Reply "Mono - and why "surround" Posted by The Old Soundman on February 11, 2002

No, I never have, but I would love to know more, if you can come up with a link to it, please post it or send it in to me.

Just to let all you LAB lurkers know, I will soon be sharing with you my first editorial, expressing my total disdain for "surround" (also known as "useless and confusing unless your ass is in the sweet spot") mixing. No offense to the platinum prostitutes, in the upper-crust studios and post houses of Nashville, L.A. and NYC, but the Man has purchased their independence, and brought them in to rubber-stamp this hoax.

But it's not too late for the People - because I have arrived at my own solution - the ZDM System, Zoned Dual Mono! Of course, Lucas and Spielberg will not adopt it - they are part of the conspiracy to get you to give your life savings to the movie theatres and the stereo stores.

Don't throw out that binaural head - just put a "y" cable on it!

Luv -

The Old Soundman

Reply "Sir Dude" Posted by michael on February 12, 2002

The latest round of write-ups in your column, I hope you're just warming up. Whatever Wheaties you got, get a few more boxes and keep spoonin' the same.

Good Stuff!

Rock On.

Mr. Microphone!!!!
(I didn't just say that. ...Brady Bunch flash back..)

Totally digging the goods. Since I like it, you'll probably get outvoted, thrown in jail and burned at the stake. It's a ~totally~ fucked up world. (come on now, imagine the moves from that guy in Better Than Ezra)

Reply "The Old Surroundman strikes again." Posted by Joules on February 12, 2002

There aint nothing wrong with the surround concept. It's the implementation that's gone wrong. The idea of 3D panning is not what surround does best, or even at all.

Where surround works well is as an effect. When somthing starts off in the rear and flies through to the main stacks to then be joined by the rest of the instruments, it can be a powerful part of a show.

The biggest problem is that mentality of, because it's there, and I'm paying for it, then you'd better use it all the time.

I spent 4 months touring, as sytems tec, with a surround system, just for one part of the show. All that work running cables, and positioning speakers, just for one number. Was it worth it? I think so. Did you need to be in the sweet spot? Nope! The effect was stunning in virtually every seat in the house.

One could send a shower of bullets at the enemy and miss, or another could kill em with a single stone.

The right tool in the right hands. As always......

Joules

PS Are your cables THX approved? No? then that'll be $10,000 for the stamp then.......

Reply Posted by tknight on February 09, 2002

Back in the mid 70's (yea, i'm old too) I had a cliet who wanted a vocal/music PA, I thought to my self, what an idea, so I sat down and came up with a real weird looking rig, quite the combination of 18-15-12-12-10 2" and 1" + bullets, it was a strange hybrid, but the concept was good, you could get the thump and not muddy up the vocals, they were very natural sounding and sweet, I have a pic somewhere, i'll have to find it and scan for those who really care.

You were able to drive the music or the vocals as needed, took a little rerouting and creative mixing, but hey I was in for the game! Another great wonderful idea this guy had was for me to gel the lights black, so when you wanted a black out you could get a real blackout, but as you and I know it dosen't work that way, try telling a manager that, I took his money anyways!

Reply "Amps" Posted by Bob Cap on February 08, 2002

Joe Real,

We used to use Crown DC300's and highly modified Phase Linear 700's. I believe the Crowns were a womping stomping 155 watts per side and the Phases were 350 watts.

Best around for their day.

Of course we were all using horn loaded cabinets to squeeze every last dB out of the speakers of the day.

Bob (am I really 51) Cap

Reply "Amps/DC300" Posted by Tony Pybus on February 08, 2002

Actually a DC300 puts out 305 per channel into 4 ohms. Still have a couple in the home stereo rig ;-)

TP

Reply Posted by MIKE on February 08, 2002

An early memory was with Dinky Dawson we had stacks of Valve type WEM Slaves, at All Sound Audio the first thing after the trucks were emptied was to go around and put the tubes back in all the Dynaco D60 Horn Amps and the Mac 75's driving the VOT's.... then Dinky had some custom amplifiers made, the famous Big Blues, no Valves, probably still work toady - rock steady from DC to Light -

Then came the DC300; I still dont know what the hell the "hysteresis" switch on the side did; something about wavetanks & DC.... mine still works fine.... mike, just 50

Reply Posted by Keith Grossman on February 08, 2002

I was just a late teenager and attending the shows but...seems I remember seeing walls of Crown DC300's a couple of times.

Keith

Reply "A Contender" Posted by dave stojan on February 08, 2002

Hawthorne Racetrack / Chicago area mid 1970's: Gary Write + Leonard Skynard + Peter Frampton + Yes - anybody out there - there? It's the one where right after Frampton had done a big solo near the front of the stage (and stepped back to his mic position) a horn fell and smashed the spot he'd been standing in a moment before - a real show stopper! I reckon Mr. F. was due a change of shorts - but he came back on!

It was a HUGE PA, and if not the biggest, then at least a contender. I was hundreds of feet away from the PA, young and played guitar LOUD with my friends that also played LOUD (no sonic pussies for sure) but had to leave 3 songs into Yes 'cuz they was TOO LOUD!

So, anybody here there with details? - Dave

Reply "Biggest Rig ? 360 TMS-3" Posted by Pinheiro on February 08, 2002

HI
In the Turbo catalog from winter 1994 have a image of Donington,England «the largest PA system in the world,listed in the music section of the Guiness Book of Records 1990,consisted of 360 TMS-3 enclosures»
NICE!
Yours Vitor Pinheiro

Reply Posted by Michael Arnold on February 08, 2002

Heard a rumor about an electronica band in Europe touring with 250 KF850's. Also heard a story about the biggest Turbo rig ever assembled being like 200 boxes a side, 4 levels of scaf. I saw a picture, but didn't take the time to do an actual count. Anyone else heard about either of these?

-Milk (up late working on taxes...so much for 7 AM shop call)

Reply Posted by Mikael Holm on February 10, 2002

The Prodigy used about 230 EAW KF/BH/SB boxes in 1997.

Miffe

Reply Posted by Bill Tejral on February 08, 2002

The Turbo rig you're thinking of was probably Iron Maiden at Donnington (or other big outdoor place in England). I seem to remember something about 150 a side with 30 front fill TMS-3's. They were boasting 120dB at FOH with headroom.

Reply Posted by Mikael Holm on February 10, 2002

Monsters of Rock at Donington (racetrack). 360 TMS-3 boxes.

Reply Posted by Patrick C. on February 08, 2002

i think I remember reading that Woodstock '94 or '99 (or both) were like 1.5 million watts. Or maybe that was B.S. (my apologies if it is). And did Clair Bros. supply for those?

Patrick C...an't sleep either