Need help/suggestions with live sound for DP

[Polkahero]

Polkahero, if you're someplace you can rent Yorkville equipment, try a set of NX55Ps. I believe the drivers are RCF. I use these as "keyboard amp", wedge monitor, and FOH speakers. Happy enough with them that I bought six. Oddly enough, my CP4 sounds bad through one of them, sort of a cruncy midrange. I guess it needs service of some kind.

 

Wes

 

Each speaker weighs 41 lbs., too heavy. The speakers I'm looking at each weigh around 20 lbs. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

[Danny Linguini]

I'm following. Thanks for the report. ... Can you clarify why you think think the dual PA would be better than the SS for your duo setup?

Lots of circumstantial evidence, really. First of all, my experience with the CP4 has been that trying to run through a single speaker cab has yielded generally crappy results, specifically with AP's. I know folks here have been able to get good AP's out of the SS, but I also know what I've heard myself out of the right pair of conventional cabs.

 

Second is the tight spaces that we mostly play in. Word from just about everyone is that the farther away you can put yourself from the SS, the better it sounds. Every place we play, there's just no room to get any more than a few feet from the PA. This presents a few problems all by itself. Obviously, there's the sound we're hearing, which will be less than optimal at that close proximity. But also, and even more significantly, there's no one else in my entourage (my partner in the duo, my wife, or any of the few friends who regularly attend our gigs) who can diddle on my board while I go roam around the premises to check the sound. So, I KNOW it won't sound great from where we're playing, and I have virtually no way to tell how it sounds from out on the floor. A disadvantage if a small, low-budget operation.

 

Third, the SS seems to be more susceptible to its surroundings than conventional cabs. With two speakers, I can be pretty confident that what I'm hearing on stage is close to what they're hearing across the room, and the only thing I really need to be concerned about is volume, as I've found the EQ using the same gear remains mostly constant from one venue to the next. I have a big fear that the ST would require a lot of fiddling beyond the main volume knob, an issue I've never had to deal with using conventional cabs.

 

Most important thing to keep in mind is that my sound system is the duo's PA -- two vocals and an acoustic guitar in addition to the keyboard. And I'm the one who runs it when we're playing, so I've got (what's left of) my own sanity to take into consideration as well; I just feel that the SS introduces more variables into this equation than I care to deal with. Believe me, I've given this a LOT of thought. If I were going solo or using it strictly for the keys in a bigger band where it were only myself that I had to worry about, I'd probably have jumped on the SS in a heartbeat. But of everything I've read from this vast collection of knowledge and experiences here, and knowing the specific situations we play in, a good pair of bi-amped conventional cabs just seems like the surer choice. I can go into another book on why I went with the DBR10's, but I'll spare you all that misery for another thread.

[Danny Linguini]

sleepnbear, Why not use the ZLX as your subwoofer along with the B210D's? This way no more investment on your end and only one more 32 pound cabinet to carry. the 210's will give you that crisp/clean sound you are looking for and the ZLX will provide the missing bottom end....

That probably might have worked for the sound; but I also have to worry about floor space on the gigs, not to mention that I just have no room to carry a third cab with the rest of my crap. And ... the DBR10's actually boast a lower frequency response than the ZLX12's (55hz vs 65hz). I only know this off the top of my head because I checked the specs of both last night after being thoroughly impressed with my first pass running the CP4 through them.

 

And there's the other minor issue of the ZLX's being gone. I've got way too much stuff taking up precious little space in the music room (plus a couple of boards under the bed), so I decided when evaluating new speakers that the ZLX's would have to go. I don't regret that for a second -- I'm really, really pleased with the DBR10's.

[dsetto]

but I also know what I've heard myself out of the right pair of conventional cabs.

This clarification was very helpful to me. And it makes good sense, as you are contending with 4 discrete sources, another's satisfaction, and all the other factors. I am very satisfied with the CP4 CFX through my stereo studio nearfields. (I've read bits & pieces of feb & march of the SS thread but, I haven't attempted to attack it in whole yet.) I like the ability to only take a 23 pound monitor wedge when that's all I need.

[agitato]

How does the dbr10 compare overall with the dxr10? I read that the dbr is lighter, less expensive, and has 2 inputs instead of 3. That aside, might the dbr sound the same or better than the dxr?

[Danny Linguini]

Don't know, never heard the DXR. But I did read on another forum that they sound similar, although the DBR has slightly lower output.

[Danny Linguini]

Oh. Wow. Thoroughly pleased with the DBR10'S on the gig tonight. Full, deep and bright. AP's were almost perfect -- just a little too bright in the upper octaves which I just need to tweak a bit more, but otherwise everything I was hoping for. Actually with the DSP settings to FOH, I had to EQ out a little more bass and mids on the mics and acoustic guitar. But I got quite a few comments from some of our regulars who noticed the improved sound. Had the volume on each speaker up to -4 db (about 10:00), mixer main out at about 9:00, and it was plenty loud enough. Couldn't be happier with them.

 

Now if I can just get the other guy to turn his $?@+#! bass down...