Hello From Tampa !

Post Reply
Message
Author
ka7niq
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2021 5:52 pm
Location: Tampa Florida
Contact:

Hello From Tampa !

#1 Post by ka7niq »

Hello everyone, I am new here. My name is Chris Tucker and KA7NIQ is my Ham Radio Callsign.
I hang out on some Audio Forums, and have always wanted to join this one, just never got around to it.
I accidentally found this thread, and it pissed me off https://www.reddit.com/r/livesound/comm ... s_designs/
I got the chance to leave my good opinion about Bill in the thread.
Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa Florida
711 Westbrook Ave
Brandon Florida 33511
Https://www.saferoofcleaning.com

Bruce Weldy
Posts: 8301
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:37 am
Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: Hello From Tampa !

#2 Post by Bruce Weldy »

That's why this is really the only forum that I'm on. Too many armchair quarterbacks with absolutely no knowledge flaming those who do on some other sites. This forum is really about building speakers and there is a lot of help available from the members. Welcome aboard.

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

User avatar
Seth
Posts: 2731
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:06 pm
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Contact:

Re: Hello From Tampa !

#3 Post by Seth »

Welcome to the party Chris :thumbsup:

To be fair, every design has up's and down's. And every person values a cab's attributes differently.

Some want the most output per cab, no matter the required power, size/weight of the cab, sound quality, price tag, etc.
Some want low cost, no matter what.
Some want low weight or certain pack space, no matter what.
Some absolutely do not want to build anything.
Some absolutely do want a DIY solution.

But, most want a combination of those attributes with differing orders of weighting/importance. However, it also seems most people think everyone else's values should mirror their own and everything outside of those values is universally less than a premium solution, less than optimum. I fall into this myself from time to time too, in audio stuff as well as other aspects of life. Feelings and beliefs are unfortunately a very fragile foundation to place one's ego. But, I still do it all the time.

Here's my audio system requirements:

MUST be capable of producing no less than 110dB of clean undistorted (<10% THD) sound from 40Hz-20kHz, 100 feet from the source, outdoors.
MUST be able to operate on one 15 amp 120volt power circuit with 100% repeatability, venue to venue.
MUST be able to set up/broken down by one person (including up and down stairs)
100% of the system and supporting gear MUST fit in a 6x10 trailer
Total weight of trailer and gear MUST be under 3000 pounds (single axle trailers are usually around 1200lbs, leaving 1800lbs for gear, which adds up quick!)
Total system cost, including all cables, microphones, amps, racks, mixer, speakers, monitors, etc.... Everything MUST be less than $10K

I imagine there's ways to get that done outside of solutions available here. But, the solutions most armchair quarterback audio guys mention wont cut it. Their values and requirements are different (or nonexistent (dreamer, troll, naysayer)).


So, yeah... there's people with opinions out there in www Land that aren't inline with mine. Can't get away from it though, no matter what we're talking about... cars, boats, fishing reels, tools, women, flowers, soda, beer, pancake batter mix... anything. Even people who are grossly misinformed think, what they think they know, is "right" when most of the time "right" is a made up value derived from made up criteria. I've been that guy before and probably (most definitely) will be that guy again.


Again, welcome to the party Chris!

Have you built any of Bill's designs? Plan to? Which one's?

-Seth-
Last edited by Seth on Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

jimbo7
Posts: 849
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:45 am
Location: St. Louis

Re: Hello From Tampa !

#4 Post by jimbo7 »

Seth is right. If it fits your needs and you like it, who cares. The wolf doesn't concern itself with the opinions of sheep.
BFM builds:
XF212
T24 BP102 24"
2x SLA's 6-5" mids, 9- gt-302's
2x AT 14" MCM 55-2421
TrT 5" MCM 55-2421
AT 18" JBL GTO804
2x OT12 flat array
2x SLA Pro 2-Alpha 6's 2-Goldwoods
2x T39 24" 3012lf
Simplex 10 BP102

User avatar
Tom Smit
Posts: 7457
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:24 pm
Location: Sarnia, Ont. Canada

Re: Hello From Tampa !

#5 Post by Tom Smit »

ka7niq, welcome aboard!
TomS

Rich4349
Posts: 855
Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:18 am
Location: Kankakee, IL

Re: Hello From Tampa !

#6 Post by Rich4349 »

Also, if pressed, you will find MOST of the detractors haven't actually built OR heard a BFM system in person, but they've "heard" about them online blah blah blah. Are these DIY systems the loudest cabinets ever? No. Are they the highest pinnacle of sound ever? No. Are they the cheapest ever? No. But if you do a watts / dollar / Sound Quality evaluation, you will find very few competitors holding equal ground. Are front loaded horns notably bigger than bass reflex? Obviously. Do they sound proportionately better? And then some. Do they require significantly less expensive (and lighter) amps? YEP. Will $3,000 worth of BFM speakers sound as good as $3,000 worth of mainstream speakers? I don't know, that won't buy you one of their whole systems to compare!

