Speaker Placement Basics For Small Concerts, DJ's, and Portable Churches

[@mastersoundlive]

Finally, someone who explains it clearly rather than those who like to wow us with the tech language! Thanks. The aha moment were the kids in the background and you not stopping to edit. Blessings! Thanks.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Glad my approach was helpful to you! And yes, sometimes you just gotta keep the tape rolling even if your four year old has your two year old in a headlock : ). Thank you for the kind words.

[@uvawahoo2005]

I loved the sound of QSC and used them for years. Beware of the newer models. I had issues with latest firmware randomly shutting off. Well documented online and on Sweetwater user reviews. I had to switch to EV which is working great.

[@a-zmp]

I’m watching all of your videos and am so impressed and grateful for them. The more you give, the more you get. I hope you reap tenfold all the work, knowledge and energy you put into these videos.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Thank you so much! I'm glad they've been helpful for you in your audio journey. I've learned so much in making them by really clarifying what I think. Teaching is the best way to make sure you know somehting!

[@brianbauer3148]

As a systems engineer I appreciate giving some of thse basic ideas to people. Not everyone can afford to have a dedicated person to figuring out speaker set up. Almost everything is a compromise but a basic understanding of speakers and how they perform is important. I always teach people starting out the main goal is keep the sound on the people and off the walls so your maximizing the clarity and not wasting the power. subs is one of thoose things most people strugle with because it isn't always intuitive and the way low frequencies can either cancel or reinforce depending on placement. I've see damage to many systems becasue of that. Equadistant from the audience can be another goal, although just like he said the people that like it a little quiter gravitate to the off axis areas. I'm passionate about good sound for all situations and apreciate the effort to train people through your videos.

[@christhorney]

it helped me to understand why one year at gigantour i couldnt hear any bass, and i complained the sound was shit, but all my mates said it was great lol, 15 years later i learn why and understand that it was probably just my seat position and got unlucky lol, the sound system was probably super hard to set up for good sound inside festival hall in melbourne australia (i think they stopped using it for live music now unfortunatly, some of my best memories in that place)

[@garends225]

The aha moment for me...the flashlight analogy. I've always thought the tweeter should be at ear level, but this makes sense. I was concerned about going too high with our mains because the ceiling in the room we meet in has large 4 foot indented chandelier sections in the ceiling that I thought would really cause some problems. I am going to measure our room this weekend and do some FAR calculations! Our stage is really close to our audience with our portable church, so coverage has been difficult. I ended up adding two side fills in addition to our mains... but I am now wondering if I can drop those and move the mains inward. Keep up the good work Michael!

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

It was a dear friend of mine and audio mentor who showed me the flashlight analogy a LONG time ago and it was a literal lightbulb moment, so I'm glad it's translating and helping you as well! Having a super close stage always puts speaker placement in a tough spot. I wouldn't be afraid to put the speakers just a hair upstage if they've got pretty good pattern control in the top end. As far as tweeters at ear height goes, that’s a great guideline for a pair of studio monitors in a studio setup, but doesn’t apply to live. Let me know how your changes go!

[@CameronMagee]

That subwoofer power alley/valley visual was a game-changer.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

So glad to hear that! I've got a video coming out within the next 6 weeks that will dive more in depth there. For everyone else: THIS DUDE, Cameron Magee, is who showed me the flashlight analogy for the first time so long ago. Huge props to Cam, who has taught me so much in my audio journey.

[@kevinfreestone9822]

Yes, most enlightening. I've always set up two groups of 4 18s, each side of the stage. Double 18s on top of them and then the mids and tops. That way, you dont need to put your mids and tops on a stand. I shall have to try the subs in the centre, but.12 of them?

[@siffmaster2032]

​​@@kevinfreestone9822curious how this went with that many subs if you've tried it yet? I've also heard by coupling them in the center you actually gain some extra db's as well. I'm getting a second 18" next week so I'll have to play around with it. I could probably benefit from that a little more than you haha

[@FOHGeek]

I hope speaker manufacturers STOP putting pole sockets on the top of there subs and therefore encouraging users with limited acoustics knowledge to use the crappy L/R placement of subs.

[@theaverageguy3884]

What do you recomend for small outdoor Techno/Rave partys, for around 3-500 peoples ? To be honest i looking for 2 tops and 2 subs. Right now i looking at Mackie DRM active 15" speakers and Mackie DRM active 18" subs.

