Hey Brian. I am a 32 yr. long DJ & have been watching your vids for years now. There are several other DJ's on youtube that I follow, however you are the only DJ who's videos I ALWAYS watch. They are informative & always worth my time.
I am a mobile DJ for weddings and birthdays in Oslo, Norway specializing in events with no more than 150 people. I use RCF array speakers because they deliver good sound without being too loud, which is perfect for private parties. Weddings and birthdays aren’t just about dancing-many guests haven’t seen each other for a long time, so they need time to talk. One of the things I love about RCF is how compact and easy they are to transport. The tops fit inside the subs, leaving plenty of space in the car. Since I work alone, I avoid using heavy speakers or subs. RCF is perfect because it’s lightweight, easy to set up, and quick to pack down after the event.
I use column arrays for small/medium corporate events where half a dozen mics are needed. I don’t have as much gain before feedback because of the wide coverage pattern, but having even coverage means I can run the system at a lower overall volume. I’m getting used to them. For larger events, I tame the horns on my 15” 2-ways using a 4-band eq on the output of my mixer. I drop the highs by about 6db - it really warms the system up and relives the harshness. Thanks for the video Brian. I’ve been watching you since 2008, I’m glad to see you still thriving.
just recently got myself two LD Maui 11's, i was never a friend of the small linearrays until i heard one in person! I love them for their sound output and amazingly easy setup, now i would never go back to my old 2 way speaker setup!
We add 1 to 2 additional two way tops in the back corners of the room for cocktail and dinner. This allows us to keep the volume down and have much better coverage over the entire room. This way is doesn't matter where grandma sits, she can have a great conversation. Four identical two way tops and a separate subwoofer gives you much more versatility than only two compact arrays. If you have a good quality speaker like my RCFs and use a bit of EQ, you shouldn't have that harsh annoying sound. I am also covered incase of a speaker failure and have the horsepower later in evening if I need it. Not saying that you can't make the compact array work, I'd just rather have the versatility of the 4 tops and free standing sub.
@@briansredd We only use the additional speakers for background music, not for the dance. The rooms aren't that big for there to be a noticeable delay from the front to the back, especially at the lower volumes. Whether we wire them, or use our Sennheiser wireless dongles, there is no latency. I have never noticed any "echo" effect.
Bring the right rig for the gig. The concept here is Sound Design. For a dance system, put the sound on the dance floor - not in the seating or bar area. Perhaps this is a new concept to some, but it's well established design/install protocol. Sound is just like light, put it where you want it not a 150W or more moving head light hitting people's eyes on dance floor or seating/bar areas. It's as much about properly deploying the gear as it is about brand or type.
I find that the application and type of music matters. I have both types of systems. When I need it very loud and they music is hip hop or similar, I will lean towards a traditional speaker setup. I am talking about a situation where the DJ wants to and is allowed to shake the room such as a prom. For 80% of my weddings only the dancefloor should be loud. This is often a small area and I find that my array system covers it just fine. Folks not on the dancefloor are not getting blasted. I am a big fan of bass in music so I now take a sub with my array system. This also helps with bass heavy hip hop and dance music. To be honest, I recommend that a mobile DJ get both types of systems. The compact array for your weddings up to 150 people and the traditional 12 or 15 inch tops with 18 inch subs for your outdoor events, large weddings 250 plus and your school type events.
SR or Sound Reinforcement System is usually the best sounding way to reproduce music. This is accomplished with a passive setup or non-powered speakers. Wooden cabinets. PA or Public Address system was initially created for convenience to use at conference rooms or churches or at campaigns to amplify your voice. DJ’s started using these types of speakers because of plug and play, easy and fast setup - not so much about sound quality. As more and more DJs began using them the manufacturers began to make them better and added powered subwoofer bass bottoms. It’s more about portable easy to setup systems. Line arrays was meant to make DJ life easier with smaller compact systems but sound quality is sacrificed. DJ’s ran to get these types of speakers without realizing that they were made to handle smaller venues. Probably between 50 to 80 people so you can do the basic wedding or private party, not a 100 to 150 person event. I heard these line arrays and was not impressed. Until the past 6 years my switch from passive speakers to powered active speakers was made but I do miss the quality and sound that I had before, it’s not the same going from wooden cabinets to plastic ones.
I have both array speakers and conventional 2 way tops. I will say that if you find yourself in a reception hall where the dancing area is tight, and right in front of your DJ table/speakers then 2 way conventional speakers on top of stands is what you want to use. If people are dancing right in front of your column array speakers, all of the bodies will soak up the sound, and the back of the dance floor will sound like muffled and low volume music. I faced this issue TWICE, and realized that venues where this is likely to happen will need 2 way conventional speakers on top of stands. You want to get the music above their heads. So Any venue where space is tight and dancing area gets crowded in front of the DJ Table then I know to use standard 2 way top cabs over column arrays!!!
