Best Value Purchase Ever (apart from velcro)

[Flex]

Starter for ten.

Whats been the best piece of kit you've bought value wise? and the worst?

Best is my Zoom Bubblestream. It cost buttons, chucks out loads of bubbles far out across the dance floor and never fails to put smiles on peoples faces.

Worst is Acme HP 2S Stage Hazer. Its never really worked very well, been back to Prolight once already and is on the blink again. Id get a better effect blowing fag smoke (if I could without getting lifted). I bought a cheap Antari smoke machine for £40 in which I use haze fluid and it knocks spots off the Acme.

[Shaun]

I've mentioned it many times....

Mushroom, light effect. £40-£50 for a 600 watt light output, amazing value!.

[Ricesnaps]

There are so many!!!

Not sure how to put things at the top of my list, but I'll try a top 3:

1. Sat nav - seriously, have no idea how I found anywhere before this baby!
2. My Van - Once you have a van there is no going back EVER!
3. My Roadie - Just ask Tony B!

As for pants (in no particular order):

1. Antari Fazer - Great when it work, but it doesn't work more than it does!
2. Source Abyss - What a great idea, but it's about 15 times too bright and blinded all my clients

[Dragonfly]

stairville moving heads thomman or my dynamos or my mackies.....or the wife .... no wait i found her.

[Tony Scott]

Best:
My 'Shiva' 250R Discharge Lamp Scanners. £99.00 each from ebay. These are Shiva 200R units but unbranded, they are 6 channel DMX, rotating Gobo's, 250w discharge(50w brighter than the branded ones) & have a 100mm lens.
Usually sell for £450.00, the lamps are £65.00 alone - bargain!!!

Worst:
Citronic CM club mixer system back in 1986, cost £900.00 sent back 7 times. Scraped it and got a 'Formula Sound'...... now that was a mixer!!!

[rob1963]

Mushroom, light effect. £40-£50 for a 600 watt light output, amazing value!.

Same here, but mine was even cheaper than that!

I got a brand new mushroom light effect on ebay last year for £25. In my local disco shop, the bulbs alone would cost more than that!

The worst was an amp, I think the make was PSL (don't quote me on that), and the output was probably about half what it claimed to be. It was almost clipping when I played the background music! Needless to say, I took it back the following week and swapped it for something better.

:)

[Dragonfly]

Same here, but mine was even cheaper than that!

I got a brand new mushroom light effect on ebay last year for £25. In my local disco shop, the bulbs alone would cost more than that!

The worst was an amp, I think the make was PSL (don't quote me on that), and the output was probably about half what it claimed to be. It was almost clipping when I played the background music! Needless to say, I took it back the following week and swapped it for something better.

:)

Well the bloke that sold it you Rob certainly was :D :D :D

[Danno13]

Most of the stuff I've bought has been great value, as i rarely buy anything new. I'd rather spend the same on a better second hand product than something not as good, just to have it new with warranty.

One of my amps retails at £2.3k, but it cost me £900. I paid £800 for my speakers (2 tops, 2 subs).. the tops alone are about £1k brand new.

[rob1963]

Well the bloke that sold it you Rob certainly was :D :D :D

:lol:

[soundlad]

A 4u rack case £5!!

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

3. My Roadie - Just ask Tony B!



You purchased a roadie? :eek: :D

[Danno13]

Maybe he means one of these ... http://www.decks.co.uk/products/clearance/lighting/roadie_ls2

:D

[Steve 'B']

Best:
My 'Shiva' 250R Discharge Lamp Scanners. £99.00 each from ebay. These are Shiva 200R units but unbranded, they are 6 channel DMX, rotating Gobo's, 250w discharge(50w brighter than the branded ones) & have a 100mm lens.
Usually sell for £450.00, the lamps are £65.00 alone - bargain!!!

Worst:
Citronic CM club mixer system back in 1986, cost £900.00 sent back 7 times. Scraped it and got a 'Formula Sound'...... now that was a mixer!!!

