Altec Lansing Tech-not-logies

[Steve Mac]

Well, they now have an a7 manual.
http://www.alteclansing.com/images/user/A7_Manual.pdf
Bizarre...a 900Hz crossover.

[GM]

Well, if you look at an 825/828's polar response Vs either a 511 or 811 there's no remotely close match up, making the XO choice more either a one of power handling or personal preference, so one has to wonder just how a cinema screen's perforation pattern combined with the ~2-3 ft setback effects its polar response or even if they cared about polar response below our acute hearing BW if used in a PA app.

GM

[LICORNE]

You have to put yourself in the 90's context. Have a look at the 1993 brochure on Lansing Library
The A-7 8G has a 515-8G and a 511 horn with 902 driver and 1285 XO selector was 500,800,1200.

The original A-7-8 of the mid 70's came with a 416-8B , 811-b horn 805-8B driver XO N801A. The A-7-500 had a 416-8B 511 horn 802-8E driver XO N501-8-A.

So in the mid seventies choice between 811 or 511
horn.

They must have stop producing the 811 horn in the early 90's.

...................

[Old Guy]

Originally posted by GM:
Well, if you look at an 825/828's polar response Vs either a 511 or 811 there's no remotely close match up, making the XO choice more either a one of power handling or personal preference, so one has to wonder just how a cinema screen's perforation pattern combined with the ~2-3 ft setback effects its polar response or even if they cared about polar response below our acute hearing BW if used in a PA app.

GM

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Agreed.

Someone here posted a while back that in the early days concern was for response on axis, and let the chips fall where they may.

I kinda share that opinion, I've seen tons of instances like that.

[Steve Mac]

Originally posted by GM:
Well, if you look at an 825/828's polar response Vs either a 511 or 811 there's no remotely close match up, making the XO choice more either a one of power handling or personal preference, so one has to wonder just how a cinema screen's perforation pattern combined with the ~2-3 ft setback effects its polar response or even if they cared about polar response below our acute hearing BW if used in a PA app.

GM

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Understood. The point I was making was in deference to statements such as this peppered throughout the advertisement:
Altec?s Golden Sample was acoustically matched to an original A7. All of our efforts were focused on achieving the same signature sound for which The Voice of the Theatre is famous.

Their XO will change the sonic signature.
Using a 511 with a 900 Hz passive XO ... echhh

[Todd W. White]

When Altec Lansing, OKC changed the spec sheet for the A7 in the early 1990's, I fired off a letter to the President of the company, and CC'd several others, including Don Davis and John Hilliard.

My biggest complaint was the choice of woofer - they were using a 515 in it, when it should have been a 416.

Second on the list was the horn.

Ted Uzzle, who also got that letter, said what was really funny was that, perhaps the same day the letter arrived on the President's desk, they got a call from John Hilliard screaming about the same things. Seems he was still on a mailing list they had of acoustical consultants, so he received the spec sheet, read it, and called to complain. My letter hadn't had time to arrive yet...

Of course, my letter, much less Hilliard's call, did no good whatsoever...

[LICORNE]

With RTA TEF analysis and active crossovers at your disposal. They might have concluded that 900
cycles sounded better than 800.

Did they use film sound track to further their
decision on 900 ? who knows.

I guess they din't test it behind the screen .They would have kept the 416-C and change the HF driver and horn for a 805 horn and 288 driver instead.

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<font color="#FFFFFF" size="1">[ June 08, 2008 10:34 AM: Message edited by: CONVERGENCE ]</font>

[Russnohio]

OTOH I noticed the A7 is up again? Wasn't it down for a while? 5800 clams.[/QB]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Re-issue of the A-7 never did make sense to me. If they wanted to introduce the Altec WE all know to a new generation, why did'nt they choose the model 19 instead?
Just seems to me the 19 would be much more an attractive package that folks (the masses)would want in their living rooms......if the intention was to sell speakers, the A-7 was a poor choice IMHO.

The intention surely was not to make us "old-school" Altec fans happy because we're not buying. Especially at 5,800.00 each. I'd prefer an old dusty A-7 with cobwebs in the horn throat any day over a shiny new wanna be!


Russ





Russ

[LICORNE]

I just happen to pass by the arts center yesterday morning. They were rehearsing with 3 opera singer and a grand piano. The speakers were
l'acoustic line array with subs . Such directivity
it's just amazing. You really have to be in the center other wise it's either the left or the right that comes through.

The sweet spot was quite far away next to the camera men booth.

To much highs for my taste not enough mids.

That would be the FOH technician fault hidden behind the
the stage. Should have been in the front of house.

Here is the review :


Opera Hotel has concluded its 28th season in grand style last night. Entre 17 000 et 20 000 m?lomanes (selon l'organisation) se sont r?unis dehors sur l'esplanade de la Place des Arts pour voir et entendre Madame Butterfly, projet? en direct sur ?cran g?ant. Between 17 000 and 20 000 music lovers (according to the organization) met outside on the esplanade of Place des Arts to see and hear Madame Butterfly, screened live on a giant screen.


During the intermission, he also proposed to direct interviews with the performers and a backstage tour. La qualit? sonore ?tait aussi tr?s bonne pour un concert ext?rieur. The sound quality was also very good for an outdoor concert.



That lady in the forefront is sitting 50 feet behind the camera man.
...............

<font color="#FFFFFF" size="1">[ June 08, 2008 03:01 PM: Message edited by: CONVERGENCE ]</font>

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Originally posted by Russnohio:
Re-issue of the A-7 never did make sense to me. If they wanted to introduce the Altec WE all know to a new generation, why did'nt they choose the model 19 instead?
Just seems to me the 19 would be much more an attractive package that folks (the masses)would want in their living rooms......if the intention was to sell speakers, the A-7 was a poor choice IMHO.[/QB]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I believe it's a marketing thing..... they can point to the new A7 as a high mark that almost no one will buy, but offer a handy dandy take home system that you can buy if you want the same engineering and heritage, in the form of one of the typical ALT offerings..... vintage/heritage/nostalgia is popular now, and it can be used to sell, even if the target market wasn't around for the original.