[@Wax_Room_Productions]

Beautiful. My band at 9 V Saturday just had a gig last night and it was in a pretty tiny bar and I am 34 years old. I have been around live music and playing live music since I was 1213 years old you just taught me the most important thing that I could have ever learned about live sound. I play bass Bass and I believe that I am going to be a headache for the rest of my band members and start implementing these values to our set up when we gig out

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

So glad that this is helpful for you! I'm a bass player, too : ). Keep the bottom.

[@therocklins2022]

What will happen if I have 4 subs? 2 in the middle and 1 in each side. Do you think it's a good idea?

[@BASSBURGLAH]

More subs is always a good idea! (tbh I don’t know what I’m talking about, but I think you should try it though)

[@scandinavianserialki]

I knew that higher speakers could more evenly cover a wider area but the flashlight thing is really easy to visualize. I'm definitely going to use that next time somebody asks me about speaker height.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

I'm glad that analogy helped! It makes me want to throw all super short speaker stands in a wood chipper : )

[@mitas3484]

Thanks for this, it goes directly against what most people would think. Having now tested the stick setup, and I can tell very clearly the comb filtering effect. Will try the sub in the center, and also the 1.27 meter spacing with delay and inverted later.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!

[@vovian]

One question. If the speakers in the hall are aimed exactly at the back wall, and not in the center of the hall, then where should the sound engineer be located? And the second question. If the sound engineer is in the middle of the room near the back wall, where should the speakers be directed? We have two speakers and two subwoofers. And the third question. how to install subwoofers? Should I put them together next to each other or move them apart? Thank you. Greetings from Lithuania!

[@williamthesoundguybalestri1745]

FYI I haven't done point source speakers for mains in OVER FIFTEEN YEARS! People that think 12.2's are the cat's meow don't have experience with column arrays, like Turbosound IP3000. You can move from 80 degrees in ALL directions to 120 degrees wide and only 15 degrees vertical with column line array speakers. Just a thought.

[@davehappidural9349]

Is there a reason you rarely see five piece bar bands using a column array as their PA? As I’m getting older, I don’t want to lift heavy speakers onto speaker stands anymore! Thinking about switching to column arrays, but everyone seems to say they’re not suitable for a band situation. We are not micing the drums or Bass…. Just vocals and guitars through the mains.

[@williamthesoundguybalestri1745]

@@davehappidural9349 Those who tell you they are not suitable are simply TOTALLY WRONG!! I have been using column speakers exclusively for over FIFTEEN YEARS and will NEVER go back to point source. I do bands from three pieces to 11 piece bands with full horn sections and they work wonderfully! Point source sends the sound everywhere - to the ceiling, the floor etc. whereas line array send the sound in a beam to the audience. Since I started column speakers the bands have told me that they never sounded as good before! I started over fifteen years ago with Bose L1, but these days there are better and more affordable choices. The best bang-for-the-buck is the Turbosound IP3000. They contain 16 3.5" drivers, 2 tweeter drivers and two high-excursion 12" subs in each tower! Yes, sometimes you need to EQ them a bit differently, but they work fantastic! You can hear the guitars distinctly from the keys, etc.. So trust me and fifteen years of experience! I do sound EVERY weekend. The ONLY thing I will do to supplement the speakers is if it is a deep venue or large outdoor event. I will add a pair of RCF line array speakers on a pole on each side to push more sound out toward the back. Point Source = Dino doodoo!

[@shaneberckman]

This is great information. I have the Bose f1 system and it has an adjustable array and I have a couple Bose s1pros that I pair up with the Bose Sub1s and 2s depending on the situation. I done a school tailgate party with S1pros and Sub1s and they couldn't believe it produced enough for that parking lot. The dispersion on those S1 Pros and when you have the crossover through the sub it is amazing at what those little things can do

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

I'll have to check those out!

[@bluesman4039able]

Thank you for the 💡moment. I have work for bands and DJ events. Your video and the spreadsheet very helpful. New subscriber

[@yising4u2qt]

I’m at busker am I performance area is 15 feet. The pedestrian walk is 15 feet in front of me. Where should I set my speaker and how high? I have the fourth generation AER compact speaker.

[@jackie6640]

Thank you! I wonder, even though its not optimal, how should I think when it comes to using walls to make sounds bounce and spread even more?

[@taneltolsting2900]

As a DJ, this seems a nightmare as I could never rely on booth monitors as the sound just doesn’t make sense. In ideal I’d like to experience the exact sound as the dancers get. Dj being behind the subs - just gives the opposite bass and could never understand actual sound. Earphones are only for cueing, not for mixing. Am I the only one to see things this way?

