CB > On (13 Jul 95) Laszlo Sokolai wrote to Chris Baugh...
CB > LS> For sound amplification, i use the following power amplifiers in my
CB > racks:
CB > ...
CB > LS> for speakers, i use...
CB > Thanks a lot for the peek behind the scenes!  (Now all you
CB > need is
CB > a Wizard of Oz curtain, so you can tell people to pay no
CB > attention...)
CB > LS> I am planning on getting more control over my equipment in the
CB > LS> future (noise gates, compressors) as i plan to expand my
CB > I was thinking that the new Alesis Q2 might be handy in
CB > this
CB > application.  It has 8 signal processing blocks, each one
CB > can be a
CB > reverb, delay, EQ or pitch shifter.  There are two inputs,
CB > two
CB > outputs and internal patch bay.  You could put a signal
CB > into one of
CB > the inputs and use an EQ block to cut the lows, and send
CB > that signal
CB > out one output, take the same input signal and use a second
CB > EQ block
CB > to cut the highs, run that to the other output.  Add a
CB > delay to each
CB > block (programmable to 0.1 ms) to correct for timing errors
CB > in the
CB > system.  You still have 4 blocks left for additional
CB > equalization,
CB > reverb etc.  As the Q2's list is $800 and street price is
CB > under
CB > $600, this seems like it might be a much more versatile
CB > alternative
CB > to the traditional crossover/delay system.  Meanwhile when
CB > you're
CB > not on tour, back in the studio you could use the same unit
CB > to add
CB > reverbs, guitar effects etc.
CB > Do you use special kind of cables?  I've always been a fan
CB > of banana
CB > plugs for speakers, because they stay plugged in - and no
CB > other type
CB > of equipment uses them, so it's less likely someone who
CB > wanders by
CB > to "help out" will zap a poor mixer or direct box with
CB > 4,000 watts!
CB > But I read recently about a sound tech who wired speaker
CB > cables with
CB > the circular 3-prong connectors used for 220V power
CB > outlets.  Of
CB > course the speakers would fry if plugged directly into 220V
CB > mains,
CB > but on the other hand, anyone who knows what that big plug
CB > is for
CB > wouldn't be likely to be randomly plugging it in without
CB > showing
CB > some respect!
CB > LS> semi-reactive loads taken on by paralleled speakers.  So far i do
CB > not run
CB > The other day I was trying to look up the formulas for
CB > impedance
CB > with serial or parallel connections but I couldn't find my
CB > notes.
CB > LS> for protection equipment, i just use alot of MOV's, and line
CB > LS> breakers on my racks,
CB > Markertek's catalog lists a Furman AC power conditioner
CB > that is
CB > supposed to automatically adjust for worldwide input
CB > voltages and
CB > supply a clean 120V, about 2000W to a dozen outlets on the
CB > back, for
CB > around $1700.  Maybe that would be a handy addition to your
CB > racks.
CB > Have you tested your system's output with an SPL meter?
I will look into the furman, and the alesis.  Thank you.  And yes, i have 
measured the sound pressure level, with my old speakers (crappy cerwin vega 
horn reflex with the woofers facing down) - at 130 DB to 137 DB - from 3 
meters from the speakers.  With the speakers like me ex 1000's and 
4115h-ii's, i get around 145 DB with the line EQ set 1 DB below clipping.  
Usually is my amps clip, i try to keep them at bay and have all of them clip 
at once, but since i am thinking of Bi-amping and Tri-amping, this will 
rarely happen unless one or more of my amps are running bass.  I am also 
thinking of making my own horn loaded cabinet with a pair of high Q' rated 
subwoofers.  It is a simple task to plan, but to actually go through the wood 
bending process to make a 3 or 4 foot deep horn loaded subwoofer will take 
quite more time than i estimated.  The ex-1000's and sw 800's are front 
loaded, which means the speakers are built into the front of the cabinets, i 
personally do not like to run front loaded speakers outdoors because there is 
HARDLY any resisitance of air mass in front of the subs and the ex-1000's.  
Sure they sound excellent indoors with a high ceiling, but i cannot be a 
match against a 11 foot tall by 4 foot wide Altec Lansing horn loaded woofer 
array.  Each of the Lansing cabinets i saw were about 5 feet deep with 2 or 4 
or 8 12 inch woofers, and the force is easily felt at 200 feet away at only 
500 watts of power to each array.  I am planning to build a few (8) high 
efficiency deep horn loaded woofer arrays using multi cellular horn array 
tweeters (watch the feedback, your ears can bleed like anything).  Lets just 
say that when i read the history of Western Electric horn woofers and horn 
tweeters in the 1920's with only 40 watts of power and 21 foot deep horns 
running at 40 watts each and filled an outdoor area with 125,000 people, i 
was AMAZED!.
Laszlo
--- BBS 42
---------------