RCA ; LC-9A pics

[Audioconsultant]

Back when I worked for RCA Records in NYC I picked up 3 LC9a, and then picked up 3 more of just the empty cabinets when RCA dumped the remaining inventory from their warehouse in Camden NJ. Two of the new cabinets got built up (don't remember what drivers I used) and sold to the film department at New York Institute of Technology on Long Island.

Only one of my systems came with the passive crossover, but if I recall correctly it was 3rd order for both high and low pass.

The original woofer was made by RCA themselves in Camden, and had a very large ceramic magnet. Community Light and Sound (now Community Loudspeakers) bought the magnetizer used for the woofer magnets from RCA and used it for the magnets of their M4 mid range driver (which may just be the most efficient driver ever made).

My favorite way to use these speakers for sound reinforcement was stacking two with the top box upside down. This placed the HF horns right next to each other, the LF horns further apart, and the LF ports even further apart. The result was significantly increased directivity vertically, but no change in the horizontal plane. I drove these with McIntosh MC40 for the highs, and a MC2120 for the lows, and a custom modified UREI crossover.

Unfortunately two of my LC9a were lost in a move, but I still have and use the other two.

To my ears the weakest link was the HF drivers. I replaced the original JBL made, RCA labeled drivers first with the larger magnet JBL drivers. Later these were replaced with Emilar EA175 drivers. The Emilar drivers on the RCA HF horns were dead flat up to 12 kHz, but got ragged above 12 kHz.

Tom Danley suggested I replace the HF drivers with BMS 4550 and the original RCA LF drivers with JBL 2226H. I have a pair of 2226H but they need to be reconed, so I used a pair of JBL 2225H instead. The results have been wonderful. They have never sounded better, and the highs are the best they have ever been. Current amp configuration is a Crown Macro-Tech 1200 for the HF and a Crown Macro-Tech 2400 for the LF, with a Peavey original X-Frame serving as the crossover and (minimal) EQ.

I drag these out at least once or twice a year for outdoor sound reinforcement events and get complements on the sound. Yes the drivers have been updated, but these are still the same 1950 vintage loudspeakers still going strong.

[glen]

Unfortunately two of my LC9a were lost in a move, but I still have and use the other two.

Holy Cow!
Must've taken some real determination to lose those giant cabinets.
Don't use those movers again!

To my ears the weakest link was the HF drivers. I replaced the original JBL made, RCA labeled drivers first with the larger magnet JBL drivers. Later these were replaced with Emilar EA175 drivers. The Emilar drivers on the RCA HF horns were dead flat up to 12 kHz, but got ragged above 12 kHz.

Interesting that you felt the 175 was inadequate.

I recently saw a 275 on ebay that had a rectangular inset on the back to receive a missing nameplate. Made me wonder if a version of the 275 might have been made for RCA since they used JBL drivers AND used a rectangular nameplate.

Thanks for your info!

[louped garouv]

I drag these out at least once or twice a year for outdoor sound reinforcement events and get complements on the sound. Yes the drivers have been updated, but these are still the same 1950 vintage loudspeakers still going strong.

Are these generally public events?

are they near Denver?

how neat,

and thanks to all for sharing info about these units...

[Audioconsultant]

louped garouv -

"Are these generally public events?

are they near Denver?"

Every April for the last 4 years I have done the sound for the Homeschool rally on the West steps of the state capitol in Denver. It is usually Noon on a Friday. We have had crowds of up to 3000 depending on the weather.

The LC-9a are the main speakers placed up high on either side of the West steps, and a pair of JBL 4331a studio monitors are the side fill speakers (there is over a 180 degree arc to cover). An EAW CP621 stuck on a pole mount is used for near center fill. There is a delay system running on generator to cover the green running down the hill to the West. That uses four EV Zx5 on poles to cover the area. Audio gets to the delay system via a Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid wireless link.

I usually also do a few events in the Longmont / Boulder area, but this year did not.

[Audioconsultant]

glen -

"Interesting that you felt the 175 was inadequate."

The EA175 were much nicer than either the RCA/JBL or the larger JBL I had used in the LC9a before the Emilar. However next to the BMS 4550 they did not sound anywhere near as nice :>)

[Audioconsultant]

Holy Cow!
Must've taken some real determination to lose those giant cabinets.
Don't use those movers again!

That is not as bad as when a shipping company "lost" four Community CB594 (43" x 53" x 68") between the factory and NYC.

[00Robin]

Here's a picture of Mr. A.J. May, taken in the fall of 2002. A.J. died in early 2004. He was a sweet, kindly man, the sort you cannot help but like immediately. He designed the LC-9A, the MI-9462 (Ubangi) bass enclosure, the majority of RCA's postwar radial horn products, and much more. He was very humble though, always attempting to assign credit to others. He was John Volkmann's (inventor of the radial horn) understudy in the early years, and helped him to maintain an ever-changing experimental sound system at Radio City Music Hall. He also worked for a time at Princeton with Harry Olson. He frequently said "I was their chief measurer", preferring to be regarded as an assistant rather than the innovator he truly was. He told me in 2002, on the day the picture was taken: "It has been a very interesting life."

