Speakers for local high school band room

[daveh]

I have a friend that his a band instructor at a local high school. The band room lacks good loudspeakers. The room is about 40 x 50 ft with an 8 ft. ceiling. I want to build a pair of speakers that he can use to play music for the students. I would like to spend less than $500 on drivers and crossover parts. I want something that is going to handle some abuse, but still sound good.

I tossed around the idea of using PA drivers. I know I could easily have the volume levels I would like, but would sacrifice some sound quality.

I also looked at Darren's MCL's thinking they might do the trick, but don't know if that is the right way to go either.

If anyone has done anything like this and would have some advice, I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
DaveH

[LouC]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

If you are up to the carpentry involved, a pair of Bill Fitzmaurice DR-250s would be a great choice. Well under your budget too.

[daveh]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

If you are up to the carpentry involved, a pair of Bill Fitzmaurice DR-250s would be a great choice. Well under your budget too.

I was looking at Bill's site earlier. I have a couple of his plans and was considering just that, but didn't know if that was the right way to go. Thanks Lou.

DaveH

[billfitzmaurice]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

I was looking at Bill's site earlier. I have a couple of his plans and was considering just that, but didn't know if that was the right way to go. Thanks Lou.

DaveH

If it's a typical band room with gosh awful acoustics the TLAH Pro would probably be best.

[daveh]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

If it's a typical band room with gosh awful acoustics the TLAH Pro would probably be best.

This room does have a carpeted floor and acoustic tiles on the ceiling so it is not as bad as most band rooms.

If I did go with the TLAH Pro is a sub required as it is with the standard? If so what is the recommended sub for the Pro version?

Thanks,
DaveH

[[email protected]]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

Think about mounting them to a wall or something, using a security-type head on the driver screws, etc., so they don't end up in the trombone player's bedroom.

[Dirk]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

Hey, trombone players aren't thieves. I would suspect the trumpets first.

[billfitzmaurice]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

This room does have a carpeted floor and acoustic tiles on the ceiling so it is not as bad as most band rooms.

If I did go with the TLAH Pro is a sub required as it is with the standard? If so what is the recommended sub for the Pro version?

Thanks,
DaveH

It depends on how low you need to go. T48 will handle any music program. If the acoustics are OK the DR200 and DR250 and OTop 12 are viable options.

[Zilch]

~$400 a Pair:

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showthread.php?t=215536

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showthread.php?t=213470

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=150939

Yah, it kinda escalates.... :p

Finished goods here:

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showthread.php?p=1600434#post1600434

[HuskerNation]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

I have a friend that his a band instructor at a local high school. The band room lacks good loudspeakers. The room is about 40 x 50 ft with an 8 ft. ceiling. I want to build a pair of speakers that he can use to play music for the students. I would like to spend less than $500 on drivers and crossover parts. I want something that is going to handle some abuse, but still sound good.

I tossed around the idea of using PA drivers. I know I could easily have the volume levels I would like, but would sacrifice some sound quality.

I also looked at Darren's MCL's thinking they might do the trick, but don't know if that is the right way to go either.

If anyone has done anything like this and would have some advice, I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
DaveH

Funny you brought this up Dave- I almost did last summer.
Believe it or not, I donated a pair of TriTrix TL, all kit, to my local HS vocal music dept. Decent but not great acoustics in the room which is fairly large. Music director had some old 12" powered sub in the corner.. and when all said and done it was excellent.

Funny thing is the vocal and band depts have some sort of rivalry going on- and the Tritrix TL and that sub sounds better than what the band room barn sounds like and has.

After much discussion with various heads there and some of the better vocal music students, they were staying completely away from PA and pro grade equipment. They keep telling me how the Tritrix TL's really does what they want them to and to hear. They've got them up on these really sturdy old wood tables about 3' up... they practice and hone their skills standing on risers.

[Wolf]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

Hey, trombone players aren't thieves. I would suspect the trumpets first.

Nah, we trumpeters wouldn' do that. It was prolly the drum-line....
Later,
Wolf

[robwest]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

Its ALWAYS percussion!

[Taterworks]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

For this particular situation, I'd consider a line array of 12-16 2" or 3" drivers, supplemented by a single-10" vented subwoofer on each side. A high school band room is the perfect place for line array technology, since you need to throw to the back of the room without obliterating people up in front.

[meep]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

having LIVED for band and heard a myriad of band room PA's, my thoughts.

Don't need a sub. It's a teaching tool and tuba's only go so low. The bass drums go lower but the acoustics generally just go to pot in a room like this if you try to produce the lows. Decent full range with clear, clear mids and even some rolling off the bottom end is good. Listeners will be trying to discern their parts, t-bones, f-horns, saxes, etc can get mushed together if the system has artifacts. The director will likely be playing back recordings made at competitions on a one-size-fits-all hung mic, or something off a minidisc with dime-size pickups. Great speakers will not make a huge difference here. Directors seldom play professionally-recorded music for the students b/c they want the kids to learn their parts from paper, not memorize a CD. Recording the band and playing it back is a HUGE teaching tool... here again it gets limited to the recording HW.

I *really* line the line array approach. That would throw a consistent sound waaaay back.

Otherwise, a 2 ft^3 sealed cab, a couple of selenium 12's and constant-directivity horns with decent drivers, and a reasonably matched x-over would be great and well under $500.

Mike

[daveh]

Re: Speakers for local high school band room

Funny you brought this up Dave- I almost did last summer.
Believe it or not, I donated a pair of TriTrix TL, all kit, to my local HS vocal music dept. Decent but not great acoustics in the room which is fairly large. Music director had some old 12" powered sub in the corner.. and when all said and done it was excellent.

Funny thing is the vocal and band depts have some sort of rivalry going on- and the Tritrix TL and that sub sounds better than what the band room barn sounds like and has.

After much discussion with various heads there and some of the better vocal music students, they were staying completely away from PA and pro grade equipment. They keep telling me how the Tritrix TL's really does what they want them to and to hear. They've got them up on these really sturdy old wood tables about 3' up... they practice and hone their skills standing on risers.

I have a pair of Tritrix TL almost finished that don't have a home. I may take them down and give them a try in the room and see if my friend is happy with the sound. I will be out much less than $500 if he does like them. If they end up a little lacking in his room then I may take the advice of a few others and look into line arrays. Most likely BFM's TLAH Pro.

Thanks for the advice.

DaveH