[@stevemail5239]

Great videos Michael!, I’m a dj and I have future gig in a convention center and I can not compete with the main stage. I’m working space is 30’x30’ and my issue is I can not be louder than the main stage. I have smaller rig that I use for house party’s consists of 8” mains and 12” subs. Questions is is there a formula of putting 4 8” mains 90/60 coverage in 30’x30’ space in each corners to contain sound in this type of space? Will add two 12” or one15” sub there are no walls just open space with curtain piping to enclose the area.. also do smaller speaker have a smaller coverage?

[@HeronWSPGrant]

I've learned so much from you Michael. Thanks a lot. I have a question. I have a small system with two subs. i generally use a centre sub array which I learned from you as well. my mixer is analog though and i don't consider myself a yet, that and the fact that digital mixers are way out mu budget right now. So if I'm using a front fill, where should I take the feed from? from my mixers main out or what about a daisy chain link from my L/R tops ? looking forward to your response

[@emptinessground2834]

Very good video! The front fill changed everything. I didn't know how to properly distribute the sound to the front of the stage.

[@edgaracv2santiago504]

Can anyone let me know if got my speakers 9ft on speaker standswith two 18”subs under them and sound is too loud at front and it feels like needs more noise in the back of my church but less in front, and we might not be able to connect on the ceiling like i wanted too…. Can i connect my 2 delay speakers facing to the main speakers ? The would be on the rear wall of my church around 8ft up They would be around 50+ft away from each other? Or would that cause any type of problem?? We have a weird layout

[@ajitnandakumar]

Hi from India, Really informative video for a layman, who is volunteering for a non profit and money wise poor organisation. So Namskaram to you for the knowledge. Honda Civic is an expensive car in India that few can afford. So I wonder what are the speakers available at the usual speaker rentals in India. If anyone knows please do tell. How about placing multiple speakers at the sides . Say 4 speakers from left and four at the right facing each other ( with spacing to take care of the 80 degree range)?

[@kevinwillis6291]

Great info Michael and thank you! I have 4 of the JBL PRX 818 and 815s and I recently added the SRX Dual 18 sub for the center. I wish I could figure out a good config for when I use all of this outside any suggestions would be appreciated.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Hey, Kevin! I'm not sure if you've seen the video that published today, but it covers 7 different setups and their underlying fundamentals. Watch that and let me know if you have any further questions. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2XRqmpmaNpgodU

[@Lamar4ya]

Should I run my single 18 inch sub woofers out of my A15-in Yamaha’s or should I run the 15 inch Yamahas out of the subwoofers or does it make a difference ? , thank you, Lamar

[@theno1deejay]

Going to try center sub next gig (dj). I would have put the mains further out, high up and tilted in and downwards. Delaying the subs? The bass going to hit the main crowd earlier than the mains. Will they notice?

[@robin_miller_music]

Very interesting! Obvious question though is *why* does the side sub placement give the alleys/valleys??

[@JAROCHELOcesarcastro]

What do you think using a placement for small venues where your audience is wider than deeper and you have only 2 speakers? I did a "crossed eye" type and saved the centered audience and somehow it got a decent signal to the sides. By decent I mean IT WAS able to keep audience attention/presence. That was wild! THANKS FOR YOUR VIDEOS!!!

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Hey, Cesar. I would probably cheat my speakers in a little bit closer to the stage and angle them out towards the sides. Super wide rooms are pretty tough!

[@JAROCHELOcesarcastro]

@@MichaelCurtisAudio That's right. That way I avoid comb filtering. It was DJ setup

[@michaelfrancis1]

Thanks for these videos!! God bless you Big-time! 🤟😺🤟 🙏🙏💜

[@thisdj83]

I downloaded the audio tool kit, but it's in read only. I am unable to make changes. Any suggestions on what I need to do to make it functional? I appreciate the help from anyone.

[@andrewsmatt9042]

Hi Michael I see lot of your videos and you explain like NASA person I want your opion and help! I have 2 ld maui 28g3 and one sub alto ts215s I'm a dj and I never try it outdoors with people very soon I'm gonna start to play dj outdoors near in the beach and I don't know if I cant hatle 150 people thanks

[@happyband100]

Our problem is that the person speaking has to be in the area between but in front of the speakers.......the room is very wide and not very deep. It is a basketball gym and the person speaking is midcourt speaking to rows of people between the baskets in the width of the gym..... We are using lapel mics and the sound is very wet and very hollow........how to dry it up and get more upper mid frequencies into the sound......?

