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i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:11 am
by bigwill
i want to build a system for drum and bass events. i want to build a few 1000 watt valve amps. what is best titan 48 or ? how should i do it what horns to use. any advice is needed please help thanks. Will
Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 10:20 am
by Chris_Allen
Hi Will, if you want to faithfully reproduce the original track, I would have said valve amps aren't the way due to the colouration they can add.
What is you expected audience size for the events? Indoor or outdoor?
The 3015LF driver can handle 60Volts of juice but you first need to consider how many cabs/drivers you require before making you amp decisions.
Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:24 am
by jcmbowman
I'd avoid the valve amps, as they are much less efficient than the new solid-state/digital amps out on the market now (Look at the Crown XTi and I-Tech lines, or the QSC Powerlights).
As far as T48 or ?? for Drum & Bass - I'd either go Titan48 or Tuba 36 for that type of music. T36 if you need the low end extension, T48 for the added output above 50hz.
I'll re-iterate the question - how many people, what types of venues, etc...
Also - where are you located? You may be able to find someone near you that would be willing to let you preview if you fill out your profile info.

Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:48 pm
by bitSmasher
Why would you want to waste extra energy creating heat?
Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 5:32 pm
by WB
bigwill wrote:i want to build a system for drum and bass events.
Something like
this ?
Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 5:33 pm
by Bill Fitzmaurice
1,000 watt tube power amps are not a practical option, since they'd weigh at least 200 pounds each, and the power tubes alone would cost a fortune. At any rate, the OP needs to provide us with the information requested by previous posters. We can't recommend anything without knowing the intended usage.
Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 5:52 pm
by horst
WiSounds wrote:Valves.

Respect for keeping it analog man. Don't mind the digititis around here.
Class-d amps are also analog devices, that 'digital' and 'class-d' both contain the letter d is just an unfortunate coincidence.
Remember that an amplifier is just a transfer device, if it has high imput impedance, low output impedance, low distortion, flat frequency response, low noise floor and is not driven into clipping, it will sound like any other amplifier with the same attributes (which are basic design requirements for a quality amp)
So unless your intent is to run your amp at the edge of its capability, thereby shortening it's live and that of your spine, don't torture yourself with a valve amp.
Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 5:57 pm
by horst
WB wrote:bigwill wrote:i want to build a system for drum and bass events.
Something like
this ?
that's fantastic
Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:16 pm
by bigwill
ok well has anybody heard of or seen the valve system? i know they really really put some serious power out and i like the warmth of valve. i want them for 1000 strong crowd Indore outdoor. posibly 2 titan 48s then 2 tubas to catch the bottom end. how much amp power would be needed to run those. im not the most clued up im just good at building things. HELP ME! I WANT SOME DIRTY LOW END.

Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:18 pm
by Ron K
@ OP. You wouldn't by any chance be building the Champ1000s would you? Monster Valve amps with separate power supplies.Power supply's are big old transformers weighing in around 80 lbs each!
4 of them 813 Valves are really kickin units!
http://www.chambonino.com/construct/const9.html
Those are pretty decent amps but rather impractical but hey I've watched Jim Owens Audio out of Nashville run a complete Macintosh Rig for a pro PA with George Jones so I suppose anything is possible.One of the sweetest sounding rigs I ever heard to be honest. Not very loud but exceptionally detailed mixes came out of that rig!
Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:56 pm
by bigwill
thats the ones are they hard have u had experience. and if ther not good what could we use
Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:58 pm
by Bill Fitzmaurice
bigwill wrote:thats the ones are they hard have u had experience. and if ther not good what could we use
Once again, this time with feeling:
What is the application?
Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:13 pm
by horst
Bill Fitzmaurice wrote:bigwill wrote:thats the ones are they hard have u had experience. and if ther not good what could we use
Once again, this time with feeling:
What is the application?
^
^
Drum and bass, indoor outdoor, 1000 people
he wants to use two T48 and two T36 to fill out the bottom end
@bigwill, no
you can't mix different types of subs
look for the audience size reccomendations on the brochure page
they are very conservative but you can be assured of coverage happiness
so for 1000 people you want 6 T48 or 6 T36
for sub bass duty, amp audio quality is even less of an issue.
Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:38 pm
by la malta
"ok well has anybody heard of or seen the valve system? i know they really really put some serious power out and i like the warmth of valve"
Valve sound system uses custom scoops and crest 8001s or 9001s for the bass last I heard, which are very high power solid state amps (no valves) that crest does not make any more. I don't know if they use tubes for the mids or highs but I wouldn't automatically think so and I'm leaning towards not. The name "Valve" is a tribute to the old Jamaican sound systems that used tube amps when that was the only technology around, and where DnB more or less got its roots.
I remember hearing lots and lots of reasons why tubes are not good for bass duty, in the PA and even home hi-fi sense. Interestingly enough though I've thought a lot about what it would be like to hear them doing mid/highs, being that Bills speakers are very efficient. However I have not ever actually heard a tube amp before and it seems I can't find a kit or even a reasonably priced built unit ("audiophile" madness) on the internet that would maybe deliver sufficient volume.
Re: i need advice. valve power, what speakers
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:21 pm
by Bill Fitzmaurice
la malta wrote:" i like the warmth of valve"
'Warmth' occurs in the midrange. It's not present in the subwoofer bandwidth.