I wanted the attachment but I don't know how...
I would loved to have given him a kiss and a real tight hug.

[RKLee]

An audio newbie here, I didn't catch when the RCA LC-9s were generally commerially available, approximately what were the years.

I wanted the attachment but I don't know how...
I would loved to have given him a kiss and a real tight hug.

That is the problem with getting old, all the people that you admired are going away.

[Earl K]

snip,,,,,, I didn't catch when the RCA LC-9s were generally commercially available, approximately what were the years?

- I can't give you much of a definative answer to your question / Steve Schell should have a much better handle on it .

- You can get an idea about when RCA started to seriously develop this product ( ie; @ 1965 ) by assuming that's when they contracted JBL to start OEMing a rebadged le175 as the RCA MI-11419 for use in their LC-9 . ( see the "sales drawing" that Steve Schell posted above ) .

[Audioconsultant]

An audio newbie here, I didn't catch when the RCA LC-9s were generally commerially available, approximately what were the years.

You can now buy brand new RCA LC-9a in a slick gloss black finish, with an added subwoofer they sit on. I am at the AES Convention in NYC, and Ocean Way Audio has just introduced their HR-2 studio monitors "designed by Allen Sides". While they no where say this, these are nothing more than copies of the LC-9a (plus a sub). They will install a triamped pair in your studio for a mere $34,000.00.

[4313B]

Welcome to the forum Audioconsultant.

[thetubeguy1954]

- Yep, pretty cool . That flowing throat section of the lowmid horn would be a real brute to reproduce .

- I don't know what quantity these were made in / they are scarce . Steve Schell would likely know .

- Here are some pics of a likely candidate for the role of the compression driver. These are le175s' OEMed for RCA by JBL .
- I don't know anything about the 15" woofers' make or model # .

<>

I've been told that the number of LC9As made was between 100-300 pairs! That makes them a fairly rare item to obtain. To provide the information Steve didn't have the about the LC9A woofers their model # was MI-11421.

As I previously stated in this thread I have 2 LC9A cabinets ---{they were completely white when I received them as you can see in the previous photo but were painted via paintbrush, so there were a lot of drips and paintbrush lines}--- I've since removed about 99% of all the white paint from both cabinets.

I've been removing the paint and sanding them ---{for 2 years now}--- but, sadly being disabled it takes me forever to do anything to these enclosures. Plus since obtaining the RCA LC9As I was involved in a terrible car accident which only exasperated my disability. I'm afraid I bit off more than I can chew with this DIY project. Thus with a heavy heart I must let them go.

At present I have ---{and these are all exceedinly rare}--- 2 working pairs (4 drivers total) of the original RCA MI-11421 woofers ---{one has been reconed thus looks differently but the other 3 are completely stock}--- I also have 3 RCA MI-11419 compression drivers ---{1 doesn't work but I assume it can be rebuilt, the other 2 work perfectly and still have their red seals intact}--- Plus I have 1 working original crossover. These parts are extremely rare and difficult to find. In the 2 years I've been looking I've seen 1 MI-11421 woofer on eBay for $450 and I've yet to see the MI-11419 anywhere for sale!

Essentially I'm just 1 working crossover away from having 2 completely original, working, stock RCA LC9A speakers that health & finances are compelling me to sell. I thought I'd offer them first right here because I believe the people here appreciate their rarity. I'd like someone to get a good deal but I'm not willing to give them away either. I'm AM willing to entertain offers @ [email protected]

Of course being that I'm disabled I cannot bring these anywhere to have them shipped so the buyer would have to arrange to have them picked up and shipped at their expense. I'll happily make things as easy for the shipper as I possibly can. I'm also definitely willing to pack up all the drivers for safe shipping. So "if" you're interested in purchasing a piece of audio history and obtaining excellent sonics at the same time, please shoot me an email with your offer. The first person who hits the number I have in mind will get them.

Of course I'm willing to provide photos of any of the LC9A's components cabinets, compression drivers, woofers and crossover from any angle you might wish and "if" it starts to appear a transaction might transpire I'll provide my phone # at that time.

Thetubeguy1954

[louped garouv]

http://homepage.mac.com/ikecarumba/PhotoAlbum21.html


found a picture page on the RCA driver...


i am making a calendar mark now to make sure i don't miss the home school rally on the Denver capitol steps again next year....



I read somewhere that there is a field coil version of the LC1A driver....

anyone ever see one in real life?

thoughts?

[stephane RAME]

RCA Museum

http://www.oswaldsmillaudio.com/rcamuseum.html

http://www.oswaldsmillaudio.com/rcaarchive.html

[bigyank]

Here are a pair of these in Woodbridge, VA on the 'Bay (Heather you should go get a listen ):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...63#description

I also have to say that this was a very nicely written and authoritative read.

Yank