D and B SSO seminar

Just thought i would put a quick post up here about the course i have just been on.

It's titled the sound system optimization seminar and runs for 2 days in a night club in Stuttgart, Germany. The course costs 450 euros to do but with that you get some software called Tuning Calc along with the two days of practical instruction. Before christmas they had been running the seminar using a 30 day trial of the software which was only 75 euro which i why it took my notice originally so you can imagine my shock when a huge invoice came through the post. After some umming and arhing i decided to just go for it and see how it turned out.

When i arrived in the venue first impressions were good. There were measurement mics everywhere with a shoe horse shape of tables around a projector screen at the back of the room. At the tables there were 6 stations, each with an in/out xlr for 2 people to share for the measurement parts. There were 3 instructors and 2 apprentices so more than enough to go around.

System in the venue was two hangs of Q1 left and right, three t somethings flown as centre front fill, 5 little speakers in the front of the stage as near fill, Q7(outfill) on 3 B2 (single sub?) left and right with 2 more subs under the stage, so plenty of different configurations to get stuck into.

We spent the first day going through measurement techniques and how to interpret what the software is telling you then the second day getting stuck into frequncy response, time delays, phase response, off line eqing in the software and general good practices. The final task being to set up the whole system in the room and comparing results between the groups.

The software turned out to be very very good. It allows me to do everything i could ever want to do with it at the moment and the techniques i observed not just from the instructors but other like minded people there were brilliant and have really helped my whole view on setting up and running a large system.

I don't want to go into too much detail as its a ''you need to of been there'' situation but i can highly recommend it for anyone who is looking to buy some software but is also unsure of what to actually do with it.

Another course they do is the electro acoustics seminar in Nailsworth, England. Just one day this time but it's free and well worth going to if you get the time. I use most of what i learnt there everytime i take the system out. I am going again in may if anyone fancies joining me

B

sorry it was tuning capture, here is the link

http://www.wavecapture.com/TuningCap.html

With regards to shorting the other kit out. I was under the impression an amplifier would hold the drivers still if the amps were on? is this not why you see current draw on bass amps which are connected to cabs that are not being used in a venue?