Outdoor Rig Advice

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DJGoodSteve said:
Now you're talking Rick. Fully self-contained would be a great goal for this event.
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BTW, not sure if you noticed it but in this pic I'd run 160-ft, 12-gauge extension cord from the nearest outlet to the van. The speakers were spread up and down the sidewalk about 100ft from end to end. At the roof of the van, just behind the passenger door, I taped an AT-2100 bodypack onto the van roof and was using that to send 200-ft to an EV ZXa1 powered speaker. That rig worked fantastic for the gig and I couldn't have been more pleased.
 
jtnichol said:
"WILL LIKELY" in all caps....oh boy here we go...

Steve...all good and well when conditions are dry. As it relates to the OP and being in the elements I'd rather run a speaker cable in the rain than signal tied back directly signal processing AND a power cord. If it's raining you'll be less likely to trip a breaker or blow a fuse on the back of the speaker.

To your argument about passive/active....In most instances when powered speakers are used (that I've seen) the operator runs them direct from a mixer. Somehow folks with medium or even good quality actives have full faith in the internal DSP onboard the speaker. Suitable, but not great and very much the norm.

In most instances I've seen with passives using more than one amp there is always some amount of DSP in the chain so at least there is the ability at the rack to quickly change settings. It kind of goes without saying that you need to have some rack gear or a Driverack at least if you choose passive anyway. Plus the control of all that is local and not 25' away on a stand.

Here's your options on most Actives "Bass and Treble."....same for DJ mixers.

It's all subjective of course.
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I believe I have said that passive is better for wet conditions .. just said an active can be used (with appropriate measures) and not to run out to get a passive set if 1 gig is outdoors.

As for processing, the actives at least have it .. far too many folks use passive with NO processing (limiting, crossovers, etc.), so I would certainly put more faith in the actives (again for most people who are not as system literate).
 
steve149 said:
As for processing, the actives at least have it .. far too many folks use passive with NO processing (limiting, crossovers, etc. quote]

quote]
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thanks Steve good stuff. I just haven't seen any passive systems around here without processing. I'm assuming $200 Dj's off Craigs might. Hard to imagine there are lots of them.
 
rickryan.com said:
Hey guys, no processing here. Don't need it.

Denon X500 > IPR3000 > tops + subs

The amp has built-in hi and lo pass filters and more than enough headroom. Does that make me a CL DJ? ;)
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Filtering is processing, but you can be a CL DJ if you really want to ... Maybe we can offer than as a internet license as well. The biggest difference is that YOU know how to use it.
 
steve149 said:
Filtering is processing, but you can be a CL DJ if you really want to ... Maybe we can offer than as a internet license as well. The biggest difference is that YOU know how to use it.
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Nah, I just turn those knobs all the way up.............getting a new rig next week. It goes up to TWELVE!!!
 
rickryan.com said:
Hey guys, no processing here. Don't need it.

Denon X500 > IPR3000 > tops + subs

The amp has built-in hi and lo pass filters and more than enough headroom. Does that make me a CL DJ? ;)
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I digress. That Peavey has some processing in it. But...Are you running subs on one channel and highs on the other? Probably sounds fine...I guess its good enough for what you need. Is this your standard setup? Just thought you'd be the type to have some processing in your shows based on my impression of your posts.
 
jtnichol said:
I digress. That Peavey has some processing in it. But...Are you running subs on one channel and highs on the other? Probably sounds fine...I guess its good enough for what you need. Is this your standard setup? Just thought you'd be the type to have some processing in your shows based on my impression of your posts.
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I've got plenty of stuff sitting on the shelf but I really prefer to keep it as simple as possible. Use the tool that gets the job done and don't complicate any more than you absolutely have to. Got to stack it against a full QSC, active bi-amp rig last week and my rig just sounded better (and the other guy knows what he's doing).
 
jtnichol said:
What cabs are you hooking up to that single Peavey amp to compete with the QSC?

Did he agree yours sounded better?

not trying to nit pick but I guess I am. You've got me curious.
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I didn't ask him and I doubt he'd agree. His system had plenty of boom to it but was muddy. Here's his presentation:
IMG_4135.JPG


Here's mine (that ain't me, either):
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Coupling will sometimes give you a little bit of a boost (not so much with front firing or bandpass designs). I think I mentioned it another thread, but either the filter/crossover controls were set wrong, weren't used, or there was overlap (tops using "deep" setting with a sub). That will cause mid bass issues. It's hard to see, but I think you said the subs were K-subs, which may also be an issue with the K12s as the coverage bands are close (Ksub is a dual 12).
 
I use bandpass and horn loaded subs and I can tell when they are spread out rather than coupled.

If that's a K-sub from the 1st gen I can say those were the worst cabs of the line. Seems like the KW is much better as far as a sub. Can't wait to hear one! Kris from Platinum is loving them and he owns 728's so for an active cab that's a nice compliment.
 
The KW181 is a nice sub, hits hard (though nowhere like a well powered 728 .. probably similar to a 718 though). It's also similar to the JBL PRX618-XLF (not the basic 618). The EV 181 is close, but a bargain at almost $500 less, at least as long as the finish holds up.

With horn-loaded, you will normally get some coupling boost (though some brands like Danley say it won't be much). With bandpass, at least with the KSub type, coupling won't give you any real benefit. With some other designs (like the ART subs), you might get some, but I've heard there may be chuffing (port noise) due to air flow interaction given the ports carry most of the low frequency energy in that design.

If you like passives, it's a good time to get a SRX box as they're being discontinued and are pooping up on sale.
 
Hey Rick,

I've been looking at the PV IPR3000's. Now I've run across the IPR3000 DSP. It looks like for about $150 more, I could pick up a unit with DSP. Since I'm thinking of running the passive tops with my ELX118ps, I wonder if it wouldn't be good to pick up the DSP model so I can set the crossover on the tops to accomodate the bass on my subs. A DBX PA runs North of $400. Seems like $150 is a good deal for the extra settings. Let me know what you think.

I'm coming around on the Carvin PM15s. Since I'm talking about hanging these suckers out in the open all day for a couple days, I don't think it makes sense to spend a ton of money on high-end EVs and race out every time a black cloud starts to linger. Two Carvins run about $400 with covers.
 
You need DSP (or crossover control) for both the subs and tops. If one has crossover/filtering built-in, then getting an amp for the other makes sense. If you need control for both, then it's a tossup getting two amps with DSP or a Driverack type device which also has a few other features.
 
I broke open the piggy bank and splurged. Picked up two TX1152s and the Peavey IPR3000DSP. The Peavey amp actually has a pretty sophisticated processor with delays and crossover. I'm going to use my ELX118ps and use the Peavey to crossover the tops. Now I could even use the 112ps for fill off to the sides thanks to the narrow horn on the TX1152s.
 
Click on my studly avatar picture and select start a conversation.
 
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