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orangesinsun View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote orangesinsun Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Top Section- HELP!
    Posted: 25 April 2020 at 1:33am
Building a soundsystem; looking to get 4x folded horns, prob loaded w void v-18-1000 drivers, and some mid-kicks (something like the HD15s). lots of research still to go, but going to be playing drum n bass, tekno, hardcore and dub to 100+ people (mostly freepartys, indoor and outdoor). 
BUT
where to find info specifically about the top section? 
google keeps bringing me full-range PA speakers.. or subs 
so some questions i want to ask;
Full-range? or can i get somehting that specifically does highs and mids? 
Wattage? (I know its not the be all n end all but good place to start) (seen loads of ppl running 300W tops, but a) want to pack a bigger punch and b) so been advised to go bigger; 600W+) 
Cone/ tweeter sizes? how do these work?
Definately want something passive. 
Speakers that have popped up; Cerwin Vega 152s and intense 152s, Behringer Eurolive Pro B1220, JBL Eon 615.
Budget is 1k for the tops.
Are any of these the kind of thing im looking for? What have other people got for their top sections? 



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njw View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote njw Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 April 2020 at 12:02am
 To try and answer your questions, full range speakers for mid top aren't what you need in your scenario, if you're going to be running kick cabs then dedicated mid highs that cover from about 150hz and up is what you need. As for wattage, this is one of the last things I would worry about, sensitivity is what you need to look at, as an example, the drivers in my mid horns are only rated at 200w each but have a sensitivity of 102db so are each capable of over 130db.
 With regards to cone size I'd be looking at 10's or 12's as a cone of that size will generally have the required response for a mid driver, a bigger cone cone will handle more power but won't have any useful output in the mid band. As for tweeters, 1" compression drivers have improved massively over the last few years and coupled to a decent horn are all you'll ever need imo, have a look at the BMS 4550 or B&C's offerings. 
 Above a 2 way horn loaded bass section the speakers you've asked about won't cut it imo, £1K would get a nice pair of horn loaded tops, something like MT102's or MT212's, you could probably get branded stuff like Martin Audio or Turbosound if you have the cash and haggle hard enough.


Edited by njw - 26 April 2020 at 12:06am
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callumtruds View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote callumtruds Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 April 2020 at 12:31am
Don't worry about wattage, sensitivity, db spl continuous and dispersion are some important factors. Weight is another factor to consider (for your backs sake) 
If you are doing Google searches try putting "speakerplans" in at the end of search box, it will give you results for this website first (if you didnt already know this)

If your going for a horn loaded bass & mid bass section, I would recommend a horn loaded mid top.

Personally I have turbosound THL4 full range speakers, they are a 18", 10" & 1" box, 55x40° dispersion, 92kgs.. Very heavy,, 18" crosses over to 10" @180hz

I also own Thl811 tops which is the 10" & 1" section of a thl4,  only 36kgs so a 1 man lift onto the rig.

Dispersion:  if your tops have a 90° horizontal dispersion, 2 tops = 180° coverage 
If your tops have a 60° dispersion instead, 2 tops will cover 120°. 
I like 60x40° dispersion tops and would prefer to use 3 tops on a mono stack if I wanted the 180° horizontal dispersion.

A suitable DIY top is the mt121 
Suitable tops from some companies, orbit 4s, kmt8 lites, Thl811s, tse111,
Martin audio w8, void stasys 3.2 tops and many more,, oh and floodlights! 

You might also consider just building your 4x folded horns and getting an all in one top which does kick and top, 
Examples would be the turbosound Thl4s and tms4s. 
This way you can put a lot of money into a top which is capable at taking over at 100hz or so. 

Hope I gave some bit of useful info there
Callum
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oren View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote oren Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 April 2020 at 1:10am
Hey Callum  fancy seeing u ereWink .  yeah no point getting any kick bins ontop of most 18 inch folded horns really but that depends , most folded horns have a good kick anyway you'd be better off having more of the same 18 inch horns as the mouth would become bigger and you would have better response and spl.  If you can't afford the 6+ 18 inch horns then go for a different design , you don't have to but for the dub and dnb you want that real low bass , most FHs only go down to 40-50 ish HZ unless in big stacks . Also with horn bins you will have to learn about phasing etc.. and will need horn loaded tops for it to sound mint imho. Tapped horns are handy if you want a good low  frequency response but a bit more throw  and less distortion than a reflex , you also don't need big stacks like folded horns  but they won't travel as far , if your new to building it would be simpler too than a folded horn .

Edited by oren - 29 April 2020 at 1:23am
Music is nice..
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oren View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote oren Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 April 2020 at 1:22am
Sorry I went off topic but it's good if possible to understand how the different cabinets work together ,  let's say if you built six 1850s you would get a better overall response and spl than 4 1850s and two hd15s , although you could increase these over time though . You could also go down the route of getting kick bins like the hd15 say and then put a some subs below it like let's say the x1 , this is a proven classic on this forum and you will be able to find loads of tips on how to run such a setup and probably good tops to go with it. 
Music is nice..
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oren View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote oren Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 April 2020 at 1:34am
 If your going for a free party rig remember that whatever money you spend could all be lost , who knows how tolerant cops will be after all this lockdown stuff , festivals and gigs could be banned for many months or years , let alone a rave in the woods where people are loved up hugging  each other where the press can easily turn it on you and say that you are advocating the spread of disease. Just food for thought , hopefully well all have a good party when this is over

Edited by oren - 29 April 2020 at 1:36am
Music is nice..
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rosssss224 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 April 2020 at 7:40am
Got a pair of MT101's off rig resale for about £200 and they have done us proud for a few years now.

For £1000 you could get some very nice boxes.
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