One of the advantages of an array system is that they tend to throw further given the same amount of power. Your traditional speaker will drop off twice as much as you move further way. The traditional speaker is more in your face loud. They will hurt your ears if you are close to them. This means that the traditional speaker needs to start out much louder to be heard at the rear of the room. Often this is 6 to 10db louder. They array also has wider coverage.
I used my 2 way top cabinet with 2 inches compression drivers and 2 units 18 inches subs all active but I made it sound excellent that my guests didn't have to yell in their table conversations. People should expect that when they are in a bar, disco or some kind of event that loud sound is present, it is loud and it will be. Another thing I could think of is that its how the speakers are positioned to fill just the front or the stage again depending in the type of event.
I still love my Thumps.... every 30 - 45 mins I walk the room say hi to people and check the sound. I am looking at having columns for different shows.
This has been discussed before, but again the perceived limitations of columns are far too often confused with benefits. Wider dispersion gives wider audience better sound quality and the distance roll off serves those who want to be right up on dance floor with visceral sound, mid hall audience enjoys a imoactful sound without the need to dance and theres a space for audiences not wanting to do more than hang out and have intelligible conversation. Clubs aren't weddings and the decibel levels don't translate. Columns are absolutely no fad.
Great video as always. My thoughts from doing pro sound for over 15 years, EV should have made one more version of the column array. Evolve 70, or Evolve 50 XL. This could have been a column array with micro horns at the top for more throw and output and keep the full range speakers. This makes it so the horns throw over peoples heads but are not harsh, and you get more throw over all. Another Evolve 70 design could be a rotatable column, so you can turn the column itself and keep the sub as is. I would make the Evolve 70 a 15 or compact 18 inch sub. This would be ideal for a lot of people and you can still have the other models available. Speakers aren’t a one size fits all, people have many different needs. K-Array has made this column idea possible, but no other company has. I love my Evolve 50s for most events but there are few times a year I wish I had a little more headroom, throw and low end.
long throw is due to the focus of the sound, so if you step 5 degrees off Axis, the dbs drop so fast. There are also Column arrays that are made to go louder, and more "long throw" by focussing the sound more. The DB ES120's can be heard just as far away as QSC k2.12s, RCF have a few as well that blow your mind, but leave the realm of "compact" when they are typically paired with 8004 subs.
I could not agree with you more! I recently went to the Bose L1 Pro 32 and it is absolutely amazing. I get complement on my sound quality and sound levels every wedding I do now.
@Ronniezim pound for pound, features, size, look, ease, throw, dispersion there's no speaker that really rivals a 32 and sub2 combo. For average weddings. No speaker does everything well, choose right gear for right event
May have missed it but this doesn't even touch on the practical aspect of transporting and setting up an array, vs point source cabs. Some of them as so heavy and getting them up flights of stairs and onto speaker stands a few nights a week can really take it's toll physically too. I love my RCF Evox j8 and Evox 12. Also covers me for all kinds of events. I reckon I could do some really big events if I paired up the 2 systems, but for 99% of my gigs either of them will fit perfectly.
Interesting. My k12’s are due for replacement. I don’t like the evolve 50’s and Bose seem crazy expensive, but since Bose has a reputation for quality in the consumer side it would be easy to sell ppl on it. Think I may have to do it
Right rig for the gig is #1! Column array simply don’t not get as loud and expecially in the extended lows and very high end. The typical 12 inch sub frankly doesn’t go far. And a bunch of full range 3 inch speakers don’t produce the low mids well. Ultimately a pair 15 inch subs and 10inch 2ways are better in ever way and only marginally larger. And small than being an extra sub with your column arrays
Well that's pure opinion, your statement about "better in every way" is just false. You ignore horizontal dispersion, ignore easier setup, better look....and maybe you get closer to opinion as fact, but only closer.
In the last 30 days I've had 2 Google reviews that mentioned the quality of the sound. One was actually from an aunt lol "Their equipment wasn’t obnoxiously loud and it was clear!" So people do notice. I've never had unsolicited sound compliments when using top cabs and subs and there's pretty much not an event that doesn't go by that comes with unsolicited sound quality compliments and guys coming up wanting to ask questions about them. That being said I do like a little more low end than what most column arrays on the market offer and play a lot of hiphop and pop so I just pair them with an additional 18" sub or 2 under the table.
I'm a wedding/quinceanera photographer and videographer and at my quinceanera events you literally have to scream to communicate when the music is on. I'm in California and they love super loud music especially when the Bandas are playing
Hi! I keep my ETXs on my sides so my ears hurt first if it's too loud. Also I fill the dance floor with Everse 12 which is opposite, facing me, so the whole system doesn't have to play loud. Do you happen to check decibels level on the dance floor? Greetings from Poland!
En una fiesta todo se trata de sensibilidad individual, alcohol, sentimientos...e intervienen la acustica del lugar, la psicoacustica, el acostumbramiento, los umbrales individuales, etc etc, Podria ser que el mismo equipo resulte adecuado para un evento e inadecuado para otro. Es todo muy variable! Creo que no puede faltar nunca potencia en sonidos graves, pues son los sonidos graves los que realizan la comunicacion y los que dan cuerpo al sonido, si no tienes suficiente presencia de graves tendras que subir los medios-agudos y alli comenzaran los problemas....los sonidos graves hacen que la musica se sienta ademas de oirse...despues en sonidos medios y agudos es cuestion de usar ecualizacion para adaptarse a la acustica del lugar y tener presente la cantidad de personas, ya que alli es donde ocurre la absorcion del sonido...La individualizacion y la adaptacion son las mejores cualidades de un Dj!
