Titan 48's first event

[byacey]

I used my newly built Titan 48s yesterday at an outdoor venue with about 1500 people in attendance. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera, so I can't provide any pictures. I'll be doing another show there in 2 weeks and I'll make a note to take some pictures. Here's a picture of the stage from last year; note the production company was using a couple of Eons.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... =3&theater

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... =3&theater

The stage is 60 feet wide and about 4 feet high, so I put one sub on the stage at each side. I put my SLS920 mid/hi boxes on top of the subs, 2 boxes a side. The 30" wide Titan is the perfect width for this, and the stage height combined with the Titan height works out to be a good height for the top boxes on this particular stage. The spectator area is level from the stage out to about 150 feet, and then it starts sloping upward and going back another 500 feet forming a natural amphitheater sort of setting. Most of the acts were ethnic groups that didn't have a lot of bottom end content, but there were a few ethno- fusion bands as well that I could test the subs out on.

I was a little concerned that I didn't have enough sub for the occasion, but the Titans performed admirably. Kick drum and bass guitar sounded great, and I actually had to pull the overall level back a little as it was getting pretty loud at my mix position, about 80 feet out from the stage. Before I dropped the level, I noted the master meters on my board, and the needles were just bouncing up to about -15. 0 is where my limiters clamping start down. I may still built an additional 2 Titans, but what I have so far met the needs of this particular venue.

[Grant Bunter]

I guess it's a leap of faith to believe Bill's designs can do what it is said they can do until after that first gig, for each individual.
Great to know your titans met your expectations!

[byacey]

Now I need to build some monitors. I ordered the WH10 plans, but from the comments I've read, I think I'll go with an 8 instead.

[Gregory East]

Heh, do the maths. -15dB down from limit power is less than 20W per sub, before you turned down.

[Bryce]

Assuming no power compression is taking place, does an X increase in DBu on the mixer equal an X increase in DB output from the speakers?

[Gregory East]

It better. Otherwise I have to go back to school.

[byacey]

Just for kicks, I wonder how the subs would be augmented if they were placed upstage aimed into that parabola shell?

Of course that would negate any possibility of using mics on the stage...

[byacey]

Here's a shot of one side of the stage; I didn't take these photos; they are from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress website.
http://www.uccab.ca/photos/UkrDay-2012-Big/IMG_9592.JPG
http://www.uccab.ca/photos/UkrDay-2012-Big/IMG_9594.JPG

And here's a shot of some airborne dancers
http://www.uccab.ca/photos/UkrDay-2012-Big/IMG_9670.JPG

[Tom Smit]

Now I need to build some monitors. I ordered the WH10 plans, but from the comments I've read, I think I'll go with an 8 instead.

Heh,heh, maybe some tops, too.
Subs look good.

[byacey]

No, no, the tops work very nicely. I'm more than pleased with them.

Speaking of tops, I was looking at some photos in the builders forum. I don't have any plans for top boxes, but I'm curious to know if the BFM designs have a welded steel frame in the box to comply with rigging specs? I saw pictures of some flown boxes, and the rigging looked kind of peculiar.

[SirNickity]

No. There have been many individual solutions to mounting, but (at least with the SLAP and DR-200) the only official mention is a tophat. I don't know if anyone has ever built DR-300s (I'm sure someone has...), and even 280s are rare. The events usually powered by 200s and 250s are small enough that there are only a few per side. Anyone doing 6+ boxes per stack probably has contracts, riders, and management that preclude DIY cabs anyway.

I think the only way you'll see these things regularly flown is if there's a builder willing to create an official reference series, throw some engineering resources at proper suspension, and have the entire rig certified. The odds of penetrating the pro-sound market would make that a fairly risky proposition in terms of return on investment, and the community would lose the option of buying kits and building them to spec if they wanted to retain certification. The 300s would have to be pretty darn amazing to make it worth the trouble since there are plenty of adequate options out there already in use.

[byacey]

I was just wondering; it didn't look like conventional fly hardware or accepted rigging methods. When I was involved with the touring company we had some custom boxes that we outfitted with ATM fly hardware, and we had to weld up a steel frame within the boxes and have an engineer inspect and sign them off.

[Bas Gooiker]

Could it have something to do with the weight of the boxes vs. the materials used? I know there is some retrofit flying hardware for sale at thomann.de! Being sold in Germany usually means vigorous tested by the TUV, you could ask them if they come with some kind of (safety) certificates, wich is usually the case in Germany, that might help you with getting aproval from the authorities.

http://www.thomann.de/nl/adam_hall_5740.htm

[byacey]

It's not enough just to simply bolt fly hardware onto the box. Of course, the fly hardware has to be rated and certified for this type of use.

My understanding is that an internal steel frame is required when flying boxes for the reason if there are a number of boxes hung from each other, if the first box comes apart, the speakers below won't fall. In other words, you aren't relying on the structural integrity of the wood box construction to bear the load.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

My understanding is that an internal steel frame is required when flying boxes for the reason if there are a number of boxes hung from each other, if the first box comes apart, the speakers below won't fall. In other words, you aren't relying on the structural integrity of the wood box construction to bear the load.

Most fly hardware is external of the box, and does not rely on the box to bear any weight other than its own. In any event flying must be done only with approved hardware, inspected by a certified authority, and of course with the appropriate insurance coverage in place. In other words if you have to ask how to do it you probably should not be considering it.