Page 29 - CinemaRecord #84

stereo sound so the time was now ripe to convert
from mono sound to full Dolby stereo surround
sound.

Kookaburra Converts to Stereo Sound
For this I had to build another sound rack to
house the extra equipment and have continued
the use of valve amplifiers, as they are
untroubled by lightning strikes of which four so
far have burnt out screen speakers…. but never
the amplifier. It is rather inconvenient when the
high frequency horn mounted on top of the
screen gets a “zap”, as it requires a cherry picker
to get the thing down. Doing that is bad enough
without having to find replacement amplifiers
as well after a lightning strike.
Completed Amplifier Rack
The new rack now houses four valve amplifiers
of around 40 watts each and are driven by a
Eprad Starlet cinema processor which converts
the left and right stereo signal from the optical
track into Centre, Left, Right and Surround Patrons enjoying a picnic before show time
sound signals which are fed to the applicable
amplifiers. timer work together to step each slide in turn
through the lens area and the light from the lamp
is briefly cut off by a small flap like shutter. The
The conversion required left and right speakers
on the screen in addition to the existing centre overall effect is that each slide blinks onto the
speaker, plus seven surround speakers mounted screen.
around the edges of the auditorium area. The Once the last slide is reached, the light is cut off
original “home brew” bass driver unit was from the screen and the machine automatically
replaced by Raycophone twin 15” drivers “W” moves all the slides around until the first slide
type bass bin below the screen and a small sub is detected and it then stops ready for the next
woofer also installed. screening. The light source is also a xenon lamp.
Stereo and surround sound had come to The entire project has become a very rewarding
Kookaburra and has added that extra experience, meeting many wonderful people
dimension to the sound I always thought was who are frequently enchanted at the end of a
needed … the ambience now is magical, performance by the small western grey Delivery of the new digital projector
especially with films like Master and kangaroos which have managed to squeeze
Commander and Phantom of the Opera. under the boundary fencing to graze on the
lawns during the show. This is especially so at An NEC 1600C digital projector was
The Cinemeccanica slide projector the end of summer when the only green grass decided upon, as it can be fitted with lamps
around is in the cinema. Surprises all round ranging from 2000 to 4000 watts. It also
when the auditorium lights go up! came with the full blown 3D gear and 100
pairs of glasses. This model is about 5 years
Over the seasons, many “different” film nights
old and, by all reports, they are very reliable,
have been run at Kookaburra ranging from a
wedding reception (because the groom met his and the on-screen results very satisfactory.
bride at a cinema), birthday parties, a wedding Acknowledgements:
anniversary and even performances by a local
school band.
Text: Lindsay Morris
The Kookaburra presents a very relaxed and Images: Lindsay Morris, Mike Trickett
pleasant way to view a
movie outdoors in the hills
of Perth WA, with only
the natural bush noises
adding to the movie sound
track.
The Kookaburra Today

The change from 35 mm
Further Developments film to digital presentation
has meant either make the
The old slide projector which used carbon arc
as the light source was replaced with a more change or close down. For
recent machine acquired from a cinema closure small independent
operators, the change to
elsewhere. The replacement projector was a
Cinemeccanica GPG 4 unit which automatically digital is a major
handled the slides. The slides were loaded in investment and must be
made with the long-term
the required sequence into a special chain like
loop hanging down below the lens. Once the viability of the business in
Start button was pressed, a small motor and mind. The NEC 1600C in place

CINEMARECORD # 84 29