A trend that some folks liked because of the easier load in and setup I guess, which can make sense....the trend that makes no sense is the podium and the church tubes.
the Evolve 50s go plenty loud enough for any size room, but I find they seem more mid rangey when you push them at high volumes, and therefore less pleasant, the bass seems to dissapear and EQing it doesnt really help a lot. the volume also sharply drops as you move away from them which is both good and bad, some people do like to sit and listen to the music and have told me that it was too quiet. a satellite speaker could supplement that in some cases. but i still think, when all of the different factors are considered, especially transport, setup and appearance. i find them perfect for weddings. the song selections are what you will be judged on as a DJ
When setting up next to the dance floor, you get that hot spot for dancing & conversation levels off the dance floor. Everyone in the room hears it. Arrays do not act like 2 way tops. It's a very different audio experience. It's not overpowering anywhere & not underpowering ether. Its more like a home system listening experience. I think some expect them to act like 2 way tops. They don't, but for social events, I think that's a good thing. Of course, the better the speakers, mixer, music files, & settings on everything, the better the listening experience is :)
I have bose l1 and I've never had anyone tell me to turn it up at a wedding reception the opposite. I've had people ask me to turn them down. Eq is your friend here
I agree that column arrays are not a trend. I will be using mine until I retire. I have two other sound systems that have their place but most often my RFC J8 system is what is needed for the types of events that I do.
I'm using two Ev30m's paired with two extra 12" subs for a wedding after party this weekend, similar to your setup in this video. Any quick EQ tips with that particular setup? Thanks for your awesome channel!
We always start with a unity gain structure of no more than a 0 DB (max) signal coming out of the master on the mixer / controller. 30M's are also set to 0 DB, DSP set to "Music" and my personal preference of -3 DB on the mid. For the subs, I suggest a low pass filter around 100 htz & starting the volume at -3 DB :)
Definitely agree with everything. There’s a speaker for every type of event. I use my RCF Evox 8 or 12 for 90% of my events. I usually do events with 100 to 150 guests.
Brian, i’m gonna make this comment now before I watch your video but let me guess this buzz that you’re hearing about in the social media circles is from the same three or four DJ influencers who basically are trying to push the crowd to a certain direction for their own gains. If anyone has an issue with column arrays they didn’t do their own damn research and they had it coming. They fell for the hype. I’m going to make a prediction here, aunt here. It is when Apple releases the hearing test for iPhones and people in mass start doing their own hearing test and realize how much their hearing has been. F-ed up from years of loud noise you’re gonna find that hearing health is gonna become a big deal. It’s the same way everybody start to talk about AFIB and heart health after the census were installed on the Apple Watch for years back. This will become a major occupational health and safety concern . In the European Union, they are much more stricter about noise levels than they are over on this side of the pond and I predict that all these loud sound systems that DJs are using now will be of no use and that the future will be smaller systems with better coverage from multiple points in a venue. So I use a set of HK polar 12 and from my research, they are column arrays but resemble more traditional point of source speakers, they do look like columns but their top speakers are all pointed into one direction .
The column arrays were around in the 60s and 70s, you still see them in old auditoriums .....not new tech. .... They were brought back as a quick money grab by the speaker companies... If Grandma is in front of your speaker just raise it up as high as you can, and it won't bother her...... If your friend had first generation mackies, they suck. What hurts people's ears is distortion, not volume......." I need to hear my Kenny g request"said no one ever...... I think most people like the stick speakers because they look cool in Instagram pics.
Great vid.. I use an Evolve 30M pair. and I use 2X ELX 12SP's Subs. for large 3 to 400 people and I get tons of complements. If I play a small venue I will just use one Evolve maybe no extra subs. for like a small bar 60 to 100 folks. BTW I play solo live guitar with my own backing tracks.. Just chiming here with positive vibes on the Line arrays..
take them arrays & run them the old fashion way...as example i run 4 subs & 2 mid tops (actually full rangers but cut at 150) & does it shake like an old style rig, oh yeah!
I had ev evolve 50s for about 5 years and almost every wedding I’ve had a busy dance floor and the groom or guest will say “turn it up” and they were maxed out so I don’t think your 100% correct on this.
Happy Holiday Brian, I pray all is well with you and your family. I use the RCF J's 8 with a Mackie Pro FX 12 v 3+ mixer and my mic system is Shure SLXD4D , my controller is Denon Prime 4 with Virtual DJ. This set up sound great for 150 people. Like you said, they wanna be able to talk and not the music blowing them out 45 & over crowd.
