Multi-Image in 2020

[Steven Michelsen]

Just was browsing the forum reading latest posts and saw your comment about Wess soft-edge masks.
Which ones are you interested in?
John

John,

Pan masks! Yes I am also on the lookout. The classic pan masks would be great; any of the other variants that Wess made (see the attached pic) would also be fun to use. I have been planning to create my own multi image show for quite a while; for now I am busy capturing other folks' shows. I have a few new things - a couple of 15 projector candids modules for IBM; take a look here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdGRNxsrsI-efMFSjFDmzvg/videos . Towards creating my own panaramas, I recently found a Nikon F2 with an Oxberry pin-registered back. I have no control unit for it and need to sort out what pin on the back's DIN plug does what, to move the registration pins in and out. Good times. Anyway, when I get that working I plan to create hi-res pans in photoshop, cut the image up as for a pan, then capture the images to Ektachrome with the F2 on a small 4K monitor. It's a theory that I THINK will work, and is a fun mix of 1980's and 2020's tech. We shall see...

Steve

 

[John Francis]

John,

Pan masks! Yes I am also on the lookout. The classic pan masks would be great; any of the other variants that Wess made (see the attached pic) would also be fun to use. I have been planning to create my own multi image show for quite a while; for now I am busy capturing other folks' shows. I have a few new things - a couple of 15 projector candids modules for IBM; take a look here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdGRNxsrsI-efMFSjFDmzvg/videos . Towards creating my own panaramas, I recently found a Nikon F2 with an Oxberry pin-registered back. I have no control unit for it and need to sort out what pin on the back's DIN plug does what, to move the registration pins in and out. Good times. Anyway, when I get that working I plan to create hi-res pans in photoshop, cut the image up as for a pan, then capture the images to Ektachrome with the F2 on a small 4K monitor. It's a theory that I THINK will work, and is a fun mix of 1980's and 2020's tech. We shall see...

Steve

Steve

I have got:
SE029C & SE029M
SE028C & SE028M

See the attached image. If you can get the masks duplicated at a lab that would be the best idea or alternatively scan the mask and add it in Photoshop to the relevant image.

Have you tried contacting Oxberry? Here is link that may be helpful - http://www.oxberry.com/docs/cameras/pro3/pro3_info.pdf

 

[John Francis]

Steve

I have the following masks:

SE029C & SE029M
SE028C & SE028M

See the attached image. Possibly it would best to get a lab to duplicate the masks for you as I have limited stock!

I'm looking for Two Imatronic SX adapters with the 14pin DIN sockets to complete the dissolve system for the carousel S-AV's. If you see any for sale in the UK could you let me know.

 

[Steven Michelsen]

Steve

I have the following masks:

SE029C & SE029M
SE028C & SE028M

See the attached image. Possibly it would best to get a lab to duplicate the masks for you as I have limited stock!

I'm looking for Two Imatronic SX adapters with the 14pin DIN sockets to complete the dissolve system for the carousel S-AV's. If you see any for sale in the UK could you let me know.

John,

After scanning my catalog in vain looking for your "SE028" masks, etc, I looked at your image and realized that the numbering system changed at some point! If you only have a few then I guess you can pass them along to "perkeleellinen". I have "a few" myself. I can always use more but have no immediate use for them - only grand schemes at the moment.

By the way, if by some miracle you happen to have that "Wess mount wall chart" mentioned at the bottom of the page you shared, please write me at stevenmichelsen@gmail.com! I have been looking for that for ages.

 

[perkeleellinen]

Certainly interested in those masks. I wonder, as we're all in different continents, if we should organise a way to duplicate them.

Thought you both might like this photo I was sent by someone I was sure was a scammer after I posted a wanted ad here:

 

[perkeleellinen]

 

[AgX]

As this thread partially is about looking back in time into this kind of photograpic business, this book (in German!) might interest some.
I have not had the chance to look into it, so I cannot say whether it only is about the history of works by the author or the business as such.

Der Klang der BilderDie Geschichte der modernen Dia-Audiovision | fotoforum

Von Mathias Michel

shop-fotoforum-de.translate.goog

 

[perkeleellinen]

Steven has uploaded some fantastic multi-image shows recently, here a great 15 projector example:

 

[Steven Michelsen]

perkeleellinen: thanks for taking notice of the new uploads. I have finally been digging into the huge cache of shows that I was entrusted with last year. These were produced by Wilden Enterprises of New York back in the '80s. Many of them are "generic" modules designed to be rented over and over again, and modified to meet the needs of the client at hand. The slides were taken out of their trays and stored (in a very organized manner) in small plastic boxes. There are roughy 25,000 slides in all, and the shows range from 6 to 18 projectors. I believe there are about 75 modules in all - I have restored and captured maybe 10% of them so far. I consider myself exceedingly lucky to have these; I had been searching for a cache like this for years. I doubt there'll be another. I hope to get them all running in the next year or so.

BTW, next up is a 9-on-1 show that is about as close to "art" as I think I will find here. I believe it was created as a "capabilities" piece, by Richard Shipps of DD&B Studios. I had to scrounge up nine E2 projectors, as E3s are too slow! See the pic. I should have it on the channel in a day or two. https://www.youtube.com/@AV_archaeology/videos

Steve

 

[perkeleellinen]

The slides were taken out of their trays and stored (in a very organized manner) in small plastic boxes.

