Never been one to let the carrier drop

So one of the recent advances in power amplifiers is switching power supplies. I find this interesting because most switching power supplies will ‘eat’ DC just as happily as AC.

The question is, will modern amps run directly off my car’s traction pack without the need for inverters? This could substantially increase the amount of power output I could achive if I were using my car for (hypothetically) power during a party.

Right now I’m limited to about 3kW continuous by the limitations of the DC/DC converter. If I could run amps directly off the traction pack, the only theoretical limit becomes the energy stored in the traction pack – 10kW is only doable for 2 hours, for example.

On the other hand, a PA stack rated 10kW is seldom _drawing_ 10kW – because the only time the transistors are actually conducting massively is during the heavy bass notes or kick drum beats.

It might be possible to do 8 hours of audio at 10kW, given the power consumption ratio

10kW would seem to me to be about the target output for a outdoor show.

(And I’m 1500W closer to it today thanks to the wonders of E-bay)

Let’s see.

Output capacity online:

1400W in the subs
3300W in the mains (with new additions)

Total: 4700W. Halfway there. 😉

I need to find a party that needs sound, to test out my latest additions.

In other news, I’m trying to get rid of a motorcycle. Anyone in Seattle want a motorcycle that doesn’t run? $100, you pick it up or use my shop facilities to clean carbs and change battery after which you could probably drive it home. Full disclosure: needs carbs cleaned, new battery, new left shock, new front tire, new right mirror. 750CC, twin, with shop manual and clear title. 10k miles.

Also, anyone need a folding e-bike? Again, doesn’t run (on batteries.. you can pedal it and it’s got a 3-speed transmission) – it could almost certainly be repaired since it’s only obvious problem is the motor mount is bent but it might need other things too. This one is free to the first person to come pick it up.

Also, is anyone interested in buying a gas board scooter? $600/obo, ran good the last time it was started (6 months ago), heavily modded with custom deck, exhuast resonator, extra big air intakes. I’ve never driven it so I can’t say how it performs.. it was collatoral on a loan that was never repayed. If there is any potential interest I can get model number, pictures, things like that.

Anyone want a rolling 19″ rack? This is the old-skool SKB rack that held 12U on the bottom and a 18U mixer (would fit the Alesis studio 32, several other 16-channel mixers). This is the style with two big wheels on the back and two casters, good for going up and down stairs and other offroad activities. I still have all the body plates for it. $35.

Or, how about a Digitech Vocalist MIDI Vocoder? This I’ll probably e-bay off unless someone is interested – I’ve done many good and creative things with this beastie, but I upgraded to a TC Helicon for lead pitch correction and whatnot, and it does so much more. $100

Any takers for a Midiman USB/serial to 8X midi adapter? Drivers for every OS you could name. $100, cosmetically perfect, electrically perfect, I replaced with a MTP AV because I needed better clock control

How about a roland SC-880 sound module? Great drums, great strings, $200

Last but not least, is anyone interested in some monitor speakers.. electrovoice ported 10″ with high-compression horn tweeters – one of them has minorly damaged high frequency driver (no longer performs as well as the other one). $50 (this is a kickass price, for this you can well afford to replace the blown driver from MCM electronics and still be way cheaper than the $200 these would cost you new). Program capacity: 100W RMS – and they aren’t kidding. 😉 [Hence the damaged driver – I hooked ’em up to a 900W RMS amp, then someone cranked up the keyboards and damaged]I’ll even through in some 1/4″ speaker cables to get ’em hooked up to your amps.

S. [who is trying to get some of this CRAP OUT OF MY BASEMENT! ARGHHHH!!]

http://www.dti3d.com/products.asp

a real, honest to goodness stereographic display.

Pictures from trip to Thailand and Japan:

card1
card2
card3

Those will take you to thumbnail galleries made with Sheer’s Incredibly Cheesy PHP Thumbnail Script. [Yes, I know there are ten million packages that make thumbnails. But it was faster for me to bang something togeather than to figure out how to install one of them. 😉 This script took 10 minutes. Quit complaining.]

For the ultimate in ‘my speaker is bigger than your speaker’:

http://www.steelsound.com/product.cfm?ProductID=51

Oh, I so want a pair.

21s! I thought my 18s were dope in the low end.. but 21s! Dr-r-o-o-l…

Then again, 90 lbs.. that’s a lot of speaker to hump. Assuming I ever get a chance to hump it anywhere.

But, dammmmn, 21″.. imagine what a pipe organ would sound like on that? Or the bump of a bass drum in a four-on-the-floor beat..

Hmm. Imagine the neighbors lodging a formal protest. Okay, okay, I’ll stick with my 18s.. they do sound nice since I started running the amps on them in bridged mode anyway. But..

[sniff]

21 inches of air-pushing goodness..