I agree 100%! I've had many systems in my 25 years of DJing. My RCF column speakers are so practical and I get so many compliments on the sound! I've run QSC, JBL, EAW, Peavey, Yorkville, Mackie, and EV systems, and my RCF system sounds better than any of them!
hey brian! upcoming new dj head here (I’m 24! Been watching your vids since I was 11!) would you recommend the new rcf nxl coming in 2025 for weddings and events?
@@chadnliz2k11 I demo'ed the Bose version of these things when they came out a decade or so ago. Its sounded alright, dynamics were there sure. Forget about stereo imaging, as to be expected though.
@AllboroLCD but in 2020 a entire new line was launched so in large part your impressions are antiquated and irrelevant. I dig em, it's cool if you don't
@@chadnliz2k11 Im just butthurt they bought McIntosh, and i'm worried theyre gonna bastardize the company like they did themselves. Bose is unrecognizable to me these days, they've abandoned all their heritage products that put them on the map.
The loudest one is in control. You listen to the Alpha. You hired a DJ to speak the loudest! This is the new young matriarch's day, not Grandma's! People are lined up in the rear to pay obeisance to the young Queen, to admire and bend the knee, offering dulcet blessings to the New Womb fulfilling the families' destiny. You don't want to lose limited resources and attention on the old, dried up Monarch. She had her moment in the sun, she now plays a supporting role to the new Ruling Lady, and just to make that abundantly clear, bury her old voice in the speaker. You would know this, Brian, if you watched Game of Thrones!
Enough with the sidetalk. Say what you're gonna say stop going around the bush. In addition, there is a time of place. Then you need to know if someone is ADJ. Pay attention and read the crowd
I’ve come to find that your advice is absolutely spot on. I’m involved in helping a local bar get sound gear so it can have DJs for a late night, and again people want to talk there, so the arrays are the solution. 👍🙏
Aka DJMIKEYJ: This is an interesting point, and should be a topic in itself. I’m an old school DJ started as a mid teen in the late 70’s. In those days (where I’m from/culture etc), the sound system comprised a group of (largely) guys who all had different or overlapping roles: dj (mixed the music), selector (selected the music), controller (tuned/set up the sound etc), and the guy who walked the dance floor to check the sound levels, quality, read the vibes from the crowd etc. This was then fed back the ‘hub’ to keep them informed of what was going on- you get the drift. Nowadays I perform all those functions myself (or on the odd occasion a clued up pal who had tagged along for the excitement). I do this because (of experience) I know it’s necessary to have a full understanding of what’s going on in as much parts of the floor as possible, and adjust the set/music/levels, accordingly (…‘too much tops/bass or not enough/folks can’t hear themselves/sound is screatching). We are being (normally) paid to do a job and it needs to be done right (at least as right as you can get it). A number of DJ’s (can’t speculate on the percentage), haven’t had that experience or awareness, but having that awareness should be part of every DJ’s skill set. Great channel btw.
Those array systems are rip offs.. lol you can achieve the same sound and more head room with a 8/10 top 12ish combo while spending half the cost.. the return on investment is crazy.. they look nice but they’re just an overpriced home theater sound system
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Hey Brian. I am a 32 yr. long DJ & have been watching your vids for years now. There are several other DJ's on youtube that I follow, however you are the only DJ who's videos I ALWAYS watch. They are informative & always worth my time.
I am a mobile DJ for weddings and birthdays in Oslo, Norway specializing in events with no more than 150 people. I use RCF array speakers because they deliver good sound without being too loud, which is perfect for private parties. Weddings and birthdays aren’t just about dancing-many guests haven’t seen each other for a long time, so they need time to talk.
One of the things I love about RCF is how compact and easy they are to transport. The tops fit inside the subs, leaving plenty of space in the car. Since I work alone, I avoid using heavy speakers or subs. RCF is perfect because it’s lightweight, easy to set up, and quick to pack down after the event.
I use column arrays for small/medium corporate events where half a dozen mics are needed. I don’t have as much gain before feedback because of the wide coverage pattern, but having even coverage means I can run the system at a lower overall volume. I’m getting used to them. For larger events, I tame the horns on my 15” 2-ways using a 4-band eq on the output of my mixer. I drop the highs by about 6db - it really warms the system up and relives the harshness. Thanks for the video Brian. I’ve been watching you since 2008, I’m glad to see you still thriving.
Love my RCF J8s. Looking forward to future upgrades and what route to take. Thanks for your helpful insight.🎉
love mine also
Yupp.. they sound amazing..
just recently got myself two LD Maui 11's, i was never a friend of the small linearrays until i heard one in person!
I love them for their sound output and amazingly easy setup, now i would never go back to my old 2 way speaker setup!
I love my RCF J8s. They’re quick and easy to set up and they sound good.
We add 1 to 2 additional two way tops in the back corners of the room for cocktail and dinner. This allows us to keep the volume down and have much better coverage over the entire room. This way is doesn't matter where grandma sits, she can have a great conversation. Four identical two way tops and a separate subwoofer gives you much more versatility than only two compact arrays. If you have a good quality speaker like my RCFs and use a bit of EQ, you shouldn't have that harsh annoying sound. I am also covered incase of a speaker failure and have the horsepower later in evening if I need it. Not saying that you can't make the compact array work, I'd just rather have the versatility of the 4 tops and free standing sub.
