the cheap amp each sounds like good advice in my books. I did something similar to this once for a small free party in Cambridge. Never got round to using it for the party cos of the weather, but it sounded good in my garden. I lay the speakers on their sides and stacked them up with the bass drivers vertical, to mimic a line array affect, at least for the midrange. The tweeters didn't line up, and would have been too far apart anyway.
It sounded great. Loud, for what it was, and because all drivers were six inch or so, very clear midrange
It was a very fun garden party system
It sounded great. Loud, for what it was, and because all drivers were six inch or so, very clear midrange
It was a very fun garden party system
Not to derail the thread but just as an example.
Loudest rolling sound systems in the World are umade and used by Brazilians in their Carnival.
They build these huge sound trailers (click straight on the image link to see it full size).
Take a peek through the grills to see a *serious* sound system on wheels.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Trio_Elétrico_Salvador_Bahia_Carnaval_2005.JPG
Loudest rolling sound systems in the World are umade and used by Brazilians in their Carnival.
They build these huge sound trailers (click straight on the image link to see it full size).
Take a peek through the grills to see a *serious* sound system on wheels.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Trio_Elétrico_Salvador_Bahia_Carnaval_2005.JPG
1. A Low frequency 1600W MAX @4ohm Amp, which is sent to two 15inch 800W @ 8ohm drivers connected in parallel. Giving a total impedance of 4ohm's, and MAX power each of 800W.
2. A Mid/High frequency 2 channel 300W Max @ 8ohm Amp connected to the Philips (100W @ 6ohm) and the Horn tweeter with HPF (unknown Watts @ 8ohm) connected in parallel, with the JVC (200W Max @ 6ohm) connected in series to the parallel circuit creating a total impedance of 9.4 ohms, and a max power of 62W, 45W and 190W respectively.
Any comments or improvement please let me know
Loudspeakers are not resistors. Their impedance changes according to frequency. You should not even consider connecting speakers in series that are not absolutely identical. Connect the two Philips in series to one amp channel, and connect the two JVCs in series to the other. Don't worry about the power loss due to the 12 Ohm load. Those speakers will be overloaded anyhow. Mix the music to mono to avoid different sound and different SPL during stereo effects. Forget about the horn tweeters. Use them for decoration only.
The power ratings have little meaning. They tell you when a voice coil will overheat under controlled conditions, but very few manufacturers tell you what those conditions are. Hence there is no reason to try and make speaker ratings and amplifier power match.
Even with much less than the rated power you can destroy a speaker by driving it into its mechanical limits. That's an issue when you skip an adequate high-pass filter.
Be aware that prolonged operation will lead to power compression. That is the effect we all know in practice as having to turn the volume setting ever higher during a party, because the SPL is constantly going down. You may be disappointed by the output of that setup after a while, especially during the heat of the day. Try it out, before you haul everything out into the desert.
A second hand or rented PA will be more fun. You save on fuel for the generator thanks to the higher efficiency, have better sound, less work to set up and dismantle, higher SPL during the entire gig, and you will be spared a lot of embarrassment.
BTW, if you are not an electrician, but you want to set up and use a generator, it is advisable to take a crash course. There is a lot that can go wrong there, starting from earthing and grounding. Remember that potentially lethal voltages are coming out of such a device.
Not all generators are happy with the dynamic load of a sound system. So you don't only have to consider the power output, but also the derating thereof in desert temperatures and load regulation.
Oh, and a generator contributes noise of its own that may drown out the music. Removing it far enough creates a different set of problems with long cables, e.g. voltage drop.
Not all generators are happy with the dynamic load of a sound system. So you don't only have to consider the power output, but also the derating thereof in desert temperatures and load regulation.
Oh, and a generator contributes noise of its own that may drown out the music. Removing it far enough creates a different set of problems with long cables, e.g. voltage drop.
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