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[Shawn Galvin]

Since I failed at reading the rules, and my other post got locked and I'm not sure if they will unlock it now... Let's try this again now that i'm complying    ....Mods, if you want to unlock the other one, feel free to delete this one.


Grab a cup of coffee guys, this might be a little long.  Stay with me.

Background:  I'm a DIY kind of guy.  i can usually do everything myself, and what i don't know i go to the google machine and I search and search until I learn how to do whatever it is that I couldn't do.  So i've spent hours searching, mostly getting overwhelmed and then giving up.   My wife owns a dance studio that is rapidly expanding.  She started it two years ago with 20 kids and is now up to 200.  This meant the purchase of a new building (12,000 + sqft).  Which ultimately means that purchase of new audio gear to fill the new rooms.

In the current studio I set her up with an I pod, CD deck, 2 channel mixer, running a pair of active PA speakers (Behringer).  This was good for the time as she downloaded the songs she wanted in iTunes, could plug her iPod into the mixer and had great sound in her small studio.  Now we're on to bigger and better things, and it seems as though her business venture is going to pan out into a career.  So this means that her equipment needs to be better, the process needs to be smoother, and the "whole package" needs to fit a growing business.


So essentially she is going to have 3 dance rooms in this new studio, each with a sound system.  In my head I believe the best idea is to run a NAS (network attached storage) on the network and have a computer in each studio attached to the network so that the playlists are available in each room. 
     Can multiple computers access iTunes at the same time from a folder located on a NAS?
     I've always been a PC guy, but the wife bought me an iMac for christmas, and i'm slowly falling in love with it.  Especially when it comes to cutting all of her music, and how easy it is to work with iTunes.  On the current network at the studio are two PC's due to the dance program they use to control the billing/accounts.  It's not available for a Mac platform.  So in the new studio they will continue to run at least one PC on the network, but I almost feel like a Mac / iPad would be better to use inside the dance rooms to connect to the network and use iTunes for the music end.
     Suggestions?  Will a MAC and PC be able to use the same NAS to share files and back up data?
     Is there anyway that i will be able to cut the music from home, connect to the network through VPN, and drop the new song on her work network and have it show up on their computers (I know that question is far outside the realm of this forum, but I'm cross posting this on multiple sites).
     Last question I believe. And probably the only real question that is geared towards this site.  What components (speakers, mixers, etc.) would you guys suggest.  Clearly this new studio is a LARGE investment, required a large downpayment and a huge mortgage.  So the cash for the sound system isn't quite budget friendly for the HIGH END stuff.  However, I also don't want to put paper cones in there and tell her to live with it.  What kind of components do you guys suggest that will make connecting easy, be able to tolerate hours on end of music, and be able to handle the bass relatively well for her hip hop classes?  I've been pleased with the Behringer speakers, but are there other options out there that won't break the bank?


Sorry for the novel, but I hate when people post questions without giving any background or any detail into what they are really looking for.  Any input/ advice would be appreciated.  I have about 2 months to get prepared and have a plan.

[Tim Perry]

Its a long and irrelevant story but I am now "on call" for a couple Zumba/mulit purpose systems.

from this my recommendations are: keep it simple.  If you make it too complicated for the users to easily play the music you will in one way or another come to regret the choice you made.

system size:  unless the requirements are similar to zumba, hip-hip-rap-rock-country my best guess is even in a large room a couple of QSC K-12 would fill the room.  My recommendation would be to hang them or wall mount them in such a way that no one would have access to the back with out a ladder.

If the demands become harder you can later add a subwoofer or two.

If you music demands Zumba intensity you will need a system that will survive the encounter:  double 15" speakers over subs.  I would suggest picking a brand that is easily locally repairable. Peavey's are pretty easy to fix.  JBL and others are fairly easy to get parts for.

[Jonathan Johnson]

Welcome! I'll give you another rule: the people on this forum take safety VERY seriously. This translates into two more rules that seem to apply here:

• Unless you have the credentials to prove it, you are not qualified to hang speaker systems. Consult a qualified engineer and/or rigger for this kind of work.
• Unless you are a journeyman electrician, you are not qualified to work on electrical systems.

That said, the folks here will be happy to help you understand when something you post is unsafe, but don't expect much advice on how to hang speakers or wire in your own electrical distribution, and expect to be roasted if you proudly post pictures of your home-built solution to these problems. The liability is just too great.

[Brad Weber]

Background:  I'm a DIY kind of guy.  i can usually do everything myself, and what i don't know i go to the google machine and I search and search until I learn how to do whatever it is that I couldn't do.  So i've spent hours searching, mostly getting overwhelmed and then giving up.

This is going to sound worse than it probably is, but it is an issue that seems to be arising more and more often often recently.  The fact is that not everything can be effectively learned from Google.  People invest years of time, hours in formal and informal education and thousands of dollars in training and equipment to become professionals in different areas including installed sound.  When someone comes to them expressing the belief they can learn to do the same thing with a few hours of research on Google that not only demeans the very people they are asking for help but also suggests that they don't understand the topic and may benefit from involving a professional.

For a simple analogy, most people have a gaming system and there are plenty of dance games out there as well as videos, online resources, etc.  So what is your business model for this venture if you believe that people can always get acceptable information and results on their own?  Or might you benefit from hiring a professional just as much as your potential clients might benefit from coming to you?

My wife owns a dance studio that is rapidly expanding.  She started it two years ago with 20 kids and is now up to 200.  This meant the purchase of a new building (12,000 + sqft).  Which ultimately means that purchase of new audio gear to fill the new rooms.

In the current studio I set her up with an I pod, CD deck, 2 channel mixer, running a pair of active PA speakers (Behringer).  This was good for the time as she downloaded the songs she wanted in iTunes, could plug her iPod into the mixer and had great sound in her small studio.  Now we're on to bigger and better things, and it seems as though her business venture is going to pan out into a career.  So this means that her equipment needs to be better, the process needs to be smoother, and the "whole package" needs to fit a growing business.

I think a critical point in this is that it is a professional business and thus may deserve and/or require professional approaches and solutions.  In that regards there are several points that stand out in your comments.

One is that you are dealing with a business and that means that there are related legal and rights issues involved regarding what music you can use and how you can use it.  Similarly, both legally and operationally you probably want to separate equipment and media for your personal use from that for the business use and probably even that used for business operations from that used for media.

Another is that you seem to be addressing systems being installed in a commercial property.  Whether you are the property Owner or a Tenant may be relevant, but chances are there are applicable codes and ordinances addressing how any system installation needs to be performed and perhaps even who can perform it.

You might want to consider some of these underlying issues before making any decisions on the system solution or the equipment involved as they may factor into those decisions.

[Hal Bissinger/COMSYSTEC]

In the current studio I set her up with an I pod, CD deck...  This was good for the time as she downloaded the songs she wanted in iTunes, could plug her iPod into the mixer ...

What Brad said. Most amateurs are ignorant of the fact that it is against the law to use music in a business unless you pay royalty fees. You may pay for the download from iTunes or purchase a CD but that only gives you the right to listen to that music for your own enjoyment. When you use that music in a business environment you are making money off it and the performers, writers, producers etc. are entitled to a cut. Where would your dance studio be without music? You wouldn't make a dime.
 
-Hal
 
 
 
 

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