Hi all from downunder.

[spiltmidi]

Well, where do I start..... I have never owned a PA system, I have always hired them for each event I have had. Ok, so I have Djed for the past 10 years and now have started to produce my own music. I build my own stomp pedals and have modified a mixer of min into a midi controller for my music production. I like electronics alot so I am technically minded. I hold outdoor parties in the rainforest out of town where I live. I have decided because I love music so much and hiring equipment is just costing too much money, I want to make my own cabs and amp to run them. I have been looking at the free speaker plans sight and found that it is quiet expensive to purchase the speakers for them as they use expensive drivers. I stumbled across Bill Fitzmaurice's page and studied the site for some time before deciding to purchase some plans.

From all the searching I have done of the forum I have been able to see some builds and also some mistakes that others have done and I am prepaired (I hope) to start the build process. As I have never done a build before I thought it would be a great start to build a pair of OT12's and a dual Tuba24 cab. This will also give me some much needed father son time with my 7 year old son for him to help me build these. My other son will have to wait a couple of years before he can help out.

A couple of questions I have, I will ask in the correct area of the forum. One thing I am not sure of though is if I should build 2 seperate single Tuba24's or one dual Tuba24. The style of music that will play through these are all EDM. I produce Psytrance myself and also listen to alot of minimal and Tech House. My son loves his Dance music, like Nicky Romero, Fatboy Slim and so on. Have to let him enjoy what he has built as well. Well that is it for now though, I have purchased the plans last week for the OT12's and the Tuba24's and have done what has been said many times on this forum, read read read and read. If your eyes are not bleeding yet, then read some more. Great forum and help on here as well. Great work guys. Oh and when I start the build, I will have to make a build thread so I can get as much help as I can, if I need it.

[Grant Bunter]

G'day spiltmidi and welcome to the forum

Enjoying your user name!

I guess you know what bottom end content you're putting in your music.
Have you read the bit in the plans for the T24 where it says "less than 4 cabs need to be high passed at 45Hz" (look under "protecting your driver")?
Is your bottom end content lower than 45Hz?

If so and you want to reproduce that content, now's the time to change your mind and go with the T30, or even the T60.

When it comes to dual loaded cabs, they have benefits, usually associated with large PA's.
With dual loaded cabs, you can mess with parallel and serial wiring of drivers and cabs to run more drivers per amp channel.
If you're working by yourself, then 2 single loaded cabs are easier to manage and will have the same output as a dual loaded cab twice the width.

I admire your spirit when it comes to wanting to build your own amp, it will have to have the following output:
1 x 8ohm BP102: around 125W
2 x 4 ohm BP102 serial wired:around 300W
2 x 8 ohm BP102 parallel wired: around 205W

Amps to cover these outputs are readily available in the market place now, for probably less than you can build them.

The BP102's are available from Essential Audio ( www.essentialaudio.com.au ) at reasonable prices (for Australia), or another seller on e-bay has some at times as well.

Since you're new to PA, you may as well know up front that some electronics are essential to run these designs, and should be factored into budget. eg DSP like DBX's driverack series or Behringers DCX2496...

[spiltmidi]

Hi Grant,

Thanks for you reply. For this PA build I will however buy the amps and not build them. I have the skill and knowhow but you are very right, with the price of amps these days, it would work out much cheaper to buy them instead of building one myself. That was going to be my next question as well about the DCX2496 and there was the DEQ2496 that I have seen on the forum around here. I trully do understand that there is an outline for equipment at first but I am ready to fork out and get this to start up. Have saved abit before this point. (Kids xmas fund )

When I produce, I usually cut everything below 30Hz with a HP on a group channel as to me this is just driving the speakers for no gain at all. It would be nice to have a system goto 40Hz. I honestly thought about the T24 as it would have been a nice first build and did not think about how low they would go, but you are right and I should look into the T30 or T60 as I have some mates up north here that produce dub and that crazy trap (Not really my fancy). One thing I did forget to add in was my overall scope of the system. I would like to work on making a JArray and more Bass bins. This is overall and something that will take time but I need to start somewhere right.

So I am learning as I go and with the help from you guys will get it together slowly.

Just a little story on the username. A great friend of mine and I where up producing music at 4am and we had been out the night before on the town and decided we had enough of the commercial stuff and to go and make our own track. We where in the middle of making a melody and the quantize in Cubase was just not working for us and putting the midi notes at the wrong time signature. Well, being drunk and upset, I started to get abit down. My mate turned to me and said "There is no use in crying over spiltmidi" Well, I lost it and could not stop laughing.