Are you running a delay or just dealing with the echo?
@@briansredd We only use the additional speakers for background music, not for the dance. The rooms aren't that big for there to be a noticeable delay from the front to the back, especially at the lower volumes. Whether we wire them, or use our Sennheiser wireless dongles, there is no latency. I have never noticed any "echo" effect.
Bring the right rig for the gig. The concept here is Sound Design. For a dance system, put the sound on the dance floor - not in the seating or bar area. Perhaps this is a new concept to some, but it's well established design/install protocol. Sound is just like light, put it where you want it not a 150W or more moving head light hitting people's eyes on dance floor or seating/bar areas. It's as much about properly deploying the gear as it is about brand or type.
I find that the application and type of music matters. I have both types of systems. When I need it very loud and they music is hip hop or similar, I will lean towards a traditional speaker setup. I am talking about a situation where the DJ wants to and is allowed to shake the room such as a prom.
For 80% of my weddings only the dancefloor should be loud. This is often a small area and I find that my array system covers it just fine. Folks not on the dancefloor are not getting blasted. I am a big fan of bass in music so I now take a sub with my array system. This also helps with bass heavy hip hop and dance music.
To be honest, I recommend that a mobile DJ get both types of systems. The compact array for your weddings up to 150 people and the traditional 12 or 15 inch tops with 18 inch subs for your outdoor events, large weddings 250 plus and your school type events.
I've been following for as many years as you've been doing this and you are just bang on the button brian
SR or Sound Reinforcement System is usually the best sounding way to reproduce music. This is accomplished with a passive setup or non-powered speakers. Wooden cabinets.
PA or Public Address system was initially created for convenience to use at conference rooms or churches or at campaigns to amplify your voice. DJ’s started using these types of speakers because of plug and play, easy and fast setup - not so much about sound quality. As more and more DJs began using them the manufacturers began to make them better and added powered subwoofer bass bottoms. It’s more about portable easy to setup systems.
Line arrays was meant to make DJ life easier with smaller compact systems but sound quality is sacrificed. DJ’s ran to get these types of speakers without realizing that they were made to handle smaller venues. Probably between 50 to 80 people so you can do the basic wedding or private party, not a 100 to 150 person event.
I heard these line arrays and was not impressed. Until the past 6 years my switch from passive speakers to powered active speakers was made but I do miss the quality and sound that I had before, it’s not the same going from wooden cabinets to plastic ones.
I have both array speakers and conventional 2 way tops. I will say that if you find yourself in a reception hall where the dancing area is tight, and right in front of your DJ table/speakers then 2 way conventional speakers on top of stands is what you want to use. If people are dancing right in front of your column array speakers, all of the bodies will soak up the sound, and the back of the dance floor will sound like muffled and low volume music. I faced this issue TWICE, and realized that venues where this is likely to happen will need 2 way conventional speakers on top of stands. You want to get the music above their heads. So Any venue where space is tight and dancing area gets crowded in front of the DJ Table then I know to use standard 2 way top cabs over column arrays!!!
One of the advantages of an array system is that they tend to throw further given the same amount of power. Your traditional speaker will drop off twice as much as you move further way. The traditional speaker is more in your face loud. They will hurt your ears if you are close to them.
This means that the traditional speaker needs to start out much louder to be heard at the rear of the room. Often this is 6 to 10db louder.
They array also has wider coverage.
Great topic. You are 100% on this. My feelings are it's all about the space you're in.
Yep. Best reaction at social events is "Thank you for the nice music and not playing it so loud, like the other DJ's"
I used my 2 way top cabinet with 2 inches compression drivers and 2 units 18 inches subs all active but I made it sound excellent that my guests didn't have to yell in their table conversations. People should expect that when they are in a bar, disco or some kind of event that loud sound is present, it is loud and it will be. Another thing I could think of is that its how the speakers are positioned to fill just the front or the stage again depending in the type of event.
I still love my Thumps.... every 30 - 45 mins I walk the room say hi to people and check the sound. I am looking at having columns for different shows.
This has been discussed before, but again the perceived limitations of columns are far too often confused with benefits.
Wider dispersion gives wider audience better sound quality and the distance roll off serves those who want to be right up on dance floor with visceral sound, mid hall audience enjoys a imoactful sound without the need to dance and theres a space for audiences not wanting to do more than hang out and have intelligible conversation.
Clubs aren't weddings and the decibel levels don't translate.
Columns are absolutely no fad.
Thanks, Brian! Happy Holidays!
