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[Dave Garoutte]

A new formula for gaffer's tape adhesive that is safe to use on low-VOC floor finishes.

I'm finding that I can't tape cords down anymore because so many floors that used to be finished with oil-based finishes (which gaffer's tape wouldn't affect) have been refinished with water-based low-VOC finishes. The latex adhesive on gaffer's tape seems to chemically affect the low-VOC finish, or maybe the bond between the adhesive and the finish is stronger than the bond between the finish and the floor. Either way, pulling up the gaffer's tape even a few minutes after application will remove the finish.

Guess I need to get some cable ramps.

Maybe the typical junk duct tape has a purpose?

[Tim McCulloch]

A new formula for gaffer's tape adhesive that is safe to use on low-VOC floor finishes.

I'm finding that I can't tape cords down anymore because so many floors that used to be finished with oil-based finishes (which gaffer's tape wouldn't affect) have been refinished with water-based low-VOC finishes. The latex adhesive on gaffer's tape seems to chemically affect the low-VOC finish, or maybe the bond between the adhesive and the finish is stronger than the bond between the finish and the floor. Either way, pulling up the gaffer's tape even a few minutes after application will remove the finish.

Guess I need to get some cable ramps.

I've had Pro Gaff pull up urethane gym floor finishes.  We have to use mats to cover.

My guess is the finish is applied without much prep of the old surface (maybe just a wet mopping first), but the top layer will stick to the gaff tape when pulled up.

[John Ferreira]

And most "new" ideas aren't.  What we can hope for are new applications, new ways of using and implementing the old ideas.  Physics hasn't changed in a Very Long Time but we have engineers, designers and inventors coming up with new ways to apply that Very Old Physics.  Christian Heil didn't invent the line array, he came up with a way of making the HF and mids work together vertically; vertical columnar arrays had existed 60 years before he published his waveguide paper.

Your concept about laser aiming (and Dave's concept in http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,166110.msg1531787.html#msg1531787) was kicked around on a much earlier version of the LAB - maybe 12-14 years ago.  The ideas are still valid; IIRC that the consensus back then was the folks that lasers would most help are the least likely to pay extra for the feature (and we had laser/clinometer combos for line arrays back then, too).

As JR points out from time to time the low-hanging fruit was picked long ago.  Are we drying it, canning it, or making pies (or weaponized holiday fruit cakes)? 

The value in your bringing it up for discussion is how it might trip someones trigger to apply it to a different product or for a different purpose.  Yes, you too can be a Muse! 

Have fun, good luck.

Tim Mc

Tim the reason why wrote it as an idea was not because it had never been done, but to find an easier way to implement it.
I was trying to aim my speakers with lasers, until I saw the cheap laser itself was crooked.

Several sweeping lasers on the FOH speakers should be common in the Pro audio market.
It’s also a time saver, when you don’t have to walk back-and-forth 90 feet from the stage to check your speaker coverage accuracy.
The concept maybe old, but the laser prices now, isn’t.

[Ivan Beaver]

I've had Pro Gaff pull up urethane gym floor finishes.  We have to use mats to cover.

My guess is the finish is applied without much prep of the old surface (maybe just a wet mopping first), but the top layer will stick to the gaff tape when pulled up.

One way to keep tape from being so sticky is to stick it to your clothes first.

But that can be a real hassle when taping long distances.

[John Roberts {JR}]

One way to keep tape from being so sticky is to stick it to your clothes first.

But that can be a real hassle when taping long distances.

and make your clothes sticky... 

JR

[Tim McCulloch]

Tim the reason why wrote it as an idea was not because it had never been done, but to find an easier way to implement it.
I was trying to aim my speakers with lasers, until I saw the cheap laser itself was crooked.

Several sweeping lasers on the FOH speakers should be common in the Pro audio market.
It’s also a time saver, when you don’t have to walk back-and-forth 90 feet from the stage to check your speaker coverage accuracy.
The concept maybe old, but the laser prices now, isn’t.

It might be interesting if the device "knew" the polar pattern of the loudspeaker so you could look at the coverage at 250Hz, 500Hz, 1k5, 3k, 8k.  Wont happen though because then the owners wouldn't know where to aim the speaker (and that's the point - no pun intended - of the laser).

I'm trying to get a handle on demand and the monetary value buyers would put on this feature.  Like you said, lasers are pretty inexpensive these days, making the laser do the tricks is mostly software development and known optics.  Mounting it on or building it into a loudspeaker is another matter.  Safety and regulatory issues will need to be addressed (and that takes up front money).  All of this is to suggest that there will need to be some significant sales numbers.

Is there a market?  Sure, we pay about $1k for remote clinometers with aligned green lasers.  For use on flown arrays with multi-point suspension they're pretty much a requirement (and for the most part are now built into the bumpers/array frames of the Big Dog systems).

