Terrible Sound System

[djdave01]

I was doing a wedding last night in a hotel that only been build a couple of years. When they built it they installed there own sound & lighting system.

Ive worked there 4 times since it opened. When you arrive you have to connect from your mixer to a cable that goes into the wall. From there it feeds the amps which run four speakers on the wall and two subs.

First and second times i worked there, it sounded good, plenty volume, good bass & stereo sound. The third time one of the subs wasnt working.

Last night, i set up as before and, as i always do, turned the balance knob on the mixer from left to right, just to check all speakers were on. When i turned the balance to the left all the speakers went silent, turned it to the right, they all came on. I swapped the cables round on the mixer, and the speaker on/off problem reversed.

I was in a bit of a rush so i just put the mixer in mono mode, and ran it like that all night. It sounded terrible. The speakers were distorting & now both subs are not working. I did what i could with the mixers EQ but it didnt help much.

I told the manager, who was about 20, about the problem. He said 'sounds ok to me' and walked off.

It was embarrasing how bad it sounded. Im booked in again in a few months, really not looking forward to it now.

The speakers had 'Champion' written on them, ive googled it but not found much.

Anyone else had a similer problem with a venues sound system?

Dave

[flatliners]

you should of took your own system

[Charlie Brown]

Take your own system next time?

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Or ring the hotel and tell them that you are willing to go in there and sort out the situation (if you can?) for a price. They may not go for it but you never know?

[JTRS]

Last night, i set up as before and, as i always do, turned the balance knob on the mixer from left to right, just to check all speakers were on. When i turned the balance to the left all the speakers went silent, turned it to the right, they all came on. I swapped the cables round on the mixer, and the speaker on/off problem reversed.


Dave

I was once told by a sound engineer never to do that at an actual gig, it's fine to do if you are testing or fault finding but apparently it's a no no just before or during a gig. The reason he gave was that if the fault lies with the amp or mixer and it takes out one channel or bank of speakers and then you swap them over you run the risk of doing the same to the other speakers and then you have no sound at all.

I'm no sound engineer but I could see the logic in what he was saying.

JTRS

[djdave01]

The hotel will not allow any discos or bands to use there own system. I was told the first time that 'all the soundproofing was done to suit this sound systems volume level'

They also arent happy that i add lighting as they 'have the best hotel lighting system in the area'. They seem to have failed to notice that all the lighting is actually above a seating area, not the dancefloor.

[Shaun]

Just out of curiousity, what's the venue? PM me if you prefer.

[Twinspin]

When i first started working for a hotel which was my resident. They used a Bose 802 sound system (4x of them installed on hanging brackets on the walls) They used it for conferencing and that. But the system sounded flat so It was just a case of changing a setting on the system controller.

and then the full system sounded very good. As Bose 802's Should do I used it for discos sometimes as well on nights where space was limited from taking a normal size disco.

Ive been in that situation before i was asked to cover a gig about 5 years at a hotel and the speakers in there were very old carlsbro speakers. But before i went to the venue i took my HK Audio Lucas 1000 Active PA that i had at the time) so when i saw the system i didnt go through it... i used their lighting system and my own sound gear.

[blitz]

Hi Dave take it by your description you are talking about the Bay Hotel at kinghorn?

been in there a few times as well.

I've been the same, sometimes the system sounds good then other times it is very lacking, the amps, crossovers etc are locked away from prying fingers but i think someone who has no idea (probs a hotel employee) has been playing about with it.

It can sound good but like you said can sound bad if the subs are off or not working.

It's a Community system, twin 15" subs and 4 12" tops on the walls.

They could really do with dmx'in up the moving heads and led panels on the roof especially for first dances.

possitive it was Images that did the install when it was built.

Let the management know and hopefully they will get it sorted, a couple of complaints from clients and the should take notice.

Is the manager still Gary?

Brad

[djdave01]

Hi Dave take it by your description you are talking about the Bay Hotel at kinghorn?

been in there a few times as well.

I've been the same, sometimes the system sounds good then other times it is very lacking, the amps, crossovers etc are locked away from prying fingers but i think someone who has no idea (probs a hotel employee) has been playing about with it.

It can sound good but like you said can sound bad if the subs are off or not working.

It's a Community system, twin 15" subs and 4 12" tops on the walls.

They could really do with dmx'in up the moving heads and led panels on the roof especially for first dances.

possitive it was Images that did the install when it was built.

Let the management know and hopefully they will get it sorted, a couple of complaints from clients and the should take notice.

Is the manager still Gary?

Brad


Hi Brad

Your right, it is the Bay Hotel, Not sure about the managers name. The one that was there last night wasnt the same man id seen before.

I was thinking about contacting the management about it, i did tell the duty manager but he wasnt interested.

Hopefully it'll be sorted before im in next time, its a few months away.

Dave

[djdave01]

Just out of curiousity, what's the venue? PM me if you prefer.

Brad guessed it, The Bay Hotel

[spin mobile disco]

I had a similar problem a couple of years ago. They had a ageing Bose soundsystem without the controller. It sounded awful I think several of the small speakers had gone (802's i think). I took one listen of it and went back out to my van and bought my P.A in. Manager asked me what I was doing my reply was.
Mate if I use that sound system tonight I will lose my regular client who books me every year it is awful. He went off in a sulk.
2 weeks later went back do prepare for another gig and a brand new sounsystem was being installed. Appantly he heard mine and realised how poor their system was.

[NKR]

I was told the first time that 'all the soundproofing was done to suit this sound systems volume level'

.

Nonesense!