love_hertz Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Just curious? Anyone in this forum work at a BIG namebrand theatre? If so what kind of speakers are behind those big humungous screens? Before a show starts, when the lights are on you can see the surround speakers, I counted 8 speakers and upclose you can see the JBL symbol. Anyone have pictures to show what gear they have at these BIG showings? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 love, you may like this site. http://www.bigscreenbiz.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_Shomaker Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 I went to a theatre that had like 11 pairs of those heresy surrounds for each room. I bet that whatever brand they have for the surrounds they have for everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornEd Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Have you looked on here on the Klipsch Forum? Try http://www.klipsch.com/news/feature.aspx?id=980 to see what went into the Cameo Theater. JBL (a Harmon International corp.) is the largest vendor of theater systems... but Klipsch is increasingly catching up. -HornEd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Start here. The .pdf's are where all the good stuff is at: http://www.jblpro.com/pages/cinema/cinema.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 EV is also a big player in theatre sound. Some AMC auditoriums used a rig called the Petronis, after it's designer. Some AMC screens were not suited for the placement of speakers behind them; above the screen the Petronis rig used an EV coax with a compression driver and CD horn nestled in the mouth a a straight basshorn. The subwoofers are placed below the screen. I've heard the Petronis and it's very good. An excellent multiplex near me, the Showplace, uses EV speakers. These theatres have excellent sound and picture, thay care about a quality presentation. Classic Cinemas, a Chicago chain of dollar shows, uses HPS-4000 rigs in their theatres; this system used Klipsch speakers. HPS sounds very good. It's interesting how Altec, which once completely dominated theatre sound, dropped the ball when theatre owners demanded systems that got louder and went lower. But aggresively led JBL was Johnny-on-the-spot. Of course the old Altec VOTs are still the best sounding theatre rigs in terms of tonality and midrange realism but the new rigs have more boom-boom. All in all I'd say the finest digital multi-channel theatre rigs today still don't sound quite as good as the multi-channel magnetic sound 70mm roadshow epics of the 50s and 60s reproduced over Altec A4s driven by Western Electric and Altec tube amps. But perhaps my memory is faulty. But I'll NEVER forget the sound of Ben-Hur, South Pacific, El-Cid, Cleopatra and How the West was Won in those downtown roadshow houses. Hell, that's what got me into hi-fi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschfoot Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 From a rep of www.senator.com, a authentic 800 seat vintage theater in Baltimore, MD. We have always kept our system state-of-the-art and it is a fortuitous combination of factors that results in the sound quality we are able to achieve. It's got a lot to do with the relatively large auditorium, its asymmetrical shape, the high ceiling, the 8 / 18 inch JBL subwoofers with huge QSC amps, the 5 modified Altec "Voice of the Theatre" bass cabinets behind the screen with JBL horns, bi-amped with active crossovers powered by QSC amps, and the 12 Klipsh "Heresy" surrounds speakers , powered by QSC amps that all adds up to a really sweet and powerful combination. Glad to hear that you "get" what we are all about regarding our sound quality. Put THAT in your HT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 love, here is another site. http://www.film-tech.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love_hertz Posted March 13, 2004 Author Share Posted March 13, 2004 thanks for the info guys!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusaDude Posted March 14, 2004 Share Posted March 14, 2004 The newest AMC just down the road from me has Klipsch surrounds in all the auditoriums... Don't know what's behind the screens though. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 I do not work for a theater but the majority of those in my area use Klipsch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFinco Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 I should ask this guy I know about this one... He is the THX calibrator for all of the MARCUS theaters in the Midwest he also has the best home theater I've ever heard/seen...in his crazy soundproof THX spec'd apartment... he had the B&W THX system with the 802 grade subwoofer(i don't know the model--the big black glossy one...) powered by Lexicon and Parasound. He had the projector that rolled out of the ceiling via remote, and it was all hooked into line doublers and other such gizmos. For movies it was spectacular...for music...it was loud. LOL--when Gladiator was in the theaters I wanted to see it in a 6.1 enviorment at least. I mentioned it to him and he asked what theater I was going to. I told him and he said "ok..don't go to the 9:20 show, that theater isn't as nice as the 10:05 show. when you get there you want to sit "x" # of rows back from the screen and 2 chairs off of center because thats where the calibration point is because my guy was off by a little for the rear surrounds and we haven't got over there to fix it yet.." it amused me that he knew exactly where I should sit.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 The only theatre sound in this city that I had any use for, ironically, was the dollar theater's setup. True THX. Everyone else is doing WDST stereo or even worse, the mall theater is doing MONO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love_hertz Posted March 15, 2004 Author Share Posted March 15, 2004 there must someone in this forum who can furnish pics I want pics!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 LH---Use this link to the Lansing Heritage website. Looking around there you'll find articles on the history of motion picture theatre loudspeakers with many photos of WE Mirrorphonic and Fletcher systems, MGM Shearer Horns and the Altec VOT. You'll also find catalogs with JBL and Altec theatre speakers. www.audioheritage.org Also, the very site we're on here has info and photos on Klipsch theatre speakers. For more theatre speaker info check the websites of JBL Pro, EV and HPS-4000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 LH----Here's the Altec VOT lineup as of the mid 70s. IMO the best theatre speakers ever. I used to use A5s in my basement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 LH---Here's an array of Altec A2s behind the screen of a Cinerama setup, 1950s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 For what is worth. The Omnimax at Navy Pier in Chicago uses JBL. A few years ago during a show they turned on the light behind the screen to show off the multitude of speakers. At least the JBL logo was on some of them. I assume they were all JBL. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love_hertz Posted March 15, 2004 Author Share Posted March 15, 2004 kewl thanks dude, any pics of todays technology??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rdmarsiii Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 what does the omni theater have? I think they also consider it an imax theater, but im not sure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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