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During the short period of the Disco Era JBL was the choice for it's SPL and their rear loaded horn characteristic.Suffice to say I used the A-8 on small intimate dance floor up to 4 if necessary. Of course there is no comparison in sound quality,
The Altec hands down was much better.We must remember when James B Lansing started his own company after leaving Altec. He had to come up with a new product different from the 416 and 515.
I have to argue that JBL was the choice. Yes their WAS a lot of it. Also a lot of Cerwin Vega. Custom enclosures were the norm and yes many JBL loaded. But some of the biggest discos in the country had Eminence in the subs.
Paradise Garage sound system,circa late 70's. - Speakerplans.com Forums - Page 1
Thank you Old Guy. That article on the Paradise Garage was just what I was looking for. Had no idea sound science was so advanced during the Disco era; also did not realize the DJ controlled so much of the sound system ( I thought they just played records !! :)). My fondest 1970's Disco memory is of going to a large, freestanding club in San Antonio Tx called "The Last National Bank" and wondering how they got that sound; now I have some idea. Thanks again...
Too bad after all of that great sound engineering, it was still just Disco.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jLGa4X5H2c
Of all of the Disco musak out there, I actually have two of these guys' albums. :)
not once have i seen an altec in a disco.
not once have i been to a disco.
except a bar/restaurant that
was marketed toward 'executives' as such.
worked there for a year and a half.
they managed to clear a 15' x 15'
spot in the bar.
had 8 jbl 4311's,
pointed at that little spot.
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mine would be some of the younger males on the street i lived on,Quote:
My fond est 1970's Disco memory is of ...
marching down the street, with disco records aflame on sticks,
as recommended by a local radio station ...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Guy
frank didn't get much airplay where i lived.
i do remember this song.
played on the radio for about 2 weeks,
then back to the regular rotation of billy joel,
post aynsley dunbar journey, foreigner,
and bob seger ...
Back in the late '70s or so, I read some magazine article on "stereo systems of the stars". Zappa was one of the featured artists. He had a fairly low-rent system. But the thing I remember most about the photo was the "Bambi" album prominently displayed next to his turntable. No idea if it belonged to Moon, Dweezle, or was a shared family resource.
I've often wondered what HT/Hi-Fi systems prominent sound engineers go for...Quote:
Originally Posted by wws944
i'd read that robert fine/wilma cozart had marantz amp's with bozak speakers at home.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alien_Shore
Studio 54.......
Quote:
The club had a superb sound system, built and designed by some of the best people in the business - RLA [Richard Long & Associates]. Richard was also the one who was responsible for the sound system at the Paradise Garage, a system that still today is said to have been the best system ever in the world.
The equipment at Studio 54 were comprised of 6 3-way "Waldorf" horn loaded/bass reflex main bass boxes, 6 "Bertha/Levan" bass horns, 4 "Z" tweeter arrays & 2 "Ultima" 3-way full range boxes. This system also included the now famous RLA X-3000 DJ crossover. This sound system was the reason for this and many other clubs during this era's success.
Richard is unfortunately no longer with us today, but some of the RLA designs, electronics and speaker boxes are available from the New York based company GSA [Gary Stewart Audio]. GSA can help you if you're interested in building a sound system similar to the one in '54'.
Also, in the GSA shop they still have a bunch of things from the original Studio 54.
By the way, the original "Man in the Moon" sign is told to be installed in the existing Studio 54 club in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas these days.