subwoofer placement

[deathbyjune]

Hey guys, I just got a Peavey PV118 sub. My band plays medium to large sized bars, many times without a riser.

I'd prefer to have the sub front and center. But when that is not possible (aesthetically or otherwise), where is the next best place for it?

Anybody wanna talk about their band's subwoofer setup (particularly not front and center)?

 

[deathbyjune]

hey...why wont this go to the main page with the other new threads??

 

[TimmyP]

Where ever is out of the way. If the stage is against a wall on one side, put the sub on the wall side, against the wall. Keep in mind that ahe sub should be within 2 feet of a wall, or at least 8 feet from a wall, lest you have a big "hole" in the response (cancellation from sound bouncing off the wall).

 

[jschwalls]

one sub or 2 ??

1 sub should not be place at center stage.. unless it has 2 speakers in it.. even then i would recommend putting it as close to a corner as possible..

2 subs will produce a more even sound. and remember to place the at unequal distance from wall and such.. meaning..

if sub 1 is 10' from back wall and 4' from side .. then make sure that sub 2 is 10' from back wall and 2' or 6' from side wall.. This really help s to keep from having the frequencies overlap as soon...resulting in a bigger sound further out..

J.

 

[TimmyP]

one sub or 2 ??

1 sub should not be place at center stage.. unless it has 2 speakers in it.. even then i would recommend putting it as close to a corner as possible.

Depends on the sub's capability Vs. the need. Often one single-driver, centered sub can do just fine.

2 subs will produce a more even sound......

Two placed together will cover almost exactly the same as one. Two placed apart will give much less even coverage owing to phase cancellations ("The Power Alley" - [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]) unless they are at least 40' apart.

......and remember to place the at unequal distance from wall and such.. meaning..

if sub 1 is 10' from back wall and 4' from side .. then make sure that sub 2 is 10' from back wall and 2' or 6' from side wall.. This really help s to keep from having the frequencies overlap as soon...resulting in a bigger sound further out.

Uneven may or may not be OK. Having a sub more than 2 feet but less than 8 feet (such as the 6' mentioned above) from a boundary is not good, as this will give a boundary cancellation (Invalid Link Removed) within the frequency range that you want to use. One exception: Lets say you have a big boom from a low ceiling, for example 8', which gives a big bump at 70Hz. If you place a sub 4' from a boundary, you will get cancellation at 70Hz, which will take care of the boom.

 

[amper]

If you're in a situation where you can't hide the subs front and center under the stage, you should seriously consider running only one subwoofer to avoid the "power alley" phenomenon. If you have your mains mounted on sticks over your subs, just unplug one.