Sound Reinforcement
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Sound Reinforcement PLUS a report on Crolyn tap MEW 4,I00I x N 1li0x 113r AV D NI SoI.LSf10000HZ3Z3eSU 4VP10I.1.VNhln I WHAT YOU DON'T SEE is OUR BEST PRODUCT THE SOUND Of MOSS And that's the product you'll have to discover for yourself, in your own way. We can tell you about the 500 undistorted watts from the Acoustech l -A Amplifier, about the rugged and durable Rek -O -Kut turntable, about the stereo "feel" in the PRO -4A Stereophones and the astounding Acoustech X electrostatic speaker system. We can tell you about our years of technical experience and uncompromising attitude of producing equipment acclaimed by critics as "state of the art ". We can give you an armload of literature on product features and specifications and ratings (which we'd like you to send for). But the important job is up to you: To put these matched components and accessories through their paces and find the kind of sound that only someone like you can detect. Happy Hunting. Equipment shown (clockwise from lower left): Koss Pro -4A Stereophones. $50.00; Rek -O -Kut 812 -H turntable with S -320 toneerm $199.95: Koss KO-727 Stereophones. $34.95: Rek -O -Kut B -12GH will, S -320 tonearm, $144.90; Acoustech VIII tuner. $349.00: Koss K -6 Stereophones. $26.50; Acoustech l -A power amplifier. $395.00: Acoustech V -A integrated control amplifier, $399.00; Koss PRO -600A (600 ohm) Stereophones. $55.00: Acoustech X electrostatic speaker system, $1690.00: Koss SP -3XC Stereophones, $24.95: Acoustech VI pre -amp control center, $249.00. KO S S KOSS ELECTRONICS INC. 2227 N. 31st Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53208 Export Cable: STEREOFONE/Koss -Impetus 2 Via Berna /Lugano. Switzerland Circle 25 on Reader Service Card Corning mxntht February's db will explore several as- pects of the highly complex problem of microphones. January 1968 Volume 2, Number 1 Albert B. Grundy has prepared an ar- ticle that unravels the complicated problem of specification and measure- Table of Contents SALES OFFICES ment of condenser microphones. Sound Reinforcement at Expo 67 New York Robert Schulein of Shure Brothers, Martin Dickstein 16 980 Old Country Road Inc. is writing under the title Micro- Plainview, N.Y :11803 Speaker Impedance Matching 516- 433 -6530 phone Specifications, Microphone in Sound Systems J. F. Walthier 21 Loading: What Do They Really Mean? Creative Sound in the Legitimate Theater Chicago This will be an in -depth discussion of Robert J. Kerr 24 Gerald L. Taylor 333 N. Michigan Ave. microphone level specifications and will Crolyn Tape: Does it Solve Problems? Chicago, Illinois 60601 show why common forms of level mea- Larry Zide 28 203- 332 -7683 surement are not always accurate and Denver sometimes are misleading. Part of this Departments Roy McDonald Associates, Inc. article will cover microphone loading 846 Lincoln Street The Feedback Loop John A. McCulloch 2 Denver, Colorado 80203 considerations for the various types of Letters 6 303 -825 -3325 microphone in common use. The Audio Engineer's Handbook Houston And FEEDBACK Loor columnist John George Alexandrovich 8 Roy McDonald Associates, Inc. McCulloch will examine microphone New Products and Services 30 3130 Southwest Freeway Houston, Texas 77006 acoustical problems and polar patterns. 31 Classified 713 -529 -6711 Plus the next installment of George People, Places, Happenings 32 Alexandrovich's HANDBOOK, THE FEED- Tulsa BACK LOOP, NEW PRODUCTS AND SERV- Roy McDonald Associates, Inc. 2570 S. Harvard Ave. ICES, PEOPLE, PLACES, HAPPENINGS - Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114 and more. Robert Bach PUBLISHER 918 -742 -9961 Larry Zide EDITOR Next month in db The Sound Engi- Dallas neering Magazine. Bob Laurie ART/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Roy McDonald Associates, Inc. Marilyn Gold COPY EDITOR Semmons Tower West Charles N. Wilson ASSISTANT EDITOR Suite 411 Dallas, Texas 75207 Richard L. Lerner ASSISTANT EDITOR 214 -637 -2444 A. F. Gordon CIRCULATION MANAGER San Francisco David Pollens ASST. CIRCULATION MGR. Roy McDonald Associates, Inc. 625 Market Street San Francisco, California 94105 415- 397 -5377 Editorial Board of Review Los Angeles Roy McDonald Associates, Inc. George Alexandrovich 1313 West 8th Street Sherman Fairchild Los Angeles, California 90017 Norman Anderson 213- 483 -1304 Prof. Latif Jiji Portland Philip C. Erhorn Roy McDonald Associates, Inc. 2035 S.W. 58th Avenue Daniel R. von Recklinghausen Portland, Oregon 97221 Paul Weathers 503- 292 -8521 The story of an interesting system that was - and is no more. Shown is the main control room of the Czech pa- dh, the Sound Engineering Magazine is published monthly by Sagamore Publishing Co., Inc., 980 Old Country vilion at the recent Expo 