Did you get those lights from Ebay off aguy call Kickboxing something from Surrey??

[Tony Scott]

Did you get those lights from Ebay off aguy call Kickboxing something from Surrey??

Not sure on the name, think he was in Kingston though, Surrey not Jamaica!

The lights were brand new & boxed, he had 6 of them, bought 2, got them & tried to get the other 4 but was too late!!!

[Ricesnaps]

Maybe he means one of these ... http://www.decks.co.uk/products/clearance/lighting/roadie_ls2

:D

Well if one of those can lift, bolt, carry and take requests AND pack away at the end of the night, I'll take two and sit and watch

[Arnold_disco]

Best:
My 'Shiva' 250R Discharge Lamp Scanners. £99.00 each from ebay. These are Shiva 200R units but unbranded, they are 6 channel DMX, rotating Gobo's, 250w discharge(50w brighter than the branded ones) & have a 100mm lens.
Usually sell for £450.00, the lamps are £65.00 alone - bargain!!!



Now that is a bargain.

[Steve 'B']

yeah, that was him. I had a look at the other 4 and was tempted as he offered them in exchange for a small PA he won off ebay from me. They looked good in his front room.

[Arnold_disco]

Best-Smart scan 2 from maplin. Seperate gobos colour wheels,very bright,light weight for £99.

Worst-maplins Tbars-they fall to pieces.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I bought a brand new Martin EFX500 for £217 on Ebay. Retail at the time was over £400.

[BeerFunk]

I bought a brand new Martin EFX500 for £217 on Ebay. Retail at the time was over £400.
I've bought loads of stuff at bargain prices on eBay, only to find I didn't actually need them! :( :o

Did you get good value out of the EFX500?

[flatliners]

best bargin for me was a qsc 450 w a side amp for free and a set of bose 802 for free but need some work
picking some powerdrive stands and a front board and some vinal tomorrow for free

[Skins]

Without a doubt my stack of 16 Bose 802`s - my best purchase(s) ever.:cool:

My worst, 2 light screens built before I was born...

Used em a couple of times but you either love em or hate em., I hated em and think I used them on a bonfire for November 5th...

erm...

S

[Tony Scott]

Without a doubt my stack of 16 Bose 802`s - my best purchase(s) ever.:cool:

My worst, 2 light screens built before I was born...

Used em a couple of times but you either love em or hate em., I hated em and think I used them on a bonfire for November 5th...

erm...

S

Yeah, that's where they should all end up!!! :D :D :D

Ok I'm ducking coz I'm gonna get some incoming for that comment!

[flatliners]

16 802 bit extravegent having 16

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I've bought loads of stuff at bargain prices on eBay, only to find I didn't actually need them! :( :o

Did you get good value out of the EFX500?

Yeah, 'cos after an initial period of being undecided, I now use it at most gigs and like it a lot.

[Steve 'B']

I bought a brand new Martin EFX500 for £217 on Ebay. Retail at the time was over £400.

That is a deal. Still they are £399.

Good effect.

[sleah]

I've bought loads of stuff at bargain prices on eBay, only to find I didn't actually need them! :( :o


Strangly, I do that too:confused: must be something about eBay and vibes...:eek:

My PL 182 laser (260mW RGY) was one such purchase but excellent value at £200 ex demo with new diodes fitted:cool:

A cracker was a RAMSA amp I bought a few years back off fleaBay.
Paid about £150 for it. It's a 400w RMS per channel, 3U high, same spec in fact as my old trusty HH V800. Lovely piece of kit for like no money:cool: probably one of my best buys in terms of cost and subsequent value.

EDIT: oooo... does gaffa count or do you count that in with velcro???:D

[Arnold_disco]

Without a doubt my stack of 16 Bose 802`s - my best purchase(s) ever.:cool:

My worst, 2 light screens built before I was born...

Used em a couple of times but you either love em or hate em., I hated em and think I used them on a bonfire for November 5th...

erm...

