Lights and Sound: FOH speakers

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FOH speakers

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Lights and Sound
Forum Discription: Technical discussion
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4745
Printed Date: 5/03/25 at 12:34pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: FOH speakers

Posted By: dmoes
Subject: FOH speakers
Date Posted: 8/10/10 at 4:23pm

Ok so here is my problem

and need Speaker suggestions

working in a theatre that was converted from an old church. the main auditorium seats 230. and has good acoustics from the stage. so no need for reinforcing the actors. floor carpeted and seats cloth so echo is not an issue either. hall sound good in general

My Problem is Speakers. the FOH speakers used for music, SFX and ambiance like thunder etc . They are aged, failing and just about dead they are in a nice spot for looks but terrible for what they are meant to do MAKE NOISE! the Rear speakers are both overkill 3 way 15 inch cabinets that I never really liked but better than the FOH and can stay for a few more years if necessary.

so time to replace the junk.

The way I figure it is that a pair of 12" 2-way cabinets of some kind would do the job since I have good amps and feed wires so I don't need powered speakers after some research my head stated to spin Mackie, QSC, Yamaha, Peavey, Yorkville, JBL (the old ones are Yorkville) AHHHH what to make of it all.

what I want is good sounding crisp clean audio. something that will reproduce great sound at low and mid levels, I not over concerned about earth shaking bass, a sub can fix it later if we need it anyway. I was thinking in the line of $1200 to $1500 to do the FOH I don't need things of beauty but something that has some attention to appearance ie installation type vs portable. the mounting on the walls will be near the front corners fairly high up. This is to be determined based on both best for sound and appearance.

Id get some sort of consultant but on a budget its a little hard to justify that however our local music dealer is willing to work with me on trying a few different things he admits that he is not an expert in out needs. so I just need some advice to get started.

Our current sound system has a Midas Venis console, Dennon CD and Minidisk players and a PC with Echo Gina 96/24 8 channel sound card and Show Cue systems. there are three amps 2 QSC 1700's each at 350W per/ch for FOH and ROH and a smaller multi channel amp used for the onstage speakers used for TV;s radios and other SFX that need to come from the stage.

Thanks

Dave

Peterborough Theatre Guild.

Replies:

Posted By: flyweed
Date Posted: 10/21/10 at 8:35pm

I work in a performing arts facility AND also do side jobs for a sound company, for live stage/concerts. One brand you did NOT mention were EAW's...we use these for all of our professional reinforcement, and they produce excellent sound....they have one cabinet that will be your highs and mids and then you would need seperate subs..if you wanted some real good low end. I prefer QSC powered subs..they really put out.

I won't get into al the technical details..but ANY speaker you get will only be as good as what type of system is running them, including mixer, amps, EQ's, compressor/limitors and the isolation of all the sound cables from other "noise" sources.

HTH

Posted By: museav
Date Posted: 12/06/10 at 1:20pm

You've probably already done something by now but in general there are several factors to consider. One is coverage. Most speakers are directional at higher frequencies and how they distribute the sound can vary. You often see a nominal pattern, such as 90x50 or similar, defined for speakers which gives a rough idea of the directionality of the speaker. You typically want patterns that direct the sound to the listeners and minimize the sound hitting off walls, the ceiling, etc. So the location of the speakers, the size and shape of the audience area and the relationship of the two is important.

Another factor is output, you want the speakers to be able to get loud enough. This is a function of the amplifier power and the sensitivity of the speaker, which is how loud it can get for a given input signal. With an existing amplifier you probably want to make sure the speaker can handle the power available and can get loud enough for your use with that power.

A third factor is frequency response. Most typical speakers will handle the majority of the speech or vocal range, however if you want to support low frequency sounds like for a kick drum or a thunder effect, then you want to make sure the speaker has sufficient low frequency response.

There are many other technical, practical and aesthetic factors that can, and often should, be involved in speaker selection but those are probably the most critical audio factors.

One other factor that probably should be noted is that if you plan to fly or suspend speakers then the speakers should be intended for such applications and have appropriate integrated hardware. The actual installation should also be performed by someone with appropriate experience and qualifications.

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Brad W.