Amp(s) for small venue

Is this amp OK?
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Bruce Weldy
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Re: Amp(s) for small venue

#46 Post by Bruce Weldy »

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 2:00 pm Wire is wire, but cheap connectors should be avoided.
Agreed on connectors.....agreed on "wire is wire" concerning speaker cable. But, there is some real crap wire out there with lousy shielding and bad jacketing that doesn't lay flat for mic/signal cable.

If you have the ability, make your own. Neutrik connectors and Rapco/Horizon cable is what I use. Good shield and fairly cheap by the foot......I usually buy 250 ft. at a time.

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

CoronaOperator
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Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:07 pm
Location: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Re: Amp(s) for small venue

#47 Post by CoronaOperator »

harquahalas wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 1:47 pm I'm ordering mic stands and cables today. It was commented earlier that K&N Stands are good.
Many brands start out fine but the K&N's are the are the only brand that can take the stage abuse and last. You will be replacing the others after a couple dozen shows.
Built:
17" width 10" driver Autotuba
2 x 29" width dual Lab12 Tuba60
6 x DR250 2510/asd1001
In progress:
2 x DR250 2510/asd1001
For best results, point the loud end of the array towards the audience

Grant Bunter
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Re: Amp(s) for small venue

#48 Post by Grant Bunter »

You'll do much better if you look for K & M stands, K&M is short for Konig and Meyer...
Built:
DR 250: x 2 melded array, 2x CD horn, March 2012 plans.
T39's: 4 x 20" KL3010LF , 2 x 28" 3012LF.
WH8: x 6 with melded array wired series/parallel.
Bunter's Audio and Lighting "like"s would be most appreciated...

harquahalas
Posts: 74
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2018 12:18 pm

Re: Amp(s) for small venue

#49 Post by harquahalas »

Thanks for all the great advice, guys! I'm open to making my own cables. Looks like I would need a 500' spool to make all the cables I need (9 microphones and 6 speakers for a 30' stage) I see Horizon has DMX, LO-Z5, LO-Z2 and LO-Z1. What do I go with? Any tips on where to buy?

Bruce Weldy
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Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:37 am
Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: Amp(s) for small venue

#50 Post by Bruce Weldy »

harquahalas wrote: Mon Jun 04, 2018 12:37 pm Thanks for all the great advice, guys! I'm open to making my own cables. Looks like I would need a 500' spool to make all the cables I need (9 microphones and 6 speakers for a 30' stage) I see Horizon has DMX, LO-Z5, LO-Z2 and LO-Z1. What do I go with? Any tips on where to buy?

500 feet! :shock: :shock:

How did you come up with that number? Speaker cable is different from mic cable. Mic cable is a two-conductor with a shield and ground. Usually about 22ga. Speaker cable is two-wire with no shield or ground and should be 12ga.

Do you have a snake? Where is it positioned? Do you have some stage or drop snakes?

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

harquahalas
Posts: 74
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2018 12:18 pm

Re: Amp(s) for small venue

#51 Post by harquahalas »

Hi Bruce.
I'm not planning to use snakes and I am probably over estimating the amount of cable needed. The mixer and amps will be off to the side of the stage. I was under the impression that XLR is what I should use to run from my amps to the speakers.

Bruce Weldy
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Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:37 am
Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: Amp(s) for small venue

#52 Post by Bruce Weldy »

harquahalas wrote: Mon Jun 04, 2018 2:39 pm Hi Bruce.
I'm not planning to use snakes and I am probably over estimating the amount of cable needed. The mixer and amps will be off to the side of the stage. I was under the impression that XLR is what I should use to run from my amps to the speakers.
Where to start...... Is your board capable of iPad integration? If not, how are you going to hear what's happening out front if you are sitting on the side of the stage? While I've been forced to mix there a few times - it's not a good situation.

Build mic cables of varying lengths. Sure, you may need some 30 footers to get across to the far side of the stage, but there is no need to use a cable that long if you are only going 10 feet. Makes for a much cleaner stage, less tripping, etc.

XLRs are NOT speaker cables. Speakers should use Speakon connectors.

Based on your last couple of posts, it sounds as if you are very new to this. Nothing wrong with that - we all started at the beginning, but you need to get a lot more education about gear and sound to even have a chance of making this project work.

There's a lot more to it than just hooking up some speakers to an amp..... there's crossovers, limiting, EQ, etc. Poor application of those things can lead to a horrible sounding PA at the least and injury at the worst.

Continuing asking questions here and we'll do the best we can to help you along the way.

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

harquahalas
Posts: 74
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2018 12:18 pm

Re: Amp(s) for small venue

#53 Post by harquahalas »

Yes Bruce, will be operating with an iPad. Yes, very new to putting a system like this together though I have done mixing and hooking up of simple PA systems with powered speakers. I'm a guitar player/singer and have been doing my own recordings performing on live music stages for over 20 years, so I've set things up and done some mixing.

I've got my DBX and the speaker cabs will have their crossovers built in. I think I have a decent idea of how this will all go together, but will look into speakon cables.

And yes, different length cables will be good. Let me know if you have any suggestions for where to get cables and what to get. Sorry for my noobiness and thanks for all of the wonderful help.

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Tom Smit
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Re: Amp(s) for small venue

#54 Post by Tom Smit »

harquahalas wrote: Mon Jun 04, 2018 7:08 pmhooking up of simple PA systems with powered speakers.
Ah! This is where you thought you needed XLR to your speakers. Okay. Since the cabs on this site are not self-powered speakers, they don't use XLR, nor do they use a power cord. Instead, they use a 12-14 gauge cable to handle the power from a remote amplifier.
harquahalas wrote: Mon Jun 04, 2018 7:08 pmI've got my DBX and the speaker cabs will have their crossovers built in.
The speakers will have the cross-overs for between the woofers and tweeters inside it's own cabinet. However, to properly implement the main speaker cabinets with the subwoofer cabinets, you will need a proper cross-over complete with delay, limiting, etc. That would be a Behringer DCX2496 or a DBX product, either of which provides the necessary DSP.
TomS

harquahalas
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Re: Amp(s) for small venue

#55 Post by harquahalas »

I have a DBX DriveRack PA. It only has XLR ins and outs.

Bruce Weldy
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Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:37 am
Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: Amp(s) for small venue

#56 Post by Bruce Weldy »

harquahalas wrote: Tue Jun 05, 2018 2:44 pm I have a DBX DriveRack PA. It only has XLR ins and outs.
As it should. Mixer to Driverack via XLR (mic/signal cable). Driverack to amps via XLR (mic/signal cable) . Amps to speakers via Speakon (Speaker cable).

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

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