More than a left & right speaker stack...

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I use 3 or more speaker locations

  • Never

    Votes: 2 12.5%
  • Very rarely (less than 10% of the time)

    Votes: 4 25.0%
  • Occasionally

    Votes: 5 31.3%
  • About half the time

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • Fairly often

    Votes: 2 12.5%
  • Almost always (more than 90%)

    Votes: 2 12.5%

  • Total voters
    16

sawdust123

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Staff member
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Nov 10, 2006
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Ventura County, CA
I am curious as to how often people use MORE than the standard left & right speaker setup.

  • Do not consider situations where you use only one speaker
  • The configuration of your left and right position is not being questioned. In other words, your left and right positions may contain more than 1 box each.
  • Do not consider the sub(s) placement in your answer.
  • Do not consider your personal monitor if you use one.
  • I am only interested in how often you place speakers in 3 or more locations within a single event space.
  • Ceremony and reception for this poll counts as two distinct event spaces (even if they are at the same venue).
 
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I don't do many large events, but have needed remote or rear/side delayed speakers occasionally.
 
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About 60% of the weddings I have done since about 2012/2013 have required a separate set up for ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception.
About 25% require a set up for ceremony, and reception, but nothing for cocktail hour OR I am not doing the ceremony, and I need a set up for cocktails, and then reception.
About 15% of the events that I do only need 1 single set up. That includes weddings and other parties etc.

Fairly precise estimates I think.

Prior to 2013, I was providing 3 set ups far less...Only about 20% of the time. ...2012/2013 is when all of that changed a lot with the changing trends in venues, and couples sound needs.
 
@sawdust123 ... Jonathan .. Did you mean separate, distinct "systems" .. or more than 2 speakers off of a single system (remote, delay, wireless outside, etc.)?
 
I am just interested in the use of more than 2 speakers in a single event space. Ceremonies and receptions may be at the same venue but are usually in separate spaces.
 
About 60% of the weddings I have done since about 2012/2013 have required a separate set up for ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception.
About 25% require a set up for ceremony, and reception, but nothing for cocktail hour OR I am not doing the ceremony, and I need a set up for cocktails, and then reception.
About 15% of the events that I do only need 1 single set up. That includes weddings and other parties etc.

Fairly precise estimates I think.

Prior to 2013, I was providing 3 set ups far less...Only about 20% of the time. ...2012/2013 is when all of that changed a lot with the changing trends in venues, and couples sound needs.
I should have been more precise. I was asking with regards to a single event space. Most ceremony and receptions are in separate spaces even if at the same venue. I have updated the original post to reflect this.
 
This is a floor plan for a venue I'm working at next year. In a very crude way, I'm indicating my intended mains in red, and satellite speakers in blue:

4 Speaker Set Up.PNG

At most events I would do something like this ^ using Bose Compacts as the blue speakers to fill out the room. They'd remain on during dinner and toasts to keep the coverage nice and even without being too hot up front. And then I shut them down for dancing so that the tables keep a comfortable volume but the dance floor can get more lively.

It works really well for me, and almost every couple is relieved when I explain why their guests won't have a hard time hearing the toasts and speeches.
 
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You are asking a simple question, which is not a simple question. The dispersion pattern of different speakers has a large influence on this.
Example. Last wedding I went to as a guest, the room was 110' x 50', about 250 people. The DJ was set in the middle of the long side. A pair of EAW LA215's and EAW subs, on either side of the facade (about 6' apart) pointing straight ahead. Sound on the dance floor directly right in front of the DJ, good. Sound for the wedding party directly in front of the DJ, good. Everybody else could hardly hear the MC, any announcements, toasts, etc.. Why ? Because the LA215's are already -6db at 45 degrees off axis, and most of the 200+ guests were 60 degrees or more off axis, at the far ends of either 110' side. All we heard was bass.
 
Many of my clients get married in churches... so no ceremony speakers on about 2/3 of my events. My weddings tend to sometimes hire violinists, string quartets, or other performers during cocktail hours, and sweet 16's have cocktails in the same room as the reception, so i would say about 1/2 the time I have something and half the time I have nothing more. About 15% I have 3 locations.
 
