Do You Have Enough Rig For The Gig?

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What Are Your Parameters When Choosing A System For A Gig?

  • Total voters
    13
ahoustondj

ahoustondj

Mac Daddy DJ
Aug 13, 2007
20,235
3,465
Texas
For those who use scale able systems, (in other words those who have multiple systems that can be integrated and deployed), when choosing what equipment you will deploy do you go by the amount of people attending the Event, the size of the room, the size of the Dance Floor/Area? What are your parameters. As always there is a Poll for this so please Vote.
 
Size of the room, as you can only pack so many sardines into one can. I do however insure my systems will cover a packed house and move the glasses on the tables when I drop Marvin Gaye-Sexual Healing :)
 
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I voted size of the room, but there is a missing option there, if you're doing a large/medium outdoor event, it becomes both size of audience and size of area not just size of the room....since that changes the needed power to drive sound into an infinite baffle, I assume for indoor event only on my vote...... :)
 
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I tend to concentrate sound on the dance floor and place wireless satellite speakers throughout the venue for coverage, if needed for the job, people on the dance floor prefer the music to be significantly louder than the aunts and uncles trying to talk at a table in the middle of the venue, although they still want to hear all of the important announcements. I prefer to set up zones rather than bringing enough rig for the gig, a few 8 inch powered speakers placed throughout the venue and properly adjusted, really make for a much more enjoyable experience for the guests,
 
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There was no choice for yes, yes and yes.
 
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The answer is usually based on what the activity is, how many people there are and where will they be listening. A big room with everyone clustered into one area doesn't require the same system as the same room with folks spread out. A party needs music concentrated mostly on a small dance area whereas a prom needs it covering almost everywhere.

So the correct answer is it depends..
 
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oldschooldj said:
Size of the room, as you can only pack so many sardines into one can. I do however insure my systems will cover a packed house and move the glasses on the tables when I drop Marvin Gaye-Sexual Healing :)
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I am going to have to give you a list of "Heavy Bass Hitting Songs" !

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kittmaster said:
I voted size of the room, but there is a missing option there, if you're doing a large/medium outdoor event, it becomes both size of audience and size of area not just size of the room....since that changes the needed power to drive sound into an infinite baffle, I assume for indoor event only on my vote...... :)
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Yep, I was only referring to Indoors and did not want to complicate things for some of the Troops. From what I see them using, one speaker for ceremony, I was fearful of the outdoor results. LOL;)
 
What Val Said is the way I roll. In some cases having adequate power in one system can suffice for a variety of size rooms. What I mean by this, where one would need adequate tops and subs for a given room with 300 people, that same size equipment can be used for the same room with 100 people. There is such a thing as Gain and Volume Control. A small system for 50 people in a Large Room can possible sound terribly. I judge quality of sound and it's system by the naturalness of how the music is delivered. Never Blaring!!
 
Size of room. I can always turn down a system if it can be overpowering, but i can never get more sound out of a too small a system.
 
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I didn't vote either. 90% of the time, I'll use a standard rig; 2 IPR 3000s, 2 tops, 2 18" radiators. There is the rare occasion where I've got something that's a basic DJ job, or maybe needs a wider spread than this rig so I'll break out the Bose or perhaps a pair of powereds. I worked a Catholic church last night that I'd guess was 3k sq feet. Spread tops about 50 feet and centered-loaded the subs under my table. Sound was good but oddly enough, the tops would tap DDT just every now and then. Now let me turn this to a question.

I bought a Carvin DCM3800x-drive last night. The IPR3000 has been running in stereo, putting 440 watts to each top (8-ohm). On subs, each channel is pushing 880watts (4-ohm) to each cab. I don't remember a single time of ever seeing the subs clip. I'm toying with the idea of how to configure and see it two basic ways;

1) Use the Carvin to run the tops, stereo, pushing 700 watts into each cabinet, 8 ohms. Keep the sub configured like it is. I don't currently have a 40hz shelf on the subs if I do it this way.

