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Open Letter to All Trance Organizers About Sound Systems
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russ
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
35
Posts :
275
Posted : May 16, 2005 13:33
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Many organizers in Japan use Master Blaster speakers supplied by MMU. MMU is cheap, does a nice job, and Mura is a very nice guy, but to be honest, Master Blaster speakers are terrible for dance music. Almost every medium-size organizer I know uses these speakers, and I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I beg you to stop using them.
The problem with Masterblasters is that they have no bass, and the highs are too harsh. They are OK for rock, but terrible for dance music. Those Masterblaster MMU uses were designed as small-medium club speakers, so when you play loud outdoors the result is very harsh highs and no bass. I just came back from a party which had masterblasters, and even though the floor was very small, you couldn't feel any bass in your stomach right in the middle of the floor.
When I go to parties outside in Japan, the problem is almost always the same. Too much highs, not enough lows. To "dance" to dance music, you need LOW FREQUENCIES to really kick you. If you have to use Masterblasters, then consider bringing more bass bins than high cabinets. A 2:1 bass cabient to high cabient ratio will give you a much better sound.
As an alterntive I have two suggestions:
Funktion-One (provided by Air Project, Try Audio and several others)
For a medium-sized organizer, Funktion-Ones might sound too expensive, but they are not as expensive as you think because the speakers are so efficient and powerful. With just 2 x bass bins and 2 x mid/highs on each side, you have enough sound for a party of 500 people easily. With 8 speakers, you'll get more sound (and much better sound!) than a huge stack of 16 masterblasters.
Turbosound (supplied by Zen Planning)
Zen Planning, a small indepenent company, does Turbosound PA's for small parties for very reasonable prices. Turbosounds were the original designs before the Funktion-Ones, and were designed by the same engineer, Tony Andrew. The bass of turbosounds is FAT, and perfect for dance music. Some people even like Turbosound bass more than Funktion-One.
Tri-bute, a small organizer, did a party for only 200 people last year with two medium-sized turbo stacks, and the sound was incredible. They could have got 700 people, and they still would have had enough sound. For me the only party in Japan that had better sound the entire summer was the Labyrinth, with its huge stack of Funktion-Ones.
People coming to your parties want to dance, not listen to harsh highs, so please give them THE BASS.
best,
russ |
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ozzy
Ozzy
Started Topics :
52
Posts :
398
Posted : May 16, 2005 14:39
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id have to agree with russ here
the function ones are a great system,
which when tuned properly,is very hard to beat.
 A TRIBEADELIC GATHERING
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Dec 30/08 - Jan 2/09
www.tribeadelic.com |
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Ken
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
63
Posts :
441
Posted : May 16, 2005 17:22
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Thanks for the headz up Russ.
The Funktion one system sounds good but I have to give a special mention to DNA Audio based in Yamanashi. That 20,000 Watt system really blew everyone away at Earth Energy. The sound was bouncing off the mountains!!! I think value for money, its hard to go past this system for a small to medium size organizer of about 500 people.
Anyone need info on this, please feel free to PM me. Gin is also a really nice guy to work with.
The music was like new black polished chrome
that came over the sky like liquid night.
psy16.com |
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russ
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
35
Posts :
275
Posted : May 16, 2005 19:02
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Hi Ken,
Do you know what kind of speakers DNA Audio uses?
p.s. sorry for typo in the first message: it should have been "a 2:1 bass cabinet to high cabinet ratio". |
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Ken
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
63
Posts :
441
Posted : May 17, 2005 16:20
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Hi Russ,
I think they were new JBL speakers.
There were 8 huge subwoofers (20inch?)
8 (15inch?) Mids and 8 high (12inch?)
I dont know about the ratio but they were stacked to form a pyramid on each side of the stage. The kick and bass was really booming, you could feel the sound waves vibrating through your body.
This 20,000 Watt system was the same price I was quoted for a 3000 Watt Funktion One System.
The music was like new black polished chrome
that came over the sky like liquid night.
psy16.com |
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dma
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
18
Posts :
93
Posted : May 20, 2005 09:01
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martin audio make the fattest sounding speakers out... they are rock solid,these will blow youre guts out for shure |
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Alex_green
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
39
Posted : May 20, 2005 16:25
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Nice Thread,
It is a Big problem all around the Globe. Here we had a lot of problem too, huge sound system tunned by bad equalizer, who tone it need to know how to, like u said up there, i saw littles sound rack pump more than big ones, here we used to get EAW, when it is tunned, u can listen the good quality sound, the point is when u rent a sound Systen, the guy need to know the kind of the party, will not a Rock or others one, cause u can save money with. |
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Ken
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
63
Posts :
441
Posted : May 21, 2005 03:19
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I agree with Alex_green completely.
