Film-Tech Cinema Systems
Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE


  
my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home
  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Dolby CP 65 Sound Processor advice please. (Page 1)

 
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2 
 
Author Topic: Dolby CP 65 Sound Processor advice please.
Neil Spreadbury
Film Handler

Posts: 18
From: Salisbury Amesbury UK
Registered: Mar 2018


 - posted 03-18-2018 11:09 AM      Profile for Neil Spreadbury   Email Neil Spreadbury   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
hi all are these any good for my V5 ?
all opinion welcome.
thanks.

 -

 -

 |  IP: Logged

Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000


 - posted 03-18-2018 11:17 AM      Profile for Leo Enticknap   Author's Homepage   Email Leo Enticknap   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Assuming that it still works, it's good for any SVA film projector audio. You have SR cards in it as well, and so could play A-type and SR audio.

You'll need power amps and speakers for the output channels, though. If this is for a home installation that includes the playback of other audio sources, you may want to consider sending the four channels (left, center, right and mono surround) of decoded line level output EQ-ed flat to another processor - a home theater receiver, for example - and tuning everything there. In such a setup, you'd only be using the CP65 for optical film audio.

 |  IP: Logged

Neil Spreadbury
Film Handler

Posts: 18
From: Salisbury Amesbury UK
Registered: Mar 2018


 - posted 03-18-2018 11:31 AM      Profile for Neil Spreadbury   Email Neil Spreadbury   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
hi Leo, that's very helpful. i been offered one for £75 in full working order.
so what would i need for digital reader on my V5 ?.

 -

thanks for advice.

Neil.

 |  IP: Logged

Carsten Kurz
Film God

Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009


 - posted 03-18-2018 11:48 AM      Profile for Carsten Kurz   Email Carsten Kurz   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The CP65 only works for analog audio and will do with the typical analog solar cells. In order to play digital sound, you need to add a DA20 and a DolbyDigital reader, e.g. a CAT700, or other choices for the V5 (I'm not familiar with those). If that picture is your machine, it seems there is a digital reader installed already. In that case, I guess a DA20 would be enough to play digital, but again, I have no experience with these readers.

As Leo said, if you can buy a fully fitted and working CP65 for that price, get it.

- Carsten

 |  IP: Logged

Neil Spreadbury
Film Handler

Posts: 18
From: Salisbury Amesbury UK
Registered: Mar 2018


 - posted 03-18-2018 12:13 PM      Profile for Neil Spreadbury   Email Neil Spreadbury   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
hi carsten, thank you for your advice I just telephoned the guy with cp65. and its now mine. yes the picture of v5 is mine. do you know what this is below. all so I have a dts reader to on a big metal plate. got the lot for £300. its my first 35mm projector and its took me 30 yrs to get this far. it my pride
and joy. got some films and had them for 17 yrs.
so very thankful to kind people like you giving help and advice.

Neil.

 -

 -

 -

 |  IP: Logged

Dave Macaulay
Film God

Posts: 2321
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Apr 2001


 - posted 03-18-2018 12:21 PM      Profile for Dave Macaulay   Email Dave Macaulay   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
You just need to add a DA20 and its cables for 35mm Dolby digital sound. The DTS reader is for DTS (no surprise?) and you would need a DTS unit and cables... plus the sound CD for any movie you can get: those will be the big problem I think.

 |  IP: Logged

Neil Spreadbury
Film Handler

Posts: 18
From: Salisbury Amesbury UK
Registered: Mar 2018


 - posted 03-18-2018 12:33 PM      Profile for Neil Spreadbury   Email Neil Spreadbury   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
thank you Dave. is the DTS reader worth selling ?.
as my v5 is just for home use and my passion for cinema.
as for the film scanner do you know what it is. as can't find anything on internet about it. very grateful to you all for help.

 |  IP: Logged

Carsten Kurz
Film God

Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009


 - posted 03-18-2018 01:12 PM      Profile for Carsten Kurz   Email Carsten Kurz   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
If all you have currently is the V5, the CP65 is a great addition, and will already deliver a great analog SurroundSound with suitable prints. You may look out for a DA20, but, for a hobbyist, is not mandatory to go digital in my opinion. Yes, you may sell the DTS reader, however, it will not earn much.

While DTS has it's own place in film history, only hardcore fans keep analog, Dolby Digital AND DTS running on their private setups. The mad ones even SDDS.

All you need to add for now is some amps and speakers. And possibly someone with some experience on how to set it up. I think the V5 and CP65 have been THE standard equipment in the UK, so it should be easy to find knowledgeable people.

The film-tech warehouse has free operating and setup manuals for the CP65 (and DA20) to download.

That 'Film Scanner' I don't know. It looks like one of the many proprietary enhancements that turned up in the last two decades of film based cinema, e.g. to help with automation, like film sensors to start format switching, house lights up/down, etc. based on markers that you stick to the film. It looks as if there is a round 'DIN' style connector that would be connected to a type of sensor mounted somewhere in the film path. I am quite sure it is not necessary to get the V5 working. You may place it aside for a while.