You are asking a simple question, which is not a simple question. The dispersion pattern of different speakers has a large influence on this.
Example. Last wedding I went to as a guest, the room was 110' x 50', about 250 people. The DJ was set in the middle of the long side. A pair of EAW LA215's and EAW subs, on either side of the facade (about 6' apart) pointing straight ahead. Sound on the dance floor directly right in front of the DJ, good. Sound for the wedding party directly in front of the DJ, good. Everybody else could hardly hear the MC, any announcements, toasts, etc.. Why ? Because the LA215's are already -6db at 45 degrees off axis, and most of the 200+ guests were 60 degrees or more off axis, at the far ends of either 110' side. All we heard was bass.
My hunch is Jonathan is thinking about something from the manufacturer side of things .. he works in the audio test business.
 
My hunch is Jonathan is thinking about something from the manufacturer side of things .. he works in the audio test business.
A ha! Well, then let me REALLY get on my high horse!

Instead of the prevailing idiocy we have now, which is a D/A converter (in the controller or CDJ's), to XLR cable, back to an A/D converter (in the speaker), how about leaving it digital all the way to the speaker? Send the signal over coax, optical, Cat 5, WiFi, Ronzoni spaghetti, with no signal loss or noise pick-up? Be able to easily TRULY adjust all the speakers (however many you want), and their parameters, from one location?

How's that?
 
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A ha! Well, then let me REALLY get on my high horse!

Instead of the prevailing idiocy we have now, which is a D/A converter (in the controller or CDJ's), to XLR cable, back to an A/D converter (in the speaker), how about leaving it digital all the way to the speaker? Send the signal over coax, optical, Cat 5, WiFi, Ronzoni spaghetti, with no signal loss or noise pick-up? Be able to easily TRULY adjust all the speakers (however many you want), and their parameters, from one location?

How's that?
I prefer the Barilla spaghetti cables myself ..
 
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I prefer the Barilla spaghetti cables myself ..
Especially if it has those little black specks in them!

I'm surprised someone like Pioneer - who has a total DJ solution, software to speakers - has not marketed a 100% digital system.
 
Especially if it has those little black specks in them!

I'm surprised someone like Pioneer - who has a total DJ solution, software to speakers - has not marketed a 100% digital system.
There a few companies that have Dante enabled speakers .. most are in the live sound field, but the speakers could be used for DJing. Not aware of any Dante enabled DJ mixer though. Dante seems to be the only multi-brand standard for digital to the speaker (other than Bluetooth).
 
I use 3 sound setups nearly every gig. Ceremony, Cocktail, Dancing. Sometimes a 4th one is needed for dinner in a separate area.

I also use adddintal spekaers for fill in large or awkwardly shaped rooms. (via qlxd)
 
There a few companies that have Dante enabled speakers .. most are in the live sound field, but the speakers could be used for DJing. Not aware of any Dante enabled DJ mixer though. Dante seems to be the only multi-brand standard for digital to the speaker (other than Bluetooth).
Dante is becoming quite common now in the installation and touring markets. The problem is their licensing fees are too high to get them into the MI space. I do agree with Handinon though that the repetitive conversions do no one any good.

My main reason for asking the question has nothing to do with the test equipment sales I have been doing for 15 years. I work with outdoor wedding venues to design sounds systems that will not violate noise ordinances. I employ distributed speaker systems in multiple zones. One zone can have over a dozen speakers. I use high-impedance (aka 70v) systems just like you find in restaurants, airports and other large spaces. I am just trying to confirm that most DJs simply use a 2-speaker set up. Can you imagine an airport which simply had two large speakers at one end of the concourse trying to do gate announcements and background music? Of course not. That would suck. Yet that is how I see most DJs around me approaching sound coverage.
 
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I employ distributed speaker systems in multiple zones. One zone can have over a dozen speakers. I use high-impedance (aka 70v) systems just like you find in restaurants, airports and other large spaces. I am just trying to confirm that most DJs simply use a 2-speaker set up. Can you imagine an airport which simply had two large speakers at one end of the concourse trying to do gate announcements and background music? Of course not. That would suck. Yet that is how I see most DJs around me approaching sound coverage.
Most mobile DJ's probably do a two speaker set up for simplicity - you have to carry it, set it up, and break it down - the more speakers, the harder it becomes.
The example I posted earlier in the thread (EAW LA215's) were like that. However, they could have greatly improved the sound coverage by setting them up differently. I used to get involved and give suggestions to other DJ's at a gig, but I'm sure most think I'm just a crazy old man, and I'm frankly tired of dealing with people that think Physics is a dirty word.

,
 
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I used a 3rd speaker more often when I was doing more wedding receptions in large rooms or odd shaped rooms. I've done it wireless a couple of times but more often run a long XLR cord to a powered speaker. I don't have a way to do a delay so I get that "unsweet" spot when doing this.
 
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