It doesn't matter how big the sound system is, its quality and number of people / space.
My friends that put me onto the DNA Audio System also run their own small parties but use a much smaller system because they want to keep it intimate. It sounds just great!
I thought I could tune a sound system once as I have seen it done many times before. I thought I could just play with the compressor and cross-over till it sounded right but its much much harder than it looks.
Also a good mixer helps. I like the Mackie range of mixers, I think the sound quality is much better.
The music was like new black polished chrome
that came over the sky like liquid night.
psy16.com |
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HIKARI
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
25
Posts :
611
Posted : May 22, 2005 14:42
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Very nice thread.
I really recommend, Zen Planning.
We used Zen Planning last year for a free beach party. Got around 700 people, we only used about 50% of its full potential, but it was still getting the people off the ground.
Maybe this year we will be using them again.
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Dj Chris Planet
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
17
Posts :
336
Posted : May 26, 2005 12:55
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Great thread, i must admit that my preference is the Funktion 1. I played on it a couple of weeks ago with Eat Static and it really had an amazing sound.
Let us take you on a journey, that will take you from are small world stage and orbit you beyond our fragile planet...... |
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goa-ganges
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
66
Posts :
594
Posted : May 28, 2005 15:20
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Well, a little off topic here. But it's something interesting I read on Reader's Digest, and I bet that soon we will "hear" this innovation.
A american sound enginner invented what is been called HSS (Hyper Sonic Sound): "which can direct sound waves in a precise, laserlike beam for almost 150 metres. The result: You can be listening to music coming from across the room, but a friend standing next to you can't hear a thing. Move a few steps outside the beam's direct path, and you can't hear a thing either".
Reader's Digest, May 2005, page 114
HSS was invented by a scientist called Elwood Norris and the great advantage of this technology it is that it will allow, for instance, you play bassboosters at a very high volume and it won't disturb people outside the sound beam. As an organizer, I know this is a great problem. A lot of times, even with the proper license for parties in my pocket, I had to turn the volume down in the middle of a party because the bass was shaking somebody's house 500 meters away, and a party with a weak bass output doesn't go well.
Peace and Love.
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russ
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
35
Posts :
275
Posted : Jun 7, 2005 17:44
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An update to my previous post:
1) MMU has a larger system of masterblasters that I have not heard yet. I assume these are much better for dance music. I will try to get a chance to listen to these.
2) MMU also PA's other kinds of speakers. I have worked with Mura in the past and I think he is a very good sound engineer, probably one of the best in Japan. So this would be another excellent option to consider.
3) MMU is getting a brand new system into Japan this year, which I am very curious to hear.
4) The PA engineer is just as important as the speakers. PA teams in Japan that I trust most are Zen Planning, MMU, Zero db, and Spacey Sound.
5) I have not heard the DNA Audio System, and it sounds like a great deal. But generally speaking, I also do not like JBL speakers for dance music. I think they have too harsh mids and highs, and not enough pure bass. But like I said, I have not heard this system, so decide for yourselves! |
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Ken
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
63
Posts :
441
Posted : Jun 9, 2005 11:39
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Shilayeh
Started Topics :
9
Posts :
436
Posted : Jun 30, 2005 01:56
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the best systems for me are from > / www.l-acoustics.com _check this out...take the tour -and after this look at their site >amazing!!!! i´ve been on many concerts,festivals....already..:these speakers have a lot of pressure and your stomach goes up and down....:  |
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Glen.C (Iboga Rec)
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
52
Posts :
686
Posted : Jun 30, 2005 17:59
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Interesting thread.... hehe, I remember one of my first major sets, when I was 17 yrs old (1996). it was a dragonfly rec party at Londons Tyssen street Studios with about 1000 people. we used a 50k EAW rig, but only turned it up half. The sound was so huge because we weren't thrashing the rig... also when I played some track a few windows feel out... 
http://www.facebook.com/GlenC.IbogaRecords
http://www.myspace.com/gleniboga
www.iboga-records.dk
Spikers & Midinoize - Lisbon Hooker (Glen C rmx) coming soon on Earhead Audio |
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