velvetoceansound Posted January 9, 2002 Share Posted January 9, 2002 1. What is the defacto method for balancing subwoofers to the mid/high drivers in a biamped system? I have the ol' radioshack SPL meter with A and C wieghtings, and I can borrow scopes and meters from work if I need to. 2. If you have read my previous post, you would know that I just came on board/took the helm of my church's sound system. The speakers are in a left-center-right config but are running in mono. What do I need to fully utilize the LCR setup? Do I need a board that is capable of LCR panning, or could I some how make due with the 24x4 ramsa currently being used? Would I need to buy a second crossover dedicated for the center channel to keep the LF out? If you could point me in the direction of some typical setups, I would greatly appreciate it. What are some common mixing practices for LCR systems? Just vocals in the center and everything else in the left and right? Please help me understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt.Hepworth Posted January 10, 2002 Share Posted January 10, 2002 I don't know whether I'm stating the ignorant (I don't do a huge amount of live sound) but in that kind of environment, I would think running stereo is asinine. Mono only, otherwise you will open up the great option of people hearing only half of what you put through the speakers (the half corresponding to the side that particular person is sitting in). Right? Please correct me if I'm way off base here. At least your question is resurrected, right? ;) No matter how good something is, there will always be someone blasting away on a forum somewhere about how much they hate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetoceansound Posted January 10, 2002 Author Share Posted January 10, 2002 I beleive that the purpose of the center channel is to re-inforce the center image to allow panning (gentle panning) of various instruments to gain a little seperation without risking the un-realistic mile-wide stereo image effect. Does this sound resonable? Most of the large scale concerts I have been to have been left-center-right configurations and some of there I am sure I picked up some amount of stereo seperation. I guess I'm just currious about the method and reasoning behind LCR setups. Any advice on the subs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted January 10, 2002 Share Posted January 10, 2002 TheGlitch is correct. Utilizing a stereo setup for most PA yields too many seats that hear only what is panned to their side. Most of the mixes I've heard in stereo theater venues with LCR speaker setups have been mix-masterbation. Otherwise, the mixer (If the FOH is actually in a sweet spot) hears a stereo image, along with 1 or 2% of the audience who are dead center, and the rest hear mono, anyway. Why waste time and resources on your board accomodating the sends necessary to pan LCR? Also, beware what you term LCR. Most of the concerts you speak of use center speakers as short throw, downfill. Lower powered speakers designed to catch the audience who are out of the throw of the mains. At least in most stereo concerts, the flown rig has space for L & R to combine, from each stack, in most seating. Does your church have this type of setup? What are the measurements of the room and system? Length, width, height, spread of speaker stacks, height of speaker stacks, distance from the drivers to their target seating and how much hf driver spread. Church speaker systems, by and large, are used to cover the seating, in mono. Give us more information on the power setup. Are some/all of the speakers run off one power amp? That could limit your possibilities, unless another amp purchase is in your budget. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetoceansound Posted January 10, 2002 Author Share Posted January 10, 2002 Thank you Fantastic and Glitch. I hadn't thought about it before, but I would bet that the center cluster of speakers where spec'd and aligned to be fills for those in the front/center of the room. Most of my mixing experience is in the studio, so mixing in a mono environment is forcing me to adjust my thinking a little bit. I guess the original idea was nothing but an effort to get back to my comfort zone of stereo audio. But alas, I will adjust myself to the system, not the system to me. The building used to be an old movie theater. Upon purchase of the building, the wall seperating the two theater rooms was removed, and the stage was moved up about halfway from the original screen position to the back wall. I don't have the physical dimensions right now, but I think you answered my question regardless. Mono it shall be; it should be a good excercise for me. The speaker system was installed before I came around by a hired firm. The speaker system does in fact sound quite good, for which I am SO greatful. The subs, however, where an after thought. They where adjusted by ear upon installation, but after talking to the individual that balanced them, he didn't seem to confident in his methods. (Basiclly, a musician forced into the soundman position because there was simply no-one else to do it). Thanks again for entertaining my questions. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big K Posted January 11, 2002 Share Posted January 11, 2002 .. yea in genral I go mono, just can't justifi running stereo. one thing I have been itching to try with a LCR system is panning L+R and (L) and C as (R), what way you get 2 stereo sorces, but they go off to the sides.... always wondered if iwt would work.... but I digress. With respect to the set up of the system, what I have heard works well (and I use when I use system with subs) is as follows. 1) get a amic you know real well, or is very flat/accurate 2) set up system with as few parts as you can .. IE mixer/crossover/amps/speakers. 3) set amp for subs at max 4) start talking , bring in mids and tweters to make your voice sound REAL...not good not bright not cool or powerful REAL 5)now play some music that you know real well....adjust to taste. never ways so great at setting the crossove freq, usally stuck with what the manufactures told me to use... trust your ears. .. oh yea and TRUST YOUR EARS. I also walk around the room .... alot, everyone things I am nervous, no I just walk a big grid. last thing you do is add in the eq's if you need them. hope this helps, feel free to e-mail me are kevinnem@hotmail.com if you need more help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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