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 Forum index » How-tos » Surround and Sound Reinforcement
Hardware advice for outdoor performance
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dewdrop_world



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PostPosted: Sun May 06, 2007 3:47 pm    Post subject: Hardware advice for outdoor performance Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I'm starting to work on some pieces to play outside in Washington DC, which leads naturally to the question of what to play them on. The sound source will be a MacBook Pro running SuperCollider. For the initial run, I will probably stick to two channels and use the built-in audio out; later on, I'm considering four, six or even eight channels fed by a MOTU Ultralite.

My constraints and wishes:

  • Everything has to be self powered; I can't count on finding an electrical outlet outside. If the components are not battery powered (rechargeable, preferably), I would need to have a portable and quiet power source.
  • I don't need high volume or audiophile quality. This is going to be in a noisy city environment and my sounds should blend into, and augment, the ambient noise. Somewhat lo fi is okay, but I also have to think ahead to events in more typical performance venues so I don't want the quality to be too bad.
  • Money is a factor, as in I don't have a whole lot of it to spend.
  • Size is a factor. I would prefer the speakers to be unobtrusive in the environment.

Any thoughts? I'm not well schooled in PA technology.

Thanks in advance --
James

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dewdrop_world



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PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2007 7:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Having looked at PA gear on sweetwater, I can pretty safely say that traditional PA speakers are not what I'm after here. They're all so big that they would call too much attention to themselves.

I'll keep poking around but if anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

hjh

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kkissinger



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PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2007 8:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Well, if your music doesn't have any bass then you can get away with less power and smaller speakers. Radio shack makes little mono amplifiers for around 14 bucks each... powered by 9 volt batteries.

http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=amplifier%20mini&origkw=amplifier%20mini&sr=1

Or, you might want to use boom boxes for better frequency response. Or small powered computer speakers.

In all these cases, you could run line level signals to your speakers.

You would have the option of using bigger speakers and amps for some channels that require it... your application as you described probably wouldn't require "studio monitor" quality.

Interesting project... keep us posted.
Quote:

Somewhat lo fi is okay, but I also have to think ahead to events in more typical performance venues so I don't want the quality to be too bad.


just caught this line in your post... well, my solutions are definately low-fi.

For more traditional venues, my solutions would likely be too lo-fi with the possible exception of the boom box solution. Actually, would be interesting to hear what one could do with a load of boom boxes Smile

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dewdrop_world



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PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2007 8:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I had actually considered boomboxes. Still thinking about it.

You know what Phil Kline does with boomboxes, no?

Here is one thing, but not the coolest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_JMRwc5b_8

But Bachman's Warbler is amazing, using boomboxes and tape loops to turn blues riffs on a harmonica into a head-throbbing, pulsing, distorted exploration of room resonance, like "I am sitting in a room" on coke and speed. Totally low tech and shocking (in a good way).

James

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seraph
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PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2007 11:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

dewdrop_world wrote:
"I am sitting in a room"

you mean this one. right Question

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dewdrop_world



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PostPosted: Tue May 08, 2007 11:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Yes, that would be the one.

Thanks for the link... follow the one for UBUWEB on that page and you can download the entire 1969 recording of "I am sitting in a room." Got it on my iPod now!

James

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dewdrop_world



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PostPosted: Thu May 10, 2007 7:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

These are an intriguing thought... small, lightweight, and the subwoofer is not a bad idea either. Not entirely out of my price range.

Boomtube VS0200

The amazon reviews are pretty good, but I don't quite trust them... I once bought a cheap espresso machine on the basis of good amazon reviews, but it was total crap.

James

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dewdrop_world



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PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2007 4:12 pm    Post subject: Maybe just what I wanted... Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

So I went ahead and ordered the Boomtube, and I think it will suit my purpose very well.

They are definitely not audiophile speakers, and not meant for listening indoors at high volume. The midrange is a little boxy and the high-end grates on your ears very quickly when used inside. The bass is the real surprise -- not exactly "full," but you can hear low end material much more than you would expect from two inch cones.

Outdoors is a different story. At full volume, the music is pretty clearly audible as far as twenty feet away; up to 50 feet or so, you can hear that some music is going on but you can't hear much in the way of detail. That's okay for this project. I wanted the music to be just present enough to alter the environment but not overwhelm it. Some nice psychoacoustic circuitry in there.

It remains to be seen what other use I'll get out of them. Definitely good for picnics or beach trips.

That's not to mention the labored attempt at "cool" in the user guide... positively laughable!

James


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PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2007 6:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Virgin label, eh.

Yes, that would explain the "oh so cool" affectation. If Virgin made computers, then Apple would be out of business.

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