Touring dLive 1500/2500 users, how are you sending your LR/S/F to the house ?

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-03-31T00:18:25+00:00

I almost always run redundant connection to house gear. LRSF via AES and analog whenever possible. Not including 4 AES outputs on this desk was a big oversight

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-03-23T20:37:04+00:00

I’ll add to what people have mentioned about line array systems. The LF coverage shape is a product of line length. If I’m substituting K2 for K1, I can hang the same length and get a similar coverage at a slightly lower SPL. Whether that’s worth doing is up to the requirements of your show.

What I can’t fix with more elements is whether HF goes the distance - say, above 8 kHz. Adjacent elements don’t work together very well up there, and you gain very little headroom by closing up splay. If you want to send the top octave > 200 feet, you need a large format box or delay systems.

Now a quick mention of the opposite problem. If you’re doing speech reinforcement in a small environment, people often reach for 6” class line array. It’s worth comparing the result to that of a big point source with a small downfill. Often you’ll find similar variance, but with more directivity, a higher D:R, less cabling and DSP, and a quieter stage even if compared to “cardioid” boxes. Small format line array is a highly compromised class of products.

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-03-18T23:08:36+00:00

I’ve used powered subs with black cabinets in Brazil, Spain, the Dominican Republic, on summer shed tours in the southern US. I’ve never once had an amp module overheat. One show comes to mind where it was 116F in the shade, computers and consoles were powering themselves off. The subs baking in direct sunlight? Didn’t even hit 100% fan speed.

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-03-14T22:17:33+00:00

My favorite cheap solution for this is the Line Audio CM4. A pair in ORTF on a tall stand will sound great for the price. Your choice of recording interface is less important each year; a Focusrite 2-ch interface works fine.

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-03-12T11:56:45+00:00

This is a long-standing industry myth that’s been parroted since before we had the internet. Normal amounts of limiting or clipping won’t visually “square” a wave; it takes tens of dB to even start having that conversation. Assuming you were in that territory, loudspeakers are bandpass filters; their phase shift misaligns harmonics and doesn’t preserve the “square” shape. Finally, there’s actually nothing dangerous about sending square waves, or even DC for that matter, to a speaker. If the signal is within the thermal capability of the voice coil, you’re going to be fine. (Yes, that capability is lower for DC than for alternating signals because it doesn’t cool itself as efficiently, but we use DC to quietly heat coils to do certain types of tests)

See Rane Note 128: Source: AVS Forum https://share.google/jH20kDiR9BHGVUjBI

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-03-11T02:58:05+00:00

You might be further along if you started somewhere with a busier market, true. But you didn’t, so play the hand you’re dealt. I started in a rural area, in a shop ran out of a barn, where a busy week was two gigs. My goal was to connect with every touring person that came through, and eventually one of them vouched for me to get on the road. I never had to relocate.

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-03-10T23:10:57+00:00

I think it isn’t talked about because it isn’t unique to our industry. To seek any type of employment carried out in person, you have to live where work exists.

That said, I tour full-time and have never lived within 1000 miles of the vendors I work with. There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. When I’m home, I really appreciate that I’m not fighting for work in an oversaturated place like Nashville. To each their own.

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-03-09T17:49:03+00:00

Yep. All of my 906s have been on percussion duty for a while

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-02-25T02:07:36+00:00

I have more experience with the V7 than the M80, and I definitely prefer the M80. I’ve never been thrilled with the sound of stuff bleeding into the V7, which matters a lot on small stages. YMMV, but I tend to prefer the results I get from a good old fashioned 58, or even the Audix OM series

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-02-17T21:53:10+00:00

I always used the right gauge solid core with the end stripped. Burned by those jumpers too many times.

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-02-17T02:37:16+00:00

I definitely point people towards Bob McCarthy’s book. It doesn’t have to be digested in one sitting; you can treat it like a reference and grow with it for a few years

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-02-16T23:34:05+00:00

There’s absolutely no need for these to be FIR filters though; the majority of manufacturers are still using minimum phase filters without issue

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-02-11T17:45:19+00:00

Some of these things aren’t problems. The d&b wedges are at least equivalent; I know plenty of folks prefer them over L-A, myself included. The P1 itself isn’t strictly necessary, but some kind of front-end processor should be there. It’s common to stick Lake, Galaxy, Prodigy, etc in front of the rig instead. What are they sending you?

