For the same price, $1800, would you rather have 6 x SL-36B's, or 2 x EL-36DP's?

Are the new designs that much better?

I know a lot of people/snobs crap on CV's but I'm rebuilding my sound system for raves, I really miss having folded horns, I had a pair of 21" earthquakes, the TS-42 I think, they sadly stopped making. And I finally found some local deals they seem rare/hard to find for sale these days. Yes I know one is passive, I have amps already.

Hey Y’all, I’ve been researching and reading posts on this forum for about a year or two now try to figure out what system to buy or build. Honestly I’m no closer to an answer than when I started. I’d appreciate some advice on which direction to go. I’ll try to give as much info as I can so we’re not playing 20 questions in the comments.

The Ask
Before I say anything more I know what I’m asking for is a holy trinity that doesn’t exist and I know I’m gonna have to compromise it’s just a question of how much compromise in what areas. Anyway, so I’m looking for a system that has crystal clear audio(no dah), solid bass to excel in music from artist like Tipper, INZO, ASHEZ, Tape B, etc… I want people and myself to really feel those bass lines and melt like the sugar cube they likely just ate before walking through Cloud Gate. Ability to expand if wanted, reasonably mobile (more details to follow), power in to sound out efficiency, durability or fixability (harsh climates, I’m talk cold snowy mountains of the Rockies, dust and heat of Black Rock, swamp heat of the Deep South and cold wet of my “home” the PNW), under $20k all in would be nice, play for crowds of a couple hundred maybe more, I’d prefer it to be two tops and 1 dual or 2 single subs, no kick bins if I can avoid it(you’ll see why here in second)

The situation.
I live full time in a fully converted still mobile 40ft school bus that has 6000watts of solar panels, EG4 6000xp all in one with 28.6kwh of battery storage, little Champion generator Model#: 201279 4250watt. Currently rocking a couple of old school peavey SP 2G with a one dual 18 sub IDK the brand, that couldn’t fight its way out of a wet paper bag… I love throwing events in the woods but I’ve never had that “dang” that sounds good system. I want to change that. Now in building this new system my limiting factors are the power 6000watts AC 120v + 4000watts of generator noting that I hate generators if I can do it without one hallelujah!, space availability to store while traveling or just in everyday mode not event mode and weight. Solo dude pulling this off, I can throw around 100lb over my shoulder maybe more so moving +300lb Subs in and out of the bus is not impossible but it does not sound appealing. I’m the roadie, I’m the sound tech and the lights, camera, action all wrapped into one facially challenged body so if it’s simpler without sacrifice I’m listening because there’s ceiling of what I am capable of pulling off. I’d like to hope I’m not ugly and stupid, jury is still out on that though.

What I have considered
- mainly building 2x JMOD’s and either 1x SKhorn or 2x SKram’s paired with Linea Research 48M20 and 2x Powersoft IpalMod
- I looked into Void, Funktion 1, PK, Danley, D&B, HSD and it all seems to blur together at a certain point. After 10 years of edm shows I been lucky enough to hear most of the systems and each in my novice opinion had good techs running the sound so they all sounded pretty good plus yea know about 10x the system and professional experience then what I’m considering or capable so that does a whole lot of good comparison wise… I have been to and setup enough renegade to know that a couple of k12’s and a KS118 just isn’t what I’m looking.

Last note.
Thankfully I’m not ignorant enough to think I know anything, sitting comfortably in the valley of despair. Now I am ignorant enough to try to learn so I’d appreciate any recommendations on if I were to go a certain direction how can I best setup this system along literature, videos and any info that’s gonna help me help the crowd cause at the end of the day for me it about give them the best show I can. Thank you.

Hey everyone,

I've been working on a website called STM-D, basically a project where I put together a bunch of tools and resources for sound techs.

It started as a way to have useful stuff in one place instead of having to search for different calculators and resources all over the internet.

There are audio calculators, learning resources, measurement tools and even a 3D speaker stack builder. Some features are still in beta, but I'm constantly working on it and adding things.

The whole thing is free, no ads or subscriptions.

