Sound system setup using a QU-16 for a city parade - Event Video 54
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Using a basic sound system (2 speaker PA) for a city parade. Console is a A&H QU-16, speakers are Yamaha DSR115, wireless mics are MI-PRO. For this year's parade, I am using a half-wave antenna tower to correct a line-of-sight issue that has been present the last few years at this event.
A viewer posted a question on why we did not use paddle antennas to correct our RF issues. Below was my response to the viewer. However, I am posting the response in this section as well, in hopes others may learn from our experience.
"...Directional antennas work very well when dealing with weak signals. The issue for this parade was not a weak signal, but a line-of-sight issue, which had resulted with many moments of no signal. This would be similar to placing a solid panel in front of a flash-light. It doesn't matter how bright the flash-light is when something in front of it is solid blocking the light. Getting the antennas elevated allowed the receiver to "see" the transmitter. Also, the transmitters are 30mW units. They can cover a much larger distance than what was used at the parade... assuming no line-of-sight issues."
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Great job as always Bob! This showcases how a 'simple' event (for lack of a better descriptive term) that requires a couple of speakers and a mic still needs a high level of planning and redundancy for flawless execution!
Thank you for the great comment Midway!
2:45 Bose L1
nicely done and well explained. always a pleasure to tune you in
Thank you sir!
Super great video very informative. Thank you.
Glad you got all your rf issues sorted out! Nice simple event
Thank you!
Thank you. I'm glad it was just a line-of-sight issue.
👍✅Always problem solving and improving with investments and planning for the next event👏Happy holidays Bob, thanks for all the good videos this year.
Thanks, and Happy Holidays to you too!
Great to see the RF issues are now resolved. While this is a simple event, it proves that a smaller show needs preparation, and that sometimes things change.... I've watched this annual video (and the Scandinavian Christmas event) for a few years now, and it's very clear things have had to evolve.
Thanks for your comment. Good observation! Yes, there's been a bit of an evolution for those shows. We'll see what happens next year!
Esta vez fue un éxito... mil felicitaciones 😊❤❤❤
¡Sí, por fin! ¡Gracias!
good job as always, merry christmas and a happy new year😀👍
Thank you.
Good job! Merry Christmas
Just a heads up from an ex-broadcast engineer with a background in RF. Many of the "Dead Spots" are not so much of line of sight, but the effect of Multipath as reflected signals off surfaces can be as strong as the line of sight path. These signals add or subtract from the line of sight path. As the path lengths vary, a picket fence of drop out zones is formed.
To combat this, there are 3 solutions.
The first one you addressed. Improve the strength of the line of sight signal so the multipath signals are weaker in relation.
The 2nd solution is to use a diversity receiver, so when one antenna is in a dead spot, the other antenna and receiver, is unlikely to be dead at the same time. This can reduce drop outs by 90% or more.
The 3rd step is to use highly directional antennas to increase the line of sight signal and attenuate all signals from other directions.
There is a 4th solution that does not apply to wireless microphones. That is to use circularly porpoised antennas on the transmitter and receiver. Reflected signals change the polarization,. EG a right hand signal becomes a left hand signal and is ignored by the receiver antenna.
A diversity receiver with 2 paddle (Yagi or log periodic) antennas is the most robust solution for your event. Spacing the 2 antennas 1/4 wave apart at the microphone frequency is the most effective solution. Looked up your microphones. Listed as multi channel, but not true diversity receivers. Need to upgrade. Look into the Shure L series with L4 Diversity receiver.
Note: Dual antenna is often for dual receiver, for dual microphones, not diversity. Ensure you use a diversity receiver, which is 2 receivers on 2 antennas on the same frequency. A single channel diversity has 2 antennas and 2 receivers. A 2 channel diversity receiver has 2 receivers for each frequency, Your issue with sound reflections, applies to the wireless signal as well. The cause is the same.
Thanks for your comment. Great information! Yes, the receiver is a diversity receiver, but not a true-diversity. It does very well for us. The parade is the only event where we have had issues with RF. No other event location has caused issues. As well, we don't actually use much wireless for any of our events (the parade is the only event that is 100% wireless). We'll see how the parade does next year before we look into any upgrades. Thanks again for the great information.
Good Setup
At first, I thought you brought in that tower crane for the wireless mic antennas and I was quite impressed.🤔
I'm still impressed, just not quite as much.
Happy new year.
I considered that crane as an option! Thanks for your comment!
Great video and thx for sharing information
Thanks for watching.
excelente, saludos desde La Paz Baja California Sur, Mexico. un abrazo
¡Gracias por tu gran comentario!
D-Fin for the win
You should put your rcf line array on sticks and use them. They would be awsome for most of your gigs.
Line array speakers would be better for this event; but it was not in the budget. I may try our HDL-10A speakers for the next parade.
How i wish can have A&H digi mixer sir..very nice
Wow Sir make signal good.
these type antennas are omni directional, directional anttenas looks like shark fin
I love that 1/2 wave antena rig. Do you have a parts list for that sir?
Same. What is that?
Thank you.
Here's what I used (sorry, I have no part numbers for anything here)
1 x lighting tower (to elevate the antennas)
1 x 1U BNC antenna panel (1/2 rack width)
2 x BNC to TNC adapters (for the 1/2 wave antennas)
2 x BNC adapters for the receiver antenna inputs
2 x 25ft. BNC cables (connected antennas to the receiver)
2 x "U" bolts to attach the 1/2 1U antenna panel to the light tree.
See below.
@@stageleftaudio Awesome thank you Sir! Very helpful! I do a few city events as well and I really like that antenna "tower" you built! I will definitley be building me one. Cheers!
Essa console é muito linda
❤
Any reason why you don't opt for the active directional antennas?
Good question. This has been brought up before. Directional antennas work very well when dealing with weak signals. The issue for this parade was not a weak signal, but a line-of-sight issue, which had resulted with many moments of no signal. This would be similar to placing a solid panel in front of a flash-light. It doesn't matter how bright the flash-light is when something in front of it is solid blocking the light. Getting the antennas elevated allowed the receiver to "see" the transmitter. Also, the transmitters are 30mW units. They can cover a much larger distance than what was used at the parade... assuming no line-of-sight issues.
Dear sir i want to work with you as a sound technician
I appreciate the interest, but unfortunately, I am not taking on any new staff.
hello, I have a question, why do you live in USA and don`t buy shure wireless microphones for rental service?
Shure microphones are good, but for our use the Sennheiser mics sound better. Also, we do not rent gear for events that we are not hired to provide a service for. Stage Left Audio Productions is a service provider... not a rental company.
@@stageleftaudio I know, but shure is the top company with stability work, but price is high
I still would have flagged the shit out of that.
But that's easy when you have them available.
Same for speakers: 2 for long throw L and R and a short throw for Center.
And possibly just a simple rack based mixer with control from Ipad or mobile phone so I could walk around myself. Is also cheaper than a Qu16.