Bonnie:
->I suspect that there are few practicing audio people that really know
->how to use the equipment and have the time to do a complete alignment
->from venue to venue.
'Scuse me?  As if it mattered at 110db with grunge music.  Did someone
say, "Smashing Pumpkins" ??
:-)  Okay, that aside...
Many things have contributed to the "plug-n-play" sound system that
keeps the engineer from having to spend hours tweaking a system out
after setup.
Most of the major manufactures have gone to single-box systems, with
separate non-flying subs being used on an as-required basis. In most
cases, the tops are very nearly full-range systems: the Clair Brothers
S-4r has a pair of 18" drivers, four 10" drivers, a pair of 2" horns,
and (I believe) four 1" horns. It's a four-way, specification-perfect,
long-throw, computer-controlled box that needs absolutely no operator
intervention to function to factory specifications - each and every time
it's set up and plugged in.  The engineer merely has to throw a few
sliders on the system EQ to find "his" sound, and the show goes on.
Who at the venue needs to be concerned with time-alignment, or
driver-to-driver balance, when everything was taken care of at
the factory?  You can see the efficiency here...
And what if a sub is required?  The S-4 sub is an extremely efficient
triple-18" box, but used only in very small quantities at most of their
shows. It's just not really needed when you get up into 96 box rigs.
With 2 18" drivers per top box, who needs subs?    As long
as you make the top boxes aware of the subs' presence (via the system
processor), and place the subs somewhat intelligently, you won't ever
run into an alignment difficulty (as if anyone could hear an alignment
problem at 50hz/120db).
The S-4 system certainly must be acceptable; I'm sure you recognize
Clair Brothers as the world's largest sound-reinforcement provider,
with clientle from Yanni to Reba to Pearl Jam.  And the list of
manufacturers goes on and on:  EAW KF-85x, Meyer MSL-x, Showco
Prism, Turbosound Fl***light (choose Flashlight _or_ Floodlight!),
Community RS-**0, etc.  Heck, even Peavey and Yorkville have gotten
on the big-box bus.  By building large top boxes with healthy driver
populations, the manufacturers avoid time-alignment problems that were
introduced along with single enclosure per bandwidth rigs in the
'70s and '80s.
Thank God for the '90s.  
->...just more "das blinken lighten" to impress the ignorant.
Remember, these systems - which are on the cutting edge of live sound
reinforcement technology - use factory designed computers to perform
many, many functions that used to bog an operator's mind: crossover
points slide with program material and output voltage, limiters are
activated and controlled automatically by monitoring the amplifiers'
output waveform (called "sense" by most manufacturers), time-alignment
is set correctly for the driver population of the proper enclosure
(and in some cases slid semi-automatically to provide "aural exciter"
type effects), and much more.  The engineer neither has to monitor or
even be aware, in most cases, of what's going on.  The box simply
sounds killer while maintaining and protecting itself via it's
rack-mount processor.
An engineer may have a White or Ivie piece in his FOH gear simply to
montior SPL.  Granted, that's a _way_ excessive choice for a volume
meter, but the artist pays the bill, not the engineer.  He also may
use it to double-check his ears after mixing 75 minutes of shredding
guitars at 110db: a quick glance at the LEDs can tell him if something
wierd is _indeed_ happening around 2k (or whatever).  And, it's
sometimes interesting to note what the system is capable of producing,
frequency-wise, during a performance.
The enclosures I've mentioned span a number of manufacturers, from
the high-end proprietary stuff to mid-level (club-level) gear.
You've doubtless encountered most all of it during your career, and
haven't had many dissapointing experiences.  Enclosures aren't just
thrown together any more (as they were in times past), and the new
dels don't require nearly the attention the old ones clamored for.
Processed, self-monitored systems are the way of life now, and it's
a damn good thing, too.  Leaves more time for the engineer to operate,
and not technically analyze, his system.
Regards,
Tim ==
--- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 
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