New BF system

[Paul Norman]

This is the system I'm using this summer.I have 4 shows on it and 2 more to do this week. It will be used 2 to 3 times a week this summer.It is made up of 12 OT12's and 8 26" Titan 48's. There are 10 OT12's with 6 meld 1016's and 2 with 12 1016's all are passive with Deltalite II 2512's. The subs have Deltalite 3015LF's. Control is by a DBX Drive Rack PA crossed at 100hz. OT12's are powered by 2 QSC RMX 2450's with 3 on each channel. Subs are powered by 4 QSC RMX 1450's bridged with 2 subs on each amp. The system is very clean and very loud with very little EQing. There is a little peak at about 600HZ. I've had sound guys snicker when I unlaod but ask a lot of questions after they hear it. I had one older gentleman (70yrs) who had been in the sound business back in the fiftys and said he hadn't see V and plateing since then. I quess if ya what the good stuff ya gotta build it in the shop. I'm very pleased with the system and have had nothing but good comments from the bands and the crowd. Thanks Bill for a great design! http://www.flickr.com/photos/24619343@N03/

[Mark Coward]

Very nice Paul, just putting one of your pics inline as many have wanted to see your system:

[Chris_Allen]

Don't the OT12's look tiny next to the T48's.



I really would like to hear a rig of that size.

Chris.

[James R]

+1 Paul question, I see the 2 tops in the center of the stage are used as fills. Are they run from a seperate mix? Also why did you go with 10 tops with 6 piezo's only and the 2 with 12?

Thanks and very impressive rig

[Ron K]

Very sweet rig Paul. When did you start building and how long till completion?

I'm gettin close to that very same setup except using T39s. I do have 8 T24s but I want 8 T39s for bigger events.The O-Tops are great little boxes. I am however switching all my Piezo straight arrays over to 12 Melded crossfired.

I see you used 2 O-Tops front mid as front fills. How does that work? I ran into a dilemma when I stacked 3 per side separated about 30 ft with cross fired arrays on the bottom. I noticed a hole in the mids/highs around the middle up close. After speaking with Jeff Babcock about that he suggested exactly what you have done. Front fills for the center.

At distance the rig sounded great even off axis. Just up close in center it suffered.

Did you have that problem or did you plan on front fills out of the gate?

[DJPhatman]

Wait a minute!!! Where are the WedgeHorns??????

Just ribbing ya! Great looking set-up! Did you happen to take any SPL readings at the FOH mix position?

[tommysb]

Do you find that the tops are at all precarious stacked that high? Or are they stable? (Ie, what would happen if someone basked into them?).

[Harley]

Damn, that's a nice looking rig and stage

[Paul Norman]

+1 Paul question, I see the 2 tops in the center of the stage are used as fills. Are they run from a seperate mix? Also why did you go with 10 tops with 6 piezo's only and the 2 with 12?

Thanks and very impressive rig

Now I run the center fills the same as the stacks, but I am going to try a seperate mix and amp. I quess the reason I went with the 6 is what I've read on this forum and what the plans are. The 2 boxes with 12 are on the bottom of each stack for a little better horizonal coverage up front and they also have pole pockets so I can use them at small shows on stands.

[Paul Norman]

Do you find that the tops are at all precarious stacked that high? Or are they stable? (Ie, what would happen if someone basked into them?).

I do have them stapped together which means if they go over they all go over! but it helps keep the corners locked together so they don't side. A stack of 5 boxes is as high as I like to go. 6 seems a little to tipsy. On a stage like this one they are high enough where the only people that could knock them over is the band. As you can see all the bands I work with are old farts ( like me) and not much for stage tricks, pertty stationary.

[Paul Norman]

Wait a minute!!! Where are the WedgeHorns??????

Just ribbing ya! Great looking set-up! Did you happen to take any SPL readings at the FOH mix position?

Wedgehorns are the next project! SPL at 125ft. FOH? I think about 100db. Not sure, can't remember(old age thing), but I have a show tonite and will check it and write it down.

[Paul Norman]

Very sweet rig Paul. When did you start building and how long till completion?

I'm gettin close to that very same setup except using T39s. I do have 8 T24s but I want 8 T39s for bigger events.The O-Tops are great little boxes. I am however switching all my Piezo straight arrays over to 12 Melded crossfired.

I see you used 2 O-Tops front mid as front fills. How does that work? I ran into a dilemma when I stacked 3 per side separated about 30 ft with cross fired arrays on the bottom. I noticed a hole in the mids/highs around the middle up close. After speaking with Jeff Babcock about that he suggested exactly what you have done. Front fills for the center.

At distance the rig sounded great even off axis. Just up close in center it suffered.

Did you have that problem or did you plan on front fills out of the gate?

I had built 4 Titans last winter and used them with 4 snail II's and some comp drivers. Started the 12 OT's and 4 Titans march 1st and finished may 10th. I had planned on the front fills.I asked Bill about the stage size and speaker placement for best coverage and did what he said and of course he was nuts on. The system has great coverage and clarity, also very loud!

[gdougherty]

I'll be a pair of OT12 shy of your setup when I'm done with my next 8 (only going to keep using 2 of my previous 4) but I'll only have 4 30" T48's. Starting to wonder if 6-8 T48 wouldn't be the better route to go. How easy do your T48's generally run in comparison to the tops?

[James R]

What's the load of the OT12's?

[gdougherty]

What's the load of the OT12's?

3 per channel would come out at 2.5ohms. With 12 I imagine they'd run light and easy most of the time. Given how painfully loud just 4 can get within 50ft, I don't think I'd want to be near 12 pushed hard.