S

:lol:

[Twinspin]

Would have to be my Denon stuff. However i bought my HK system at a good deal. I paid £600 for my Lucas 1000 hk audio system.

nice system.

[ian8limelight]

That is a deal. Still they are £399.

Good effect.


Best price I've found them for is £319.00 :D

[Alex - Cream Ents]

Best purchase - Celestion CX1221i and Sub 15 driven by QSC amps - I drove all over the country at the age of 17 to buy a PA having listened to about 8 different systems, my first "Brand New" PA system. Never let me down, sounded great and still working today (albeit with new owners!)

Worst purchase - A Constella Moonflower which pulsed in and out, which always made me feel slightly ill...which isn't really what you want in a lighting effect. Wasn't that bright either. And I lost it. All in all not good!

[Skins]

16 802 bit extravegent having 16

Totally agree...Just tried to upload a pic but "computer says no":bang:

bummer.

I`ll try again tomorrow.

Shaun

[Corabar Steve]

Totally agree...Just tried to upload a pic but "computer says no":bang:

bummer.

I`ll try again tomorrow.

Shaun

Try reducing the size of the image.

[sleah]

Not a bad purchase by any means, but something I've got least value out of is a Martin Syncrozap QX250 I bought in the late 90's.
I paid £700 for it, which was OK at the time, but it just didn't get enough use, mainly because I found I couln't be ass'd carting it round, and also it's a real open air effect, so with the lack of fog friendly venues it wasn't worth using.
It's currently hung up in my house still in new condition with it's original 250w discharge lamp going strong.
Love it to bits though, would never sell it!

[Skins]

Try reducing the size of the image.

Hopefully this one will work...

Really upset the neighbours the day I took this!:cool:

Shaun

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

No subs to go with them?

[Paul James Promotions]

Hopefully this one will work...

Really upset the neighbours the day I took this!:cool:

Shaun

Wait till Callum see's this, you'll upset him :eek: :D

[Skins]

No subs to go with them?

I have two 302`s in the lockup, but never ever use them for discos.

Two reasons, there bloomin lumpy to move around, even on wheels and secondly, I find a get a real nice full bass sound just by using 8 cabs.

My 302`s sound fab, but to be honest they come out a couple of times a year if that, the last time I used them was bonfire night and xmas lights and since then they have been collecting moths, flys and dust in storage!

Cant ever see me selling them, though.....It`d be sods law that I`d need it for a gig somewhere down the line!

Shaun

[Paul James Promotions]

From a few years back...

Me mate with a few Bose :D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I find a get a real nice full bass sound just by using 8 cabs.



How can you get bass out of mid-high cabs that have several small cones in them?

I've heard 4 of the tops with 2 subs and thought they were fantastic. I just can't imagine getting a bassy sound from just the tops? :confused:

[Skins]

I cant answer that!

I use 8 cabs for discos, ran through an 802c 19" Controller

My mixer is a Behringer DX1000 and a DAP Amp - but the amount of bass is amazing.

My friend Howard also uses 802`s for discos, same controller with a Kam mixer and the bass is flat, nothing, not a ****y bird...

I think your just down the road buddy, so next time I`m doing a large gig, pop down for a beer and see what you think.

Ive never been able to figure it out....!

Shaun

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I think your just down the road buddy, so next time I`m doing a large gig, pop down for a beer and see what you think.



I might have a free date in a couple of years...:D

[Tony Scott]

How can you get bass out of mid-high cabs that have several small cones in them?

I've heard 4 of the tops with 2 subs and thought they were fantastic. I just can't imagine getting a bassy sound from just the tops? :confused:


I cant answer that!

I use 8 cabs for discos, ran through an 802c 19" Controller

My mixer is a Behringer DX1000 and a DAP Amp - but the amount of bass is amazing.

My friend Howard also uses 802`s for discos, same controller with a Kam mixer and the bass is flat, nothing, not a ****y bird...