[@PaddyZz96]

Really interesting, thanks! @7:55 why does the scale start at 0 and go into negative values? Does this represent decibel dropoff?

[@djmigueladrian]

Great Vid, awesome info! Can you make a similar video, this time how/where to set up your Speakers and Subs when you're at an event/venue where you're not perfectly centered? This is the "ideal" scenario, the DJ booth/stage right in the middle of the dance floor. Many times this is not the case, as you have to be in a corner due to sharing the space with another vendor and/or band. Or the venue simply decided to place the stage in the corner when they could have easily placed it in the middle of the dance floor.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Great thought! Here's the quick answer: Prioritize where your speakers are based off your relative position to the audience. Even if YOU are in a corner, you still need to have your speakers cover where the AUDIENCE. Still shoot your mains speakers through the middle of the middle and try to place them as close to the middle of those zones. Same with your subs (if LR). If center, try to move them so they're centered up on the audience. Hope that helps!

[@djmigueladrian]

@@MichaelCurtisAudio I appreciate your feedback/reply!

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

@@djmigueladrian You're welcome!

[@snorklewacker]

Late to the game, but wanted to thank you for an excellent video! Really helpful - the diagram with dual subs was really eye-opening for me. One thing I’d love to see in a follow-up video is the question of reflections and trying to manage them. It seems like in the model where you have both speakers pointed directly at the back wall you’d get a lot of reflection canceling vs. an angled setup, but that’s based on a naive mental model of the space. :) Would love to hear some tips and tricks for handling those both when you can move the speakers and when you can’t. Thanks again for such a terrific resource!

[@lucabertolaso2167]

What's about the stereo or mono setup? For Indoor setup when you place 2 speakers on the side of the dj boot what's the best setting? I mean mono (L+R) on both speakers or it sound better setting Left to a speaker and Right signal to the other speaker? If you set stereo who is on a side of the room will ear one channel more than the other

[@vjt418]

I would just add that for me, I want to concentrate the highest sound pressure levels on the dance floor itself and minimize that sound throughout the rest of the room. Without a center speaker for fill, I would angle the side speakers to point toward the center point of the dance floor, keeping the subs in an array at center stage.

[@IntergalacticMusic12]

i watched this using my sound system and could hear a sound when your speech volume increased.. it sounded like a crystal or glass vibrating from sound itself or a something similar.. even at the lowest frequencies i still could hear it as your volume increased.. Maybe you can notice it too ??

[@bluerootentertainment2410]

Separating the subs to evenly distribute the sound and avoid power alleys has really been an eye opener for me. Thank you!

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

You're very welcome!

[@cfmweston]

What are the general recommendations for low ceiling applications? My church ceiling is 9ft high.

[@andyperrigo5000]

Might be a dumb question....what if have only 1 sub and cannot put it in the center?

[@rjpeace3003]

Can you put a video of a narrow bar. Door and bar to the right side empty spot in front window room us 12 bye 35 it's a small town bar

[@gregmcveigh9966]

Aha moment was seeing MAPP used - and explained well - with a small speakers on sticks and single sub scenario.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Nice!

[@robrobbins4906]

No offense, but I thought all of this was mostly common sense. Glad to see that I have been doing it right. I mostly go by ear.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Glad you've been on the right track!

[@mrrafsk]

Where does one place a pair of 12” kicks. (110 - 250hz). I have a small cardiod sub (x2 12” 39 - 118 Hz ) in the middle, and a pair of columns (x8 4”) on the sides. Do the kicks go in the middle or the side please? It’s for portable club DJ rig.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

I'd probably place them with your subs.

[@kevinwang7894]

Hi Michael! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! I'm just wonder what your thoughts are on the K.2 series vs the original K series. I've heard people say that the K.2 series are unreliable, unlike the original K series.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

I've personally never had a K12 or a K12.2 go out on me. But I've heard the same rumors you have.

[@lukefallon3809]

Definitely utilising the angle mount & high stands from now on- have been stupidly keeping my tops at table height and redlining to fill the room 🤦‍♂️🤣 many thanks for these general principles to follow you’ve saved many front row eardrums lol

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

You're very welcome!