67. Road, Plainview, L. I., N.Y. 11803. Telephone: (516) 433.6530. Entire contents copyright 1968. Subscriptions are The equip- issued to qualified individuals and firms in professional audio. Application must be made on an official sub- ment is by Philips and it is discussed scription form or on a company letterhead. Interested non -qualified readers may subscribe at $5.00 per year ($6.00 per year outside U.S. Possessions, Canada, and Mexico). Single copies are 60f each. Controlled circulation along with other sonic and visual fea- rates paid at N. Abington, Mass. 02351. Printed in U.S.A. at North Abington, Mass. Editorial, Publishing, and Sales Offices: 980 Old Country Road, Plainview, New York 11803. Postmaster: Form 3579 should be sent to tures of the fair on page 16. above address. tried. It is suggested that the highest phone thus will not overload under any value consistent with the action of the reasonable level (I30 dB S.r.L.). relay in turning -off be selected to give What does this mean to the mixer in as much life to the contacts as possible. his use of the microphone? It means The value of the capacitor (C1) should that for any musical pickup the micro- Feedback be chosen to hold a sufficient charge to phone will perform with a clean pickup supply the relay during pull -in opera- of the instrument or voice. The distor- op tion. A typical value might be 500 mfd tion we may experience is now due to at 50 V. for a 24-28 V. relay system. the high (but clean) output of the -JOHN A. McCULLOCH microphone overloading the input stage Dynamic Microphone Overload of the first amplifier. Single Coil In a recently published article the How is a microphone, rated at -55 following statement is made: dBm, going to overload a preamplifier `Locking' Relay .. the transistors are not over- with a maximum rated input of -22 In the construction of new facilities loaded. This is not a very serious prob- dBm? (1 am using the RCA BA -31 as or the modification of existing ones, a lem when dynamic microphones are an example.) First - the microphone is circuit is desired to remotely control used, because their output is normally rated by applying a signal level, that or actuate several lines or pieces of about -60 dBm and does not rise being equal to 94 dB S.P.L. Second - equipment. In addition it is desirable to higher than about -35 dBm." the input rating of the amplifier is the control the switching device with a This statement points out a great absolute maximum input before over- push -on push-off momentary contact. fallacy in some users' understanding of load is encountered. Unlike tube ampli- The normal method of allowing a the dynamic microphone. How Many fiers that had a few dB leeway, and gave single momentary contact to both turn - times have I heard a mixer, when listen- a small warning in slightly increased on and turn-off is accomplished with ing to a playback, say, "listen to that distortion, the typical transistor unit the use of a latching type of relay. This dynamic microphone overload." will reproduce a clean signal when fed is a sizable (comparatively), double - A properly designed dynamic micro- with a sine wave at -22 dBm, and a coil device. Because of space require- phone will not overload under any clipped, distorted signal when hit with ments ABC -TV required a method of reasonable level. But, just what consti- -20 dBm. Again, unlike the tube ampli- energizing and holding a single coil, and tutes a reasonable level? fier which had a soft shoulder the tran- upon re- making the same contacts, During the design and construction sistor amplifier will evidence sudden, dropping out the relay. of the dynamic element, it is desirable to severe distortion when subjected to The single contact switch may be permit the maximum amount of move- overload. There is no safety margin paralleled by as many duplicating ment possible without causing a loss of and so one must be created by the user. switches as required, remembering that output level, or adding excessive mass In a typical session of today's sound, any button being energized will alter to the coil or diaphragm. If the limit is the instruments are loud, and the vocals the state of the relay. Also switch 2 set, such that the diaphragm will not often screaming. For maximum separa- (sw 2) may be inserted in the circuit touch or bottom until a certain sound tion and reduction of acoustical phase to permit remote cut-off only. Remote level or pressure is exceeded, then any distortion, the mixer is forced to place lock -off may be obtained by making sound pressure up to this limit will not the microphones close, often within a this switch a positive- action switch, cause the microphone to overload and few inches. With this type of pickup, rather than momentary contacts. produce distortion of the waveform.