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Author Topic: ALTEC LANSING 800 VOT story!!! Steve Matz Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 672 From: Billings, Montana, USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 11-15-2013 11:13 PM                     I went to a wedding awhile back, when I got to the reception I noticed the band they hired setting up their equipment.I could hardly believe it until I got really close and saw a mint condition ALTEC LANSING 800 voice of the theaters that belong to the lead guitarist who also had a stratocaster. I asked him where he got it, he said his uncle owned a small one screen theater in a little hick town here in Montana in the 50's.When it closed in the 70's The projection equipment got sold but the Uncle put the 800 in storage somewhere for over 25 years.When he got in the music biz,The uncle said he had this old system that was in his theater and he could have it if he wanted it. To make a long story short, the guy took it to a shop here in town, had all the vaccumn tubes checked,caps, etc.Everything inside was as cherry as the outside looked.Anyway they played all night and that thing sounded awesome.Goes to show that even 60 year old tech still cuts the mustard.That Guy will have that 800 til the day he dies;thats how much it means to him....Those old vaccumn tube amps aren't dead yet...s.m.  |  IP: Logged Robert Koch Film Handler Posts: 93 From: Williams Ca USA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 11-17-2013 06:05 PM                     I`m a 91 year old tech and I think you are confused. The Altec 800 system had no vacuum tubes, just the baffle and horn and passive crossover.. You should tell us what amplifier you are talking about that the old time tech fixed for you. Altec made some good amplifiers; which one are you talking about.  |  IP: Logged Steve Matz Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 672 From: Billings, Montana, USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 11-17-2013 11:00 PM                     I`m a 91 year old tech and I think you are confused. The Altec (800 system had no vacuum tubes, just the baffle and horn and passive crossover.. You should tell us what amplifier you are talking about that the old time tech fixed for you. Altec made some good amplifiers; which one are you talking about.) He never fixed it for me;I'm just quoting what the Musician told me...s.m.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 11-17-2013 11:44 PM                     One great thing about all the VOT systems..it took very little audio power to get to room-filling levels. The late Charlie Ajar (of Universal Projector Co. N. Hollywood) once used a cheap Radio Shack AM transistor radio to drive a VOT speaker to a very loud (yet clear) level in our shop. Using the radio's earphone jack. I was duly impressed. Oh, and Steve, a few notes: One, use the "QUOTE" Button and cut and paste quoted text so your post reads coherently. Like this: quote: Steve Matz He never fixed it for me;I'm just quoting what the Musician told me...s.m. (Also, it is actually unnecessary to quote the post directly above yours if you are only replying to it. If you add something else before you respond, as I did in this post, it is a good idea TO quote the previous post though.) Two, it is totally unnecessary (and candidly very pompous) to end your posts with your initials ("s.m.") We know who you are.  |  IP: Logged Tony Ratcliff Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Madison, IN, USA Registered: Mar 2002 posted 11-18-2013 03:20 PM                     An ice rink I managed late 80's/early 90's had a two VOT speakers, one out by the rink and one inside. They rocked the place, supplied by music from a boom-box and one tiny amp.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-19-2013 07:57 AM                     A4 are still in my top list of speakers  |  IP: Logged Robert Koch Film Handler Posts: 93 From: Williams Ca USA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 11-19-2013 02:03 PM                     Good Gordon; A4x was mine.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 11-19-2013 02:59 PM                        They tore down a cinerama and moved all the speakers across the street. They then converted the 70mm house to mono. What to do: We made an A-0x. It had 6 sets of 2 515's. That was powered with a 22 watt kelmar. Plenty of level whn running at 4.5. 1500 seats. louis  |  IP: Logged Jeff Taylor Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 601 From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY Registered: Apr 2000 posted 11-20-2013 10:18 AM                     This won't come as a surprise to anyone, but years ago (probably 50!) I had a school installation with a pair of E-7's which normally drove an A4 with a small Altec amp, but on occasion we'd show 16mm and that A4 did just fine with an 8 watt Pageant driving it. Gorgeous sound.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 11-20-2013 12:15 PM                       A4's with the wings are hard to surpass. I have one Atmos setup with 20 Meyer surrounds and 3 A4's. The HF horns were replaced by JBL CD horns. Also, the bass cabinets were modified for lower LF roll off by Lonny Jennings. They play very nicely alongside the awesome Meyer speakers.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-20-2013 04:10 PM                     Yeah, a modified A-4 has pretty decent bass, actually. Easily flat down to 40Hz. On the HF...I always liked the Altec Manatrays (MR-94) best over all other CD horns. VERY uniform coverage. That and with a 288 or 299 behind them.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-10-2013 07:04 PM                     Sam.... I'll never forget the awesome talk John Meyer gave in Dolby Training Class circa 1984. I think he put most people in the class to sleep but he kept me wide awake. He was testing speakers outdoors back then. An amazing engineer for sure! Mark  |  IP: Logged

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