[@ambydaly5713]

Where would I position speakers to back up a chorus in a long narrow hall

[@FreeKeenan]

K12.2 horns should not be coupled next to the ceiling. Can you describe the critical problems this can create and two of these cabinets side by side can you describe the problems. I've been trying to help out a club but there's and thing called bar owners syndrome. Mumpsimus. I'm so glad I've encountered you Michael and your learning videos. Maybe soon I'll take a gamble and purchase smaart v9 but learning how to use it is my old mind capable? 😢 I need to learn this.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

In short, the ceiling reflections cause late arrivals and therefore comb filtering. And when two speakers that aren't meant to be arrayed together have high overlap in the HF it creates comb filtering as well due to the difference in arrival times.

[@NonnyStrikes]

I've been experimenting over and over. I really don't like having speakers pushing in one direction. I'm going to attempt angling speakers linear from back of the room on each side. No clashing seems to keep it really full. Am I right in this? sub/b52 s ss sub sub ss s sub/b52 | | | | | ss s s s s ss ss s=speaker ss=smaller speaker That's diagram assuming it shows how my screen displays it. Bassically 4 18's, 2 b52's, 2s and 6 ss spread from front and from 12-15ft ceiling speakers angled linear towards stage from back.

[@NonnyStrikes]

Room is 100-100. pillars at 1/3 mark of stage front. Hence the speakers being placed outward for best bounce off wall I've noticed and using the smaller speakers left and right of me at booth pointing out at crowd with lower treble setting/volume. It's sounding good, but I'm concerned more about how the gentlemen has the mix in the Xair program.

[@djelevateusa1714]

Great stuff. Would have liked to see some mention of comb filtering via overlapping speakers - or is that never really a concern? Oh, also, when you're doing subdivide and conquer, are you running in mono?

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Thank you so much! In this type of setup comb filtering is inevitable since I'm unable to steer lows and low mids with such a small box. It's not until I am able to increase line length with a line array that I am able to "steer" low mids. So, yes, there is comb filtering in the low mids, but I would rather have even high frequency coverage by positioning my mains to subdivide and conquer. Yes, I run the rig in mono if there's no overlap between the mains.

[@elliotcurrie7143]

Is it a bad idea to toe in PA speakers to avoid wall reflections? Is it feasible to aim the right side speaker through the center of the left audience zone, or will this cause hotspots?

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

I'd try both and listen to what sounds best. You're either getting comb filtering from direct interference of speakers, or comb filtering due to reflections.

[@Z-add]

If you have an audience area that is 100ft wide and just 30ft deep. No way can 2 side speakers cover them. In that case do you go with 2 side and 1 center fill or 4 sides.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

You're right, you'd need additional speakers.

[@jeffgutierrez8796]

The 20 minute not skip able ad that had nothing to do with your topic is why I wandered off...

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

KZbin has recently removed my (and all KZbin content creators) ability to change what types of ads are shown. The only say I have is whether I have mid-video ads, and those are turned off. I previously never allowed non-skippable ads, but it's unfortunately out of my hands now thanks to KZbin's new ad policy.

[@Z-add]

Do you need a sub if the venue is just vocals. Speaking or singing with NO music.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

I wouldn't say you "need" one, but it'd be a nice to have.

[@LuisJavierStudio]

can I buy one 15" and on 12" plus a sub so I can get better coverage with the 12 and better mid range and take the advantage of the power and reach of the 15" for a room of about 40 square meters?

[@Zebrajellyfishphoto]

I have a question regarding subwoofers. The little church that I work with had installed a subwoofer on the back end of the stage and it's not a very big stage but it's where the base amp and drum kit reside. I thought 'why do we have a subwoofer right next to the base amp?' So I moved the sub to a tiny room off the side of the stage. I wanted to get it far enough away. Generally speaking do you think this was a good choice on my part? Thanks!

[@Unplugged704]

Great example and illustrations! Q- I am buying 2-10” (400 watts) powered speakers for a room that’s 60x80, rectangular. Buddhist monk will only do lecture and chant front of stage that’s 2’ high. Members are about 6’ away from front. As alternative to front placements-- can I place speakers on side walls-7’ mounted?

[@Ken-jj9lo]

What about 2 center subs and then 2 to the sides as well.

[@resoulband3129]

I currently use K10s and see the clip light coming on occasionally. Im debating between the K12.2 and the KW152, as I think these will have more headroom. 12.2 is 75 degrees conical. 152 is 60. I play mostly outdoor clubs in the summer. The 152 is a wood cabinet and I think might sound richer. Yet I am concerned about coverage due to the 15 degree difference. Would putting a K10 or a CP8 on the center subs solve that concern? Also, I have KW181s and normally use the center pole and mount my subs (and therefore my speakers) on each stage side. Think I may do the center sub setup this season - if I can keep people from putting their beers on my subs! What are your thoughts for 12.2 vs 152?

