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Author Topic: Shrill Mono Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-17-2010 04:31 PM                        We have Dolby 650 with Kelmar basement red readers. The digital sounds fine. We've been getting into playing more classic films lately. Not frequently enough for me to get too worked up about it, but now it is starting to bug me. I've been attributing the problems to old 1950's and 60's tracks, but now we have a very good print of Animal House and still have problems. The sound is very shrill, too much sibilance in the voices, and with some voices, mid-range dropout like the crossover is not working. The drop out is particularly bad in Dolby A and SR. Plain Mono covers the dropout better, but still shrill. Haven't broken out the oscilliscope yet, but wondering where I should start trouble shooting this, and is it likely an easy fix?  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 08-17-2010 04:45 PM                     Any film made prior to 1977 should be played mono (no Dolby) unless the film was restored with a Dolby track, and is marked as such on the leader. Don't go by the shipping container label. Any film made from 1977 to maybe 1996 would be Dolby SR if the leader is marked SR or SRD, Dolby A if it is marked Dolby Stereo, or mono otherwise. Most of those old films from the pre-dolby era had very good sounding mono tracks, although they lacked (by design) deep lows and highs above 15K. If you are lacking mid-range, you have some issue that needs to be corrected. My suspicion is that your photocell's azimuth is out of alignment due the sibilance issue, but the lack of mid-range is probably an equalization problem. Animal House was MONO, and should be played back mono.  |  IP: Logged Marin Zorica Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 671 From: Biograd na Moru, Croatia Registered: May 2003 posted 08-17-2010 05:17 PM                     There are also some EQ issues how is being recorded back than, mostly academy curve was used, but also some other type of emphasis were added to it (to improve S/N ratio). Also if you use red reader than you probably have issues with intermodulation (search in forum for it, it's beed discussed all ready), old prints (non cxan) should be played best with exciter lamp, or IR led in reverse scan readers. Normally, it can be problem with A chain, but since you mentioned problem only with old prints, I thought you did check sound with newer prints in SR?  |  IP: Logged Victor Liorentas Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: london ontario canada Registered: May 2009 posted 08-17-2010 06:52 PM                     I have the same issues with mono movies except on occasion when i am surprised by a great sounding mono track like Jaws in IB Tech but not Eastman SP. I put it down to lack of exciter lamps and tube amplification.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-17-2010 07:01 PM                        Prior to Dolby, mono used a roll off: down 5 db at 5k. Probably 10 db at 7.5 k. Film was mixed that way, so you can't get it back with eq. Louis  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-17-2010 08:06 PM                        Let me clarify about Dolby A and SR, just tested the Mono print going on those channels to see if it would be an improvement and it wasn't. Wasn't running the films that way. It does sound like the Academy Curve roll off. I want to stick a pillow in the horn;> Anyone figured out a work around? I wlll give the azimuth a check, though we did readjust last December. I recall the exciter discussion. At least until we show old films more than once a quarter I'm not messing with that;>  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 08-24-2010 11:55 AM                     Your sound processor should be doing the "Academy" equalization for mono prints, when running in mono mode.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-24-2010 11:07 PM                     I beleive there is a mono eq in the processor to control the amount of hf  |  IP: Logged

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