I’m tempted to go measure my basement door to see if they’d fit in..

but no. Bad sheer. Get more 18s if you want more bass. No get something so big it takes two people to move it.. you have nooo friends to help you move such a beast anyway..

[sighs]

Okay. Now that I’m over my brief speaker-envy experience..

Those of you who happen to be on the Simon and Garfunkel concert path, and who were pondering going, my advice in one word is: Go!

I missed the Seattle date through incompetence, so had to cruise down to Portland for the show.. but it was so worth the drive.

Very few other concerts.. U2 and Pink Floyd are the only two that spring to mind – have I known all the words, all the chords, to _every_ song. S&G is just good stuff. Timeless..

Through some kind of fluke, we ended up with tickets that were practically looking down S&G’s neck, from behind the stage. [This is what happens when you buy tickets two hours before the show, I guess]. It was actually really cool – got to see the audiance from the performer’s point of view.

The sound and lighting were both top notch.. well balanced sound with solid bass, a really good midrange which is critical for folkish kind of stuff, and enough highs to give you a really good sense of presence without overdoing it and being too much of a good thing.

Their set.. well, we missed their opening number, but they were all familiar favorites. Bridge over troubled waters brought a sniffle or two out of me.. it was great hearing them do Feelin’ Groovy.. (which they did twice – the second time with a ghetto trombone that looked like a giant bong.. complete with Garfunkel reaching over to imitate lighting it.)

Garfunkel’s stage presence was at it’s best.. and there were almost no negative vibes between the two, which was something I was a bit worried about considering what happened to their last two concert tours. (for those of you not up on your music history, S&G haven’t always gotten along too well. But they’ve known each other for 50 years.. making them 62 and 63! However, they still have it musically – Garfunkel still has that haunting voice he always has, and Simon still comes in with the rock solid lead while Garfunkel pulls out the most improbable harmonies..

Plenty of people my age there.. and even younger.. but also lots, and lots, and lots of baby boomers. The show, dispite having no advertising that I saw, basically sold out the arena.

It was just so .. nice.. I never thought I’d get to see S&G in concert. I’ve always liked their music.. I’ve even done covers of Sound of Silence and The Boxer…

Also made a interesting counterpoint to Paul Van Dyk and the psy-trance party I went to night before yesterday, and yesterday night, respectively.

And, had a kickass theremin solo, too. You don’t see those too often.. 😉

don’t ask what I’m doing up this late. I got involved in recording a new track (after getting involved in cleaning the house.. )

Anyway, my goal was to manage to use every single MIDI sound module in one track. I missed by a few modules, but it’s still.. um.. busy.

Let me know what y’all think.

As always, genre information is appriciated

PLR

I just looked out my window, and I swear it is snowing.

Like, as in, that funny white stuff.

Maybe it’s my imagination?

S.

That’s rather amusing. The party I went to tonight had at least 3 times the sound quality, at least 100 times the vibe, and cost a fifth as much and didn’t sport a single big-name DJ. I would call what I did tonight a rave.. a small one, but a rave nonetheless. Whereas I’d call Freak Night more a ubercommercial nuthouse – almost like a vendor area at a rave convention. 😉

No, really, I had a good time both places.. but I think I can do with about once a year for last night’s adventures, whereas I’d like to find a warehouse party (maybe a touch bigger than tonight’s, but not too much bigger!) every other weekend or so.

It was nice being amongst real ravers again.. everybody was friendly and super-nice – I must have talked to ten people, and never felt claustrophobic or judged or out of place. Sadly, their names will probably all fade from my memory.. (except Jesiah, who I think I commited to memory.. but then, I gave him a ride up.. )

So – I think I’m going to take a day off parking meters to clean some, since P. had a little commentary in her journal about how I’m pigpen incarnate. [Yes, guilty.. I already did the dishes, but maybe I can try and reduce the entropy level in my office]

Does anyone know how to stack things on top of speakers without getting avalanches every time the volume is cranked a little?

Perhaps I should rethink where I put all the recycled paper from the printer, eh?

I recently refound on WinMX one of my all time favorite 80s songs..

Chesney Hawkes, I am the One and Only

Call me, call me by my name or call me by my number,

You put me through it,

I’ll still be doing it the way I do it,

And yet, you try to make me forget,

Who I really am, don’t tell me, I know best,

I’m not the same as all the rest,

Chorus:

I am the one and only,

Nobody I’d rather be,

I am the one and only,

You can’t take that away from me

I’ve been a player in the crowd scene,

A flicker on the big screen,

My soul embraces, one more in a million faces,

High hopes and aspirations, ideas above my station

maybe but all this time I’ve tried to walk with dignity and pride

Chorus

I can’t wear this uniform without some compromises,

Because you’ll find out that we come,

In different shapes and sizes,

No one can be myself like I can,

For this job I’m the best man,

And while this may be true, you are the one and only you!

Chorus – repeat to fade out

—————–

That’s what I love about 80s music.. the optimism..