d&b Q1 Rig

[jakeprowse]

Hi All,

 

I am looking to purchase a d&b audiotechnik Q-Series rig. Most of the stuff that I do is rock and roll, so it would be used for live bands ect. I was thinking about starting out with a couple of Q7's and QSubs, with a view to then buying some more Q Subs and some Q1's to create a ground stack and use the Q7's for FF. Has anyone got any experience with this kind of rig?

 

What would say a rig of 3 Q1's over 3 Qsubs a side with FF cover crowd wise in free field.

 

I wait your replies with anticipation!!

[Matt Riley]

There are lots of people with more D&B experience than me, but I've spent a little bit of time with Q series so I'll kick it off. With these sort of things it's hard to properly guess numbers - which vary greatly depending on the type of music played and the kind of event.

 

I think the Q7/ QSub solution is a fantastically flexible one which can do lots of work for you. At the same time, I've heard 3 a side Q1 rigs before, and even inside it's not that great, and I'm not convinced you gain that much over a Q7 solution.

 

In terms of numbers for your proposed Q1 rig I doubt you will achieve particularly satisfactory results - the smallest amount I've seen used in a field is 6 a side, and even that wasn't for large crowds. Perhaps, with the right sub reinforcement you might be able to properly cover 3-400 punters?

[MarkusA]

I have worked almost only with Q systems in various configurations the last two years, and my experience is that the q-sub with q7 on a stick is basically plug in and go. Perfect for events and club gigs. Sounds great and with two subs a side packs a good punch. The q-sub is Awesome.

 

The groundstacked 3xQ1 3xSub is a different story. You get the benefit of CSA sub, and the tops can cover a greater space. The 3 subs don't stack that high, so in most situations I prefer to have them on a riser.

 

It's a bit harder to set up, and require som planning and calculations to sound as they should. When it is set up right and tuned well it is really good. When not, it can get harsh.

 

Download the arraycalc and play around.

 

I must proclaim that I am somewhat of a D&B fanboy, but certainly not without reason!

Line-array wise I must say I prefer the J and T systems, but the Q is really great and trustworthy workhorse.

 

/Markus

[RobertKendall]

Q Series as a whole is very versatile, you have already addressed the Q7/QSub system which works great, add another sub and you have a nice dance system. Next up from this would be to add some Q1 and maybe QSubs... most of the time I see people doing the typical 3 Q1/ 3 QSub which is fine sometimes but your better off replacing the bottom Q1 for a Q7 and tilting the Q7 forward creating a "downfill" with the Q7. You must of course have the whole system high enough to use that Q7 as a downfill and not a stomach monitor!!

In terms of amps, 2 Q series per side of a D12/D6 unless run at low levels - then it's 3 per ch,

D&B Audiotechnik is great, if you want to go a bit lower than a Qsub, just add B2s, JSubs or JInfra to your QSubs..

You could just have a Q 1/7/10 system with JSub, but B2s won't match so you'd still need the QSub..

 

Give us a call if you have any questions,

[Rob_Beech]

The problem with all this is the program material. 3 q1 a side is not a line array so you wont' really get any control over the system at the lower frequencies. If your program material is heavy on this, fairly heavy rock / metal sort of thing then you might find the system appears a bit hollow in this area and when pushed it can (as said) get a bit harsh. It's not "harsh" just lacking in everything where it's not working in such a coherent way.

 

 

I've never been a fan of these small "line array" boxes in small numbers. Everything has its place and Q1 certainly does but I think the whole 3 boxes a side thing for small systems is more of a compromise rather than a goal. If you only have one type of box and you're used to 8 and 10 per side and you have to do something small scale, I would feel it was an acceptable compromise as it is the box you have. On the other hand, perhaps it's not the right system for the size of what you are wanting to achieve if you only ever want to use 3 per side.

 

Smaller stuff with the Q7, I don't think anyone is going to argue that Q7 and Qsub in various forms is a superb system and will out perform most things in its class. You really cannot go wrong.

 

I think with what you get with 3 q1 a side you may find some C7** would be a better approach*. It all depends on what you really want to achieve. I've never mixed C7 Tops with Q subs though, some people who use D&B more than me may advise on that. (Just thinking of the flexibility again).

 

* 3 Q1 is a louder solution.

** Before anyone opens their mouth and says "But Rob, you hate C7." It's a bit shouty for my liking but it has its place and you cannot argue it is a good all rounder.

[i_hate_fisicks]

** Before anyone opens their mouth and says "But Rob, you hate C7." It's a bit shouty for my liking but it has its place and you cannot argue it is a good all rounder.

 

I have trouble arguing that C7 is a good anything!

[TonyMitchell]

I've never mixed C7 Tops with Q subs though, some people who use D&B more than me may advise on that. (Just thinking of the flexibility again).

 

I'm unsure why anyone would want to use C7 tops over QSUBs, unless they were the only boxes left on the shelf. There's many reasons not to use that combination and to stick to Q7 over QSUBs, here's a few...

 

- the C7 Top and Q7 share the same the same dispertion characteristics

 

- they both play to 138dB SPL

 

- a C7 Top is 30kg heavier than a Q7

 

- a Q7 is quick & easy to put on a stick over the QSUBs, wind it up nice and high and point it down

[MarkusA]

Did a 30minute mall-gig with one of our national Idol/x-factor/talent whatever today, with a single Q-sub and Q7 a side. Just had to tuck the small 2xD12 rack under the stage, set the amps to mix top/sub and pull a single speaker cable to each side and wind the speakers to the top, off we go! Perfect, easy and quick set-up for this kind of things. I was out of there in minutes, and sometimes that matters to.

[BlueShift]

D&B Q is a great system.

 

Q7's & Q10s over Qsub are fantastic.

 

But, the Q1 is a different beast... Like any line array, pattern control depends on line length, and therefore I'd really recommend lines of 6-8 or more. Not to mention, although they will go to 15degrees, I'd avoid it, since I've found it sounds best with inter-box angles of less than 8 degrees or so.

Not to mention, if you are buying a mid-size line array brand new, I'd be buying V. Its tons better than Q, with much better rigging, etc...

 

That said though, 3Q1 over 2 Qsub isn't a bad system, but for outdoor work with bands, you'd be infinitely better off with C4/C7. Just as easy to setup and amp as Q in a stacked config, and sounds fantastic.... Second hand, C4 can be had for cheap...