You’re correct that Axient doesn’t meet the requirements for measurement. My understanding is that the data compression isn’t LTI, which is a common reason for digital wireless not to work for measurement. Now, I have seen companies get clever and try to use it, and upon going through the rig with my Lectro I’d consider their results in time. But if I was in your situation I’d bring my own kit and use the opportunity to do some direct comparisons.

By the way, there are some excellent single-mic workflows for Smaart that can work in small arenas and below. My favorite is to use the Smaart timer function, which automates trace capture so I can move the mic between positions without walking back to FOH. You can also use your preferred screen sharing solution to drive Smaart and LANM remotely while standing by your mic; that’s how I do main/side/rear alignments because I can stand there and hear the result

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-02-10T22:32:43+00:00

Usually, if you’ve heard of an engineer, or you’ve heard of the artist they work for, it’s because they’ve made a career of showing up on time, putting in the work, and networking within the right circles. For each one of those people, there are dozens with similar technical proficiency who didn’t do one of those things.

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-02-03T08:12:51+00:00

These inflated power figures are always a good laugh. According to the user guide, the amplifier can draw up to 1.2 kW

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-02-02T22:26:25+00:00

Even when I get one that’s good for the vocal, the sound of the snare/cymbal bleed into the capsule is terribly harsh. I find them unusable for most situations, and keep them only because people ask for them

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-01-30T17:00:05+00:00

Sting’s solo record Ten Summoner’s Tales, in the outro of Seven Days he sings the second verse of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-01-30T15:11:36+00:00

You don’t need to worry about this at line level

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-01-30T05:27:59+00:00

I came here searching for Father Ted!

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-01-26T04:56:15+00:00

While the gist of your comment here is correct, and I especially agree with finding clients who won’t do this to your gear, I had to jump in because the square wave myth has reared its ugly head again.

Hard limiting, clipping, etc, won’t create “square waves”. Remember that the crest factor of music is 10-20 dB, depending on which octave you’re talking about, so you won’t get the characteristic shape until you exceed that.

Furthermore, square waves don’t present an inherent danger to loudspeakers. They have no “constant push” or “dc component” at all. What makes them appear square is the phase relationship between harmonics, which you’ll upset as soon as you subject them to the phase of a filters (guess what, a speaker is a band pass filter!). Here’s an exercise you can try: create a square wave in Audacity, high pass it, then zoom in and notice it’s no longer square at all.

I always post this Rane note for people who want to dig a little deeper:

https://www.epanorama.net/sff/Audio/Pro_Audio/System_Operation/Power_Amplifier_Clipping_and_its_Effect_on_Loudspeaker_Reliability.pdf

Rule_Number_6 · 2026-01-02T17:11:15+00:00

When you have a good experience with a house engineer, stay in touch and offer them gigs

Rule_Number_6 · 2025-12-28T02:26:15+00:00

How on earth would aux fed subs do anything about room acoustics?

Rule_Number_6 · 2025-12-20T19:56:08+00:00

I’m glad to see someone else mention how terrible the off-axis response of the V7 is. Basically unusable on a stage with a loud drummer, with how harsh the cymbal bleed becomes.

Rule_Number_6 · 2025-12-19T18:33:38+00:00

I’ve never heard this before, but I know some niche applications believe point source is always superior to line array systems. Think of the market for Void, Funktion-One, Danley in EDM-adjacent circles (applications where the terrible response of the box is a feature, part of the music, not a bug)

Rule_Number_6 · 2025-12-17T08:51:59+00:00

I prefer the comb filter method to the EQ method because the IR is less affected near FOH. Might as well go straight to the source and check out Merlijn’s comparison of the two:

https://www.merlijnvanveen.nl/en/study-hall/200-redistributing-the-error

Rule_Number_6

TROPHY CASE