Crown RTA-2 (Late 1970s)
The Crown RTA-2 is a bit of a puzzle, and the record has a genuine conflict. Most sources describe it as a plug-in modular accessory for the Crown RTA-1 real-time analyzer - an electronic tool used for room testing and system alignment in the late 1970s. One archived listing calls it a "passive radiator" for a loudspeaker system. It may be two different products sharing a name, or a simple cataloging error. The weight of evidence points to the analyzer accessory.
Here is what is documented about the RTA-2 as an analyzer. It was an inverse filter that accepted a signal from an RTA or other balanced, low-impedance output, and it was compatible with the Crown RTA-1. Sound on Sound (late '70s) described it as a "room testing analyzer" that was reliable and cheap compared to other measuring equipment of the era, used for measuring reverberation time (RT-60) with a sound source, microphone, and chart recorder. The Crown product page adds that it measured reverberation time to within 0.1 seconds over a range of 0.1 to 3.0 seconds. The signal it generated was useful for measuring equalizers, analyzers, RT-60, and general testing.
The unit ran on a battery. A 9-volt battery provided the 200-volt polarization supply, which suggests it powered a measurement microphone. It used XLR and phone jack inputs and outputs, and could handle signals of virtually any waveform, from impulse to sine waves. Recording Engineer (December 1978, p.40) ran Crown's own advertising for the RTA-2. The ad touted a 60 dB dynamic range, a 16 Hz to 20 kHz bandwidth, and a $2,595 price. It noted that the front panel included pink-noise unbalanced line/mic and balanced mic outputs, plus line and balanced mic inputs, with full or 1/3 octave readouts switch-selectable.
Beyond that, the record is thin. No production years, dimensions, weight, or frequency response figures for the device itself have surfaced. No owner reviews or collector pricing exist in the archive. What we have is a capable, affordable-in-comparison room analysis tool from Crown's late-'70s pro audio lineup — a useful companion to the RTA-1 for anyone serious about system alignment.
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