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   » Digital Cinema Forum   » Music Distribution Systems

   
Author Topic: Music Distribution Systems
Marcial Feliciano Ramos
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 108
From: Puerto Rico
Registered: Oct 2003


 - posted 03-23-2019 07:04 PM      Profile for Marcial Feliciano Ramos   Email Marcial Feliciano Ramos   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi all,

What are the choices on the market for Music Distribution to the screens?

Thanks

 |  IP: Logged

Stephan Shelley
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 854
From: castro valley, CA, usa
Registered: Nov 2014


 - posted 03-23-2019 07:51 PM      Profile for Stephan Shelley   Email Stephan Shelley   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
USL/QSC has one.

 |  IP: Logged

Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001


 - posted 03-24-2019 09:56 AM      Profile for Richard Fowler   Email Richard Fowler   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
USL had the MDS - 1400 / 2600 system which is out of production per their web-site.
Odyssey Products has the DATR-1 which should be O.K.

 |  IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999


 - posted 03-24-2019 11:12 AM      Profile for Steve Guttag   Email Steve Guttag   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yes, the USL system is no more. I don't recall if there is a last-buy status. Most people no longer put in music systems since Ads are taking up that time.

Component Engineering may still have their system (they are still in business but not doing anything with cinemas).

There are other non-cinema means of music distribution via audio DAs and digital transmission.

 |  IP: Logged

Frank Cox
Film God

Posts: 2234
From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada
Registered: Apr 2011


 - posted 03-24-2019 12:52 PM      Profile for Frank Cox   Author's Homepage   Email Frank Cox   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Showing my ignorance here, but what does a "music distribution system" actually do?

 |  IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999


 - posted 03-24-2019 01:29 PM      Profile for Steve Guttag   Email Steve Guttag   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Pretend you have a multiplex. You have a CD changer, iPod, phone, computer, music source of some sort. You feed that into the distribution amp and it feeds the individual theatres. It keeps them all separated (one theatre has no effect on the others) and can balance out amongst different processors (unbalanced versus balanced, different sensitivities, mono versus stereo...and before you question mono...back in film it occurred but if you want to feed a bathroom or lobby, you don't really need stereo).

It distributes the music.

 |  IP: Logged

Sam D. Chavez
Film God

Posts: 2153
From: Martinez, CA USA
Registered: Aug 2003


 - posted 03-24-2019 01:39 PM      Profile for Sam D. Chavez   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
These systems are meant for multiplexes where they use one audio source to feed all screens. Not as easy as it looks as you can get interference, hum, etc. if not done right. Intermission music is not used as much in these places anymore as they are getting hit by BMI and ASCAP for royalties and also the screens are being used for ads in between shows.

I see Steve beat me and with a better explanation.

 |  IP: Logged

Carsten Kurz
Film God

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


 - posted 03-24-2019 01:54 PM      Profile for Carsten Kurz   Email Carsten Kurz   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The first question to answer nowadays would be wether one actually wants a central music source for all screens, and wether a dedicated transmission wiring to all screens is desirable, exists or is easy to install. Choices are analog (balanced) or digital.
Many larger multiplexes now probably use digital streaming techniques over their existing TCP/IP networks. Compared to DCP content transfer, 100-200kBit/s for MP3 or AAC even to a large number of auditoriums eats very little network bandwidth.
TCP/IP over existing networks will also allow to distribute many sources in different locations to many targets, and not just auditoriums, but lobby, rest rooms, etc.
You could also have local storage and just central control. In smaller cinemas, I still often see CD/DVD/MP3 players in autoplay mode per auditorium, it powers up with the other gear, and shuts down equally...

Depends on what you want to achieve. Having the same music in all auditoriums may be desirable or not. Sometimes you may need individual music selection in some auditoriums, and a strict analog/digital conventional one-to-many distribution does not allow that. QSCs QSYS also has an answer for that, but you probably won't install a QSYS just for music distribution ;-)

As it stands, CAT5-7 cabling allows for more flexibility. If dedicated CAT wiring is available, you may even use that for old-school analog distribution and also one or two back channels (e.g. for central monitoring).

- Carsten

 |  IP: Logged

Marcial Feliciano Ramos
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 108
From: Puerto Rico
Registered: Oct 2003


 - posted 03-25-2019 01:07 PM      Profile for Marcial Feliciano Ramos   Email Marcial Feliciano Ramos   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Richard Fowler
Odyssey Products has the DATR-1 which should be O.K.
Do I need a main unit (transmitter) and receivers in each auditorium or I just do the same as the USL model?

 |  IP: Logged

Carsten Kurz
Film God

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


 - posted 03-25-2019 01:30 PM      Profile for Carsten Kurz   Email Carsten Kurz   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
One transmitter, multiple receivers.

http://www.odyssey-products.com/products/audio_products/distribution_amp_system.html

http://www.odyssey-products.com/resources/DARC1DistributionReceiver.pdf

 |  IP: Logged



All times are Central (GMT -6:00)  
   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.