digital delays

Jan 13, 2011
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Bridgeport, Michigan
Hi,
I may have to give some help with a local church.
The have a cluster for voice and two small speakers on stands a ways into the sanctuary that an electric band plays through.

They have the FOH in the balcony where the cluster has trouble hitting it as does the speakers on a stick.

I want to match up the cluster and stand speakers (if they need it).

Also I want to put a set of near field monitors at the FOH and delay them to match.

What is out there cheap to do this?
 
Re: digital delays

Second on the BSS TCS804, you can buy them used for about $150. It gives you two pairs of outs with independent delay times. you can delay your foh near fields to the cluster or the "stand" speakers. As for delaying the stereo set to the cluster you're going to have to make a choice on the reference point. If i am imagining this correctly the cluster is flown over the down stage center of the stage area and the speakers are on poles on the stage. There will be no real correct point to delay since it will change as you move about the room. If you don't put anything but voice in the cluster than I wouldn't worry with it as long as they generally physically aligned. It's when the audio begins to cohabitate the other speaker systems where it really sticks it head out. I would delay the near fields to the center cluster since you are one somewhat of an even plane being in the balcony.

Sounds like one of the situations where you will have to do the best you can. Good Luck!
 
Re: digital delays

Maybe you should just look into something like a used Omnidrive 355 that would give you all the tools to fix their system and you can password protect it. You really want to EQ those reference monitors a little bit to be sure they somewhat match the other systems. With the 355 you can feed it three inpust and then get two pairs of stereo outs and a mono out that are tailored for the three systems. Inputs A/B would be the stereo send C would be the cluster send. Of course the issue is going to representing the Center Cluster at the mix position- so regardless you almost need a third reference monitor as a center channel to really represent the mix on the floor.
 
Re: digital delays

If you're looking for something new and are able to stretch your budget the EV DC-ONE seems to be the best lower cost DSP out there at the moment. A bit cheaper than the DR260 and way better than the DRPA. The feature set of it should allow you to optimize the performance of the existing speakers too.

I'm not really going to get into the whole "Behringer" debate that always springs up but I will say that I've just never liked the thought of using their products on any of our installs. They do a some really decent products out there but I'm just always leery of leaving one in the hands of a client - especially a church with volunteers.
 
Re: digital delays

Thanks for all the info and advice.
I haven't sen the system yet. My sister goes to this church and is angry because the system sounds bad.

She believes the main cluster is working ok because she can understand the sermon and service in general.
They add an electric band and speakers on a stick in the aisles.
When the band plays all she hears is bass.
They are short on money so I said I would look over their system for cheap. If Im lucky all I need to do is set up the band speakers. Make my sister happy anyway...
 
Re: digital delays

Maybe it's just a band with loud bass amp that small speakers can't keep up with. In that case a little bass player adjustment
would be the cheap fix.

Another possibility is that she sits in a room mode @ 80Hz (or 50Hz, whatever).... which leads to this little trip down Memory Lane (which is just up the highway from No Memory Place)...

I had a fellow come up to me while mixing (or tending) a jazz gig on a permanent install rig. "I hope you realize you're RUINING this performance with all that bass." "Where are you sitting?" "Over there" and points to a table that was just a wee bit right of center, i.e. power alley.

"Sitting next to the middle aisle?" I ask. "Yes."

"I see an open seat at the other end of your table. See if you like it better there." He goes away, grumbling.

He came back at the end, smiling. "I didn't realize where I sat made a such a difference!" I told him it shouldn't, but that the rules of physics say we get this "bonus" LF build up in the center of the room that we call power alley. He left happy with both the music and sound, and that's the way it should be.

I'm sure that Brother List will get to the bottom of this LF caper.

Have fun, good luck.

Tim Mc
 
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