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I already listed the amps, and (6) speakers that I will be using above in an earlier response in this thread. Predominantly my gear is Behringer. The subs are Behringer B1800's and my main speakers are also Behringer B1520 pro's. Someday might be using something different like some EV's, but have to work up to that. So far, so good with my Behringer stuff. As far as venue sizes go, it will vary, but I also said in earlier posts that they will be mostly in parks and parking lots.

As far as lighting goes, I'm all ears. What would be effective hanging from the ends of the scaffolding itself at about an 8 ft. elevation in an outdoor setting? I have some ideas, but would like some more input as well. Budget is really "fluid" at this point in time. Until I actually get some shows, lighting might be put on hold. I just want to have some sort of direction when the time comes.

I really figured I would get more input from some of the more experienced people here. Like I said, I gave as much info in earlier posts as I could. Between the pics and that info, I should be able to get some pretty good insights and suggestions.

Thanks

Sorry I had looked back but missed the message where you gave that info. First, as I look at it, I'm thinking your speakers probably aren't the best choice for that config. The 1520's have a crazy wide 100 degree dispersion pattern. Putting 6 of them in a 360 degree config like that, I'd probably have picked something with a tighter pattern (like a more traditional 90 at least) to try and avoid some of the wave interference that you're going to experience. You'll definitely find some issues in coverage at certain spots, but I'm sure it won't be the end of the world given the application.

Something else to consider with those speakers is how high are they going to be off the ground and how big is the area you're trying to cover. The horns only have a 50 degree vertical dispersion pattern so you want to make sure the high end is getting down to the area it needs to cover quickly enough. Might want to consider some way to tilt the 1520's downward a bit in smaller areas.

My biggest concern with your rig is sub-low, you just haven't got enough. Outdoor gigs are totally different than indoor. While yes, sub low frequencies do travel farther than higher frequencies, without a room acting as a giant bass cabinet, you actually need more sub-low reproduction devices when playing outdoors. With 4800W of capability in the full range, having only 800W below that is going to be seriously lacking, almost to the point that I wonder if it'd even be worth it. I'm not talking about thumping bass here, I'm talking about ability to hear the bass at all (especially since you won't be able to feel it).

Also give some thought to your amp config. Given what you have, I'd probably run the speakers in pairs each wired in series off of one of the three EP2500's running in bridge mono. That'll let you get full capability out of those full-range speakers and have plenty of headroom if needed.

For the subs, I'd look at something with a much higher power handling capability and get more of them. Either that or downsize the top end and lose some ability to cover larger areas. I'd use the Carvin's to power larger subs, probably in a bridged configuration as well.

Lighting still depends on what you're trying to light. Are you just trying to light your area or are you trying to light up the entire venue (like shine lights on all the cars at a car show or something)? If you're just trying to light your area as a DJ/KJ, then I'd look at a set of 4-8 par 46 cans. Big enough to give you plenty of light coverage with some color wash, but small enough that you should be able to power them all off a single 20A circuit.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Tony, no the 1520's are to be pole mounted on the exterior of the venue point inwards. How many I use will depend on the size of the show itself. The 6 on the rack up on the scaffold are going to be the B212xl's. The rack is adjustable in any direction, tilting included. I think the dispersion on the B212's is 90 degrees, so that should work out fine. As far as the subs go, I know that my amp is pushed to the top end while pushing both these subs now, so yes, I agree, getting another amp to push these would definitely help. That is the plan in the future as I generate revenue. I will be replacing each amp, probably one at a time with the Carvin DCM3800's (the new ones) That should give me plenty of power in ANY situation. I will keep the EP2500's, for when I add more subs, might just put one amp to one sub at that point. Oh, forgot to tell you this too, the 6 speaker array will be at approximately 9 foot elevation, each speaker tilted just slightly forward.

As far as lighting goes, I might add several different types of lighting, and use only what the venue calls for. No, I won't be lighting my dj/kj area much. I like to keep that area mostly "darkish" anyway. Most of the venues I will be doing won't need any lighting because most will be held during the day. But on the rare occasion that one is held at night, I would like just to be able to give some "effects" to the area. There will be times that I might be setting up as a dance type operation at a pavilion or similar. Could possibly do high school dances too, that one is to be seen. So, lighting will depend on the type of venue I will be hosting. I don't think lasers will be effective outdoors, since there won't be much to point towards, so I was thinking something like "Starballs" or TriBalls,, something to that effect. Dunno, thats why I am asking.

Again, thanks.

Ahh gotchya, somehow I totally mis-understood what you were doing here. This is really interesting what you're doing, I'll be very curious to see how it works out. In the world of installed systems, what you're trying to do would usually call for a distributed 70volt system. A large number of less powerful speakers spread out over the coverage area is the typical method for addressing your situation. What you are trying to do seems to make a lot of sense, I'll be really curious to see how things work out for you because it is a decidedly different approach from the norm.

With regard to the lighting, I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone, please don't do the typical DJ/KJ thing of just buying a bunch of different lighting effects and throw them willy nilly on a tree. It looks amateurish and super cheesy in my opinion. For that type of lighting, think symmetry an coordination. Buy in even numbers and look at units that are sound activated (so you don't have to use a controller) but also are DMX linkable where one serves as the master and they all produce coordinated effects. This looks awesome both when you look at the fixtures and the resulting patterns on the floor/ground. Maybe mix in a few par cans on a sound activated controller/dimmer if you want to get some color wash as well. If you have the money, getting DMX units and dimmers attached to a controller that has scenes and a sound activation mode can be really cool. Honestly though, unless you have a lighting director to sit there and work the controller all night, probably overkill given the possibilities I've described above.

I try to avoid using trees and instead have a full 10 foot truss that I use for DJ lighting. It is far more secure and looks a little more professional. Additionally, many times I can just leave the lights mounted to the trussing when I tear down and trasport that way.

_________________
DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke