First Indoors Ballroom Gig Tuba 30's

[Tom Smit]

Ah, what a thrill!!!

[ewetho]

A pair should be really nice. Want to KILL try 4 or more!!!

Yeah time for some BFM tops to compliment you new found beautiful bottom end. Oh, if you can swing the woodwork and time, then get you some DR's!!!!

[doncolga]

A pair should be really nice. Want to KILL try 4 or more!!!

Yeah time for some BFM tops to compliment you new found beautiful bottom end. Oh, if you can swing the woodwork and time, then get you some DR's!!!!

You ain't kiddin' man...I was just in complete and utter shock as I walked around the room tonight after I finished playing and put on some mp3's. That room was decent sized too...it was probably about 60 x 70 or so...plenty loud at 16 volts! It is SO different than before. Previously, the bass would practically always drop to nothing past 15 feet out...it was just ridiculous. I got great comments from the bride and her mom and the bar tenders said they'd be calling me for other stuff. The bride said alot of guests inquired about me too. I'm definitely shooting for two more T30's and four tops. I've still got a good bit of old gear I can sell to pay for it. Here are some pics of tonights job. They are kind of dark, but the Tubas are V plated and corner loaded on the left.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/monoheadph ... 483149701/

Donny

[doncolga]

Well tonight is my last "scheduled" Christmas job for this season, in the big Marriott room (90 x 60 x 20) that I posted on previously. I wouldn't say I'm nervous, I'm just ready to get setup and hear it. It's been a while since I was in a room this size and that's when I was playing on front loaded 18's on each side of the stage and the bass sucked unless you were right on the dance floor, and then it was mediocre, so I guess I'm having flashbacks. Music wise, this is also a more mixed bag than usual...the classic dance and disco stuff plus ballroom and all it's many genres...I don't do that a whole lot, so we shall see. If I get lots of requests it should be fine, so they do the picking. It's funny that I feel more pressure when i DJ than when I play live...the head count is only 111 right now for the 430 capacity room with tables. I'll be sure to post pictures and possibly video.

After this I should be all clear for vacation until 1-4-2011 and my Otop12 OR Jack 12 builds....I thought I made up my mind but of course I have not!

[doncolga]

Woohoo...cruising away only breaking 30 volts for just a second...mostly right around 20ish.. just wall loaded and doing really well.

[doncolga]

A second room was added so it ended up being about 90 x 90 x 20. NO WAY my old subs could have come close to doing that room for that many dancers. I was VERY happy with the Tubas and the guests were really happy with the sound...it really filled the room. I had them setup v plated and wall loaded behind me and to my right. One Chris Brown tune in particular really showed how deep the Tubas were going...very impressive on the walk around. Tunes like Cha Cha Slide revealed deeper bass I'd not even heard before on my old subs. I'm guessing the dance floor was probably at least 30 x 30, maybe more, and alot of the guests were ballroom dancers, and they can be pretty ticky...I know they were when I did a gym gig for before learning about horns and placement....so this was a bit of vindication since some of the same people were at this job. Last night's function was a large Filipino party and my experience is that they're quick to let you know if there's no bottom.

This link has a picture of the room. Last night it was partitioned just past the second set of double doors shown here, so not quite this big:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/event-pl ... iverfront/

[DJPhatman]

From your link:

Savannah AB (combined) 95x89x20, Capacity 880.

All with 2 subs.

Bravo!

[doncolga]

From your link:

Savannah AB (combined) 95x89x20, Capacity 880.

All with 2 subs.

Bravo!

With 12" drivers at that. Nobody last night would have believed that if I told them. It was so weird, my subs are 12's and last night's tops were 15's.

[dj paleta]

i see you're having a blast with your new tubas.i have one question.how do they sound outside.i want to build a pair of tubas or titans but i need some advise from you or anyone with on hand experience.i usually play at outside weddings,bar-b-que,birthday parties etc.i need to feel extreme bass for reggae,hiphop,dance and carribean music.eg soca,chutney.oh i just remembered.does anyone know if the lab 12 can be used in the t30,t39 or t48.thanks bro enjoy those tubas.

[doncolga]

i see you're having a blast with your new tubas.i have one question.how do they sound outside.i want to build a pair of tubas or titans but i need some advise from you or anyone with on hand experience.i usually play at outside weddings,bar-b-que,birthday parties etc.i need to feel extreme bass for reggae,hiphop,dance and carribean music.eg soca,chutney.oh i just remembered.does anyone know if the lab 12 can be used in the t30,t39 or t48.thanks bro enjoy those tubas.

Hey,

I committed to build each model, except the T60, at least once. I think no matter what you build, you'll second guess yourself if you should have built something else. I've only gigged a total of five times with the Tubas since I finished them. The very first was an outdoor farmers market where I played live (keyboard with my backing arrangements of electronic and acoustic instruments). I didn't get to hear them on a walk around, but was told it sounded good and threw far. The second was later that day at a wedding that I DJ'd pool side. They did fine there and someone called the police. Now, right at the dance area, the party hosts and I didn't think it was too loud. Guests could converse without shouting and it was comfortable for dancing. Apparently the bass just threw really far on that setup. All the rest have been indoors for either live or DJ'd jobs, and they've been just great.

24" T48's have honestly been nagging at me, even as much as I love the Tuba 30's. I like the idea of the 3015lf 60 volt capability, the vertical footprint is small, and I like the height for rolling them. I even did a practice build of a 30" T48, but that was too large for my preference. Given that, my Tubas are lightweight and it's super easy to move the pair with the v-plate and dollies on a rolling cart. They're actually one of my lighter trips. Being just 30" tall they don't take up much room when v plated and loaded on a wall or corner. They have not hit over high 30's for volts yet on a job, and I'd likely build two more boxes anyway, so with that I'll have plenty of super deep bass with very little stress on them.

Based on my little experience so far, you won't go wrong with any of them. They really sing now, but I think four of them will be just incredible for the jobs I do. Last night was just about the biggest room I've ever done and I had headroom left, and it was VERY clean sounding...just effortless, but powerful.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

does anyone know if the lab 12 can be used in the t30,t39 or t48.

Only in the T60.

[dj paleta]

thanks bro for the reply and thanks bill for answering my question.i think i will build a pair of t 48.i cant wait to put them to the test.i built a pair of scoops about a year ago loaded with 18' celestions and trust me you feel the bass in your chest.if these t48 out performs my scoops i would sell my scoops in a heart beat.this test would be an outside test with mostly reggae.

[doncolga]

thanks bro for the reply and thanks bill for answering my question.i think i will build a pair of t 48.i cant wait to put them to the test.i built a pair of scoops about a year ago loaded with 18' celestions and trust me you feel the bass in your chest.if these t48 out performs my scoops i would sell my scoops in a heart beat.this test would be an outside test with mostly reggae.

Hey,

Main thing with any of them is don't go too wide, since you'll move alot. At 18" mine are easy as pie to move and I don't even have handles anywhere on them yet...just trying to be sure where I grab most before I commit to those. Just build additional ones if you need to...they'll be more modular and horns work better in groups anyway and I believe the individual boxes will be under less stress. My practice build on the T48 was 30" and that box was alot more than I wanted to move. If I were building T48's I'd go 18-24" max, probably leaning to 18". I'm sure you'll be amazed with two, let alone if you go to four at some point, as I plan to do with my 18" T30's.

Donny