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Author Topic: Speakers in rocks  (Read 8784 times)

Justice C. Bigler

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Speakers in rocks
« on: June 15, 2014, 10:51:35 PM »

Currently working on a project where the client wants speakers that look like rocks.

Doing a Google search for "speakers in rocks", brings up several companies that specialize in outdoor speakers that look like rocks, one of which is this one from Klipsch...I assume that these are weather proof and goood for use outdoors all year round.

Has anyone used any of these? Any idea how they sound, how loud they get? Does anyone make a powered speaker in a rock?  :-\
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Justice C. Bigler
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Lee Douglas

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Re: Speakers in rocks
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2014, 01:14:29 PM »

Currently working on a project where the client wants speakers that look like rocks.

Aw, Justice, you know the war cry of the boards!  Need more info!   ;)

Taking into account that this is posted in the LAB, one would tend to presume you might want to use them for live sound.  Maybe with a lot of processing and an outdoor rock sub (http://www.rockustics.com/index.php/subwoofer-series/) you could add clarity to system, but not as the only speakers in the system.  I've yet to see "professional" main speakers disguised as a rock.

For general residential and commercial background music they work fine and are designed to be left in place year round.  Adding a subwoofer does wonders, as does processing if you are so inclined and looking for more volume.  Adding more speakers to provide better coverage, rather than cranking a single pair would generally be preferable.  Aesthetically speaking, if you can't get an close match to the existing geology already in the installation, a good faux painter can paint the speakers to match what's there.  Reflecting them of a hard surface such as a wall or other rocks can make it more difficult to localize the source(s) especially when some models look like drive-in movie speakers from the Flintsones.
« Last Edit: June 16, 2014, 01:16:42 PM by Lee Douglas »
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Caleb Dueck

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Re: Speakers in rocks
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2014, 01:30:12 PM »

Which end of the spectrum are you looking?  The ones I know of, are for background music.  If main PA, Danley and I'm sure others can make an all weather, amazing speaker, inside a 'rock'.

Typed on a virtual keyboard. 

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Justice C. Bigler

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Re: Speakers in rocks
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2014, 02:56:05 PM »

Aw, Justice, you know the war cry of the boards!  Need more info!   ;)


Lol...yeah umm...


An outdoor children's play/classroom area about 3/4 the size of a foot ball field, ringed with as many as 36-48 speakers disguised as rocks and used for announcements and class lectures etc...by teachers or parents, or something...and may or may not be networked to a much larger system that covers most of a mile long corridor of green spaces, parks, and performance spaces. And oh yeah, did I mention that the architects don't want any speakers on poles or in the air?


Also, I'm thinking about a Dugan Auto mixer as a possible application for this...But, instead of running several mics into a single PA, like for a panel discussion...can you run in backwards? with one mic into many speakers to reduce the feedback from the closest couple of speakers?  :o
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Justice C. Bigler
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Tim McCulloch

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Re: Speakers in rocks
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2014, 03:30:55 PM »

You want to keep the entire system on 1 input, except when individual areas are used for other purpose, perhaps with an emergency "all page" capability?  I'd suggest you look into how hotel ballroom/salon system do auto-combine/auto-separate.  Other than having no air walls, that's kind of what you're looking at...
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Richard Turner

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Re: Speakers in rocks
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2014, 03:47:01 PM »

Most of the rock looking speakers direct from china aren't all that great. I've used some generic ones on landscaping projects and they were ok for pre recorded playback at modest volumes.

If you are looking at 4 dozen It might be better to consider a real weatherized name brand speaker and see what a fake rock fibreglass housing would run. That might even be an off the shelf item somewhere
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Justice C. Bigler

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Re: Speakers in rocks
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2014, 04:48:56 PM »

Tim, I sent you an email. I would be eternally greatful for your thoughts.
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Justice C. Bigler
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Ivan Beaver

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Re: Speakers in rocks
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2014, 04:57:57 PM »

Currently working on a project where the client wants speakers that look like rocks.

Doing a Google search for "speakers in rocks", brings up several companies that specialize in outdoor speakers that look like rocks, one of which is this one from Klipsch...I assume that these are weather proof and goood for use outdoors all year round.

Has anyone used any of these? Any idea how they sound, how loud they get? Does anyone make a powered speaker in a rock?  :-\
I would stay away from anything powered outside

The moisture can cause all sorts of problems with electronics

The cost of running power to each location can get high
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kristianjohnsen

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Re: Speakers in rocks
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2014, 05:51:05 PM »

Currently working on a project where the client wants speakers that look like rocks.

Doing a Google search for "speakers in rocks", brings up several companies that specialize in outdoor speakers that look like rocks, one of which is this one from Klipsch...I assume that these are weather proof and goood for use outdoors all year round.



Has anyone used any of these? Any idea how they sound, how loud they get? Does anyone make a powered speaker in a rock?  :-\

One of the amusement parks I sometimes gig at have rocks with tiny BOSE labels on them...

They work well for their intended purpose, background music along a footpath.

I rekon they must be quite durable.  This is Norway, and they must have been snowed over about 7 winters in a row by now.
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Justice C. Bigler

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Re: Speakers in rocks
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2014, 05:59:05 PM »

I would stay away from anything powered outside

The moisture can cause all sorts of problems with electronics

The cost of running power to each location can get high


Will moisture affect powered speakers more so than regular passive 110 or 70 volts speakers? This is Oklahoma. Everything will be fully weatherproofed with water tight connections etc...


I have to run either speaker cable, or signal and power to the same locations. This organization isn't worried about the cost of a few dozen power taps for speakers. But they are worried about having box boxes for amplifiers that can be seen or that will otherwise destroy the aesthetics of a grandiose architectural vision.
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Justice C. Bigler
Business Rep, IATSE Local 354
www.justicebigler.com

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Speakers in rocks
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2014, 05:59:05 PM »


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