Talk:Sensurround

Copyvio

This page is pretty much a carbon copy of this.

Not any more. Binksternet (talk) 14:59, 24 December 2010 (UTC)

More than three

There were more than 3 movies released in Sensuround. I know Battlestar Galactica was one of them, and there were others. This means the statement "never caught on due to" is not correct. As you can see from this page. It appears Dolby (with Star Wars and Close Encounters) with its channeled audio and low frequency sounds was the death of sensurround, not it disturbing other theaters.

Clean-up

I need to do some clean-up in the "DVD" section - I've duplicated info on the mix of Earthquake - if someone gets to it before I do, please leave the release print info for Earthquake and delete the duplicated info in the DVD section. I'm not sure how to insert references for my Earthquake release print info. --Ty Chamberlain (talk) 15:04, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Eugene “Gene” Czerwinski (Cerwin-Vega) has died

Pioneer of the Cerwin-Vaga sensurround Eugene “Gene” Czerwinski has passed away.

http://www.dailynews.com/business/ci_15747512

His development of the system made a huge impact on my life, in the awareness of sound around (1974) with universals Earthquake. His collaboration with universal earned him a technical academy award which was worthy of his efforts. —Preceding unsigned comment added by JBListening (talk • contribs) 12:01, 14 August 2010 (UTC)

Unwieldy intro

I just reverted a large-scale change by Disclord, one which made the introduction into the body of the article. Per WP:LEAD, the lead paragraphs are supposed to summarize the article, and the article body carries the meat of the story. Disclord's version put major story elements into the lead only, against the guideline at WP:LEAD. I am copying Disclord's work here:

Sensurround, a contraction of the words 'sense' and 'surround', was the trademarked name for a patented, Academy Award winning, system originally developed in 1974 (and with further design changes and improvements with each film released) by MCA Systems (Universal Studios) for the movie "Earthquake". Sensurround was designed to create 'audience participation', causing theater patrons to experience high level (over 110 db) low-frequency and infrasonic bass shock waves (16-Hz to around 100-Hz), making them feel as if they were actually experiencing the earthquake being seen and heard on the screen - in addition, the high-powered Sensurround Horns were used for portions of the regular soundtrack, creating a surround-sound type effect, that, as the trailer for the film "Earthquake" stated "...will surround and engulf you completely and make you feel you are there." The system was invented completely by Universal Studios engineers and MCA Systems was the only patent assignee - however, due to the short time originally given to create the system (a few months), stock Cerwin-Vega "Double-D" Bass Horns (big W-bass bins) and some very poorly performing "C-type" (corner) horns were pressed into service via some quick modifications designed by Sensurround co-inventor and MCA/Universal Studios engineer Waldon O. Watson; the low-frequency extension of the horns had to be lowered by an additional octave to increase the realism of the effect and bass drivers had to be given treatments that would allow them to better handle the sustained 120db sound levels. New model "M" (modular) horns were designed by Waldon O. Watson - these were smaller units that could be stacked up to 4 units high and given mouth extenders or bat-wings, allowing the theater walls and floor to become part of the mouth of the horn, greatly extending their bass performance and playback levels. Model-M horns were made both by MCA and Cerwin-Vega and towards the end of the run of the film "Midway", MCA started shipping the Model-M horns to theaters unassembled, just with the wood pre-cut and the drivers plus simple instructions on their assembly. Since each theater's sound requirements were unique, the engineer doing the Sensurround install was expected to buy the wood needed to make any mouth extenders or bat-wings required for each theater. In addition, Cerwin-Vega manufactured a 750 watt, MCA/Universal designed, amplifier for powering the groups of Sensurround Horns. Both the film "Earthquake" and the Sensurround system proved to be so popular that Cerwin-Vega couldn't keep up with MCA's amplifier needs and BGW Systems became an amplifier supplier to MCA too to relieve the demand. MCA/Universal sound mixer and electrical engineer Richard Stumpf designed Sensurround's projection booth-based control electronics (which, after the first few prototype units were built by MCA were mass produced for MCA by dbx - this later paid off for dbx when MCA redesigned Sensurround into its so-called "Mod-II" form that incorporated dbx Type-II Noise Reduction on all prints.)Richard Stumpf also came up with the pilot-tone speaker and volume control system that controlled the banks of Sensurround Horns and their playback levels. Once MCA worked out most installation issues and determined that most typical installs would require 3 days (seats had to be removed in the back of most theaters to make room for the horns),the installs were contracted out to RCA Technical Services who not only did the installs but were expected to make regular checks of system performance (a THX-style system 'guarantee' you could say) and also act as a direct supplier of equipment to theaters from MCA or replace/repair any malfunctioning components or speakers. This is mentioned at the front of the article like this because, for some strange reason, many people believe that either Cerwin-Vega or RCA were the major creators of the system, when the truth is, Sensurround was a 100% MCA/Universal Studios invention with other companies only acting as normal suppliers of equipment that MCA designed (or heavily modified) or made equipment available on a short term basis until MCA's own optimal items were available. But to re-state it plainly, Sensurround was invented only by MCA/Universal, with RCA doing regular theater installs, and Cerwin-Vega, dbx and BGW acting as equipment suppliers to MCA, either by building MCA's designs outright or supplying them short term.

Sensurround was designed to improve film sound and create in-auditorium special effects, such as the rumble of an earthquake or riding on a rollercoaster, in movie theaters - something that audiences at the time couldn't experience at home on television. Specifically developed for the 1974 film Earthquake, the process was intended for subsequent use and was adopted for three more films, Midway (1976), Rollercoaster (1977) and in the theatrical version of Saga of a Star World (1978), the Battlestar Galactica pilot. Sensurround worked by adding extended-range bass for sound effects. The low-frequency sounds were more felt than heard, providing a vivid complement to onscreen depictions of earth tremors, bomber formations, and amusement park rides. The overall trend toward "multiplex" cinema structures presented challenges that made Sensurround impractical as a permanent feature of cinema.

One other problem—a big one—with the new material is that it is not referenced. Binksternet (talk) 14:59, 24 December 2010 (UTC)

References