Pano, 80yrs sounds like a long time, but only 30 separates that from this year’s 50th anniversary of both Woodstock, and the Beatles Let it Be - of which, by the way, Peter Jackson is working on a compilation of something like 55 hrs of previously unreleased film. That should be a very interesting project.
Thanks Rob. I saw some of that Shearer horn in the Altec 1943 catalog. So they must have come over from Western Electric? Did Loew's (MGM) use any particular system in the 1930s, or was a mix of playback systems? EDIT: Never mind, it's in the article you linked. 
Chris. Yeah, 50 years ago for that rooftop concert. Wow. Looking forward to seeing what Peter Jackson does with it.
Chris. Yeah, 50 years ago for that rooftop concert. Wow. Looking forward to seeing what Peter Jackson does with it.
simple and cool...old theater horn (replica) and iphone...flat response? So what!
Western Electric 12a replica and iPhone…. – 13Audio All fun….
Western Electric 12a replica and iPhone…. – 13Audio All fun….
Yes, it's a rare beast.
I guess most of us are familiar with the story behind it:
"Jim Lansing had been warned by Western Electric (probably in 1936 or 1937) that his 284 large format compression driver (developed for the MGM Shearer Horn) was being built in violation of their patent on the circumferential slit phasing plug. W.E. was apparently beginning to produce their 594A at the time, a 4" diaphragm driver based closely on E.C. Wente's U.S. Patent #2,037,187. Lansing had his engineer Dr. John Blackburn seek a solution to this dilemma. Blackburn designed a 20 slit radial phasing plug for the large driver and it continued on otherwise unchanged as the model 285.
On September 1st, 1937 Western Electric signed a consent decree with the government to cease the supply and servicing of sound systems in theatres in the U.S. This evidently relieved Jim Lansing of the threat of legal action, and he soon resumed manufacture of his large format driver with circumferential phasing plug, calling it the 284B."
Here's some info on the 284.
Some images of the 285's radial phase plug versus the concentric annular ring slots of the 287's plug.
I guess most of us are familiar with the story behind it:
"Jim Lansing had been warned by Western Electric (probably in 1936 or 1937) that his 284 large format compression driver (developed for the MGM Shearer Horn) was being built in violation of their patent on the circumferential slit phasing plug. W.E. was apparently beginning to produce their 594A at the time, a 4" diaphragm driver based closely on E.C. Wente's U.S. Patent #2,037,187. Lansing had his engineer Dr. John Blackburn seek a solution to this dilemma. Blackburn designed a 20 slit radial phasing plug for the large driver and it continued on otherwise unchanged as the model 285.
On September 1st, 1937 Western Electric signed a consent decree with the government to cease the supply and servicing of sound systems in theatres in the U.S. This evidently relieved Jim Lansing of the threat of legal action, and he soon resumed manufacture of his large format driver with circumferential phasing plug, calling it the 284B."
Here's some info on the 284.
Some images of the 285's radial phase plug versus the concentric annular ring slots of the 287's plug.
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The engineer with the office next to mine at Bell Labs, Murray Hill, had a couple of those drivers and horns (or similar WE) outside his office awaiting trash pick-up. At the time, 1968, we just thought of them as ancient "ball park" loudspeakers.
I grabbed some horns and drivers with his permission just to fool with them. Later took apart the old tired driver and made a mess. But I was impressed with the edge-wound aluminum VC... that I destroyed.
Guess I'm cryin' about not preserving the tired old gear.
Now that was around 1968 so it was actually closer in time back to 1928 than to today. Makes me feel kind of like I'm getting old.
B.
I grabbed some horns and drivers with his permission just to fool with them. Later took apart the old tired driver and made a mess. But I was impressed with the edge-wound aluminum VC... that I destroyed.
Guess I'm cryin' about not preserving the tired old gear.
Now that was around 1968 so it was actually closer in time back to 1928 than to today. Makes me feel kind of like I'm getting old.
B.
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