Speaker Mounted High and Behind? - Page 2

jonfields45 · #16 07-07-2015, 08:52 PM

I don't think I would claim a single speaker high and behind is optimal, but it works well and is relatively easy to setup and teardown. More complicated setups are not necessarily better sounding given all the things that can go wrong (for example, you ask the sound guy for a different mix in the monitor and members of the band then try to make that mix sound balanced). Having less then perfect coverage of a room is not all bad either. People who don't want to listen can talk more easily in those off axis spots. When someone tells me they hear a significant difference between an EON610, K10, SRM350V3, or DBR10, I know they value something that is not important to me (I chose the DBR10 because it was the lightest of those options :~). If you enjoy owning and setting up a first class sound system, then by all means that is reason enough. I am mostly interested in performing and can't get excited about gear these days.

ljguitar · #17 07-07-2015, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

I've always thought that placing PA speakers much higher than the audience's collective "head" was not optimal.

Hi sdsr…

Line arrays are flown very high, and positioned and aimed down to cover sections of the crowd. They are most often much higher than the audiences heads. Even in theaters/venues with balconies, they are often higher than the heads of the people there too (unless the seats go all the way to the ceiling in a balcony…and those are a challenge to cover well with decent sound.

Sound falls like a bullet fired at the audience. Highs travel less far than bass notes, and it drifts in the wind just like a bullet (if you are doing sound outside).

Speakers placed at near head level of a collective audience have a hard time reaching the back of a venue without using enough volume/decibles to melt the faces of the people in front.

midwinter · #18 07-10-2015, 04:48 PM

FYI: just got back from setting up for this evening. I put the speaker about 7 feet up directly behind me by about 3 feet. Sounded great. No feedback at all, and now I can tell how loud I am to the rest of the room.

dcopper · #19 07-13-2015, 10:12 AM

For small to medium venues, I use either a AER 60/3 on a speaker stand to my right side and behind me; or if needed add a QSC K8 on a speaker stand behind me.
I try to keep the height as close to the listener's height (ear level) as possible. In some coffee houses I also use a Loudbox Performer on an amp stand angled slightly up - keeps the bass under control with a wooden stage floor and angles the sound up towards the listener.

I have been doing this sort of to the side and behind (no monitor) setup for years since I had a BOSE L1 Model I system. With my setup i get far less feedback than I ever did with the BOSE or SoloAmp which are designed to be used this way. i just make sure my mic is not pointed at the powered cab or Amp - keep it off to my right side and behind me with as little height as needed.

i agree sound drops like a bullet too. Having the cabs up above your heads may not be optimum but has worked better if you want to avoid the monitors.

Just my dos centavos
davidc

midwinter · #20 07-13-2015, 10:55 AM

My gig went just fine with no feedback issues at all. Plenty loud for this room, which seats about 50-75.

bbarkow · #21 07-13-2015, 08:12 PM

I used to play with a partner in a two man rock duo. We mounted the mains high and behind and played and sang live over tracks we had recorded. Never a problem at high SPLs. People think I'm nuts when I tell them about it, but with a little care it works much better than using floor monitors.

Glad your gig went well!!

Edited to add that we changed to an iPod after our first gig. No feedback problems, but the SPL was high enough to make our backing tracks CD skip. I don't have any idea how my partner knew where we were in the song, but he led us out of trouble without having to stop. We turned down just a bit and everything went great.

midwinter · #22 07-13-2015, 08:16 PM

AND it's less crap to haul around!

bbarkow · #23 07-13-2015, 08:20 PM

My next purchase is going to be a used Carvin AG100. I had one years ago that I donated to my church when we moved away. They really loved it. GREAT vocal sound, GREAT guitar sound. The chassis is maybe a bit on the delicate side, but with reasonable care it should last forever. Had no problem filling a 200+ seat auditorium.

As a bonus, you can get a matching extension speaker. Amp and extension are both pole mount. 12" speaker with (padded) tweeter.

midwinter · #24 07-13-2015, 08:35 PM

I wound up sitting in with a guy on Saturday who was using an old Kustom amp for everything, and it was just loud as hell in a HUGE room—so loud that they asked him to turn it down (and me to turn up!).

I don't know why, but I just never care much for the sound of those amp combos. With that said, I have never heard anyone play through one with a rig similar to mine....

midwinter · #25 07-24-2015, 06:23 PM

Did another show last night with my 10" speaker mounted high and behind on a rooftop bar downtown. We were loud as hell with no feedback.

This little experiment has convinced me to pick up a K8 or K10 at some point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbarkow

I used to play with a partner in a two man rock duo. We mounted the mains high and behind and played and sang live over tracks we had recorded. Never a problem at high SPLs. People think I'm nuts when I tell them about it, but with a little care it works much better than using floor monitors.

Glad your gig went well!!

Edited to add that we changed to an iPod after our first gig. No feedback problems, but the SPL was high enough to make our backing tracks CD skip. I don't have any idea how my partner knew where we were in the song, but he led us out of trouble without having to stop. We turned down just a bit and everything went great.