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Rush - Fly By Night. Although the original mix is ok, Anthem, Best I Can, and Beneath, Between and Behind would sound (even more) fantastic with today's studio tech. 2112 was just released remastered (again) and in 5.1 surround. Can anyone tell me how you can 'create' individual rear channels when none were recorded in the studio?? wtf

Here's a few stats, for those interested. And a decent thread from the AVS forum. http://www.avsforum.com/t/560830/imax-theater-bass Pictures from my IMAX including some of the amp racks. http://www.film-tech.com/warehouse/wareview.php?id=1682&category=1 The Imax system is basically a 15 - 20,000 watt 6.1 system. Specifications of the surround sound system differ between venues but this is a pretty accurate description of what goes into the speaker system of an Imax. The six audio channels are fed to a 4-way JBL speaker array. Every section is equipped with JBL models no: 2404 H (Ultra-High Frequency), 2445 J (Wide Range), 2123 H (High Power Low Frequency), and 2245 H (Medium Efficiency Extended Bass). The Subwoofers is a specially built enclosure containing between 8 - 16 JBL model no. 2242H 18 inch subwoofers They are located to give strong directional effects and placed as follows: Channel 1 Left rear (theater), Channel 2 Left screen, Channel 3 Center screen, Channel 4 Right screen, Channel 5 Right rear (theater), Channel 6 Top of screen. http://www.jblpro.com/pub/obsolete/2123.pdf Midrange Transducer http://www.jblpro.com/pages/components/2245h.htm Low Frequency http://www.jblpro.com/pub/components/2445J.pdf Compression Driver http://www.jblpro.com/pages/pub/components/2404.pdf Ultra HF Transducer A word about enclosures from Sonics Associates, the firm that assembles the IMAX A/V. Lynn McCroskey, President and CEO of Sonics Associates, a subsidiary of Toronto's IMAX Corporation said: "In most installations, we use eight sub-bass loudspeakers, each in a 16-cubic-foot enclosure," he says. "The enclosures include a filtering labyrinth we designed that physically traps the higher-frequency components that can otherwise cause overtones and distortion." Labyrinth cabinets are tougher to build as they are more exotic than ported or bandpass design, but possibly one of the secrets to IMAX great bass is this enclosure type and also the use of 18" drivers as so common in concert pro audio. From 'hometheaterguy' at AVS.... A Canadian Imax theater used a crane with a 175 foot boom to lift the huge sheet screen and the 800LB audio rack in their theater! Most Imax theaters use a "circular surround EX" design. Some use DDP digital processors. The Ontario Place Imax theater uses 12 Bryston power amps. The Wells Fargo Cinedome Imax theater uses 12 Cinemacoustic power amps. The Woodridge Imax theater uses 17 QSC power amps.

I visit a movie theater 3-4 times a year. And last night I missed the 8:45 Star Trek, so I waited for the next at 9:30, which happened to be an IMAX theater. I'm glad I missed the 8:45. As a footnote, I really enjoy an audio system that has the ability to handle any transient peaks without touching the volume, so you know what is supposed to be quiet is quiet, what is supposed to be crashing and loud is indeed so. And an IMAX theater has it. Now, I am not really sure if the extra space contributes to softening a horn, which sometimes is not the best for a HT system. But the mid, upper mid, and mid-bass sounded effortless, clean, clear, quick, accurate. Even with the inherent distortion that comes with explosions, crashing noises, etc. I've browsed a little and found there have been some changes made to cabinet design et. al in the newer theaters. Holy COW that IMAX sound rocks. I tried to be critical, but found very little wanting. Any one else heard one lately?