Great video as always. My thoughts from doing pro sound for over 15 years, EV should have made one more version of the column array. Evolve 70, or Evolve 50 XL. This could have been a column array with micro horns at the top for more throw and output and keep the full range speakers. This makes it so the horns throw over peoples heads but are not harsh, and you get more throw over all. Another Evolve 70 design could be a rotatable column, so you can turn the column itself and keep the sub as is. I would make the Evolve 70 a 15 or compact 18 inch sub. This would be ideal for a lot of people and you can still have the other models available. Speakers aren’t a one size fits all, people have many different needs. K-Array has made this column idea possible, but no other company has. I love my Evolve 50s for most events but there are few times a year I wish I had a little more headroom, throw and low end.
They’re called the Maui 44 G2’s lol
I’ve been rocking Bose F1’s since they came out. It’s the best of both worlds, and I was utilizing the array positions depending on the gig!
Good talking point Brian, I have been a Bose user for around 10 years and still get compliments on the sound. Thanks T
I love your perspective! So thoughtful and enlightening
long throw is due to the focus of the sound, so if you step 5 degrees off Axis, the dbs drop so fast. There are also Column arrays that are made to go louder, and more "long throw" by focussing the sound more. The DB ES120's can be heard just as far away as QSC k2.12s, RCF have a few as well that blow your mind, but leave the realm of "compact" when they are typically paired with 8004 subs.
I didn't know. Thanks for the tip. I probably buy those. Always giving good tips and ideas 💡. Thank Brian. 🙏🏼
I could not agree with you more! I recently went to the Bose L1 Pro 32 and it is absolutely amazing. I get complement on my sound quality and sound levels every wedding I do now.
Those Pro 32s are really good with bass.
Same here- I get compliments on my bose l1 pros almost every event I bring them
@Ronniezim pound for pound, features, size, look, ease, throw, dispersion there's no speaker that really rivals a 32 and sub2 combo. For average weddings.
No speaker does everything well, choose right gear for right event
People like compact and small events, line arrays are perfect
I definitely needed to hear this. Thank you so much for sharing and will also be subscribing for future videos.
May have missed it but this doesn't even touch on the practical aspect of transporting and setting up an array, vs point source cabs. Some of them as so heavy and getting them up flights of stairs and onto speaker stands a few nights a week can really take it's toll physically too.
I love my RCF Evox j8 and Evox 12. Also covers me for all kinds of events. I reckon I could do some really big events if I paired up the 2 systems, but for 99% of my gigs either of them will fit perfectly.
I'm with you i find my evolve 30s is the best for 150-200 at my events in bars and legion halls
This is why I love the FBT VN2000, a perfect cross between the two…
The mid-frequencies are the only one's granny can hear! I use a DriveRack PA2 to tame the horns. It can sound "loud" without being ear piercing.
Interesting. My k12’s are due for replacement. I don’t like the evolve 50’s and Bose seem crazy expensive, but since Bose has a reputation for quality in the consumer side it would be easy to sell ppl on it. Think I may have to do it
Right rig for the gig is #1! Column array simply don’t not get as loud and expecially in the extended lows and very high end. The typical 12 inch sub frankly doesn’t go far. And a bunch of full range 3 inch speakers don’t produce the low mids well. Ultimately a pair 15 inch subs and 10inch 2ways are better in ever way and only marginally larger. And small than being an extra sub with your column arrays
Well that's pure opinion, your statement about "better in every way" is just false. You ignore horizontal dispersion, ignore easier setup, better look....and maybe you get closer to opinion as fact, but only closer.
In the last 30 days I've had 2 Google reviews that mentioned the quality of the sound. One was actually from an aunt lol "Their equipment wasn’t obnoxiously loud and it was clear!" So people do notice. I've never had unsolicited sound compliments when using top cabs and subs and there's pretty much not an event that doesn't go by that comes with unsolicited sound quality compliments and guys coming up wanting to ask questions about them. That being said I do like a little more low end than what most column arrays on the market offer and play a lot of hiphop and pop so I just pair them with an additional 18" sub or 2 under the table.
All things in their proper time & place!
There is no need to drive to the grocery in your alcohol fueled dragster.
I'm a wedding/quinceanera photographer and videographer and at my quinceanera events you literally have to scream to communicate when the music is on. I'm in California and they love super loud music especially when the Bandas are playing
Aural fatigue is 1000% real! Well done !
Hi! I keep my ETXs on my sides so my ears hurt first if it's too loud.
Also I fill the dance floor with Everse 12 which is opposite, facing me, so the whole system doesn't have to play loud.
Do you happen to check decibels level on the dance floor?
Greetings from Poland!
ETXs are fantastic! Fills room better than most.
@@retlasnoj When I switched from ELXs to ETXs, suddenly some new sounds and instruments appeared in the songs I play.
En una fiesta todo se trata de sensibilidad individual, alcohol, sentimientos...e intervienen la acustica del lugar, la psicoacustica, el acostumbramiento, los umbrales individuales, etc etc, Podria ser que el mismo equipo resulte adecuado para un evento e inadecuado para otro. Es todo muy variable! Creo que no puede faltar nunca potencia en sonidos graves, pues son los sonidos graves los que realizan la comunicacion y los que dan cuerpo al sonido, si no tienes suficiente presencia de graves tendras que subir los medios-agudos y alli comenzaran los problemas....los sonidos graves hacen que la musica se sienta ademas de oirse...despues en sonidos medios y agudos es cuestion de usar ecualizacion para adaptarse a la acustica del lugar y tener presente la cantidad de personas, ya que alli es donde ocurre la absorcion del sonido...La individualizacion y la adaptacion son las mejores cualidades de un Dj!
best video i watched in a long time , common sense prevails
Man I would like to dig threw those records. Very Nice!!!
