Flying speakers

I thought you were running Alto Speakers at your venue? Did you get rid of them, or you use them for something else now? Or am I wrong, and you always used Harbingers? Do you use the MLS1000 for your mobile gigs? Do you keep the Everse 8 around for outdoor ceremonies or your mobile gigs?

rickryan.com said:

Yes, I was using Alto but I switched out to the Harbingers. I gave 1 of the altos to a theater group and have the other on loan to a church. Yes, I have the MLS1000s for mobile DJ and band stuff (what little there is). I still have the Bose S1 but it's pretty much been bumped by the Everse8. I'm not getting rid of the Bose and still use it around the house. I still have a pair of Alto 15" subs and thinking about selling them off. I don't intend to ever put subs back in the venue (causes problems with the neighbors). Those Harbiners in a "club" eq setting are very good. I'm well-pleased with them.

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Would it make sense to just use one of the Alto Subs in the venue, BUT only tturn the knob up to like 10 AM on the dial so it just gives some light thump and background bass when dance music is on full blast?

I agree with you not using subs in the venue because neighbors will complain and possibly call the police. I know certain people will want to hear the big boom from subs. My experience is the young people will want the subs because they automatically think that's what's needed.

You're doing the right thing and by doing what you're doing you're keeping your venue open.

Those cables aren't meant for hanging anything. Find an engineer to help with this project, or somebody who's done stage rigging,

B-Sharp said:

Those cables aren't meant for hanging anything. Find an engineer to help with this project, or somebody who's done stage rigging,

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Liability ! Cables would make good light fixture safety cables. Then there is how secure is mounting points.
for every pound of weight you need to support a rating of ten times that weight.

rickryan.com said:

I think Bob is our resident rigging expert but thought I'd run this past the group. At my venue, I'm using Harbinger 2312s. Have had them mounted by a bracket but I think I'm going to hang them from one of the ceiling 2x6s by drilling and mounting eye bolts. I just ordered a set 10 safety cables from Amazon. They're rated at 60 pounds each. The speakers are 35lbs. I'd have 2 of these cables attached to the top-mounted fly points and maybe another safety chain on the bottom (to provide tilt). Do you think this is sufficient?

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I'm not comfortable with the crimped eyelet on one end of those cables. That end is more likely to fail than the buckle end which is looped through the hook and then back to a crimped ferrule. (The loop halves the value of the tear out load on the crimp.)

What you propose would probably work fine, but the issues to think about are TIME and severe off-axis SHOCK. A better mount would be to use a large U-bolt that wraps over the full cross section of the 2x6 to utilize the entirety of the beams cross section. You can use a custom spanner and/or your existing yoke to mount the speaker to the U-bolt.

*Eye bolts will be dependent on how well the wood ages, and with a hard off-axis shock could split the 2x6. A solution that utilizes the entire cross section will be safer over the long term.

*As a general rule, I would not use off the shelf Chinese made cables from Amazon for rigging. Chinese steel and their joints are too unreliable. Steel cables are fine for hanging speakers (you'll find this application in all kinds of theaters and auditoriums) but you want to get your cables from manufacturers in the U.S. or U.K. that specialize in theatrical rigging and have true tested ratings and specifications.

*The chief concern with wooden beams is the non-uniformity of wood and inconsistent effects of aging. When we start drilling holes in it we compound those concerns; especially when the fixing point we install is capable of introducing stresses along an axis not anticipated for that beam. From a building plan, the purpose of the 2x6 is to tie the roof rafters together and keep them from blowing out the walls. The less we do to weaken the 2x6 integrity the safer the whole building will be.

rickryan.com said:

Thanks guys. I especially appreciate the 10X rating quoted. I'll go another direction.

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You don't need 10X the rating. Nothing is moving, it's just a dead hang,

Position your attachments so not to exceed 40# / cu.ft. on a spruce 2x6 (about 2.5" of linear length.) A T-span with 2 fixing points 8" - 12" apart is at best 18 Lbs per eye bolt. A U-bolt is better, and a chain with shackle eliminates any question about the safety cables.

Used on projects in the past.

sawdust123 said:

Here are some excerpts from an old JBL paper on flying speakers. The principles haven't changed much. https://www.prosoundweb.com/basic-principles-for-suspending-loudspeaker-systems/

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Nice article. I quoted 10 X . It's been awhile.

rickryan.com said:

These little cables might be enough but I don't think I'll risk it. I'm going to get a set of chains and eye bolts today. Thanks for the input.

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Just remember, the forces involved change significantly if your hanger hardware is not plumb (vertical) or if there is any kind lifting or movement.

Steel cable is the most common lifter of garage doors and the stress on those cables is quite high. It's great stuff, but you generally don't find crimped connections in direct tension on a garage door. They are always looped around a steel guide.

Am I the only one that ready the post title "Flying Speakers" and immediately pictured some speakers with wings or propellers on them? lol