Forums > Technical Discussion > Outdoor speaker question

Posted: 21st Jan 2002
After posting this question I started looking around for speakers. I found that DJ speakers may work best for our needs. Pity I didn't look first then announce findings.Now I need to find some DJ's to learn about possible brands or what to look for in power levels.I found this site 123dj.com Which has a good variety of names and choices. I'm not hyping anything, it was just the first one I found.I'm considering a 225 watt, $99 speaker from Gem Sound. I'll figure out a sound source next.If anyone has any tips or suggestions I'm all ears. I know computers and cars, so this is a little out of my area. I love playing with new toys tho, so I need all the info I can get.------------------"Those who can, do. Those who can't, critique"Pyromorph - Let the fire change you

FYI: I am not Pele. If you wish to reply to me and use a short version of my name, use: PWB.

English? Who needs that? I'm never going to England. - Homer Jay Simpson

Posted: 21st Jan 2002
not sure how available/practical it would be but... I use a guitar amp with an adaptor on the cable from a cd output. I have found this is nice because you don't need a mixing board to adjust low-mid-highs and can plug in a portable cd player. I use an old Crate amp from a pawn shop I got for about $200, with 2x12" Celestion speakers... more than enough to piss off neighbors on surrounding farms... Just a thought

Posted: 21st Jan 2002
How good is the sound quality with one of those? That does sound like a good idea. I'm sure I can pick one up cheap. I could probably borrow one for a night from someone.Thanks.------------------"Those who can, do. Those who can't, critique"Pyromorph - Let the fire change you

FYI: I am not Pele. If you wish to reply to me and use a short version of my name, use: PWB.

English? Who needs that? I'm never going to England. - Homer Jay Simpson

Posted: 22nd Jan 2002
pele.. 123dj isnt so trustworthy.. they send out refurbished (sp?) items and sometimes even broken things.. *steals a list from another forum*catalog.farralane.com/ www.djstore.com/ www.djplanet.com www.djmart.com www.decks.co.uk www.musicfactory.com www.usadj.com www.prodjstore.com www.jlhwholesalers.com/djequipment.html www.worldmusicweb.com/music/store8.htm www.djmr.com i took that list from "DJ Gringo" on the tranceaddict.com forums.. all credit for that list goes to him..

Posted: 21st Jan 2002
One system I've been very intrigued by (but can't justify buying) is the Fender Passport. I think this a 150 W system, but the nifty thing is the whole unit is designed for portability: you've got two big speakers and one sound board, and the three all clip together into a fairly tidy bundle. There's even a battery pack (like a car battery) to run the thing when there's no AC source.At the (much) lower end, JVC makes a 40 W boombox, which is very high power for a boombox but maybe too small for your purposes. Then again, depending on how large a space you need to fill, it might be plenty.

Laugh while you can, monkey-boy

Posted: 22nd Jan 2002
Digital Milk, thanks for the info.However, please note that I am NOT Pele. There is a Pele on this board and I do not wish us to be confused.------------------"Those who can, do. Those who can't, critique"Pyromorph - Let the fire change you

FYI: I am not Pele. If you wish to reply to me and use a short version of my name, use: PWB.

English? Who needs that? I'm never going to England. - Homer Jay Simpson

Posted: 22nd Jan 2002
PWBI haven't had a problem with sound quality yet... I've probably used it for at least 8 years with only a couple of maintenence issues with the amp head (about $50 a pop) mainly due to moving it a lot and loosening soldier (SP?) I use it for both guitar and music. Output is 250w for mine, but I bet you can get something bigger or smaller for a similar price at a pawn shop. The crate amp I have is a two piece, meaning the head/amp part is seperate from the speaker cabinet. I'm sure also that you could find something in a one piece combo. I chose the seperate head because the speaker cabinet weighs alot (about 60-70 lbs). also, the speaker cabinets can have casters added to the bottom for easier mobility. The 250w setup I have is enough to make you cover your ears in a 1000 sq/ft area... If you're going for something that has a wider range of sound (like if you want to point the speakers in different directions) you'll probably want to invest in a monitor type set up. They are more expensive, but a lot more versitile and give better stereo sound because you can seperate the speakers.

Posted: 22nd Jan 2002
I thought of another question.How much power is needed for given spaces?I see house stereos range from 5 watts to 200 watts. I plan to use this outside or in large areas so that Pele can hear it over her fire and so that the audience can hear it as well.What would be great is to take the center part from one of those combined house systems with a bunch of power and hook it to a large DJ speaker.Thanks for giving me stuff to think about. This is actually really helping.------------------FYI: I am not Pele. If you wish to reply to me and use a short version of my name, use: PWB."Those who can, do. Those who can't, critique"Pyromorph - Let the fire change you

FYI: I am not Pele. If you wish to reply to me and use a short version of my name, use: PWB.