A trend that some folks liked because of the easier load in and setup I guess, which can make sense....the trend that makes no sense is the podium and the church tubes.
Amen totally agree !! On every detail … work smarter not harder …
Good video. You speak well too. Nice clear thoughts. Great job.
the Evolve 50s go plenty loud enough for any size room, but I find they seem more mid rangey when you push them at high volumes, and therefore less pleasant, the bass seems to dissapear and EQing it doesnt really help a lot. the volume also sharply drops as you move away from them which is both good and bad, some people do like to sit and listen to the music and have told me that it was too quiet. a satellite speaker could supplement that in some cases. but i still think, when all of the different factors are considered, especially transport, setup and appearance. i find them perfect for weddings. the song selections are what you will be judged on as a DJ
This is a great video. Do you feel the arrays lose any energy compared to the 2 ways during open dance? Or can they handle it. Im intrigued now
When setting up next to the dance floor, you get that hot spot for dancing & conversation levels off the dance floor. Everyone in the room hears it. Arrays do not act like 2 way tops. It's a very different audio experience. It's not overpowering anywhere & not underpowering ether. Its more like a home system listening experience. I think some expect them to act like 2 way tops. They don't, but for social events, I think that's a good thing. Of course, the better the speakers, mixer, music files, & settings on everything, the better the listening experience is :)
EVOX J8s...One of the best purchases I ever made.
Brian, how have you been feeling? You're looking good! 👊🏽
I agree totally. Shine on!
Thx BSR for sharing !! Solid tips
Great video. Makes complete sense.
Aunt Betty is a saint !
I have bose l1 and I've never had anyone tell me to turn it up at a wedding reception the opposite. I've had people ask me to turn them down. Eq is your friend here
You nailed it!
I agree that column arrays are not a trend. I will be using mine until I retire. I have two other sound systems that have their place but most often my RFC J8 system is what is needed for the types of events that I do.
I'm using two Ev30m's paired with two extra 12" subs for a wedding after party this weekend, similar to your setup in this video.
Any quick EQ tips with that particular setup?
Thanks for your awesome channel!
We always start with a unity gain structure of no more than a 0 DB (max) signal coming out of the master on the mixer / controller. 30M's are also set to 0 DB, DSP set to "Music" and my personal preference of -3 DB on the mid. For the subs, I suggest a low pass filter around 100 htz & starting the volume at -3 DB :)
@@briansredd Fantastic, thanks!
@@briansreddHave you tried Live instead of Music? It is much better to IMO.
Definitely agree with everything. There’s a speaker for every type of event. I use my RCF Evox 8 or 12 for 90% of my events. I usually do events with 100 to 150 guests.
Same here. Sometimes I bring out the 15” rcf sub with my evox 12s and it helps!
Brian, i’m gonna make this comment now before I watch your video but let me guess this buzz that you’re hearing about in the social media circles is from the same three or four DJ influencers who basically are trying to push the crowd to a certain direction for their own gains.
If anyone has an issue with column arrays they didn’t do their own damn research and they had it coming. They fell for the hype.
I’m going to make a prediction here, aunt here. It is when Apple releases the hearing test for iPhones and people in mass start doing their own hearing test and realize how much their hearing has been. F-ed up from years of loud noise you’re gonna find that hearing health is gonna become a big deal.
It’s the same way everybody start to talk about AFIB and heart health after the census were installed on the Apple Watch for years back.
This will become a major occupational health and safety concern . In the European Union, they are much more stricter about noise levels than they are over on this side of the pond and I predict that all these loud sound systems that DJs are using now will be of no use and that the future will be smaller systems with better coverage from multiple points in a venue.
So I use a set of HK polar 12 and from my research, they are column arrays but resemble more traditional point of source speakers, they do look like columns but their top speakers are all pointed into one direction .
The column arrays were around in the 60s and 70s, you still see them in old auditoriums .....not new tech. .... They were brought back as a quick money grab by the speaker companies... If Grandma is in front of your speaker just raise it up as high as you can, and it won't bother her...... If your friend had first generation mackies, they suck. What hurts people's ears is distortion, not volume......." I need to hear my Kenny g request"said no one ever...... I think most people like the stick speakers because they look cool in Instagram pics.
great post - many thanks
Great vid.. I use an Evolve 30M pair. and I use 2X ELX 12SP's Subs. for large 3 to 400 people and I get tons of complements. If I play a small venue I will just use one Evolve maybe no extra subs. for like a small bar 60 to 100 folks. BTW I play solo live guitar with my own backing tracks.. Just chiming here with positive vibes on the Line arrays..