2) Use the Carvin only, using the x-drive software to configure a shelf. It would be hitting a 2-ohm load (1800watts) to subs and a 4-ohm load to mono tops (1150 watts). I'd leave one of the IPRs in the rack as an emergency backup and I'm thinking I'd be able to run the Carvin much cooler, overall on levels. If this amp performs like the reviews say, I may bump a 2nd one later in the fall.

Your thoughts?
 
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I'd stay away from running the Carvin at 2 ohms .. it's just not beefy enough. Run the subs off the Carvin, either in stereo or bridged, and use the IPR on the tops. I would use a single amp for both only as a backup.
 
rickryan.com said:
I didn't vote either. 90% of the time, I'll use a standard rig; 2 IPR 3000s, 2 tops, 2 18" radiators. There is the rare occasion where I've got something that's a basic DJ job, or maybe needs a wider spread than this rig so I'll break out the Bose or perhaps a pair of powereds. I worked a Catholic church last night that I'd guess was 3k sq feet. Spread tops about 50 feet and centered-loaded the subs under my table. Sound was good but oddly enough, the tops would tap DDT just every now and then. Now let me turn this to a question.

I bought a Carvin DCM3800x-drive last night. The IPR3000 has been running in stereo, putting 440 watts to each top (8-ohm). On subs, each channel is pushing 880watts (4-ohm) to each cab. I don't remember a single time of ever seeing the subs clip. I'm toying with the idea of how to configure and see it two basic ways;

1) Use the Carvin to run the tops, stereo, pushing 700 watts into each cabinet, 8 ohms. Keep the sub configured like it is. I don't currently have a 40hz shelf on the subs if I do it this way.

2) Use the Carvin only, using the x-drive software to configure a shelf. It would be hitting a 2-ohm load (1800watts) to subs and a 4-ohm load to mono tops (1150 watts). I'd leave one of the IPRs in the rack as an emergency backup and I'm thinking I'd be able to run the Carvin much cooler, overall on levels. If this amp performs like the reviews say, I may bump a 2nd one later in the fall.

Your thoughts?
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If nobody answers you by this evening I will check your equipment specs and reply when I come back from the Country. I am on my way to do a site visit two hours away. Just came in a few hours ago and now got to hit the road again. The life of a DJ. Happy Sunday ya'all!
 
steve149 said:
I'd stay away from running the Carvin at 2 ohms .. it's just not beefy enough. Run the subs off the Carvin, either in stereo or bridged, and use the IPR on the tops. I would use a single amp for both only as a backup.
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That seems the most logical, but really, my tops are the only thing that EVER clip in this current rig. I've like to get a 40hz shelf but would hate to have to add an external crossover to make that happen. I really have been liking using the amps to setup the crossover point (one less thing to break). May have to experiment with it and see what works best. I really am wondering if a single radiator at 1140 watts won't be enough bottom for a lot of my weddings. Anytime I'm in a bigger room, I could re-configure and distribute the subs to a separate amp and use both cabs.
 
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I voted size of the room, but another problem is rooms that are odd shaped.
 
rickryan.com said:
That seems the most logical, but really, my tops are the only thing that EVER clip in this current rig. I've like to get a 40hz shelf but would hate to have to add an external crossover to make that happen. I really have been liking using the amps to setup the crossover point (one less thing to break). May have to experiment with it and see what works best. I really am wondering if a single radiator at 1140 watts won't be enough bottom for a lot of my weddings. Anytime I'm in a bigger room, I could re-configure and distribute the subs to a separate amp and use both cabs.
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You can pick up a used Rane AC22 or dbx 222/223 crossover on eBay for less than $125 (it's hard to electrically damage a crossover) and you can reconfigure using a few buttons and knobs. Then you can high pass the tops at varying points (40, 90,100) depending on whether you run 1, 2 or no subs.
 
I vote number of guests... people soak up sound like you wouldn't believe.

That said, the venue size is important as well. Depending on the type of engagement, the client may or may not want club-style sound throughout the house.
 
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