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Author Topic: The ideal CP50 Jeff Else Expert Film Handler Posts: 125 From: Detroit, MI, USA Registered: Nov 2006 posted 01-31-2009 03:09 PM                     In addition to a new power supply and cat 280T cards, what cards would a fully upgraded CP50 contain? (for analogue four track playback only)  |  IP: Logged Marin Zorica Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 671 From: Biograd na Moru, Croatia Registered: May 2003 posted 01-31-2009 03:40 PM                     The two second important things: CAT108C newer preamp, and CAT150 E or F newer decoder card, also exchanging CAT64 to 64B would be fine too.....well than you have got completely new unit  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 01-31-2009 10:42 PM                       Cat No. 517 VCA and output card for low distortion audio. Cat. No. 113C control card. Now you are up to a $4,000 processor that only has resale value of $200.  |  IP: Logged Christos Mitsakis Expert Film Handler Posts: 242 From: Ag.Paraskevi, ATHENS, GREECE Registered: Sep 1999 posted 02-01-2009 05:06 AM                     A Fully Upgraded CP50: Cat108-4(spare), Cat108C, Cat22 (x2), Cat109C, Cat560, Cat150E, Cat64B (x3), Cat517, Cat113C, Cat114C. It is paired with a SRA5 (underneath). I put the Cat64Bs only for the sake of taking the photo. When I used the unit (even with the older64s) it produced excellent sonic results that beated even "cheap" CP65s. Its in storage now but I still love it. quote: Sam D. Chavez Now you are up to a $4,000 processor that only has resale value of $200. Sam, you're absolutely right, but in this case I got mine as you see it (except SR and new cat64s) for under $500. For those who want to upgrade, with patience and a litle luck cat560, 517 and 150E cards appear at e-bay in bargain prices. And from now on (I beleieve) this will be a continuous practice with lower prices as time passes. But again for the same reason, low priced CP55s, and as time comes CP65s will be a common phenomenon that you can't resist, instead of upgrading a good old CP50. Christos  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 02-01-2009 10:31 AM                       I was kidding of course. It's a perfectly good processor and it's a tribute to Dolby Labs they/we built all upgrades to be backward compatible. I was at Dolby when we decided not to support the CP50 for SR.D. It was simply too complex and expensive to be attractive at list price. I've sold a number of used modified CP50's for use in Drive In's which are staging a bit of a comeback in the US. Value lasts  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-01-2009 01:13 PM                     A bit of trivia...the Dolby Cat 441 is the Surround/Subwoofer card for the CP65. The Cat 443 is the control/logic card for the CP65. The CP65 retained the Cat 242 from the CP55 but there was no Cat 442 for the CP65. Instead, the Cat 442 was assigned to the never built (except, maybe, as a prototype) to allow the CP50 to interface with the DA10. Early DA10 installation manuals will depict the Cat 442. We did support the CP50 into the digital era and made our own equivalent of the Cat 442...the 506T. The problem arose for us that we had a particular customer that HAD been upgrading all along so they wanted an incremental solution, not a complete change out of processor (CP50 to CP65). Also, upgrades, even if they same nothing more than a few bucks were deemed to be savings rather than throwing fresh money at an older system. The last incarnation of it was pretty slick...it allowed three 6-channel inputs, provided a hearing impaired output, could be configured to work with Cat 117s, 517s, 160s, and 560s. The other thing we through in there was it could tell when Cat 280s were installed...if it sensed them, it would raise the analog level by 3dB to properly match and to ensure digital to analog level similarity. One thing we learned from all of that was that when using the Cat 517/560 combination...you will get a phase inversion! The Cat 517 sends an inverted version of the surrounds to the Cat 560 for "EQ"...when it comes back to the 517, it continues on and is restored to proper phase...however, the Rs channel never comes to the Cat 517 and thus retains the inverted phase when playing optical. The later versions of the 506T dealt with that too. Steve  |  IP: Logged Jeff Else Expert Film Handler Posts: 125 From: Detroit, MI, USA Registered: Nov 2006 posted 02-01-2009 11:54 PM                     AND its so much prettier than its successors  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-02-2009 06:35 AM                     There is a certain elegance to the CP50, for sure. If you really want to wow your neighbors...light the Dolby-Level meters on the Cat 109. I wouldn't do it with a running CP50 as its power supply needs every available electron to work with the audio. However, the solder tabs on the meter are for its light...I forget its voltage...it is either 12 or 24V. Steve  |  IP: Logged Jeff Else Expert Film Handler Posts: 125 From: Detroit, MI, USA Registered: Nov 2006 posted 02-02-2009 02:44 PM                     oooh good idea... Okay, so I've read some things about the power supply issues but I would like some clarification... If i put upgraded cards in the CP50, including SR cards, will the original power supply be able to handle it? are there any basic modifications that can be done short of replacing the whole power supply?  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 02-02-2009 02:55 PM                     Jeff, no , you WILL have to replace the original CAT 114 with a CAT 114C, the original power supply will puke on the upgraded cards and may cause damage to the cards. I may have an extra 114c, PM me when you can. But what you really want is this: This is my home screening room CP-65. And no, it is not for sale, ever.  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 02-02-2009 04:19 PM                     I had to laugh when I saw this topic, because on Sunday I went to a theater with a CP50 that -only- had the preamp and the power supply. Otherwise, it was a empty chassis.  |  IP: Logged Jeff Else Expert Film Handler Posts: 125 From: Detroit, MI, USA Registered: Nov 2006 posted 02-02-2009 09:55 PM                     Could I use a PS1B to power it?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-02-2009 10:04 PM                     Or you can do what I did and put a high grade switching power supply in it. The noise and power supply headroom results are much better than with even the latter 114C. There was a post with photos posted by me several years ago. Mark  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 02-03-2009 06:45 AM                        I'm on the same page as Sam; unless it is already mostly upgraded, it is best to replace with something newer with a warranty, cheaper, too. I do have several still in use, with SR, they are still reliable and still sound very good. Louis  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 02-03-2009 01:37 PM                     quote: Mark Gulbrandsen Or you can do what I did and put a high grade switching power supply in it. The noise and power supply headroom results are much better than with even the latter 114C. There was a post with photos posted by me several years ago. Mark Search for the post titled "Good CP-50 Power Supply" dated 2-17-2002 for that info.. Although I didn't see any photos linked to it, it did give a part number for that power supply. Edited to add: The picture is in the fifth post on a thread titled "The ultimate Budget 35mm Stereo Setup"  |  IP: Logged

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