30+ years of "progress" and a "quiz"

Lee Brenkman

Lee Brenkman

Junior
Jan 13, 2011
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Oakland California USA
Continuing the clear out of the older, long untouched, boxes in Grampa's storage locker. Plucked this magazine ad from a 1981 issue of Guitar Player.

This "$6,000 Sunn Professional Sound System" was comprised of:

A 12 channel mixer
A dual ten band graphic EQ
A stereo 200 watt per channel @ 4 ohms amplifier
Two three way PASSIVE crossovers with 1/4 inch in and outs
A ten space rack
Two 18 inch "scoop" LF enclosures
Two mid horns with 1 inch throat drivers
Two tweeter arrays with four piezo horns.

NO snake, NO monitors. And admittedly not the "pro" stuff I would have been using at the same time.

So, here's the "quiz". That $6,000 "list" price would translate to about $14k to $15k in "today's money".

What would YOU buy for about $15,000 US before sales tax or shipping. To keep it "even", no snake or monitors, just a mixer with internal or external graphic EQ and a pair of speakers, either self powered or with external amps.
 

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Re: 30+ years of "progress" and a "quiz"

"My First Radial Horns", the Sunn Stadium horns that we had wayyyyy back were 1.4" exits (3' diaphragms). I believe they had the Altec 291 drivers.
 
Re: 30+ years of "progress" and a "quiz"

My first piece of gear, 1978, was a 16+3 Medusa snake by Whirlwind. Still use it.
And every time it comes out, eyes roll. Oh no, he's going to tell that story again. Got to tell it again in November.
$350.
Had to special order XLR returns.
 
Re: 30+ years of "progress" and a "quiz"

X32 and a fleet of JBL, QSC, or similar powered boxes. Hmmmm, wait, that sounds a lot like what I am doing right now......:razz:

Best decision ever for me was to (significantly) downsize the amount of gear I own, and arrange it in such a way that it can be used in a wide range of applications. I am very happy at what is achievable with the X32 and some decent powered cabs these days. Even 5 years ago I couldn't say that. I find I am crossrenting much less than I thought I would.


To add an additional question: What would you do for $15K if you were putting together a lighting system?
 
Re: 30+ years of "progress" and a "quiz"

X32 and any meyer or d&b powered boxes I could muster with the balance...

Jeff Babcock said:
To add an additional question: What would you do for $15K if you were putting together a lighting system?
Click to expand...

Martin Mac101 or similar with lightjockey dongle....
use some small pars on bars of 4 with tree dimmers for front lighting. (yorkville lighting kit) - purchase yorkville to DMX converter.
 
Re: 30+ years of "progress" and a "quiz"

Dave Barnett said:
Anyway, for $15K, a Midas Pro1 and spend all the rest on QSC K-series powered boxes.

Or an X32 and a lot more K-Series.
Click to expand...

Regarding the K series.. Last week again heard a piss poor live show with K-12's... But installed a pair of KW 153's in a church and they were much better.
 
Re: 30+ years of "progress" and a "quiz"

Dave Barnett said:
Are those Motorola piezo, or Heppner "Dhorm" tweeters on that Sunn rig?
Click to expand...

Quite possibly. I'd forgotten about those Heppners, most of their horn tweeters in my experience were of the small rectangular mouth variety.

Some of the venues I worked in in the 70s and into the 80s had locally (Northern California) nade "RAM" wedges that used those Heppner horns.
I replaced a LOT of HF diaphragms in those. Probably still have at least ONE replacement part in the same locker where I found the magazines.
 
Re: 30+ years of "progress" and a "quiz"

John Chiara said:
Regarding the K series.. Last week again heard a piss poor live show with K-12's... But installed a pair of KW 153's in a church and they were much better.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately KW 153s wont work for "speaker on a stick" shows which is now pretty much the only kind I do where I bring my own gear.

I agree that the K 12 can sound a little ragged when pushed near it's limits. The K 10 somehow displays more "grace under pressure" in my experience. I think of all of the plastic cabinet "K boxes" the 10 is where they hit the sweet spot.
 
Re: 30+ years of "progress" and a "quiz"

Lee Brenkman said:
Unfortunately KW 153s wont work for "speaker on a stick" shows which is now pretty much the only kind I do where I bring my own gear.

I agree that the K 12 can sound a little ragged when pushed near it's limits. The K 10 somehow displays more "grace under pressure" in my experience. I think of all of the plastic cabinet "K boxes" the 10 is where they hit the sweet spot.
Click to expand...

I have been using the cheap Community S3592 3 way passive cabs with a Behringer amp and it is...IMO... A better solution for clear vocal reproduction at appropriate shows.
 
Re: 30+ years of "progress" and a "quiz"

Lee Brenkman said:
Quite possibly. I'd forgotten about those Heppners, most of their horn tweeters in my experience were of the small rectangular mouth variety.

Some of the venues I worked in in the 70s and into the 80s had locally (Northern California) nade "RAM" wedges that used those Heppner horns.
I replaced a LOT of HF diaphragms in those. Probably still have at least ONE replacement part in the same locker where I found the magazines.
Click to expand...
At least the Heppner diaphragms were cheap and easy to replace-no alignment needed.

I've replaced many myself.
 
For $15k, I'd buy an LS9-16 and as many Meyer UPM-2p's I could get my hands on... If you're spending that small of a chunk of money on the main parts of your system, you've gotta go for the high ROI corporate money... Forget rock-N-roll on that budget, the parents were right... It was just a fad anyway...the movements dead... Get some khaki pants and a few black polo shirts and don't look back.
 
Steve Milner said:
For $15k, I'd buy an LS9-16 and as many Meyer UPM-2p's I could get my hands on... If you're spending that small of a chunk of money on the main parts of your system, you've gotta go for the high ROI corporate money... Forget rock-N-roll on that budget, the parents were right... It was just a fad anyway...the movements dead... Get some khaki pants and a few black polo shirts and don't look back.
Click to expand...

I think a danley rig of sm80's would tickle my earbone. And (blaspheme ) right now I would be happy with a sl16.4.2.
 
Re: 30+ years of "progress" and a "quiz"

This is a trick question right? At 6k list actual street price would be 3 to 4 K, therefor in todays $ using your estimate, the budget would be 6 to 8 k for street priced equipment, which would translate into something like 3k for mixer, 3 to 6 K for speakers, amps, and pa processor.
 
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