I think your just down the road buddy, so next time I`m doing a large gig, pop down for a beer and see what you think.

Ive never been able to figure it out....!

Shaun

It's the line array principle.

If you take the Bose 101, which is effectively a single 802 tranducer in a plastic moulded enclosure(similar to the JBL control 1) and put a full range signal through it then you will get an excellent full range sound with very good bass response.

If you apply the principle of line array to the same driver which is basicly what is happening with a load of Bose 802's close together then you will get a similar response as with the single 101 unit, but on a much bigger scale.

The line array principle works because closely positioned speakers given the same program material work together to create one big sound wave, bigger than can be achieved by a single tranducer or horn system, unless the horn is HUGE.

Personaly I prefer horn technology like Funktion1 to line array. This just my opinion and your welcome to it! :D :D :D :D

[PropellerHeadCase]

With line array, though, how precisely do the speakers need to be positioned to minimise phasing/dead-spots/multi-path cancellations?

[Tony Scott]

With line array, though, how precisely do the speakers need to be positioned to minimise phasing/dead-spots/multi-path cancellations?

I'm no expert on line array systems but have read a bit about them and heard lots of them, I prefer a horn system, bit nuts about 'em really!! :D :D

Line array in it's simplest form is basicly a column speaker.

The ideal configuration is to have the centre lines of the tranducers the same distance apart as the width of the tranducer being used:
300mm units to have a centre to centre measurment of 300mm. To achieve this you have to get purpose made drivers or overlap them somehow. (See very rough attached sketch)

The multiple Bose 802 situation is far from proper line array but creates a rough version of it.

In a big line array PA the inivdual cabinets are arranged in a long vertical suspended stack and are angled in a vertical arc to get good but not ideal coverage.

As I understand it the phasing/dead-spots/multi-path cancellation thing is not really an issue as the seperate units (centre lines being so close) work together to create one big long-throw soundwave so you are not trying to cover differnt sections of the audience with seperate speaker configuration, the whole system works as one big speaker.
That said I have quite often seen sneaky litlle full range speakers tucked in at the bottom of the suspended stacks to cover the near field, so its not an ideal system but has definate benefits.

The biggest benefit I can see with line array is that is can project a long long way for a relatively small size. This is I believe why touring companies like them so much.

This is only my understanding of it so don't quote me!

[colint]

Most of the stuff I've bought has been great value, as i rarely buy anything new. I'd rather spend the same on a better second hand product than something not as good, just to have it new with warranty.

One of my amps retails at £2.3k, but it cost me £900. I paid £800 for my speakers (2 tops, 2 subs).. the tops alone are about £1k brand new.


I agree with danno sometime s/hand is the best although think the best buy I had was 2 HHs500d amps, I bought them from discoland in catford in 1979 for about £475 each and sold them about 5 years ago! :D

they never let me down I onliy had to change the fans in 1 of them once
and as far as I know the guy I sold them to still uses them now!

the nastest bit of kit was the 1st denon (dn2000) C.D. system, it spent more time at denon than in my rack!

and just about any smoke/haze machine I.ve ever had, seems like they can never make these things reliable:bang:

I spent about 20 years installing Bose 802s for jw parker and I must say I can't stand the things (if you take the drivers out they make very good plant pots though!)

they've never been the most sencitive speaker and are really good at what they were designed for (vocal pa) unless you use loads off them or with a bass cab

I used 16 802s (borrowed from the shop) to do a sports hall with once with a pair of court black box bass cabs under them,
at a 100 feet away all you could hear was the bass because the bose couldn't through to sound that far

So I'm with Tony on this one "you cant beat a horn loaded system"

[Tony Scott]

the best buy I had was 2 HHs500d amps, I bought them from discoland in catford in 1979 for about £475 each and sold them about 5 years ago! :D

they never let me down I onliy had to change the fans in 1 of them once
and as far as I know the guy I sold them to still uses them now!



