What's to chat about?

[Grant Bunter]

I've been away for a few weeks, up at the family farm trying to do whatever I could to help out there.
Got some fences and electric fences sorted out.
Very pleased to see not all the wildlife was killed in the area.
The damage in the entire affected area was, well, it was intense, just like the fire itself.

Then off to a place called Armidale in New South Wales for the annual event I work at called the Burrumbuttock Hay Run (check out their FB page).
It's in a different location every year, and part of it is to provide a free benefit concert to the locals...

[Bruce Weldy]

I've been away for a few weeks, up at the family farm trying to do whatever I could to help out there.
Got some fences and electric fences sorted out.
Very pleased to see not all the wildlife was killed in the area.
The damage in the entire affected area was, well, it was intense, just like the fire itself.

Then off to a place called Armidale in New South Wales for the annual event I work at called the Burrumbuttock Hay Run (check out their FB page).
It's in a different location every year, and part of it is to provide a free benefit concert to the locals...

Good to see ya' back Grant!

[Bryan Cox]

Grant,

Glad to hear from ya. Saw some of the pictures of the aftermath and it was eye opening. Good luck at your event and take care, man.

[Seth]

Hey Grant, I was just noticing the other day that we hadn't heard much from you lately. Really good to hear from you buddy and I'm glad you're alright.

[Tom Smit]

Hey Grant, I was just noticing the other day that we hadn't heard much from you lately. Really good to hear from you buddy and I'm glad you're alright.

+1

[Grant Bunter]

Thanks all,
Nice to be back, other than that means I'm also back at work.

Bryan,
The event is done and dusted. Often "dusted" is a literal description of a hay run, but this year there was good rain at the event, lovely for the locals, almost a nightmare for the entertainment team...

[Bryan Cox]

Thanks all,
Nice to be back, other than that means I'm also back at work.

Bryan,
The event is done and dusted. Often "dusted" is a literal description of a hay run, but this year there was good rain at the event, lovely for the locals, almost a nightmare for the entertainment team...

Did a show in North Texas once. Ran sound for all bands; three openers and my band headlined. By the time the third band was done a torrential downpour started. When I got to my speakers to pull them under an overhang there was already 4" of water on the ground. Glad I shut everything down quickly. Was just a matter of opening up the cabs and letting them dry out before powering them on again.

In your case, I guess the rain was good for those crazy fires. But yeah, totally sucks for the sound crew. Glad to hear you didn't fry any gear. Rock on!

[Seth]

Bill,
Other than added cost and build time, is there any reason it's a poor idea to put melded arrays in all 8 DR200's?
Deeper in the field, beyond the distance which added dispersion is beneficial, would there be any detriment to sound quality when compared to a flat array?

[Bryan Cox]

We were talking about amps the last couple days and it got me thinking. Are class A/B amps even still produced? I've done a little searching from the manufacturers I know but it all seemed to be class D.

On a similar note, I'd read on AVS Forum that the class D design cuts harmonic content due to its switching process. Can anyone weigh in on that? It didn't sound like it was backed by results but it was an interesting statement.

[Seth]

We were talking about amps the last couple days and it got me thinking. Are class A/B amps even still produced? I've done a little searching from the manufacturers I know but it all seemed to be class D.

On a similar note, I'd read on AVS Forum that the class D design cuts harmonic content due to its switching process. Can anyone weigh in on that? It didn't sound like it was backed by results but it was an interesting statement.

That's a good question. I've been seeing a bunch of designations lately, some I'm not familiar with. And now that you mention it, I haven't seen too much in the way of Class A/B amplifiers either. Not that I really know what one is from the other anyway other than Class D supposedly being more efficient and not requiring the traditional transformer. Been seeing Class D, Switch mode supply with Class-D output, Class T, class I, hybrid Class D... I know the Switch Mode Power Supplies are showing up all over the place in high power products such as welding machines and DC to AC Power Inverters.

I wouldn't mind reading a little about it all.

[Seth]

This was a little deeper than my mind wanted to go at the moment. I'll give it another try in the morning.

https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/am ... asses.html

[Bryan Cox]

I did a little more research and still didn't find any class A/B amps. But Peavey makes a variation on that: the class H with their CS series. This is basically the same as the class A/B but with a modified power section. They incorporate two power rails (high voltage/low voltage) to provide the necessary output.

With that said, the lower of the two models, CS4000, comes in at a hefty 67 lbs. OUCH!!! But these amps are beasts if their RMS is to be believed.

[Bruce Weldy]

While all of the technical stuff is interesting and I certainly applaud you all wanting to deepen your understanding, don't lose sight of the end product. I've seen arguments over slew rates, and switching amps, and all of the typical Ford vs. Chevy stuff over the years.

Bottom line, you still have to make whatever you have sound good. Whether you use class A, B, D, H or XYZ amps, you still have to make it sound good. Will changing from light Class D amps to a different design really help your rig sound better? Pretty sure the only change you'll notice is in your chiropractor bills.

Not knocking the zeal for more knowledge, just don't take your eye off the prize. It's important to keep the big picture in mind as you balance quality, price, weight, pack space, etc. against the size of your system, the venues you work and amount you charge for your services. One of the allures of the BFM speakers is the ability to create a lot of volume with less power - so take advantage of that and stay small, light and scalable with all the other gear.

[Bryan Cox]

While all of the technical stuff is interesting and I certainly applaud you all wanting to deepen your understanding, don't lose sight of the end product. I've seen arguments over slew rates, and switching amps, and all of the typical Ford vs. Chevy stuff over the years.

Bottom line, you still have to make whatever you have sound good. Whether you use class A, B, D, H or XYZ amps, you still have to make it sound good. Will changing from light Class D amps to a different design really help your rig sound better? Pretty sure the only change you'll notice is in your chiropractor bills.

Not knocking the zeal for more knowledge, just don't take your eye off the prize. It's important to keep the big picture in mind as you balance quality, price, weight, pack space, etc. against the size of your system, the venues you work and amount you charge for your services. One of the allures of the BFM speakers is the ability to create a lot of volume with less power - so take advantage of that and stay small, light and scalable with all the other gear.

Great points, Bruce...and I agree entirely. (Look, I got the name right this time!) Not trying to derail any thought processes or convince myself to go back to hauling anvils around. It's just that the discussion about Behringer amps, and class D in general, made me wonder if other amps classes are still being produced for PA application.

Truth be told, I'll stay with class D solely for the weight and lower prevalence of heat issues. And I'm sure that if I sat class A/B and class D amps next to each other I wouldn't be able to hear a difference other than placebo effect.

Although, if someone is able to produce a class T amp for PA then I'll definitely try it.

[Seth]

Bill, I was thinking the other day... like I don't do enough of that anyway... but, anyway. You mentioned, in another thread, that the Dancetronauts hadn't given credit where credit is due. I've gotta believe that's not out of willfully robbing you the notoriety and genuine expressed appreciation you and your speaker designs undoubtedly deserve.

All the YouTube channels are doing it... have you ever considered offering a line of Bill Fitzmaurice Designs "Merch"? I'd buy a hat, T-shirt, and hoodie if it were available. And, if I had a bad ass trailer with dancing girls on it, I'd be happy to present a reasonably sized banner, flag, or poster if it were also available.

Anyway, just a thought. And, I appreciate you and what you've created. Thank you.