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Author Topic: keeping moniter on high volume Mark Maxwell Film Handler Posts: 55 From: Tyler, TX, USA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 01-28-2003 01:39 AM                     I came into work and found out that our' district manager wants all off the moniters on the sound racks to be going full blast because it drowns out the sound of the projectors. The only sound that comes from up ther is the buzzing from the lamphouse which can't be heard from the auditorium. In my opinion, I don't want 6 moniter playing all at once. In the booth it makes it real loud and hard to hear the projectors. Once you've gotten used to your' booth and the noises that it makes, you can hear brain wraps. You might not listen for it, but you notice that one of the platters on #4 continues to spin, Or a platter on #1 hasn't spun in a while. I was up there one time on my day off when our full time projectionist was working. (He does a bad job tucking the tail and has made several platters off limits because they continue to throw movies even though the very experenced tech has checked the motors, variacs, and used a level to make sure the platters aren't tilted.) My point is when I came up there I was at one end of the booth talking to this girl I like, I heard this sound of film slapping against something and started running to the other end of the booth. I caught the movie right before it tossed. To me, if the equipment is in propper order, There shouldn't be any sound from upstairs. I know presentation is important, but at the same time if six moniters are at full blast, you are listening to six movies at the same time it's hard to concentrate on what's going on with the machines unless you are next to them. Is this a common policy. Some of you might hold it against me, but I do totally disregard this policy because I think it impairs my job. And I do believe in keeping the moniters on low so when you walk past a projector, you can hear how the sound is. It just doesn't need to be full blast.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 01-28-2003 01:41 AM                     I'm surprised your booth monitor speakers aren't blown. Regardless I don't think you will find anyone who will agree with that policy. The booth needs to have no (or very little) extra noises in it so the projectionist can hear problems. This is yet another reason for theater companies to not "cheap out" by failing to install a drop ceiling and carpet. They help to deaden the room and it makes it much easier for the projectionists to hear problems (and keep their sanity). Is this an attempt to cover up leaky port windows or something?  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-28-2003 01:46 AM                     Obviously your DM has never run a booth correctly by himself. He is a paper pusher. If it gets into the auditoriums, (like some will) the customers will hear it as an echo. As you pointed out, hearing things that may lead to a shutdown and equipment damage is compromised if you have all the monitor speakers blasting noise that will drown out those little "clicks", "clunks", squeaky bearings, you name it.  |  IP: Logged Mark Maxwell Film Handler Posts: 55 From: Tyler, TX, USA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 01-28-2003 02:18 AM                     There is one speaker blown, though I don't know why seeing as I only work 3 time a week. The reason no others have blown is because from the start I told everyone the policy is stupid and not to follow it.  |  IP: Logged Mark Maxwell Film Handler Posts: 55 From: Tyler, TX, USA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 01-28-2003 02:32 AM                     I tried to post a reply a minute ago but I didin't see it register. We have one blown moniter, the rest are fine. Hopefully because i told the other projectionist that the policy is Stupid!. Brad, When You mentioned the leaky port windows, I was not familiar with that term. If you were wondering if they were anything like the windows on my parents farmhouse built in 1899, you are right on the money.  |  IP: Logged Christopher Duvall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 500 From: Denver, CO Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-28-2003 02:32 AM                     Brad is correct, the speakers will be blown. I have always trained everybody under me to never go higher than 2/3 volume and when done listening, turn it back down. You may want to explain to your DM in a way not to set him into a frenzy what the others have suggested here. If something goes down, you will not be able to hear it. On another note, be careful when rallying the troops in the booth. Having everybody disregard the DM could be career suicide. The booth staff will get it in their heads to disregard any rules that come down that they do not like, even if they are good ones to follow. Has your site been plagued with complaints of sound problems lately? If so, I can see where the DM is coming from. It is just unfortunate that he wants you to go that route. You need to find a way to politely "show him the light".  