100% agree great video
take them arrays & run them the old fashion way...as example i run 4 subs & 2 mid tops (actually full rangers but cut at 150) & does it shake like an old style rig, oh yeah!
100 % Right 👍🏻
Thanks Brian
I had ev evolve 50s for about 5 years and almost every wedding I’ve had a busy dance floor and the groom or guest will say “turn it up” and they were maxed out so I don’t think your 100% correct on this.
I love my RCFs... But they will never have the volume of big subs and point source tops.
I have used them and I cant the volume i wanted. I use my rcf 735’s and never have to worry about volume
Number one thing these things are so expensive
It’s called compression and ALL of them have it. That design is prevalent for natural compression.
Happy Holiday Brian, I pray all is well with you and your family. I use the RCF J's 8 with a Mackie Pro FX 12 v 3+ mixer and my mic system is Shure SLXD4D , my controller is Denon Prime 4 with Virtual DJ. This set up sound great for 150 people. Like you said, they wanna be able to talk and not the music blowing them out 45 & over crowd.
💯💯💯
I agree 100%! I've had many systems in my 25 years of DJing. My RCF column speakers are so practical and I get so many compliments on the sound! I've run QSC, JBL, EAW, Peavey, Yorkville, Mackie, and EV systems, and my RCF system sounds better than any of them!
Amen!
hey brian! upcoming new dj head here (I’m 24! Been watching your vids since I was 11!) would you recommend the new rcf nxl coming in 2025 for weddings and events?
Ofc paired with an rcf 18 sub
I don't know anything about them. RCF generally makes good stuff, though.
What new NXL?
@@DJSolsticethere’s a new rcf column speaker that will come out in 2025!
I mean listen, if you own a pair of RCF Evox 12's and can't get enough sound, you can always get another pair.
I call em "washtub bass" speakers...
Ok, but you're the only one lol
@@chadnliz2k11 I demo'ed the Bose version of these things when they came out a decade or so ago. Its sounded alright, dynamics were there sure. Forget about stereo imaging, as to be expected though.
@AllboroLCD but in 2020 a entire new line was launched so in large part your impressions are antiquated and irrelevant.
I dig em, it's cool if you don't
@@chadnliz2k11 Im just butthurt they bought McIntosh, and i'm worried theyre gonna bastardize the company like they did themselves. Bose is unrecognizable to me these days, they've abandoned all their heritage products that put them on the map.
The loudest one is in control. You listen to the Alpha. You hired a DJ to speak the loudest!
This is the new young matriarch's day, not Grandma's! People are lined up in the rear to pay obeisance to the young Queen, to admire and bend the knee, offering dulcet blessings to the New Womb fulfilling the families' destiny. You don't want to lose limited resources and attention on the old, dried up Monarch. She had her moment in the sun, she now plays a supporting role to the new Ruling Lady, and just to make that abundantly clear, bury her old voice in the speaker. You would know this, Brian, if you watched Game of Thrones!
Enough with the sidetalk. Say what you're gonna say stop going around the bush. In addition, there is a time of place. Then you need to know if someone is ADJ.
Pay attention and read the crowd
it's simple...just turn it down.
You'd think. Unfortunately, if your mids are 2X (or more) louder than your highs & lows...
I’ve come to find that your advice is absolutely spot on. I’m involved in helping a local bar get sound gear so it can have DJs for a late night, and again people want to talk there, so the arrays are the solution. 👍🙏
Yo because the DJs today are lazy you have to get from behind the booth and do a listen test in front of the booth
It's probably less about being lazy & more that it just hasn't occurred to them to check out their sound & lighting from the audience's perspective.
@briansredd 💯 percent agree
Aka DJMIKEYJ: This is an interesting point, and should be a topic in itself. I’m an old school DJ started as a mid teen in the late 70’s. In those days (where I’m from/culture etc), the sound system comprised a group of (largely) guys who all had different or overlapping roles: dj (mixed the music), selector (selected the music), controller (tuned/set up the sound etc), and the guy who walked the dance floor to check the sound levels, quality, read the vibes from the crowd etc. This was then fed back the ‘hub’ to keep them informed of what was going on- you get the drift. Nowadays I perform all those functions myself (or on the odd occasion a clued up pal who had tagged along for the excitement). I do this because (of experience) I know it’s necessary to have a full understanding of what’s going on in as much parts of the floor as possible, and adjust the set/music/levels, accordingly (…‘too much tops/bass or not enough/folks can’t hear themselves/sound is screatching). We are being (normally) paid to do a job and it needs to be done right (at least as right as you can get it). A number of DJ’s (can’t speculate on the percentage), haven’t had that experience or awareness, but having that awareness should be part of every DJ’s skill set.
Great channel btw.
Top not high enough
Those array systems are rip offs.. lol you can achieve the same sound and more head room with a 8/10 top 12ish combo while spending half the cost.. the return on investment is crazy.. they look nice but they’re just an overpriced home theater sound system
These type speakers suck. Never bought this crap. Only a good sized boxed speaker can deliver the sound you need to make a great experience.