d&b subwoofer placement
Continuing this mini-series on our new PA at Kensington Troy, today we’re going to talk about subwoofers. This post might be a bit premature since we have not settled on the final quantity and location of the B2 subwoofers that provide the bottom end of the rig.
I must say, these subs have always been some of my favorite. They are very very tight and punchy, with what feels like headroom for days. Some subwoofers start to break up when pushed and “feel” like they’re being pushed. These B2s can run right up to the brink and actually sound better as they’re doing it. The result is a rig that feels like it has no limits! Pretty awesome to mix on, I must say! :)
From the ArrayCalc software, here is the predicted pattern of our initial configuration – 2 subs equally spaced on the stage deck approximately 40 feet apart.
This looks a little nastier on paper then it actually feels in context, but there is definitely some slight banding of the low end in this configuration. Another option that I think I want to try is 3 subs in a cardiod configuration flown over the center downstage position where our old center cluster used to live. Here’s its predicted response…
As you can see, there’s a big difference in how these two configurations will perform in the room. The jury is still out on which direction we will go. I’m hoping to try this soon with the boxes on the stage deck before we commit to the air and see how it translates compared to the equally spaced approach.
That’s a huge difference. Could you explain to an amateur like myself why the first configuration is even an option? What is good there? To me it looks like a no brainer easy decision to go with option 2.
You’re right that in the ArrayCalc software, it would seem there should be no contest in the decision. The hangups are a couple of things:
#1) The spaced configuration we’re in now sounds really good in the room. Especially when it comes to low end, I learned from our process with Acoustic Dimensions that if prediction/configuration software has a weakness with accuracy, its with subwoofers. Ultimately it doesn’t matter what a picture looks like if it sounds good in the room. The spaced set sounds good as you walk the space. I’ve always preferred to have ground stacked subs for the extra chest energy over flown subs.
#2) We’ll lose a significant lighting position if we fly the cardioid array due to the size of the array. Also, the B2′s are not designed from the manufacturer to fly so our integrator will have to create a custom fly rig for the array. The primary reason I think we’d ever fly them is to get them off the stage deck for artistic and aesthetic reasons.
#3) Since we are almost an entirely in-ears stage, the bands are loving the feel of extra low energy on stage with the subs on the deck, especially compared to what we’re coming from with our old rig. Out front, I feel like there’s plenty of low end in the PA and the band gets solid energy on stage without it becoming a bleed problem in mics. Seems like a win/win for both parties.
We are going to experiment with a cardioid cluster on the stage deck in a few weeks to see what the difference actually is in the space and I’ll report back once that test is concluded.
I was not aware of the fly options on the B2. It seems obvious in the software, but I would love to hear the ground stack cardiod scenario. Please let me know about the bang vs the buck. See you soon.