There are a number of keys that determine the success or failure you will experience with your DJ equipment speakers. You need to make sure the power in your setup is matched between the amplifier and the speakers. You also must pay close attention to the placement of your speakers at your performance. Also, the wiring you use can either help or hurt your sound and equipment durability.
Mismatched Power
Speaker Floor Stand
There are any number of newbie mistakes that DJs make when they are just starting out. The first of these many common errors has to do with the performance system of their mixer, amplifier, and speakers. It is very prevalent to find that the components in use are no where near being evenly matched with each other. And, we are not talking about the color of the cabinets. I will explain. Let us say that you are using a speaker pair that is rated in the range of 300 watts power (continuous) that also are rated at a peak power of 600 watts. These stats will give you an operating range to keep in mind when you are matching the amplifier that you should use with these speakers. Then, you need to find out if your speakers are at the impedance of eight ohms or four ohms. Next, check the power rating on the amplifier you are using to see if there is a match of power ratings at that specific impedance, or what you will commonly call the load. This is essential for you to keep in mind. You would never believe how easy is is to damage your speakers because of having an amplifier that produces inadequate, and insufficient power. If you are pushing your amplifier to the point that it has very little top or head room, which you may call speaker reserve power, you will find that the amp is subject to clipping. Clipping occurs when the amplifier sends a distorted signal to the speaker. The cause in our example of the clipping was using an underpowered component in your system. The result of this mismatch could be destroyed (blown) woofers and/or tweeters.
Improper speaker placement
Placement of speakers has been debated since the days of senate speeches on the steps of the early Roman capital building. While there are no exact principles that every one can agree on, there are some variations that work successfully time and again. The most common contributor to changes in speaker setup is the variation in room design and decoration from location to location. Here are some basics to get started setting up your system to have the most chance of success.
First, put yourself mentally into a location for a performance. Now, imagine that the speakers are on the right and left sides of your console. In our imaginary setup, put your console right in the center. Again, in our perfect world, the speakers are facing directly away from you and toward the crowd. Now, we want an optimum starting orientation for the lateral projection, the vertical projection, and to eliminate feedback. As far as the microphone goes, it should be place at a right angle to the imaginary line drawn between the left and right speaker. Of course, it should face away from the speakers toward you. Keep this ideal in mind, so that your microphone will maintain a maximum capability and volume characteristics.
Now, consider that the speaker horns may have a lateral dispersion pattern somewhere between 90 to 120 degrees. Also, the speakers could have a vertical dispersion of somewhere between 40 to 90 degrees. If you can imagine a dispersion pattern much like a spray of water out from your speakers, that is your range of sound that is emerging from the speaker. The thing to keep in mind is that this pattern is important for your microphone placement. If you place the speakers slightly further back, or you angle the speakers inward, then the microphone will have a tendency to be susceptible to feedback. The feedback is the system picking up and amplifying higher frequencies in a loop. You can avoid the problem with careful placements.
Here is another tip that comes from experience on the job. Mount your speakers on a stand in order to counter the fact that your speech is going toward the mid sections of your crowd, rather than into their ears. You want the best clarity possible, so this is an answer to that problem. You will probably lose the resonance of the bass range coming off the floor, but in reality, it would be better to use sub-woofers anyway as an alternative to the floor. Even as you properly place the speakers, there will usually be a small area in between, right in front of you, that could be called the dead zone. And no, that is not because there is no cell phone reception. It is a byproduct of an otherwise well place speaker system setup.
Improper wiring
Your wire that you connect your equipment with is critical. It is the lifeblood of the system since it carries the sound among the components. The gauge of this wire is super important. Keep in mind that the smaller the number, the larger the gauge. You want to match the gauge somewhat to the application. The farther the wire run, the larger the gauge should be. For shorter runs of 50 feet or less, 14 gauge wire is what we recommend. 16 is all right, but 14 is the preferred. Generally, the more wire you use, the more conductivity you have. so, is you are using too small a wire for larger distances, you may be losing sound. For 100 feet plus, you should consider 8 gauge. The extra copper aids in the transmission of sound. All this will make for a more durable setup, possibly giving your gear a longer life.
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Oct 31, 2011 05:46:21
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OmniMount 31" Wood Speaker Stand Pair (WS31) (WS31) Feature
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OmniMount 31" Wood Speaker Stand Pair (WS31) (WS31) Overview
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