English? Who needs that? I'm never going to England. - Homer Jay Simpson

Posted: 22nd Jan 2002
I would say that it all depends on where Pele will be performing (how far) and how many people you plan to have. There are some totally kick ass home stereo setups that are small enough to be portable, but offer tons of low end and power... check this out... this is from Best Buy, but you can shop around for something similar....Sharp 200-Watt Biamp Mini System with 6-Disc CD Changer and Side-Firing Powered SubsModel: CD-BA3100Biamped for clarity, this powerful mini system comes equipped with a 6-disc CD changer. Side-firing powered subs built into each speaker provide maximum impact. Home Personal Audio Compact Systems Bookshelf Product Info VIEW ALL OURCompact Systems - Bookshelf Angle ViewBack ViewRemote Control Sharp 200-Watt Biamp Mini System with 6-Disc CD Changer and Side-Firing Powered SubsModel: CD-BA3100Biamped for clarity, this powerful mini system comes equipped with a 6-disc CD changer. Side-firing powered subs built into each speaker provide maximum impact.In Stock - Usually ships in 2-3 business days. Limited store pickup availability. ThinkAbout™ It $169.50 AccessoriesGet what you need to use and enjoy this product Store PickupBuy online — pick up in store. Returns & ExchangesIn store or by mail, returns and exchanges are easy Service PlanBuy a Performance Service Plan for this product Learn More: Product Details | Suggested Accessories | Warranty PRODUCT FEATURES Biamp system drives main speakers and subwoofers separately for precise sound reproduction 200 watts of total output (100W RMS minimum x 2, 6 ohms, 60Hz - 20kHz, no more than 10% THD) 3-way speaker system with built-in side-firing powered subwoofer on each speaker for authoritative bass response CD-R/RW compatible 6-disc CD changer with 32-track programming, plus random and repeat playback modes Digital AM/FM tuner with 40 station presets Full-logic dual cassette decks Multicolor fluorescent display X-BASS low-frequency enhancement Clock/timer Removable speaker grilles Full-function remote Stereo audio inputs $170this should be enough to do what you want....(would have posted link, but the website's not very deep link friendly)....

Posted: 22nd Jan 2002
Damn, you posted about a similar radio to one I was looking at. Coincidence?I was thinking about one with all forward firing speakers. I'll have to test some things. I have a feeling that a 200 watt stereo may do well in this area. Then take it home to use in the living room.------------------FYI: I am not Pele. If you wish to reply to me and use a short version of my name, use: PWB."Those who can, do. Those who can't, critique"Pyromorph - Let the fire change you

FYI: I am not Pele. If you wish to reply to me and use a short version of my name, use: PWB.

English? Who needs that? I'm never going to England. - Homer Jay Simpson

Posted: 22nd Jan 2002
Oh! I should have mentioned, if you need additional power, you can hook up another system to this with a line output...

Posted: 22nd Jan 2002
"However, please note that I am NOT Pele"sorry.. i do know that your not.. i just really never knew to say pwb.. ..i shall be corrected in the future.. heh..

Posted: 22nd Jan 2002
Digimilk, PWB put that disclaimer in after someone thought he was Pele, and then thought Pele's message was deleted without telling anyone and it all flared up out of porportion as can happen with people the world over (hugs to all who were involved).It's not directed at you, just a small precaution to stop it happening in the future.------------------Charles (INFERNO)newdolbel@hotmail.comhttps://juggling.co.nz

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Posted: 24th Jan 2002
To get back to PWB's question of "how much power is enough?"--perhaps this'll help establish some parameters.At our local practices, we pretty much have the run of a parking lot that accommodates 12 cars (2 x 6 slots with a drive down the middle--probably a roughly 40' x 60'). One of the regulars brings a large boombox (22 W, I think--$100 at Best Buy, a nice unit except for the lack of a sound-in jack), which is can be heard OK (not loud) by a firedancer at the opposite end of the lot. This wouldn't be adequate for a professional performance, as it wouldn't be heard over the fire plus crowd noise, but it's OK for us--a small crowd that's not making a lot of noise.

Laugh while you can, monkey-boy

Posted: 25th Jan 2002
adam, that is helpful. Thanks.I'm actually considering a shelf stereo that's about 200 watts. Then we can pack it up and take it home. I'm looking into seeing if it will hook up to a large speaker set so we can upgrade gradually. My plan is to leave the original speakers at home and use larger DJ speakers. Only planning now, but this thread has been extremely useful.------------------FYI: I am not Pele. If you wish to reply to me and use a short version of my name, use: PWB."Those who can, do. Those who can't, critique"Pyromorph.com - Let the fire change you

FYI: I am not Pele. If you wish to reply to me and use a short version of my name, use: PWB.

English? Who needs that? I'm never going to England. - Homer Jay Simpson