Watts per sqm |
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bin juice24
Registered User Joined: 07 February 2020 Location: Here Status: Offline Points: 209 |
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Posted: 05 August 2020 at 12:27pm |
Hello. Is there a vague guide to how much output you need for varying sized outdoor areas? I appreciate there’s many variables, but was just wondering.
Playing modern dance music. Cheers.
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FOO
Young Croc Joined: 23 December 2018 Location: Denmark Status: Offline Points: 813 |
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Short answer... No..
To many variables in play :)
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Conanski
Old Croc Joined: 26 January 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Status: Offline Points: 2515 |
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The only rule of thumb that has any merit is that you need 2-4 times more equipment to get roughly the same performance as an indoor venue of the same size.
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Crashpc
Registered User Joined: 26 February 2008 Location: Czech Republic Status: Offline Points: 463 |
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No, Watts produce heat, not SPL.
Too many variables. Also, if ypu have 1000 people and 5000 Watts, it doesn't meat that 1 human will be happy with 5 Watts.
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Nikon and Canon people should not be married to each other. Why did you let this happen?
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Sonic the hedge
Registered User Joined: 12 May 2020 Status: Offline Points: 161 |
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Very roughly, and keeping the maths simple, for basic floor stacked system, it's desired minimum dB level +6dB per doubling of distance from speakers. For each stack you gain +3dB for each doubling of drivers. Then factor speaker sensitivity to determine how many watts, this time +3dB per doubling of watts against the sensitivity at 1w/1m If you want to determine approximately how loud you want it, download a dB meter app to your phone and take it to a nightclub or event that has the kind of level you want to achieve. Find the spot that has the minimum level you think is ok and measure the dB level there.
Then for the furthest point in the area you want to cover, add 6dB per doubling of distance from the speakers, to determine how loud the speakers need to be, in decibels, at 1m. You can round the distance a little so it divides in, it's not an exact science! e.g. 90dB@8m = 96db@4m = 102dB@2m = 108dB@1m. For a dance system can be useful to have four or more stacks pointing inwards i.e. rear stacks facing towards stage, like a nightclub, because this halves the distance to be covered by each stack for a given dB level of coverage, and will therefore also minimize overspill Vs a front only system. Once you have determined how loud the speaker stack needs to be at 1m, then you can subtract 3dB for each doubling of drivers. This gives you the required dB level per driver. e.g. two drivers -3dB, four drivers -6dB etc. Then need to factor the speaker sensitivity, based 1w/1m again using 3dB per doubling of input power, to determine how many watts are needed per driver to achieve the required dB output. If the watts so required exceed the power handling of the driver, just add more drivers and repeat the calculations above. e.g. 100db@1w = 103db@2w = 106db@4w = 109db@8w etc. etc. In a multiway system will need to repeat this calculation for each band, bass, mid, top etc. making sure that you have a balance in dB level between the bands. Note also, the sensitivity of bass, mid, top etc will be different for each section. Most rigs are run with the bass/sub section pushed hardest, because this requires they most power, and mid tops are run with plenty of headroom, for clarity. Depending on music genre you may want to add extra Sub/Bass, in this case each time you double the output watts/number of drivers it only adds 3dB, so you need a lot extra to make a significant difference to the overall tonal balance. But personally I think there is no such thing as too much bass... Thats about the simplest approximation of how many watts, but not exactly a rule of thumb! Edited by Sonic the hedge - 16 August 2020 at 9:26pm |
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mk2_ginger_biscuit69
Old Croc Joined: 03 November 2008 Location: Brighton Status: Offline Points: 7801 |
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i aim to deploy a flux capacitor of power per metric ton of human flesh. Hope this helps.
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''Remember that the object of a subwoofer is to enhance the output of your main speakers, not overpower it''
''Dubstep - an elongated electronic fart'' |
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4D
Old Croc Joined: 13 November 2008 Location: Winchester Status: Offline Points: 4257 |
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1kilowatt per 16m2
Edited by 4D - 16 August 2020 at 2:13pm |
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DMZ. "The bass was intense. Girls were literally running up to stand next to the subs"
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APC321
Young Croc Joined: 24 August 2013 Location: West Midlands Status: Offline Points: 680 |
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bin juice24 asks: "Is there a vague guide to how much output you NEED for varying size outdoor arenas?"
Slightly off topic, but this drawing has always made me smile: https://ibb.co/64nrR2T Edited by APC321 - 16 August 2020 at 3:45pm |
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Boxes-R-Blue
Registered User Joined: 11 December 2018 Status: Offline Points: 147 |
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Unfortunately "watts" no longer have any part of pro audio...
D&B don't even get into the things, you buy the box, buy the amp, tell the amp what you plugging in and away it goes. In the late 90s a Turbosound TMS-3 was about 1KW but a 350W Floodlight produced higher SPL and that is where Watts died... Also program content, I'd want more system for a classical gig than a metal gig as I would need the headroom to cope with the extreme dynamic range where as DJ gigs have no dynamic range (or if they do the DJ removes it using the Boss DS-2 DJM distortion pedal) so you need less power than a metal gig.... |
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Kinda Been there, Kinda done that, YOU COULDN'T handle my bar bill!
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jacethebase
Old Croc Joined: 23 September 2009 Location: Somerset Status: Offline Points: 5697 |
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I find from personal experience DJ gigs require a fair bit of headroom. You are right in the fact that what a mixer outputs is fairly even in terms of dynamics. But when you got "Billy & Bob I've had 2 grams" shouting rewind down a 58 competing who can be heard the most. Forget it. Unfortunately other than the free party type gigs, psy trance, house etc most of the larger dance events we do there are MC's to contend with. No one really likes them, everybody wishes they would just be quiet and let you enjoy the music. But unfortunately they still exist.
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www.wedding-production.co.uk
www.stage2sound.com |
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