Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Rob Spence]

I also want to add not being arrogant, I would think most of us that have electrical chops have done some live tie in work.

I know many hotels just have load centers mounted on boards for distro but that doesn't make it right.

For small work I use a UL listed distro for an APC UPS.  It works great and has a breaker per outlet.  Find them on eBay all day long for $50.00  They are about the form factor of a snake stage end.

Most hotel distros scare the hell outta me. Most home brew distros I see sound guys using seem much safer.

Here is one I encountered but fortunately didn’t need to use.



There was another one with the feeder at least in the grips but that one had about half the outlets covered in black tape.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Mike Caldwell]

Most hotel distros scare the hell outta me. Most home brew distros I see sound guys using seem much safer.

Here is one I encountered but fortunately didn’t need to use.



There was another one with the feeder at least in the grips but that one had about half the outlets covered in black tape.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

And they will charge you $400 to use it!!

[Sam Costa]

Most hotel distros scare the hell outta me. Most home brew distros I see sound guys using seem much safer.

Here is one I encountered but fortunately didn’t need to use.



There was another one with the feeder at least in the grips but that one had about half the outlets covered in black tape.

Although mine is a metal panel, it looks nothing like that! lol

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Sam Costa]

You mean better than a non code compliant load center (that box is only rated for installation), connected by a non-licensed electrician, accepting all the liability of touching the venue box. 

If the venue doesn't have a 240 connection for you then they can't be expecting that level of a system.  You need to scale back and deal with the power that is provided.

IMHO a good powered system is a must have for these smaller venues as they don't want all the cases associated with the amps.  A set of Yamaha DSR112's and JTR 212's is a nice compact system for these types of venues.

Scott -
I can scale back on the amount of gear I take to said venue(s) that don’t have the sufficient power required for a larger system.

Granted, the powerlight amps aren’t extremely hungry such as AB amps of yesteryear, but I don’t want to run into an issue where the venue is asking for more sound and I didn’t bring my A rig to the venue.

Some of these events are rather semi-large Portuguese festivals with attendance in upwards of 600-1000 people. So I always try to bring my A rig when I can (or when it calls for it)

My B rig would be 2 - SB600 subs with 2 - KF300 tops.
My C rig would be 2 - JBL EON 518s active subs with 2 ZLX 12p mains.

[Scott Holtzman]

Scott -
I can scale back on the amount of gear I take to said venue(s) that don’t have the sufficient power required for a larger system.

Granted, the powerlight amps aren’t extremely hungry such as AB amps of yesteryear, but I don’t want to run into an issue where the venue is asking for more sound and I didn’t bring my A rig to the venue.

Some of these events are rather semi-large Portuguese festivals with attendance in upwards of 600-1000 people. So I always try to bring my A rig when I can (or when it calls for it)

My B rig would be 2 - SB600 subs with 2 - KF300 tops.
My C rig would be 2 - JBL EON 518s active subs with 2 ZLX 12p mains.

I know it is done every day, and I used to go to great lengths to help with power.  I came to an epiphany that I am just enabling the venue that booked in more than they can handle.

The best way to handle this is to educate your clients.  They will start to make power a non-negotiable item and you will be insured of the power you need without incurring the liability and potential injury.

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

Most hotel distros scare the hell outta me. Most home brew distros I see sound guys using seem much safer.

Here is one I encountered but fortunately didn’t need to use.



There was another one with the feeder at least in the grips but that one had about half the outlets covered in black tape.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Agreed - I’ve never seen a legal one; just varying degrees of dangerous.

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

Scott -
I can scale back on the amount of gear I take to said venue(s) that don’t have the sufficient power required for a larger system.

Granted, the powerlight amps aren’t extremely hungry such as AB amps of yesteryear, but I don’t want to run into an issue where the venue is asking for more sound and I didn’t bring my A rig to the venue.

Some of these events are rather semi-large Portuguese festivals with attendance in upwards of 600-1000 people. So I always try to bring my A rig when I can (or when it calls for it)

My B rig would be 2 - SB600 subs with 2 - KF300 tops.
My C rig would be 2 - JBL EON 518s active subs with 2 ZLX 12p mains.

Sam, if you are outside the USA (I’m not sure if that’s what you mean with a Portuguese festival) that may reduce the liability concerns, but arc-flash is a risk no matter what flag you fly.  30 years ago it was fairly typical for bands to come in and macerate the house breaker panel, but it wasn’t a good idea then, and it’s an even worse idea now due to the additional legal concerns.

I think Tim mentioned that you could probably run your big rig on two circuits - one for subs, and one for everything else.  That sounds right to me, assuming you’re not sharing those circuits with an air conditioner, fridge, heater, etc. 

Remember that turning down your rig by just 3dB cuts your power consumption in half.  If you add another amp and pair of subs, you can run at your hypothetical original volume still at half power consumption due to additional efficiency with more speaker driver area. 

The trick here is doing some testing - during rehearsal, watch your mixer level meters while you crank up the level until either your speakers are at full power or you trip a breaker.  There are a lot of variables making the above experiment not super precise - i.e. recorded music will behave very differently than live music, but you will have some reference for when you are near the edge.

[Kemper Watson]

Most hotel distros scare the hell outta me. Most home brew distros I see sound guys using seem much safer.

Last hotel gig I did had a nice newly built disco on a very nice metal frame , all brand new. It had two hots and a ground...No neutral.. I made them re wire it.

[Chris Hindle]

Sam, if you are outside the USA (I’m not sure if that’s what you mean with a Portuguese festival) that may reduce the liability concerns.......

For 6 or 7 years, i was the Soundco for a Portuguese band out of Montreal.
Festivals and weddings, around 80 a year.
Not uncommon for a wedding on Saturday, and to be the headliner closing a 3-day festival on Sunday.
Toronto, Kingston, Montreal, Ottawa, Gatineau. All over the place.
400 to 3,000 punters. It is a huge community, and they love their music.
And yes, live tie-in was "standard". Did a lot of "stuff" in  very old church basements, and reception halls with questionable looking panels. Safer on my own distro and tails.
Chris.

[Jim McKeveny]

30 years ago it was fairly typical for bands to come in and macerate the house breaker panel

Bug-Nuts. Clico's.

[ProSoundWeb Community]