But on the MI and smaller scale array side of the aisle adding to the street price of every unit would be a tough sell unless the feature was really inexpensive or delivered some great value.  Guys like you and me probably see more value than the trio setting up SRX812p at the brew pub so to be commercially practical this feature would need to be really cheap, I think.  JR probably has stories about selling features from his time at Peavey.

Something that would be useful - a laser projection *from the ground* that does the trig and displays the coverage for various polars, trim heights, inclination/declination, and left/right orientation from center.  Operators selects the desired parameters and the system "dots" a seat or other convenient target point to be hit by the laser on/in the loudspeaker.  Raise, twist, turn until they match up.  No fancy stuff in the box but a powerful tool on the ground.

Or not.  Ya never know.

[John Ferreira]

It might be interesting if the device "knew" the polar pattern of the loudspeaker so you could look at the coverage at 250Hz, 500Hz, 1k5, 3k, 8k.  Wont happen though because then the owners wouldn't know where to aim the speaker (and that's the point - no pun intended - of the laser).

I'm trying to get a handle on demand and the monetary value buyers would put on this feature.  Like you said, lasers are pretty inexpensive these days, making the laser do the tricks is mostly software development and known optics.  Mounting it on or building it into a loudspeaker is another matter.  Safety and regulatory issues will need to be addressed (and that takes up front money).  All of this is to suggest that there will need to be some significant sales numbers.

Is there a market?  Sure, we pay about $1k for remote clinometers with aligned green lasers.  For use on flown arrays with multi-point suspension they're pretty much a requirement (and for the most part are now built into the bumpers/array frames of the Big Dog systems).

But on the MI and smaller scale array side of the aisle adding to the street price of every unit would be a tough sell unless the feature was really inexpensive or delivered some great value.  Guys like you and me probably see more value than the trio setting up SRX812p at the brew pub so to be commercially practical this feature would need to be really cheap, I think.  JR probably has stories about selling features from his time at Peavey.

Something that would be useful - a laser projection *from the ground* that does the trig and displays the coverage for various polars, trim heights, inclination/declination, and left/right orientation from center.  Operators selects the desired parameters and the system "dots" a seat or other convenient target point to be hit by the laser on/in the loudspeaker.  Raise, twist, turn until they match up.  No fancy stuff in the box but a powerful tool on the ground.

Or not.  Ya never know.

Great ideas.
I knew this thread would spark some fun, agreement and fighting. The usual.

[Scott Holtzman]

It might be interesting if the device "knew" the polar pattern of the loudspeaker so you could look at the coverage at 250Hz, 500Hz, 1k5, 3k, 8k.  Wont happen though because then the owners wouldn't know where to aim the speaker (and that's the point - no pun intended - of the laser).

I'm trying to get a handle on demand and the monetary value buyers would put on this feature.  Like you said, lasers are pretty inexpensive these days, making the laser do the tricks is mostly software development and known optics.  Mounting it on or building it into a loudspeaker is another matter.  Safety and regulatory issues will need to be addressed (and that takes up front money).  All of this is to suggest that there will need to be some significant sales numbers.

Is there a market?  Sure, we pay about $1k for remote clinometers with aligned green lasers.  For use on flown arrays with multi-point suspension they're pretty much a requirement (and for the most part are now built into the bumpers/array frames of the Big Dog systems).

But on the MI and smaller scale array side of the aisle adding to the street price of every unit would be a tough sell unless the feature was really inexpensive or delivered some great value.  Guys like you and me probably see more value than the trio setting up SRX812p at the brew pub so to be commercially practical this feature would need to be really cheap, I think.  JR probably has stories about selling features from his time at Peavey.

Something that would be useful - a laser projection *from the ground* that does the trig and displays the coverage for various polars, trim heights, inclination/declination, and left/right orientation from center.  Operators selects the desired parameters and the system "dots" a seat or other convenient target point to be hit by the laser on/in the loudspeaker.  Raise, twist, turn until they match up.  No fancy stuff in the box but a powerful tool on the ground.

Or not.  Ya never know.

I agree having a frequency calibrated, sweeping laser would be the bee's knee's.  Only a handful of people would use the tool to it's ultimate end.   However a simple laser to pick your center point is 90% of what you need and 100% better than what we have today.  This should be in every point and shoot box. 

Everyone wants and egg laying milk pig when a chicken will do the trick.

[brian maddox]

....

Everyone wants and egg laying milk pig when a chicken will do the trick.

I’ve found my new sig line!

[Tim McCulloch]

Everyone wants and egg laying milk pig when a chicken will do the trick.

And then the chicken encounters "the road"... and the feather duster is born.

[ProSoundWeb Community]