On your photo, below the combo analog/digital sound head, I can see two cables that have been cut. I am sure, one carries the analog audio from the analog head, the other will carry the signal from the digital head. The digital cable will most probably have more wires, that should make it easy to identify. You may extend the analog cable (should be just two/three wires with/without shield) towards the CP65 optical inputs. With some few connections, and even without proper alignment, you should be able to hear sound, and then go from there.

I hear you UK have that great 'Projected Picture Trust', http://www.ppttrust.org - these guys would a great starting point for advice, if you don't find someone nearby to help you with your setup.

- Carsten

 |  IP: Logged

Dave Macaulay
Film God

Posts: 2321
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Apr 2001


 - posted 03-18-2018 05:07 PM      Profile for Dave Macaulay   Email Dave Macaulay   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The scanner thing is to control a platter automation system. There are two "film ok" film break sensors, one one each side - some breaks will cause the film to tear right down the centre, so a simple drop roller break sensor would say all is well while half the print (the long way...) piles up on the floor. The "sensor" is some sort of cue sensor... there are a few different types but this clearly has two cue locations, one on each edge. What they mean is dependent on the automation system.

 |  IP: Logged

Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000


 - posted 03-18-2018 06:09 PM      Profile for Leo Enticknap   Author's Homepage   Email Leo Enticknap   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Neil Spreadbury
is the DTS reader worth selling ?
The last I looked on eBay, DTS D600 (35mm) readers were going for around the GBP200 mark; but that was some time ago.

The LEDs in them don't last forever, so the few remaining places that do still play 35mm DTS might be in the market for spare readers, either as complete backup units, or to part them out.

70mm readers go for serious money, because very few were made and without one (or two, if you use a changeover pair), you cannot play any 70mm print made since the late 1990s. But there are other audio options for 35mm, and getting hold of the discs for the movie you want to play is often a problem, so the 35mm readers are less sought after.

 |  IP: Logged

Geoff Newitt
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: FARINGDON, OXFORDSHIRE, UK
Registered: Dec 2011


 - posted 03-18-2018 07:30 PM      Profile for Geoff Newitt   Email Geoff Newitt   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The film scanner is/was part of a Cinemation branded Automation/Failsafe system manufactured by Technical Lamp Supplies Ltd up in Slough (they took over Cinemation when Bernard Bentley retired). It's not essential to the operation of the projector (indeed, late Cinemations used Component Engineering scanners).

That looks a lot like one of the machines from Odeon Southampton - certainly the scanner and its mount on the projector date to the mid/late 90s. Around the time I was living in Southampton and working for Odeon in Salisbury...

I'm not far away in South Oxfordshire (about 11 miles from Swindon), and more than happy to assist if you need help.

 |  IP: Logged

Victor Liorentas
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 800
From: london ontario canada
Registered: May 2009


 - posted 03-18-2018 09:12 PM      Profile for Victor Liorentas   Email Victor Liorentas   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
My philosophy on d.t.s is to absolutely have it because of the easy to achieve sound quality that will last way off into the future. As long as you have good d.t.s units and spare parts. I recommend the XD10 which plays off it's own hard drive.
If you have or aquire prints with d.t.s time code,it's easy peasey lemon squeezey to find the discs or files. Join the 35mm collector forum and make requests. I've never been unable to find d.t.s audio files.
Dolby Digital is great but your basement reader and worn prints are likely to give you audio drop outs when playing them. Getting a Dolby cat 700,701 or 702 reader will help but I have so far found d.t.s easier to maintain. Analogue sound is great as well but it's awesome to use digital on a print that has it. Just my opinion.

 |  IP: Logged

Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 03-18-2018 09:47 PM      Profile for Randy Stankey   Email Randy Stankey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Neil;

Nice score on that CP65! Tune it well and it will not disappoint.

quote: Victor Liorentas
Analogue sound is great as well but it's awesome to use digital on a print that has it. Just my opinion.
DTS and Dolby Digital are great but I also love to see the look on a person's face after they hear a well-tuned SR installation and I tell them, "That's not digital." [Wink]

 |  IP: Logged

Victor Liorentas
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 800
From: london ontario canada
Registered: May 2009


 - posted 03-18-2018 10:52 PM      Profile for Victor Liorentas   Email Victor Liorentas   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yes that's very true Randy! [Wink]

 |  IP: Logged

Neil Spreadbury
Film Handler

Posts: 18
From: Salisbury Amesbury UK
Registered: Mar 2018


 - posted 03-19-2018 05:44 AM      Profile for Neil Spreadbury   Email Neil Spreadbury   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I would just like to thank you all for the advice and help you all above have given me.
and for the warm welcome to the forum.

so thank you,means a lot to me.

 |  IP: Logged



All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2 
 
   Close Topic    Move Topic    Delete Topic    next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:



Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.3.1.2

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.

© 1999-2020 Film-Tech Cinema Systems, LLC. All rights reserved.