speaker volume

[Don Gately]

I'm assembling a sound system, which I'll use to play recordings of modern synthesizer-based dance music. At present, I have a 40-watt amplifier powering two 8-ohm speakers. It sounds very powerful when I test it out in my house, where rooms are generally less than 15 feet wall-to-wall, but I'm wondering if it will have enough volume in the open desert, where it won't have a lot of walls to bounce the sound.

I intend to place this system at a location where high-volume repetitive beats belong, most likely between 2:00 - 3:00, Arctic-Coral. My main goal is to make these songs, primarily drawn from various techno genres, loud enough and deep enough to facilitate energetic dancing. In your experience, will 40 watts suffice, or do desert-based humans require at least 100 watts of music amplification to induce emotionally charged rhythmic movement?

[mdmf007]

Don -

are you planning on spinning for dances? or just to pound the oontz music? It will do fine for dancing, I see multi thousand watt speaker systems out there - I see camps every year with gear to rival any venue back in the real world.

tens of thousands of bucks and watts - so I wouldnt fear about overdoing it.

later

[phil]

but I'm wondering if it will have enough volume in the open desert

Oh god...

Oh god.....

[Token]

You need at least 500W in the open playa to maintain a small soundstage that does not get overpowered by random art cars passing by.

In large sound area, if you do not have a few - ten kW, you will not be heard.

A lot of the large sound installations are in excess of 50kW systems.

I would not bother bringing it.

[dragonfly Jafe]

unless your speakers are incredibly efficient (say 100db/watt or more) 40 watts will only be sufficient to listen to background music at your camp (assuming your neighbors do not play loud music).

and you won't be hearing those bass beats.....(400 watts is a more likely minimum for good bass, 4000 even better, and you would have to have multiple large woofers, 15" or larger)

[trilobyte]

You might want to try creating an enclosed space for something a bit more intimate. While your sound system might be okay if you were the only person out there, the background noises from others' systems would be where you fall short.

Know that you can have a system of up to 300 watts anywhere in the city. Just be respectful of the neighbors. In case you weren't already planning on doing so, take a moment to introduce yourself to the neighboring camps and let them know you're setting up a moderate system. I'd also recommend you let them know you plan on being respectful, but if they're unhappy about the noise level at any time to come talk to you. That can go a long way in avoiding conflict in the unlikely event they have a problem with it. More than likely, you'll have made some fast friends who will be happy you gave time and consideration to your neighbors.

Cheers!

~Trilo~

[gyre]

Forty watts could be usable but it depends on the sensitivity of the speakers and how loud you want it.
Sound will spread out on the playa.
Forty watts won't be enough to traumatize people if that is what you are after.

100 db/watt is not incredible, it's just that a lot of companies have quit trying.
I wouldn't go below 96 db/watt for a home system unless I was getting incredible linearity or some special features like the omnidirectional MBL.
PA drivers often give up a little quality for more output.

103 db/1 watt at low frequency
http://www.electrovoice.com/products/16.html

[Teo del Fuego]

what do you guys know about impedence? Some speakers are 6 ohm, some 8 and higher, I suppose. If I buy a car amp to build a playa stereo system, how do I make sure the amp and speakers are compatible? I have my eye on a 4 channel 25 watt amp at PEP boys. This would drive 6 ohm speakers? 8 ohm? (Just need it for local sound in our cam, not to blast and pound)

[Token]

The lower the impedance of the speaker, the higher the current draw on the amp, the higher the current damping that the amp must support.

Usually this translates to the amp overheating if the impedance is too low, and on rare occasion, completely blowing out.

Most car amplifiers are designed for 4 ohm loads.
They will also list if they are capable of 2 ohm loads.

Most home audio is designed for 8 ohm loads but usually lists compatibility with 4 ohm loads.

A small car amp will be able to service any load higher than 4 ohm for sure, so this is a good setup.

[Teo del Fuego]

thanks so much Token, for your help. One final question, d'ya think 25 watts would be too puny to drive detachable 6" boom-box woofers with 3" tweeters? Its for our tiki bar and we want it to be loud enough to be heard within a 20-30 foot radius.

Thanks!

[Token]

Yes, 4 x 25 is ample for a tiki bar ambiance thing.

[Angel Ben]

Proximity is key. I have a mobile bar with only a 15W sound system. If I were trying to play music for a dance floor or something, this would obviously be useless. But to anyone standing directly in front of the bar, this will be fine as long as I'm not next to a rave camp or loud art car. It should also double as an acceptable sound system for some background music in my 28' covered dome.

[Teo del Fuego]

Well, I was hoping to have enough uumph to project out from the Bar twenty or so feet.

I wish I could try out the amp before plopping down my money.....

[Token]

Teo, power vs. volume of music is an exponential relationship.

Music volume is expressed in dB, which is a relative logarithmic value. A speaker producing 80dB is likely a pleasant listening level. A speaker producing 89dB is 6 x louder than the first one and would be considered pretty loud. In the dB scale, for every 3dB increase, the volume doubles.

Now the relationship of volume and the power required for the speaker to produce that volume is exponential. Lets say yous speakers produce 80dB with 1W; to get 83dB you need 2W; to get 86dB you need 4W; 89dB - 8W; 92dB - 16W; 95 - 32W; 98dB - 64W; 101dB - 128W ... You get the picture.

So , the first 16W of power get you from pleasant music level to WOW, that is really loud. BTW, 90dB is the limit outside large scale sound zones and you 4 x 25W is ample to reach that limit.

I would be more worried about the boom-box speakers.

[Teo del Fuego]

I may be screwed, or at least my budget

The boom box speakers I wanted to use are 6 ohms 40 watt max. the Pep Boys car amp I was looking at ($59) says 200 watts on the package,but the fine print on the back of the box for this two channel amp says 18 watts per channel. My Sony bookshelf stereo would be ample for my needs (if I wanted to subject it to Playa conditions) and its rated at 13 watts per channel but driving smaller speakers. I just wanna have enough sound so people gathered around our burn barrel 20 feet or so away from my tiki bar can hear the music though not have it vibrate their innards.

Im a complete audio rookie whose already maxed out his budget building other shit.


Damn, this Burnng Man can nickel and dime ya to death

[gyre]

18 watts at what distortion level and what voltage and what impedance speakers?
Use the most efficient speakers you have and you'll probably be fine.
A car deck with a true 10 watts should be enough with the right speakers.
Some times you can find amps in the salvage yard in cars.
Some factory amps are quite good.