Here's the site if you want to check it out: https://stm-d.com/

I'd be curious to know what you guys think. Especially if you work in live sound, is there anything you'd actually use on a gig? Or anything you think is missing?

Any feedback is welcome, even if something sucks or needs fixing. That's pretty much why I'm sharing it here.

Cheers!

Due to popular demand, heres the software link to AmpCore:
https://github.com/scalli007YT/AmpCore/releases
It's a lot less clunky than the CVR-Software and works great so far - it's not perfect tho.
There are still some bugs like the mute buttons for the inputs.

We've acquired a pair of Turbosound TXD-215 subs and a pair of TXD-151 tops. The TXD-215 manual mentions that the complete system can be powered by a single amplifier, which is interesting to us because we move our soundsystem around quite a lot. Having just one amplifier to set up would make things much easier.

However, the different impedances and power ratings confuse me a bit. The TXD-215s are rated at 4 ohms and 1200 W program, while the TXD-151s are rated at 8 ohms and 600 W program.

If we connect each top to the link output of a sub, would the combined impedance per amplifier channel be approximately 2.67 ohms?

What amplifier would be suitable for powering the complete system this way? What output power should it provide per channel? Do you think this is a smart way to power it or better just use a dsp and two amps?

Thanks in advance!

We are building a (tekno)soundsystem supported by 4 mth46vs subs , what would be the best choice for the kicks? (Buying or diy building is not a problem)

Hello everyone, I'm about to build a soundsystem mostly for dub, UK steppers and im really struggling wchich subbass cabinet is more reasonable to buiild.
Can anyone maybe describe their individual experiences with those and how the 2x18 sounds like? I've heard superscoopers multiple times but it's still hard to make a clear comparison in my head. From what I've heard with some faster steppers scooper can be not fast enough when it comes to a response. I definitely prefer scooper visually but that's not the most important thing I think.
Thanks!

Hello legends. I recently picked up a pair of these sick Peavey speakers from marketplace with the intention of making a nice small - medium setup, house parties, small park gatherings etc. I also found a Yamaha xp7000 which is slightly underpowered, but will work well if I link in parallel. Anyways my question is I want to build a sub for these, then I have the option to bi-amp the Peavey’s and crossover the system out. I was looking at things like the paraflex type o 18”. What’s something that works well as a single or possibly pair, that would cover a wider genre area than only dub, things like jungle, footwork, fun,k hip hop, soul, jazz.
all ideas welcome, thanks again!

Buonasera a tutti, sono un neofita principiante che si è da poco addentrato in questo mondo.

Non riesco a capire per quale motivo funzioni solo il driver da 10" mentre il suo gemello e il tweeter restino muti. Spero in una vostra risposta :( .

Allego video.

Hi everyone,

I’ve just bought a second hand oldish PA system from Facebook marketplace, got home and plugged everything in and there is a strange high pitch ring whenever it is turned on. Even when everything is turned down, and nothing is plugged into the PA it still rings, I’m not sure whether it’s the speakers or the mixer amp. I’ve tried literally everything, the previous seller said it was completely fine before he sold it to me. I’ll attach some photos of the mixer and the speakers, any help would be greatly appreciated

Hello everyone !

I'm in a real quest. I'm looking for speaker grilles for Martin Audio WSX (they seem to be the same as the ones for the WS218X). Does anyone happen to know a website where I can buy them without spending too much? (In Europe, if possible). It seems almost impossible after doing a few searches

Thanks all !

We have found the kick region lacking for certain types of music, so rented a F215mkII to see how it performs.

If I understand correctly, this design is almost exactly the same as the old turbosound TSE-215, the BPH that was the inspiration for the HD-15.
I have read many posts on forums about the HD-15 honking near the upper crossing, and have noticed similar coloring at louder volumes that I can only describe as a pig “grunting” or honking as others describe.

This is probably a desirable effect to some, but when we will build similar kicks, we will probably cross it lower so it sounds cleaner.
Anyways, 10/10 experience, really made the stacks get more punchy and aggressive.

Hello,

I have four 18Sound NTLW5000 8ohms drivers powered by an amplifier rated at 2 × 7,800 W into 4 ohms, with a gain of 41 dB.

