Author Topic: The big rig (Read 2345 times)

terryc · « **Reply #60 on:** March 24, 2014, 03:58:31 AM »

So Willie what venue has enough current useage to power your rig. The rul of thumb(well here inj the UK) is that for every 1kW it draws 4 amps of current.
SO your rig is drawing 12kW x 4 = 48kA..unless it's different in the USA.
Must have bus bars as fuses in your house LOL

willie · « **Reply #61 on:** March 24, 2014, 07:13:48 AM »

Terryc
Power availability is usually not a problem except at private parties occasionally. Each power amp draws 20 amps of current at full rated power. But one reason for using such powerful amplifiers is that there is enough headroom that they are never pushed that hard. My power conditioner has a digital volt meter for monitoring line voltage to the system and a digital amp meter for monitoring current draw of the system. At idle it draws 4.8 amps. But if the amplifiers don't receive any input signal for a specified amount of time they go into a sleep mode where they are ready to deliver full power as soon as an input signal is received. But it is amazing that when in sleep mode the system draws 3 less amps of current. So far I have never had to push the system to draw more than 20 amps of current. FOH sound people don't want this thing turned up too load. And even when my system is providing all the bass sound for the room when I'm not going through a PA, it is still not required to drive it so hard that the power amps draw too much current. I did kill all the power at a hall one time at a Beef and Beer Benefit. I wasn't going through the PA. Once power was restored, we played with a limited light show to reduce power consumption.
But these amps are class I amps and are amazingly efficient with regard to power usage. They actually take the 60HZ. line voltage coming in and increase the frequency of it. This makes the power transformers in the amps operate more much more efficiently. I was and am very skeptical of class D amps being able to provide the steady high transient power needed for a live bass guitar. I also stay away from Neo magnet drivers. I feel heavier ferrite magnet drivers have more high powered punch. My other Crown amps are class B amps. They weigh a ton and draw a lot of current but are bullet proof and the punch of the sound is incredible even when playing steady heavy slap style such as Mark King's style which I do a lot. But these Macro Tech's have not let me down yet. But I will get a chance to push them hard at a private event at the end of April I'm looking forward to that. It will also be the first gig for my King Deluxe Bass with Blue front laser LED's. Can't wait to see the looks on peoples faces when I crank that bass up through this system and hit those lights on. Should be cool.
Will

terryc · « **Reply #62 on:** March 24, 2014, 08:44:34 AM »

Willie..thanks for the explanation..aah Mark King..my hero too..I can play most of his stuff but alas I cannot sing at the same time.
I have the MK Signature Standard and had Martin Sims put LED's on the front face some years ago

bigredbass · « **Reply #63 on:** March 24, 2014, 11:12:19 AM »

I utterly agree with Willie. IF you are willing to do the homework (as Willie obviously has, Beyma drivers are totally UNcommon in MI applications), you quickly understand that a bass rig built with a good preamp front end and commercial power for the business end is an entirely different proposition for bass guitar. Virtually all instrument amps operate with levels of distortion (even in 'clean' regimes) that would be laughable in even the cheapest, bingo-calling PA components, much less the serious gear Willie is running: It's cleaner from top to bottom, save for whatever the preamp designer left in by taste. Instrument amps often leave in 5-10% distortion which our eras supposedly interpret as 'warmth' . . ?

Obviously it's a bit less portable ! But it's the old idea of a big amp turned to '2'. . . . I dig the hell out of it, and can only imagine what it's capable of. Everyone has their own needs and budget and the constraints of their situation, but for somebody like me who never had the benefit of ever playing with proper FOH and a good system and engineer, this is the ultimate insurance policy that I'd never be pushed into crappy tone trying to keep up with that guy with the Marshall half-stack that's out to ruin my life.

I'm very impressed, both with the rig and the homework done to fully understand what's involved and to operate it properly. You know, you just can't expect a guy who sat behind a 450hp Cat or Cummins to drive a Prius !

J o e y

David Houck · « **Reply #64 on:** March 24, 2014, 03:20:26 PM »

I used to have a 400hp Cummins. I would be happy to drive a Prius.

keith_h · « **Reply #65 on:** March 24, 2014, 03:34:23 PM »

Dave, I'm not sure a Prius would make it up that driveway of yours. :-)

Keith

David Houck · « **Reply #66 on:** March 24, 2014, 03:50:34 PM »

Good point Keith!

charles_holmes · « **Reply #67 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:49:38 PM »

We all need to have a Go visit Willie day!!!!!
I'll bring ear plugs for everybody, cause I'm gonna turn dat mother Way..Way...UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mu-ha!!ha!!HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sonicus · « **Reply #68 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:58:15 PM »

I would make sure that the building is well bolted to the foundation and shear walled throughout the structure ,

jzstephan · « **Reply #69 on:** March 24, 2014, 08:59:52 PM »

terryc · « **Reply #70 on:** March 25, 2014, 02:36:27 AM »

'Back To The Future' Part 1 comes to mind with Willie's rig!
Yep we should all make the road trip(USA people) or fly over the pond(UK and rest of us) to hear this set up in action!
I shall bring an audiometer and test everyone's hearing after the event to see if we have all got temporary threshold shift!

sonicus · « **Reply #71 on:** March 25, 2014, 02:57:51 AM »

Terry,
I remember the famous Flux Capacitors from Back To The Future' Part 1

And ;TTS , you bring me back to my teachers warning when I reported my weekend activities of concert going to the class --___Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS): During short exposure to noise, most people experience a rise in the auditory threshold which normally disappears in 24 hours, but may last as long as a week.

terryc · « **Reply #72 on:** March 25, 2014, 03:11:48 AM »

Sonicus..yep I do remember the flux capacitor..I am sure I had one but threw it away as I couldn't afford the DeLorian to go with it LOL.
1974 Deep Purple at Newcastle City Hall UK, about 10 feet away from PA...I couldn't hear for a week!
Totally not allowed now!
You got insomnia or a early riser??

sonicus · « **Reply #73 on:** March 25, 2014, 03:28:18 AM »

You got insomnia or a early riser?? LOL -- In the past I have had jobs where I needed start early, that is currently not the case however I sometimes wake up anyway for about an hour or so and then go back to sleep ____ it is quite handy for chat in real time with folks in Europe as I am doing right now ! ( that seems to be my rationalization )

5a_quilt_top · « **Reply #74 on:** March 25, 2014, 08:21:01 AM »

I wan ev'rythin' lowder than ev'rythin' else...

I pointed it at th' singa, consequently his hearing isn't too good. Mine, on the other hand, is perrrfect.

Abuse of a big rig - ?

Possibly...