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Great question! I'd personally go for the K12.2's since they're much lighter, easier to higher up on a speaker stand (if you're putting your subs in the middle) and will have wider coverage. Probably one of the best mixes of my entire live audio career came from two K12.2's WAY up on sticks and three center KW181 subs.

[@resoulband3129]

Thank you!! I went w the 12.2s.

[@Bulletman426]

Thank you very much for making this video. I learned a lot from it. We have a gig tonight. I’m going with the subs in the center and outing the mains on poles left/right. Thank you again for all you do

[@sethpettman5491]

Hey new viewer here, love the content so far. Really appreciate the simple explanations and visuals. We're currently looking into a church remodel and I've been asked to think about speakers bring the "sound guy". I have a decent base of knowledge from home theater background but this is different for sure. Currently running 2 old flyers which will be getting retired. Awful dispersion and frequency response. We have two QSC K10s plus matching 1kw sub. I was thinking about adding two more k10.2s. But I'm not sure how to lay out 4 speakers. Room is rectangle so I was thinking each corner but I know our ears appreciate sound from the front vs coming from behind. How would you tackle a 4 speaker layout in the same scenario as the video above? Lots of height to fly in the front of house, in the back it tapers to 12ft.

[@mrsonor1090]

I play in coverband and also working as a FoH engineer. But when we play with the band we almost always play in much smaller rooms or area to cover, then this. Usually the area to cover is about 10m wide x 15-20m deep. Now, I have 2 single 18" but I want to add a double 18" for low sub (60-70 and lower), my filter support extra subs. The question is, how do I place the speakers if I have, lets say 8-10m wide and 15-20m deep to cover? Do I still go for center subs? But where do I put the deep sub? Best regards from Sweden.

[@elektroni3920]

I would love to know if a phase change in the two sub set up (So sup's left and right insted of center) could potenzialy illimenate the "quiet" spots in the audience ? The sub's I use can phase shift 0° or 180°. Would that work that I set one too 0° and the other one too 180° ?

[@SpencerMMusic]

Michael do you have a video on setting up delay fills for outdoor venues? I've been prepping for some shows this summer and am all set with my matrices configured (not unlike a cry room send). I'm concerned about placement though so having a video or comment or some resources on that would help greatly!

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

I don't currently have one out in the wild, but I've got an outline made for a future video. I'll see if I can bump it on my content timeline and get it out there!

[@SpencerMMusic]

@@MichaelCurtisAudio thanks so much Michael! I really appreciate it :) have a great day, I can't wait to see that when it comes out!

[@JohnnyRawks]

Hey there! I have a couple of questions on portable column arrays. 1. I want to run in stereo. How do you typically run stereo with portable line arrays. 2. I need to be able to control the bottom end from a mixer. How is this done? I'm assuming you would have just one sub in a stereo setup? I don't want to have to control the sub from the actual back of the sub. I want to do it from the mixer feeding the arrays. Possible? Cheers!

[@DJIronMIc]

Thank you for sharing, always learning something new, very helpful tips

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

You’re very welcome!

[@intoxicode]

how to wire up mono systems with a stereo signal?

[@kevinrodriguez3093]

I have an event coming up and I have 2 iQ15 ans 2 IQ12 (turbosound speaker brand). My event has similar width and depth as portrayed in this video also has smilar stage placement. How would you place these speakers if you were in my shoes?

[@mallkrawlerz620]

Should the mains be parallel to the woofer or can they be further forward or back behind the mains? Thanks in advance

[@TheSingingDoctor325]

I would really appreciate your thoughts on one of the column arrays like the EV30M (120 degrees of horizontal) or the Bose L1 Pro 8 (180 degrees horizontal) vs a 2 speaker system like the Yamaha 400BT vs the Everse 8 that is 100 x 100 degrees dispersion. I'm a singer/songwriter and do solo acoustic performances.

[@bennettsobel]

Less bass for the funeral hey... depends whose funeral it is! ;)

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

You're right! I'm sure Bootsy Collins will have plenty of 63Hz represented upon his departure : )

[@aaronl7669]

What is the minimum distance I can place two mains top speakers apart from each other and still have good sound? (no comb filtering, etc.?)

[@dodo13500]

Been through a lot of your videos the last 2 1/2 hrs. Good schooling my friend. Love my K12’s…all 7 of them that serve as mains and wedges. Now moving on to RCF hdl 6a for mains. 2 per side…..for now lol. FYI family background noise comes thru on AirPods 😂 All good cuz getting this info is priceless. Thank you!

