but it had to be wired properly. So, it COULD be a wiring problem, but not necessarily.

Give me some more details on all the equipment in the rack (makes and models) and I will try to help you.

Best regards,

------------------
Oscar Neundorfer
Chief Engineer
SMART Devices, Inc.

oscar@smartdev.com

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Aaron Flack
Film Handler

Posts: 21
From: Hixson, TN, USA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-30-2000 12:34 AM

Oscar,
It is an Showman 4 EXM554 model. It is connected to three Smart amps for left, center, and right channels with with the left and right surrounds split. We do have a fourth amp. for the subwoofer but it was blown several months ago. Our processor is a Smart MODIV 4channel with three programmable shows. We use the DTS6 two disc drive model for digital. Now this exact setup is used in our two largest theaters(about 420 seats). Neither processors have SR noise reduction cards so we run in Stereo A analog. The other theater's monitor runs pretty well, and it's suppossed to have the exact same system. By the way, four of our small theaters use a Smart 2 channel processor(F/S), they all use the same type of monitor, EXM554, and their film sound is loud and clear, and the their all running off one amplifier. Why is that? Two of our other theaters use the 4 channel MODIV processors and have left, center, right, and surrounds, yet they only run off two amplifiers. I know this is baby talk, but I don't quite understand biamplification yet.

Could you or anyone else help me out?

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John T. Mellor
Film Handler

Posts: 52
From: Htafield, Pennsylvania, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 07-30-2000 07:30 PM

You are accoring to your discription , bi-amped and you are probably only reading one side of the amp . if you look at the back of the amp you
will find it has two channels one for low and one for mid and hight try switching the wies from the amp to monitor from whichever is hooked up to the one thats not. that will tell you what you have.
if I cane be of help let me know

------------------

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-01-2000 09:50 AM

If according too the last line of the description "running Left,centre,right and surrounds of 2 amps" then he definitly cannot be biamped mostlikely the configuration of amps is
Amp 1 is Left/right
Amp 2 is Centre/surrounds
there is a level trim pot accesable through a hole on the back of the monitor to balance the level.

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