Thanks for the http://www.essentialaudio.com.au link as it was alot for shipping ontop from the states. I did see it in the Australia stuff thread come to think of it. Alot of info on there for us too that was interesting.

[Grant Bunter]

So where are you in QLD?
I'm about to move to just near Longreach in the next couple of weeks, but there's no rainforest there lol

Less than 4 cabs for a T30 can be high passed at 35Hz, so that's getting near your content.
If you expand (later) to 4 cabs, then your 30Hz content can be totally covered.

The T30 can also be built with the BP102, but you'll be better off loading the T30 with a premium driver. Unfortunately they cost a lot here!
Shoot me a PM (private message) and I'll tell you all about it if you're inclined to go that way.
Other than that, this may be a situation where you decide to go to a dual loaded cab with the more budget driver.

The DEQ2496 is a companion to the DCX2496. IMO it's essential for EQ'ing and RTA'ing my system, which is predominantly for live music, so needs to be used to tune PA room to room.
That is not such a big issue with recorded music.
So you could go with a DCX and a 31 band EQ (and hire a DEQ and reference mike to tune your sytem that all important first time)

Here was me thinking it was about beer....

[Grant Bunter]

Ohh cool, J array Otops.

You would have to go exactly per the plans (as you always do lol) for the additional support pieces, and use platforms to use it I reckon.
Trying to get DIY gear engineered to be flown is a nightmare here, and needs to be hung by qualified riggers.

Look up user Pulseman, who has made some excellent platforms and runs his system in South Africa. It will give you some ideas...

[spiltmidi]

Hi Grant,

I live in Townsville, so just 30min drive north we have some great rainforest for camping. Last gig I help for just myself and abour 30 close mates, I hired a 30kva genni on a trailer and we hired a PA. I am sure the wildlife felt much better when we left the place. ha ha ha But we always make sure we pick up after ourselves, hate seeing people litter in the rainforest.

I have been looking at the plans again and I think I will get the plans for the T45. I like the look of this one but for a first build it looks abit complicated. But I guess if I take my time and also reference the 3d model, I should be fine. In regards to the premium driver, are you meaning the LAB12? I did have a look and they are expensive and a huge jump in price, though It does mean that I will have a great driver from the start and will not have to look at an upgrade down the track.

The DCX2496 does look like something that I would need to start off with so this is great news. Is there a 31 band EQ you recommend for a good starting point? Wish I could use my Waves plugins I spent thousands on for production. Then again, it's never that easy. ha ha ha

Also, we can add a beer reference in here if you like, I also brew my own beer. Have a nice fridge setup with 3 kegs and 2 taps. Why 2 taps only, have to limit the amount I can drink otherwise the other half would put her foot down. hahaha

[Grant Bunter]

Yep, the lab12 or the 3012lf

The T45 is a good compromise. None of these subs are overly difficult compared to the others IMO. Taking your time, knowing your plans inside out and asking questions solves most problems

Beringer soes some things well. The DCX and DEQ are good examples. So some say about the Inuke amps as well.
But for your EQ I would go industry known brand names, like DBX, BBE etc. There's a used DBX dual 31 band going on the bay for next to nothing with a day and a bit to go right now. It would suit you fine.

I've been known to brew as well!
Gotta listen to the missus...

[spiltmidi]

Gotta listen to the missus...

[MarcBass]

G'day Spilt ... welcome aboard.

Now that Grant has moved up to sunny Qld there are a few Queenslanders on here.

[Grant Bunter]

G'day Spilt ... welcome aboard.

Now that Grant has moved up to sunny Qld there are a few Queenslanders on here.

Haha! Only by location in my case.
Aren't you only a Queenslander if you're born there???

[Titanium Hand]

Aren't you only a Queenslander if you're born there???

Ha HA nice one!

Or in my case; your allegiance to the MIGHTY MAROONS

Welcome spiltmidi, getting premium drivers is quite a process. If you buy the LAB12 you get stung on shipping weight - with the 3012LF you get stung by the purchase price instead.

Its well worth it, my experience with the LAB12 is all positive. Yes they are heavy but hell, they are one serious driver. Purchasing locally is still more expensive than from friends O/S.

All the best mate

[BassMe]

Hey Mate,

Welcome on board. I live in brissy but go to townsville fairly often at the moment.

Have fun with your build

Mitch