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When we bought the Grand, all of the equipment was removed as the building was under another agreement of sale which was to end its life as a theater. We've purchased a bit of stuff for the booth and was wondering what recommendations for what else we are planning others would have.

What we've got so far:
-Rebuilt Simplex XL-35
-Christie 2000W console (rebuilt)
-Christie AW-3 platter system (rebuilt)
-(2) 400W Peavey Amps, 4 channel (factory rebuilt)
-(1) 800W Peavy Amp for sub woofer (factory rebuilt)
-Dolby Processor (factory rebuilt)
-Red Reader (new)
-rewinder (good used)

Planning: (all new)
-Automation to go in Christie Console
-Sound Monitor
-dts processor/recoder/reader
-3 stage speakers for digital
-1 subwoofer
-8 surround speakers

I'm very happy with my local theater equipment guy, Cinetech, Bruce Fitzsimmons and he has taken care of me very well. I am just curious on with what we are planning on buying yet if anyone has any thoughts as this is my first theater (but far from my first old building!).

Thanks!

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Ed Buchinski,
Grand Theater,
East Greenville PA
www.thegrandtheater.org

Christie, Kelmar, and Component Engineering make pretty good automation units that'll fit just fine in your console.

Component Engineering, UltraStereo, and Smart make good booth monitors.

DTS makes the DTS6D which is a good entry level unit for digital sound and can be found new and used.

JBL, Electrovoice, Smart, and QSC make good stage loudspeaker systems as well as subwoofers.

JBL, QSC, and Smart make good surround speakers.

You didn't mention the model of your dolby processor nor the make/model of soundhead nor the make of the reverse scan red reader installed in the soundhead.

Good luck with your theater. It's great to have the single screen theaters reopen! I was the one who re-outfitted the the now restored single screen theater the CHEHALIS THEATER in Chehalis, Washington. Some pictures of it are posted on cinematour.com (under Washington state theaters) and on film-tech.com too. I have some newer pictures than what is posted on those sites. The Chehalis now has a fully loaded sound rack with DTS digital sound featuring seperate amplifiers and surround speakers for the balcony circuit. We're running a rebuilt Simplex XL projector now on top of an old RCA 1040 soundhead (manufactured around 1936). The soundhead has a Component Engineering model ASR-40 reverse scan red reader installed (it's the only model out there that does not require carving up the soundheads main castings to fit it).

Whether to go with DTS depends on what sort of product you primarily intend to run. Most independent art titles are not made in DTS and some art films are not even digital (although this is now rare).

The first and foremost thing you need in the sound area is a good 5.1 analog SR system. You can then build from there.