[@XIIMonkeysMusicGroup]

I use a pair of high power column arrays with a large sub in the center most of the time (I have 7 subs, 10 speakers available to shape the sound)

[@pascalchappex1228]

HI Michel, our band as only one sub and 2 fronts at the time. Where do you recommend placing the sub? in the center or bellow one of the fronts? This is for small venue, 150-200 people max

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

My gut says in the center in front of the stage.

[@pascalchappex1228]

@@MichaelCurtisAudio Thx Michael,

[@humphrys66]

A big factor in sub placement for me is whether people will be able to put their drinks down on them or not. Especially when alcohol is involved. If yes, I know I'm going to be spending half the show worrying about and trying to avoid having drinks spill on powered subs.

[@robertlyle3806]

What happens if the subs are split but aimed at center of back of the room in an indoor space?

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Rotating a subwoofer will have little to no effect on its coverage pattern. Subs are more or less omnidirectional.

[@GerhardAlbinus]

Thank you so much for your tutorials, and also the "Audio Math Survival" spreadsheet! This is so helpful. Kine regards!

[@m8rixdj]

YO! This has been super helpful! New years eve, I did my first gig with much taller tripods for the mains, and an inline gradient for the subs. It was FANTASTIC to not be bombarded with bass all night and having excellent response for the people in a big wide-open gymnasium!

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

So glad to hear that, Mark!

[@nickwallette6201]

Always helpful to get a handle on the theory, but also to remember _why_ you're doing things that way, and when to break the rules. I was at an event a couple weekends ago where somebody had the subs right in the middle .... but, because of a runway, they were about 30 feet in front of the mains, right up in the audience area. It was OK if you were off to a side, but nothing but bass if you were in the middle. In that case, I think I would've just accepted the peaks and nulls, and had them set up next to the mains. It was in a sports arena anyway, so there was PLENTY of reflection to sand down the edges a bit. ;-) Even better, though, they were apparently using a 3-way crossover, with the LF going to the subs, the MF going to the left speaker, and the HF going to the right. 😜 siiigh... I guess we all have those days. :-)

[@kronoz3601]

i have 3 15 inch sub woofers should i put them all in the middle?

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

I'd say that's a great place to start for many setups.

[@macbrebonicks8668]

Thank you. Can you do a video with bluetooth speakers and theit placement.

[@Moogman13]

Tried to get the audio toolkit from the website, but it says my email is invalid?

[@chiesapuntoluce]

thanks for explaining the coverage angle

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

You got it.

[@imark7777777]

The power Alley is something interesting. Although I've always intuitively kind of angle the speakers and I don't know why and now I have a reason why.

[@djmojoeofficial]

This is great! Thank you so much!

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

You're very welcome!

[@corpse83nu]

this is helpful. corporate A1 who has been mixing music also for just over a year.

[@djmikecartel]

So Im researching speakers now, I need a new setup and been looking at sub/top combos all day, and then I come across your vid,,, learned how I have those silent alleys with that setup, even tho I love how it looks, lol ,,,and now looking for a banging center sub, thanks for the knowledge!!! 🙌

[@JamesTLangford]

Some of the things you forget is reflection off of walls also if your doing other than sermon you'll Have a dance floor where you want to feel the beat

[@JAROCHELOcesarcastro]

AHA MOMENT: Mid-Hi on the sides, SUBS centered with CENTER FILL. Time to go shopping!

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

There you are!

[@Sickened-Youtube]

what about my setup, a guitar amp and a single PA thing with subwoofer and speaker?

[@rjpimprov]

Finally...someone who knows what they're talking about. Combine the middle sub concept with a QU PAC et. sim, and 100% of DJ's would be able to have optimized sound. Most do neither...spread their subs out and don't use an external mixer

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@jaredstreeter5911]

Fantastic vid and very relatable. All of this makes sense and I'm relieved that the graphics are basically revealing the picture I've been making in my head all these years. Similar to the first time I used a parametric EQ on an iPad vs just twisting the knobs all those years previous! Apparently my instincts were solid, phew! Now, you mentioned a wedding reception more than once and a DJ scenario. How about the fact that for half the night, the dancefloor is EMPTY and many rooms are much wider than deep. Half the audience is seated at tables on either side. All of your demonstrations illustrate perfectly how to arrange things for when the dancefloor is full, which is certainly the point of the party, eventually. Is it as simple as rotating the top speakers outward for speeches and low volume background music listening for the first half of the event and then back toward center for the dancefloor? In my experience, this can work well enough as well as provide some much needed reprieve for the folks that prefer to socialize away from the fray of the dance party. I'm just curious if you're software and data points can confer this better. Great channel, I've subscribed, and I appreciate your down to basics approach with the support of visual data.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Thanks for the question, Jared! To answer your question in the simplest way, point your speakers where the people are : ). If for the first part of your gig folks are spread out, do your best to choose speakers, place and aim them to cover that setup. If the gig changes and now your "primary audience" is the dance floor, then point your speakers towards them.

