bmxfelon420 Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 I was at a club last night, and one thing i always notice: Are they going for the most inaccurate music possible? The highs are decent, but the mids sound like half of the mid frequencies are muted and the other half arent, sorta like theres a sawtooth pattern to it. And the bass, while however loud it may be, is pretty boomy and inaccurate. What im wondering is do they do this on purpose? Is this something that could be fixed by screwing with the eq for awhile, or are the speakers just crappy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spkrdctr Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 I can just about guarantee you (Dr. Who will probably agree) that many clubs have an EQ in the works, and it has been played with by everyone who ever worked there. No one probably knows how good the system would sound if they ever unscrewed it. It is kind of the nature of the beast........... Too many uneducated fingers on the controls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 Because they weren't KLIPSCH!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 I used to work in clubs and install sound systems. Here's most likely what you're hearing. Cruddy components cobbled together over the years by numerous DJ's, owners, and PA hire companies. Probably some speakers out of phase with the rest. Acoustical anomylies out the wazoo. As mentioned, probably multiple EQ's (31 band on house, probably 10 or 3 channel on the board) adjusted without use of equipment or trained ears, probably played with during the performance. Yeah, it sounds like hell. It's about selling drinks, not high quality sound or music. In Indy we have a place called the Jazz Kitchen, that was featured on the Klipsch site for a long while, that has all Klipsch KPT speakers, beautifully installed and cared for by a professional staff of musician/owners of the club. Otherwise, it's pretty much cheap trash out there. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 I second the above. Plus, a lot of club speakers are "voiced" to have a midbass bump (around 90 hz or so) to resonate chest cavities, and peaky midranges to increase "intelligibility." In addition, a lot of speakers are designed to handle abuse and high power, so the parts have to be heavier, which means more inertia, which means slower transients, which means muddy and screechy. I'd bet the eqs are set by the guy spinning the discs, behind the speakers. Not the best place. A lot of the customers are impaired, either hearing, alchohol or both, leading to: Final analysis, odds are the club owner just doesn't care - at least enough pay someone knowledgeable to turn a p. a. "collection" into a p. a. "system." A side note - a friend here at the radio station went to see Andre Rieu last night. He and his wife left half way through because the sound was so loud and so unpleasant. Same thing happened to my mother in law a few years ago when she sent to see an Andy Williams Christmas Show (!) A lot of sound engineers seem to think if the volume is good for OzzFest it's good for everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 I have never ever heard good sound systems in a club. One of the best PA systems I ever heard was in Philadelphia airport in 1964. The best PA system I ever heard was on the Thule Greenland BMEWS (Balistic Missile Warning Site). A repair part number would be broadcast over the PA and the supply guy had 2 minutes to fetch and deliver. JJK JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 one thing. Most people at clubs care for spl.......... They emphasize the 50-2000 hertz range..... That is all.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 We have a good places to hear live music but even then it depends on the band the sound guy and did they do a good sound check. The last time I saw Asylum Street Spankers they sounded amazing but they also take the time to do a proper sound check and to make sure they are miked properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chops Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 There are a couple of clubs in Tampa and Orlando that sound pretty decent. Unfortunately, those couple of clubs are WAY outnumbered by the really bad sounding ones. [] I have found that a lot of the underground goth clubs (which are the ones I go to) are much better sounding than any of the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmxfelon420 Posted April 28, 2006 Author Share Posted April 28, 2006 it appeared that most of the speakers were jbl's, they had 3 (from what i saw) jbl dual 15" sub cabinets, and 6 ceiling mounted 2 ways it looked like (might have actually been 3 ways but i doubt the woofers were crossed at different frequencies) There were 2 jbl's in the front, the sides looked similar but not identical to them. They might have been another brand. I have a dream of someday making a club with these http://www.klipsch.com/product/product.aspx?cid=543 but of course behind big metal meshes, and cloth behind the mesh, because nobody gets to touch the speakers. At least the ones adjacent to the club floor, the ones behind the stage could be uncovered. I bet they sound pretty good, probably real good for a club. I thought about making a club with khorns but id feel sorry for them, having to do all that work and have no playtime. Seems like slavery for such a beautiful speaker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 most club speakers don't suck - it's usually the person behind the board that sucks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hallwalker Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 BMX here is a little article that may interest you ,http://www.discomusic.com/people-more/49_0_11_0_M77. I came about this article on the web a few years back while doing some reasearch on Club Sound Systems,and has been my blue print for my mobile DJ business ever since , regards Tony C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 as mentioned above... these folks are in business to sell drinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 most club speakers don't suck - it's usually the person behind the board that sucks... I would imagine that Doc sucks less than most of them. [] M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 When one goes to a club, sound is not the primary focus, its about watching the ladies get down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS Button Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 Everything is equalized to death, thus no midrange. But this is by design, so I'm told. Ever wonder why you might be able to carry on a conversation on the dance floor with the music so loud? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 I don't agree that it's generalized... some are actually pretty good... but there are plenty that su¢k. Cost and knowledge I think are the two culprits. High SPLs and true low bass reproduction requires significant air displacement... and not just cranking the volume knob. Unlike live performances, the venue and equipment are consistent from one week to another... so the cost to get a system professionally measured and tuned can be justified over a long period of time. We have some pretty good ones around here, and sometimes where you'd least expect to see them. When one goes to a club, sound is not the primary focus, its about watching the ladies get down. And that would be another important reason... unless your there with your GF which gives you more time to notice the sound. [] There are a couple of clubs in Tampa and Orlando that sound pretty decent... I have found that a lot of the underground goth clubs (which are the ones I go to) are much better sounding than any of the others. Goth / Industrial in the Tampa area? Last time I was in the area (about 1-1/2 years ago), best we could do was a place in old Clearwater that ended up being more pop than industrial. Please do tell... ROb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmxfelon420 Posted April 28, 2006 Author Share Posted April 28, 2006 oh, believe me, theres plenty of ladies to watch, sometimes its almost excessive, but i for one like excess. You want to know my theory? (it sounds stupid) I think that my promedias have spoiled 85-90% of other speakers for me, and the remaining percent being Klipsch speakers i havent heard yet, mostly. It really is sad when you think about it. Half the time i think to myself "Man these might have <insert good attribute here>, but my promedias are way more accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 Funny, yesterday night we had a dj (my friend a real dj called him a human mixer and will not call him a real dj) to host an outside our dorm mini carnival and cookout to celebrate the end of the year. This human mixer brought some gemini speakers and his ipod..... Silly...... Ok he played this one song by shakira - hips don't lie about 3 times. I was fed up with his honest 120 db average but about oh 40% distortion. I looked up the gemini speakers which were rated from 50-16000 hertz no f3 given..... What did I do, put in my -32 db earplugs and played the same song from my room and people are like wtf? Then the dj actually came into my room to ask me to turn it down..... I said your speakers sound like shit...... then he saw the rf-83 and left...... Then the halll director asked me if we could use your speakers next year.... that dj was totally embarrased. I mean his bass sounded as thin and weak as oh a bose radio. I think the song wanted to play some 40 hertz bass waves but the gemini speakers said nooo and farted. well put it this way, people associated clubs with boomy music, not detail as spl matters more (heck even check out the levels the cds are recorded at there are no dips and peaks anymore on most popular music today, it goes beyond the 90 db that cds can provide) But people can hear the difference when they are compared but not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 FRIENDS NEVER LET FRIENDS DRINK AND MIX! [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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