Did you ever have any HH V series colin, I had 2 x V800's & 2 V500's, Mosfet but ultra reliable and loads of power! loved them and like you never let me down.
These were the club install ones with no VU meters and lockable gain pots.

Fantastic amps, these were 2nd hand, think I paid about £1500 for the lot! :D

[colint]

yes had quiet a few of them too! the V800 & V500 were the amps we used on most of the hire/rental systems at parkers and in all the time I was there I don't ever recall having to repair one even though some of them were in use up to 18 hours a day 7 days a week! I'd like to see a QSC do that

the main install amp from HH was the M900 same as the V800 but without all the thrills

The only thing was wasn't they heavy,

I saw Froggys roadshow about 20 years ago & he had 6 racks with 6 V800s in each of them on a big A.S.S./Mega system all horn, loaded thunderous bass!!

[Tony Scott]

yes had quiet a few of them too! the V800 & V500 were the amps we used on most of the hire/rental systems at parkers and in all the time I was there I don't ever recall having to repair one even though some of them were in use up to 18 hours a day 7 days a week! I'd like to see a QSC do that

the main install amp from HH was the M900 same as the V800 but without all the thrills

The only thing was wasn't they heavy,

I saw Froggys roadshow about 20 years ago & he had 6 racks with 6 V800s in each of them on a big A.S.S./Mega system all horn, loaded thunderous bass!!

Must of had 2 x M900's & 2 x V500's then.

Love Horns!!! :D :D :D

Last time I saw froggy's rig it was Orange EV bins and Orange 120 Slaves & I was very much younger!!! :D

[Cj_The_Dj]

mine would be (not in no order):-

.peavey rx 2000w 15" speakers = £166
.peavey pv-1500 =£110
.martin advensure =£25.00
.2 martin destoyer =swap for qardra focre
.Denon DN-2000F MKII..
.with ev mixer in flight case =£150 [not got no more soult it a few year back for £250]

and my worse buy

.prosound 400w amp =£140
.goal post made from plastic =£100
.singing machine mics =£40
.

[Corabar Steve]

Flightcase that houses my mixer HD 2500 & keyboard - Free

the mixer in it £20

[Steve 'B']

Flightcase that houses my mixer HD 2500 & keyboard - Free

the mixer in it £20

Free, wheres that then??

[Corabar Steve]

It was being thrown out from a venue I know, because their DJ was such a shorthouse that he couldn't reach the CD controls with everything flightcased.

They were going to skip it & I caught them just in time (like the 11U 4U one at the bottom of this page (http://www.djgoldmine.co.uk/prodtype.asp?CAT_ID=258) only in stucco)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

the mixer in it £20

I've seen it. Understandable. :p :D

[Corabar Steve]

I've seen it. Understandable. :p :D

Gear snob! :sj: :P :sj:

[yourdj]

The worst was an amp, I think the make was PSL
:)

What is wrong with them :confused: :)

I have one and it has been ragged for six years!! apart from catching fire when my business partner :Censored:ed it up :Censored: i got a few bits redone and i still use it every week for my top output.

I use my crown for the bass as it does not sound as good with the tannoy tops?

[rob1963]

What is wrong with them :confused: :)

As I previously stated, the problem in my case was that it was clipping as quite low levels.

There Is no way the output was what it was meant to be.

When I took it back to the shop, the guy admitted to me that a few other people had returned them for the same reason...so it wasn't just me.

If yours had been ok, maybe mine was either from a faulty batch or maybe they've improved since then.

Who knows!

[mark karaoke]

bought a kam laser star cluster--- what a brilliant effect,fills a 200 capacity venue with thousands of dancing dots

[Bouncy Dancefloor]

i can imagine 8 bose 802's sounding terrible if im honest, they arent designed to be used in stacks of 4, they arent line array (but one box on its own its an abbreviated version of an entire array) so when you add 4 on top of each other, you will get mega frequency clashes and so many deadspots its unbelievable