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Author Topic: Doobie Brothers / A1 Audio tourng system, c:1978  (Read 6848 times)

Tom Young

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Doobie Brothers / A1 Audio tourng system, c:1978
« on: July 23, 2014, 09:06:20 PM »

I remember reading this article when my copy of RE/P arrived in the mail back then. Seemed incredible and I am sure it really was one of the better rigs around.

This is one of those old loudspeaker systems that would be neat to restore and then measure & optimize using modern-day measurement, DSP and what we have learned since those days. I don't think for a minute that "we" would want to go back (in time) in any way. But I do think we could make such a rig really "sing" compared to how we did it by "time-blind" (RTA) analyzers, fractional-octave based EQ and our ears.

Here is the article:  http://a1ent.net/downloads/doobie.pdf


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Tom Young
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Art Welter

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Re: Doobie Brothers / A1 Audio tourng system, c:1978
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2014, 02:47:00 PM »

But I do think we could make such a rig really "sing" compared to how we did it by "time-blind" (RTA) analyzers, fractional-octave based EQ and our ears.
I'd disagree, I could hear things back in that era that I can barely detect now even with dual FFT analyzers, and there is only so much you can do with side by side 90 degree horns and arcs of bullets. RTAs are time blind, but our ears were not.

Funny, the featured picture was probably one of the worst deployments, too bad they did not show the VIPs flown.
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Bob Leonard

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Re: Doobie Brothers / A1 Audio tourng system, c:1978
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2014, 09:10:19 AM »

Way to go Debbie downer. I'm with Tom on this one all the way. My only question would be will 31 drum mics be enough?
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BOSTON STRONG........
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Ivan Beaver

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Re: Doobie Brothers / A1 Audio tourng system, c:1978
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2014, 06:46:38 PM »

Way to go Debbie downer. I'm with Tom on this one all the way. My only question would be will 31 drum mics be enough?
I'm with Art on this one.

Yes modern processing can help a SINGLE cabinet (at least at ONE listening position), but it can nothing with multiple devices covering the same audience area that are more than 1/4 wavelength apart.

A single stack would be much better sounding-but also not as loud.

And (sad to say) it does not matter how good it sounds if people cannot hear it.

So you have to have a combination of BOTH.

Of course there was something to be said for having a whole "wall of sound" coming at you-even if it did not sound great (in terms of audio fidelity)-it WAS ROCK AND ROLL and that was the whole point.

Often the "experience" exceeds any quality considerations.  This is true in many aspect of our lives-not just sound system.

Fun is fun-even if it is not perfect.  And sometimes the "imperfections" are what make it fun and memorable.

You can take from that what you want but I'm just sayin'----------------
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A complex question is easily answered by a simple-easy to understand WRONG answer!

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Robert Lunceford

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Re: Doobie Brothers / A1 Audio tourng system, c:1978
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2014, 01:33:37 AM »

Of course there was something to be said for having a whole "wall of sound" coming at you-even if it did not sound great (in terms of audio fidelity)-it WAS ROCK AND ROLL and that was the whole point.

A couple weeks ago I was running sound for a "classic" rock band. Someone came up to me and said, "It sounds good, but it doesn't sound like rock & Roll. I can understand all the lyrics."
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Re: Doobie Brothers / A1 Audio tourng system, c:1978
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2014, 01:33:37 AM »


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