....but having been in the adult entertainment environment is only one reason for that...'silky sound'....😏
Pulled from old theater
Hello all, last week I lugged home items from a long retired theater. Former adult theater, that was once a first run theater.. but I digress. Essentially a big horn on top and a 15" driver mounted in a folded cabinet. Altec crossover included. Both the horn and low end driver are noted as coming from the International Projector Corp. I learned the drivers themselves were manufactured by Jensen. Both have good conductivity and are operational. Plan is to make this into a mono garage system. Anyone have any experience in this? things to look out for etc.. I am looking to decipher resistance and possible matches for one of my spare amps, grab a source and soon be agitating my neighbors.
Wish I could add a pic.. it's pretty cool looking.
Wish I could add a pic.. it's pretty cool looking.
16 responses Add your response
I like your idea of a Mono Garage speaker, next is: what content?. I just finished listening to Benny Carter Quartet Mono, 1959, ’Swingin’ the 20’s’. Mono cartridge, preamp L+R > L speaker only. As I write, I just listened to a Stereo LP the same full mono way, Oscar Peterson ’Soul-O’, also 1959, getting horiz info only. I’m playing it now with Stereo Cartridge , (get both horiz & vert info); then preamp MONO mode (both speakers, same signal). Let’s me know how well the L-Pads are matched L and R speakers, a full centered image without frequency wander to either side. Next will be full Stereo. Sometimes, solo piano, stereo, is mic’ed in a way that it sounds like the worlds biggest piano, some frequencies left speaker, some center, some right, very strange if in centered ’imaging’ spot. I thought I’d start full mono, then move ’up’ to hear the differences. ....................... back to your speakers 1. impedance: you can research and measure, see what the crossover says if labeled. I suspect 16 ohm drivers, thus best if the amp has 16 ohm taps. my vintage tube amps and my newer Cayin have 16 ohm taps, few modern amps do, even my cayin A88T, only version one has 16. 16 ohm drivers might measure i.e. 11.5 ohms when idle, only research will let you know what’s correct, but you will get clues. 2. level control between the woofer and horn(s). Many vintage, nearly all Electrovoice packages and their combo of drivers/crossovers were designed with L-Pads, half-attenuation being ’normal’, less for dull rooms, more for live rooms. i.e. my 3 way have two L-Pad AT-37’s (16 ohm versions): one for adjusting the mid horn to the woofer; another for adjusting the tweeter horn to that mix. not interactive, simply individual attenuators. However, L-Pads, not Pots, as L-Pads maintain the impedance shown to the crossover at any position; pots alter the impedance which alters the frequency response. new high quality L-Pads are available, some 16 ohms, IOW: if originally present, they are needed to achieve the original designed frequency response. perhaps L-Pads were not needed in the theater, but if they don’t sound right in your garage, you might rig a temp attenuator, see if it helps things. Of course preamp tone controls can help but not like individual driver level controls. 3. 15" woofers, that old, can be re-coned, however the surrounds might be pleated cloth type, new foam or rubber surrounds will not be ’right’. The coil? best of luck, I would do a new enclosure last, after they prove themselves worthy. |
@doyle3433 -- Hello all, last week I lugged home items from a long retired theater. Former adult theater, that was once a first run theater.. but I digress. Essentially a big horn on top and a 15" driver mounted in a folded cabinet. Altec crossover included. Both the horn and low end driver are noted as coming from the International Projector Corp. I learned the drivers themselves were manufactured by Jensen. Both have good conductivity and are operational. Plan is to make this into a mono garage system. Anyone have any experience in this? things to look out for etc.. I am looking to decipher resistance and possible matches for one of my spare amps, grab a source and soon be agitating my neighbors. Wish I could add a pic.. it's pretty cool looking. This is the good stuff - hang on to it! - but why relegate it to the garage? Unless there's a spousal issue or you yourself is opposed to it, I'd get them into the living room or other dedicated space and see what they can do. You're likely in for a surprise.. |
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Just got done with the project like that on an EV Georgian p.m. me.... got a lot of information jahwind@iCloud.com. Audio karma a good place too and this thing probably gonna break out the windows with 4 W. Yeah hook it up most of these weren't time aligned so if you do that you're going to be amazed. Mine in mono throws the soundstage as big as the wall even bigger on good recordings. Hurry AG get rid of these kind of posts quick... concerned of the profits |
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https://www.google.com/search?q=VOT+speakers&sxsrf=ALeKk00Jqau8Cv-q-RdbmJE5I0UlqfUS4w:1629226786... Do they look like the old VOT speakers? I love um.. I was a real horn NUT for a while.. I still love hearing the old C45 JBLs at a buddies. He has had those sense we we in our teens. His grandfather left them to him.. VOT though.. http://dejavu-audio.com/vintage-audio-equipment.html I’ve seen the WE a few times.. A skating ring that doubled as a square dancing arena and the occasional "Wrestling match". It had a set up real close to this. 4 WE floor standers and 4 pole mount horns.. All MONO 45s on a pair of TTs.. I use to help out there when I was 15-16. They used the old Fairchild with foot breaks. Step on the break and Que a record. Step on it the second time and it released the break. 1/4 turn it was 45 rpms. Kind of like this one. https://www.ebay.com/itm/154289357186?hash=item23ec5cc182:g:c2EAAOSw94Nf-F-I There were Jensen Imperial Horns too.. I had a pair and an Imperial Sub.. 1972 https://www.google.com/search?q=Jensen+Imperial+horn&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiN5qOh5bjyAhUtGTQIH... Two 51 Chevy 1/2 ton pick up loads to move the beasts.. :-) Regard |