Steve - may I ask, how are the programmes stored? Are they on audio tape?

 

[Steven Michelsen]

Steve - may I ask, how are the programmes stored? Are they on audio tape?

There are 1/4" reel to reel tapes containing the audio and clocktrak (AVLs proprietary time code, like SMPTE but counts in 1/100ths). There are also floppy discs with the Procall files that are used by my AVL Genesis or AVL Eagle I or II, that drives the slides.

- the Procall is loaded into the computer

Then when you run the show...

- the Clocktrak is played into the computer

- time cues in the Procall are triggered by the Clocktrak, which initiates sequences of cues to drive the slides.

As part of the restoration process I "bake" the audio tape, then capture the contents to a .wav file, and play that rather than the fragile, 40 year old tape. I also back up the Procall files!

 

[perkeleellinen]

There are 1/4" reel to reel tapes containing the audio and clocktrak (AVLs proprietary time code, like SMPTE but counts in 1/100ths). There are also floppy discs with the Procall files that are used by my AVL Genesis or AVL Eagle I or II, that drives the slides.

- the Procall is loaded into the computer

Then when you run the show...

- the Clocktrak is played into the computer

- time cues in the Procall are triggered by the Clocktrak, which initiates sequences of cues to drive the slides.

As part of the restoration process I "bake" the audio tape, then capture the contents to a .wav file, and play that rather than the fragile, 40 year old tape. I also back up the Procall files!

Thanks, Steve. Interested to know, what marks are on the mounts so you know which projector and which slot they go in? I'm trying to find an easy way to do this myself so I don't get confused.

 

[Steven Michelsen]

The slides were taken out of the trays in order, and placed in the trays, in order. I believe the point was to reduce the amount of storage space the whole collection took up. Remember the collection probably lived in 300 trays or more! The collection lived in a Manhattan mini-storage for about 30 years; I am sure the savings added up.

The slides for each tray are identified with a bit of paper. For some of the shows, the slot and tray # was already written on each slide, but that's not always the case. So, it is imperative to carefully pull each slide out of the box, in order, and drop into a tray, in order. See the pics of a typical box. The show in the illustration is only a 3 projector show.

By the way the black sharpie mark across all the slides was drawn while the slides were in their trays. It's a quick way to tell if all the slides are dropped correctly, and if the show is set up for front or rear projection.

 

[Steven Michelsen]

The third projector decided to play along without any intervention - just started working this afternoon:



Some of those carousels have only a few slides in them, hence the occasional skip.

Screen shot of the programme showing all three projectors recognised:

View attachment 261457

I'm going to write this all up clearly in the resources section in case anyone else follows me down this road.

Have you learned the full extent of the commands available to you with this software? It looks like there may be a random-access option? After creating a show with a bunch of "cues", can they be displayed? Can you show them here? Can that "delay" and "fade" timer be set to anything other than full-second increments?

 

[Steven Michelsen]

...To program the Doves you will need an old PC running C/PM and the AVL software...

You can also take a look at this site, http://www.stevenmichelsen.com/AVL/.

Hope this helps.

Actually the only C/PM computers that ran AVL shows were built by AVL (predominantly the "Eagle II") and have the appropriate hardware integrated. Regarding IBM PCs, please note that although the computer that programs the slides CAN be any '80's vintage XT PC, the key part will be the AVL Genesis Board Set that you install in the PC. That, along with Procall 5 or X software, will allow you to program slideshows. The board set has an RCA input and 2 outputs, to "hear" clocktrak from the showtape and to send cues to (up to) 2 banks of (up to) 5 Doves each.

 

[perkeleellinen]

Have you learned the full extent of the commands available to you with this software? It looks like there may be a random-access option? After creating a show with a bunch of "cues", can they be displayed? Can you show them here? Can that "delay" and "fade" timer be set to anything other than full-second increments?

Hi Steven, I haven't learned the full extent, or rather, I haven't found a suitable way to program the machines. I am using the EktaproGUI software in order to sync all three machines (only two can be synced without external software) but all it really does is allows for all three machines to project in order. I'd like to go further but difficult to know where to start, the age of these machines means they missed some of the dedicated programmers like the AVL stuff but are too early for a lot of pc based programs. Dataton and Av-Stumpf both made machines at one time.

 

[LeoCherne]

Tel - Caribiner! I never worked for them but am quite familiar. I am in touch with Susan Buckland, who now works as a realtor! I have learned that Caribiner scrapped all their rental slide modules when Jack Morton bought them in 2000. A sad day.

That is sad - have to wonder how many great slide shows are taking up space in landfills. Good puzzle for archeologists of the far future.

 

[Steven Michelsen]

That is sad - have to wonder how many great slide shows are taking up space in landfills. Good puzzle for archeologists of the far future.

I don't think those archaeologists will find much. I have learned recently that slides don't tolerate less-than-perfect conditions. Here are some that were temporarily exposed to water/dampness while in storage

 

[LeoCherne]

Steven - what you are seeing is in just a few short years. All that will be left before long will be bits of glass and plastic. Those of us who were a part of AV multi-projector slideshows were the fortunate witnesses of something that was very unique.