BillFitzmaurice.info

DJPhatman wrote:

Bruce Weldy wrote:Good to see you back on the forum Mike.

+1

And another +1

Gee, thanks guys! I have missed this place. I've lurked a little here and there but haven't had much time to post...or do anything but work and go to school. I'm (very) slowly getting my Mobile DJ business off the ground but can't devote real time to it until August when school's over. I've been amassing the other necessary things like lights, cables and reading up on contracts and such. My T48/OTop12 rig got quite the break-in at a party I threw at my house a few weeks back. Everyone raved about the sound and how CLEAR it was even at the end of my backyard.

The police didn't show up until 10:30 and by then half the folks were leaving (they'd been there since 3:00). Cop was cool. He laughed and said "I'd have been here 20 minutes ago but I had to tour your entire subdivision to narrow down where all the sound was coming from." I turned it down and he left. It wasn't even LOUD. I was a little pissed that I didn't even get to crank it but I guess it was loud enough...there was alcohol involved...as if you had to ask.

Guests loved the sound and I got a few requests to play some of the guests' own backyard parties and at least one corporate gig...not bad considering I'm not officially in business yet and don't own a trailer.

Sorry for the threadjack, MisterB. Now, about my questions, please?

miked wrote:Congrats on successfully completing your OTops! They take longer to build than you initially think they will...at least that's how it was for me. The end result is all that matters.

Two questions for you.

1. Are your stands collapsible (do they come apart for transport?). It doesn't appear that they do, but thought I'd ask anyway. I would really like a set of STRONG and stable platforms that come apart. See member Pulseman's STEEL stands...I will have a set like that built one day. I opted to not put tophats in my OTops either and though I came up with a safe and strong mounting solution, it is a time-consuming PITA to set up.

2. I see you're in Austin, but the pics of the park look familiar and you mention a little train that runs through the park. Were those pics taken in Landa Park in New Braunfels by any chance? Bruce Weldy's band plays there all the time and I'm about 20 mins from there.

Good questions. The stands do come apart, just held together with bolts and wing nuts. They are honestly a real pain in the ass to assemble or take apart and all that wood is heavy but I'm very thankful for how sturdy they are. I think the assembly / disassemble effort and time will be less of an issue when I start doing things in venues where I have more time to set up beforehand and more time after... and more time overall for the event so it feels more worthwhile. At the park we try to keep the music going till we almost have to be out of there and so it's a mad dash to tear down at the end... while still making sure that some "helpful" friends don't mess up my cables or ding up my beautiful new cabs

The park is Zilker park, huge metropolitan park right next to the river in Austin.

And I agree 100% about the end result. It really did take some time to build them but I'm so happy with how they turned out. Even though I might not have said this while in the build, looking back on it I had quite a bit of fun building them and it's a very satisfying feeling to hear that good sound coming out of those and think "Yep, I built those!"

Even though I might not have said this while in the build, looking back on it I had quite a bit of fun building them and it's a very satisfying feeling to hear that good sound coming out of those and think "Yep, I built those!"

Absolutely, that right there sums it up. Exactly how I feel about my BFM builds. Enjoy those cabs; you earned it.

miked wrote:

Even though I might not have said this while in the build, looking back on it I had quite a bit of fun building them and it's a very satisfying feeling to hear that good sound coming out of those and think "Yep, I built those!"

Absolutely, that right there sums it up. Exactly how I feel about my BFM builds.

Until you've built them out of sheet PVC . . .