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-28-2003 03:51 AM                     In a multiplex, I typically leave the monitors on just high enough to tell the audio is working as I walk by on my way somewhere else. That way, if I'm going to the other end of the booth and don't hear anything coming out of the monitor, I'll stop and look in the auditorium to see what's going on. When doing my rounds, I'll turn the volume up while I'm standing there to judge quality and then turn it back down low (but not off) when I walk away. In the Imax booth, since there's just the one and the room is soundproof (for the most part), I leave it going so I can comfortably hear it while I'm surfing film-tech.  |  IP: Logged Matt Close Expert Film Handler Posts: 226 From: Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 01-28-2003 03:59 AM                        There is almost no reason to have booth monitors 'cranked' or even on at all for that matter.... I always have them on at a reasonable level when I start the show, just to make sure all is well ... but that's it. There is nothing more distracting than having all your monitors playing at once .... We had a guy here that used to do it when I would be in doing a maintainence shift .. it drove me nuts!! and everyone is dead right, you can't hear if anything does go wrong... until it is too late! If your DM thinks having them running full blast somehow makes things better, he is nuts. Tell me, WHERE is this going to drown out the sound? I am guessing he is talking about sound leakage into the auditorium ..... How on earth is 'extra' noise going to solve that? Even if the audience could hear the monitor, it is going to be delayed, and even if it wasn't delayed.... it is not going to cancel any other noise from the port window out.... Explain to him all the reasons not to do this, as others have mentioned here... And also please tell us 'exactly' what the hell he is thinking he is going to achieve? .... I am dying to know!  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 01-28-2003 07:58 AM                        I agree that having the booth monitors set at high volume drowns out the subtle sounds that a good projectionist uses to sense equipment problems. It definitely risks having the sound leak into the auditorium. If you are really trying to judge sound quality, use headphones to check the processor output, not a small speaker competing with the noise of the equipment. But the best evaluation of sound quality can only be done by listening in the auditoriums on a regular basis.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-28-2003 08:46 AM                     I'm with Adam... I have mine on 'just' enough to hear as I walk past. There's no reason to have them on louder.  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 01-28-2003 09:18 AM                    I agree with everyone else here. The processor will easily output frequencies that the $10 speaker in the booth monitor can't handle - especially if you're running digital or SR. Playing them back at an especially high volume will blow the speaker and make it very difficult to use that speaker later to listen for subtle sound problems.  |  IP: Logged Ken Layton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1452 From: Olympia, Wash. USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-28-2003 09:51 AM                     Many brands of booth monitors use a speaker that is rated BELOW the maximum output of the monitor's amplifier. Just start sending your DM a bill for replacement speakers for the booth monitors!  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-28-2003 10:24 AM                        It sounds like there is a problem of sound leakage from the booth into the auditorium. Why not introduce Mr. District Manager to the novel concept of ACTUALLY FIXING THE PROBLEM rather than trying to come up with bizarre ways to minimize its effects? Some sealant on the port windows or foam insulation is probably all that is actually needed to improve the situation. Blasting the projectionist with distorted sound is not going to help anything and is more likely to be audible in the auditorium than projector noise. In single-screen houses and for "big" shows, I normally leave the booth monitor on at a low volume, as a sort of reassurance that the audience isn't listening to silence due to a burned-out exciter or dead amp or something. For normal multiplex use, I leave the monitors turned down all the way when not standing next to them.  |  IP: Logged John Spooner Expert Film Handler Posts: 186 From: South Australia, Australia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 01-28-2003 10:25 AM                     As Mark correctly states, the monitor level must never be loud enough to prevent the operator from hearing any noise which could signify a fault, this instinct is something we projectionists develop and must not be interfered with. The monitor is a guide and check for sound, not a noise cancelling device as it seems to be now used for in Mark`s case.  |  IP: Logged Bill Langfield Master Film Handler Posts: 280 From: Prospect, NSW, Australia Registered: Apr 2001 posted 01-28-2003 10:32 AM                        I say keep the montiors OFF, so you can hear projector/platter problems. At my favourate location, we keep them on LOW/just on, but because we are not on one level, moving from bio to bio and if hearing a screeching noise then trying to get into the lower projection room (with that damed new fire code key) only to find out it was a noise from the movie, not the projector chewing up the print. Bill.  |  IP: Logged

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