More than 11 million people who have already visited Disneyland in Anaheim, California may never be aware of it, but their enjoyment is greatly enhanced by more than 500 varied pieces of tape, amplifier, microphone, speaker, and projector equipment.
Throughout the park’s 60 acres, the electronics equipment is utilized for a variety of special effects and as a constant accompaniment to each individual attraction, ride, exhibit, and show-which right now totals more than 50.
Extensive use is made of tape equipment. For example, 120 MacKenzie tape repeater units are used for the various rides. These play a maximum of 5 minutes of continuous sounds, although most are set for just a few seconds of sound effects, as may be required.
Altec’s 408A speaker is the most often found single equipment model in Disneyland. The park has 150 of these in use, all indoors. For outdoor speaker requirements, Disneyland has 30 Electra-Voice Model CDP 842’s and 40 University 1B8’s.
For its over-all music system, the park makes use of a variety of tape machines. These play four hours of continuous music, then reverse automatically for another four hours of playing time. Tapes are on 14-inch reels and play at 3 3/4 inches per second.
It takes the combined efforts of seven sound-maintenance men employed by the Ralke Company, plus a projector repairman, to keep all the electronic equipment in proper working condition.
With more than 500 individual pieces of equipment to maintain, repair, and install for the many attractions and the constant flow of new developments, they’re some of the busiest sound maintenance men in the business.
