Basic questions about sanctuary system.

[sdraobyek]

ok guys I have a few questions about the system we use live right now. I'll break them up over a few posts to help clarify the answers. Just a quick background, I've been running live sound since the mid 80's and while I don't do it for a living and prefer to spend most of my time on the bass or the keys, I do get to spend a fair amount of time doing FOH stuff and am the "go-to" guy at our church. At any rate, I'm certainly no expert like a lot of guys in here, but I pretty much know what I'm doing too. Of course that's probably going to make this first question sound a bit stupid but then again, I am a bass player......

 

We're currently in a mobile situation so our "sanctuary" consists of a hotel ballroom that seats about 250. The main speaker system consists of two mackie SWA1501 subs and two mackie srm450 mains. The monitors are two 450's setup by the mains washing back across the stage. (stage is only 12 x 24) with jbl eons used for two musicians. Drummer and Keys (myself) use in ear systems. (can't convince anyone else yet).

 

The question is in a room this size, are we gaining much by pulling the subs to the center? I originally set it up that way just because in the past it's always seemed to help, but now they want the extra room up front and want to split them up under the mains (which are at the corners of the stage). What can I tell them we'll lose by doing this?

 

-mike

[BillESC]

Although you can gain as much as 6 dB by coupling the subs, it doesn't seem to me that the extra would be required in a venue the size you've indicated.

 

If you feel the sub frequencies are lacking, you can couple the subs to one size of the stage. Subs are omni directional so location is not all that important.

[kevinnem]

 

Subs are omni directional so location is not all that important.

 

SO much so that in most cases, people can't even tell if the sound is in front or behind them. (thanks Marty at peavey:) )