It's up to you, but ask around and see if there's someone with a system anywhere near you that you could audition.
2 DR250s, 2 27" Lab15 T-60s, 2 30" Neo Titan 39s, 1 Autotuba...and looking for more!

ka7niq
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2021 5:52 pm
Location: Tampa Florida
Contact:

Re: Hello From Tampa !

#7 Post by ka7niq »

Seth wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 3:08 pm Welcome to the party Chris :thumbsup:


-Seth-
Thanks Seth! No plans to build anything, at the moment. Ditto on the efficiency! I have a pair of these at the moment in my room corners, firing across the room. They are bi amped too.
Attachments
Peavey 115 sc and Horn top.jpg
Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa Florida
711 Westbrook Ave
Brandon Florida 33511
Https://www.saferoofcleaning.com

ka7niq
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2021 5:52 pm
Location: Tampa Florida
Contact:

Re: Hello From Tampa !

#8 Post by ka7niq »

Rich4349 wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:49 pm Also, if pressed, you will find MOST of the detractors haven't actually built OR heard a BFM system in person, but they've "heard" about them online blah blah blah. Are these DIY systems the loudest cabinets ever? No. Are they the highest pinnacle of sound ever? No. Are they the cheapest ever? No. But if you do a watts / dollar / Sound Quality evaluation, you will find very few competitors holding equal ground. Are front loaded horns notably bigger than bass reflex? Obviously. Do they sound proportionately better? And then some. Do they require significantly less expensive (and lighter) amps? YEP. Will $3,000 worth of BFM speakers sound as good as $3,000 worth of mainstream speakers? I don't know, that won't buy you one of their whole systems to compare!

It's up to you, but ask around and see if there's someone with a system anywhere near you that you could audition.
I have never heard a BFM System, but I bet they are very good! Bill really knows his stuff.
Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa Florida
711 Westbrook Ave
Brandon Florida 33511
Https://www.saferoofcleaning.com

DaveMacKay
Posts: 88
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2021 3:10 pm

Re: Hello From Tampa !

#9 Post by DaveMacKay »

Welcome to the forum Chris.

himhimself
Posts: 599
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 9:34 pm
Location: Vancouver BC & Bloomington IN

Re: Hello From Tampa !

#10 Post by himhimself »

Rich4349 wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:49 pm Also, if pressed, you will find MOST of the detractors haven't actually built OR heard a BFM system in person, but they've "heard" about them online blah blah blah.
Hearing is believing. My T30s are big boxes when compared with some of the common direct radiator subs in use. But once people hear them, the size takes a back seat. Especially outside, where they don't seem so big anymore. It's really hard to explain how musical they sound, not just loud. I can listen to them at fairly high levels for a long time without the fatigue my ears experience with most of the "affordable" PA/DJ systems out there.

Welcome to the forum, lots of good info and kind people willing to share here.
2xT30 (20", 3012LF)
2xT30 (21", 3012LF)
4xOtop J-array (Beta12, melded/straight piezos)
Truck Tuba (MCM)
Next up: 2xJack12 or family of table tubas

Bruce Weldy
Posts: 8301
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:37 am
Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: Hello From Tampa !

#11 Post by Bruce Weldy »

Rich4349 wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:49 pm Will $3,000 worth of BFM speakers sound as good as $3,000 worth of mainstream speakers?
No question that $3k worth of BFM will be better. More SPL and equal or better sound quality. $3k will get you 4 OTops and 4 T39s if you build 'em yourself. Or, it will get you maybe 2 tops and 1 sub from a major supplier....(I'm not considering the junk out there)

I have no problem with JBL and QSC.....I have and still do mix on a lot of their stuff, but a system equal to my BFM rig would be at least twice as expensive.

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

ka7niq
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2021 5:52 pm
Location: Tampa Florida
Contact:

Re: Hello From Tampa !

#12 Post by ka7niq »

Bruce Weldy wrote: Fri Oct 22, 2021 11:24 am
Rich4349 wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:49 pm Will $3,000 worth of BFM speakers sound as good as $3,000 worth of mainstream speakers?
No question that $3k worth of BFM will be better. More SPL and equal or better sound quality. $3k will get you 4 OTops and 4 T39s if you build 'em yourself. Or, it will get you maybe 2 tops and 1 sub from a major supplier....(I'm not considering the junk out there)

I have no problem with JBL and QSC.....I have and still do mix on a lot of their stuff, but a system equal to my BFM rig would be at least twice as expensive.
I BET the BFM stuff sounds really really good! My ex girlfriend has a Daughter, and her daughters boyfriend is a car stereo guy.
He has heard of Bill Fitzmaurice, unlike most of my Audio Snob buddies.
Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa Florida
711 Westbrook Ave
Brandon Florida 33511
Https://www.saferoofcleaning.com

Post Reply