I’m looking for advice on how to get the most out of these drivers while ensuring they operate safely and making full use of their 4,000 W peak power handling.

Would you have any recommendations for the RMS and peak limiter settings?

Thank you for the help

Some manufacturers seem to use a heap of damping material inside their cabinets ie. TurboSound subs are often packed with it, and Funktion-One use damping in the rear chambers of boxes like the F218, among others.
How do you actually determine when damping is beneficial, how much to use/type and where to put it? I’m interested in breaking up standing waves and improving tightness and warmth in subs/kicks/tops.
Cheers!

Seen this autumn at Woodland Dance Project, just outside Edinburgh

Picked these up for free and can't really figure out what they are supposed to be. For my newbie eyes it seems like the pair on the top was inspired by the RLA Waldorf design, although the drivers are only 8". The bigger box on the bottom looks like some kind of freehand br design to me, just a random cuboid with two 15" drivers. I'm wondering if it's even worth trying to put some drivers in these or if I should just bin them 🤔

Anybody have the similar plan for the Cubo 15 Kick? Theres only the 18 available on freespeakerplans

I play events with crowds of different sizes and I’m looking for a PA setup that can handle smaller gigs but still work when the room gets bigger. I’d rather not have to buy two completely separate setups just to cover different events.

What setups have worked well for you guys? I’m trying to figure out how far one PA system can go before I need to add more speakers or upgrade to something bigger. Would love to hear what’s worked for others. Thanks!

Good morning!

We have two 21" scoops that we bought from a dub sound system, but both drivers are old, and one is blown out now. They have PD2150s in them now, but I'm wondering if you guys have any tips for good substitutes?

We play music that is a bit faster than dub (tekno, tribe, acid). We will start with 1 box just to have something to play with, and do the second one a bit later.

I'm working on my low end in a small venue, dance floor is approximately 46ftx32ft. The large cabs I currently have are not suited to the room and are creating dead spots. I'm looking for a flat pack build. what would you run in this situation? I've been considering, gsg, skhorn, or a tapped horn.

TLDR: what gauge extension cords should I use to power my speakers? Not what is "perfectly Ideal" but what is passable for now.

I recently purchased my first sound rig:

-2 used Mackie SRM650 tops (1600 peak/800w RMS)

-2 Soundtown Metis-pro18as subs (2400peak/700w RMS)

I will be powering them with an inverter generator with ≤3% THD (4400w start 3500w running)

I would have bought better subs, but for now, I'm happy with them, and this was already somewhat above my budget, especially when factoring in all the needed extras.

At least my tops leave plenty of growing room if I get 2 more subs in the future

As far as my question:

I plan on running the subs off of the 30A plug on the generator, and the tops off of the 15a duplex outlet.

The reason I am uncertain about cords is because when I was testing the system, I had 2 tops and a sub plugged into a 15 foot 16awg extension cord, and the other sub plugged into a 25 foot 14awg cord.

I was blasting the system for about 45 minutes and didn't seem to have any issues. It could easily go uncomfortably loud in the garage I was testing them in.

(The only concern/anomaly I did notice was that the bottom sub in the stack would clip before the top sub. I recognize, now, that this could be the sub that was on its own cord, but initially attributed it to pressure differences since it was reflecting off the ground)

I did some initial questioning with AI (yeah, I know), and it is saying 12awg for each individual speaker (which would be 4x 12/3 25 foot cords.)

Based off of my initial testing (acknowledging that it was less than Ideal), my intuition tells me 4 individual 12gauge cables is Way overkill.

I'm seeing 14awg and even 16awg cords that are rated for 1600watts+ and don't see why those would be an issue, at least for the tops.

Cable runs would likely not need to be more than 25 feet.

Anyone have real world experience with this? Thanks

(Edit: I am aware that sound output wattage is different than a wattage required, that is where part of my confusion comes from)

Been collecting bits and pieces for the past year or so. Took a lot of patience and lurking, as there’s hardly any secondhand/diy sound scene where I’m at. But finally ready to deploy for bigger gatherings with the full setup 🙂

Subs are EAW sb180’s, Tannoy b400’s for kicks, and trusty dusty ev sx300’s on top.