[@jaredstreeter5911]

I think I'd love to be able to put subs in the middle, based on your viewable setups, but I get a lot of friction from various factions. Without some version of a cardioid setup, the singers are annoyed by that much bass backfire. Short distance to the edge of the dancefloor severely limits cardiod options to begin with. Besides that, the planners, tend to prefer the clean look of a center stage area and expect all speakers to be on the sides. Occasionally I tilt the subs inward some, but never really sure if that actually makes much difference. Would your software make this subtle change visible? I try to Xover below 100, so the subs are surely just that, subs.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

@@jaredstreeter5911 Tilting in the subs will make little difference. But I wouldn't wory too much about the LR setup indoors, the wall reflections will help fill in the gaps.

[@ScottParrWeddings]

Yes, your ‘center/target’ is different for dinner/speeches than it is for dancing.

[@MaChaineByLoupio333]

Hi Michael ! Thank you for your amazing work, I am kind of a newbie in system tuning. I have a question about relative simple L/R setup such as the KSC bundle (2 K12 and subs). With EQ, presets, delay integrated into the DSP, is it useful to tune the system ? I am using this kind of setup for mobile DJ. I don't know if there is a real advantage to tune this kind is system ? Thank you for your opinion ;) Keep the great job Greetings from France

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Thank you for the kind words! Glad this video was helpful to you. In my opinion, if a show is worth sounding good, it's worth tuning : ). It's a bit harder to tune rigs where you have to adjust the DSP on each speaker (as opposed to controlling it all from a computer), but it's very possible. If it's just two subs and two tops you'll mainly be concerned with making sure your tops are on the right crossover preset for those subs, setting the levels of your subs compared to your mains, then some broad strokes EQ on the mains to get the tonality you'd like.

[@MistaTwitch]

Mixing 18inch turbo sound subs with makie 3way speakers that have 15 inch subs. Hey dude, love the youtube channel wondering if you can give some advice on if using these speakers together would sound good or bad and where I should place them all if i did use them together. For a DJ setup with mic.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

It all depends on the phase response of each of the speaker you're mixing together. You would have to measure each of those speakers yourself and find out if the manufacturer doesn't give you that data.

[@danwiddison]

michael what do you think of the RCF Evox J8's? For me they fulfil most small to medium venues . Only downside is the Plastic cabs. Not sure on what type of drivers are fitted, but ive found ferrite drivers have a better low end.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

I've never used them, so can't say much about them. I've liked most RCF products I've used so far, though.

[@misterkenova6695]

Love the video dude. Got a sub. I'm about to play a show with a stage that is only about 12 inches above the floor. Do you think it would be ok to place subs on stage as it is still relatively low to floor. I ask because my subs are usually connected via a threaded pole to my loud-speakers above. Cheers!

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Thank you so much! Sure, placing subs on stage wouldn't be a problem.

[@Ronniezim]

Thanks so much for all of your videos! I'm an engineer by day and DJ by night, so I definitely appreciate the "nerd" approach to this. Im doing pool parties every weekend this summer and have to cover a big area (pool, lounge area, volleyball - 50'x150' ~in total ) and I only have 4 speakers and an 18" sub (2 CP8s and 2 CP12s). I'm going to space them out to attempt to get the best coverage I can with the gear I have..but I'd like to time align the tops. Is there a mixer or some sort of device you'd recommend I can use to accomplish this (the CP series doesn't have ability to set delays...).

[@c-dub8406]

Thanks for the video. You said, "The K12 is cheap, or/and compared it to a Honda?!?!?!" Compared to what speaker brand?! In the DJ world, QSC is the king of sound and the king of price. Mike, I like your sound placement philosophy but you're off about the QSC series being cheap or maybe you're rich and I am a poor DJ. LOL

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

I personally drive a Honda Civic and love it : ). All I mean is it's an affordable workhorse. I've mixed probably hundreds of gigs this point on QSC speakers and I've been able to get results.