Flying speakers

[Jakey T]

Hi all,

 

I've recently started working as a music/drama technician in a college and one of the first things I did was buy some new equipment to replace the shockingly outdated and broken equipment that was installed.

 

Problem is I've never installed speakers in a permenent instilation. My original plan was to build some shelvs high up the wall in the theatre and sit them on that, however after they arrived I noticed that they have 2 rigging points in the top and 1 in the bottom and seeing as the roof has a large amount of bare heavy duty girders, I figured I would be best hanging them.

 

What I'm asking is, are there any specific products I should buy or can I just make something out of some chains from the DIY? Obviously I will be aware of the weight and make sure that the chains are well in excess of what I need. I've tried looking for help online and from the manufacturer however I'm not having much luck so any help will be appreciated.

 

The speakers are 'Sound Lab Professional G592B Powered Speakers'

 

Thanks for any help you can give.

[GridGirl]

I'm sure that someone with much more experience and knowledge than me will be along shortly to comment, but I would advise against making up your own rigging gear. I'm not 100% sure of the LOLER regulations but I'm pretty certain that gear like that has to have a safe working load, or a working load limit (and a certificate to show that limit) - and if you make it yourself then while you can over-engineer it, you can't really calculate the SWL/WLL at all. I'd suggest that if you're having to ask, then you shouldn't really be doing it....there's bound to be a local company/expert who can help you out, and while it may cost more than you want to spend, what price safety? Have a bit of a look around this site (welcome, by the way!) and you're bound to find some useful information. If you fill in the "location" section of your profile you'll probably find people can give you specific recommendations of who you should be calling for help with this one!

[Simon Lewis]

Jakey,

 

Grid Girl is spot on with regards to the flying hardware. The stuff in the DIY shops - whilst fine for making fences etc. - isn't specifically designed for suspending overhead loads.

 

Having said that, might I offer a few observations?

 

 

• The shelf idea won't angle the loudspeakers down towards the audience, thus allowing sound to bounce off the back wall and restricting coverage. You would also have to make sure the speaker couldn't vibrate off.
  
• The speakers you have bought - whilst no doubt an improvement over the old equipment - aren't "top of the range" shall we say. There's no reason to doubt that the suspension points will actually support the boxes satisfactorily, but you need to be sure that they are fit for the job and won't fail if hit by something.
  
• The speaker has a top hat fitting in the base. There are a number of manufacturers making wall brackets that will provide a top hat fitting, and these can be easily fixed to a wall with Rawlbolts. Look at Doughty Engineering or Powerdrive Stands.
  
• If you do want to go ahead with suspension, make sure that you use shouldered eye bolts, and either buy individual steel suspension assemblies, or get a firm like Rope Assemblies to make you some up.
  
• Hanging the speaker is one thing, getting it angled and aimed correctly is another. This can be quite hard if you have just the two suspension points. Often you need to pull back with a third point. I'm not sure if this box has two top mounts and a top hat, or if there's a third fixing point below?
  

If you do not feel confident* about suspending these units, then get someone in who knows how to do it professionally.

 

* i.e. knowledgeable, having all the relevant facts at your disposal and being sure that you can carry out the job to an acceptable, legal and industry accepted standard - not "gung ho" and "that'll do" :D

 

Simon

[Brian]

[*]The speaker has a top hat fitting in the base. There are a number of manufacturers making wall brackets that will provide a top hat fitting, and these can be easily fixed to a wall with Rawlbolts. Look at Doughty Engineering or Powerdrive Stands.

The easiest route, as Simon suggest, is something like a pair of these bolted to the wall by your maintenance department...

[Pattern123]

This is definitely the best solution, Proel make a good set, which are also capable of being angled down to get the best angle on your speakers. But why install them at all? Surely more flexible to have stands for them and then put them where they are needed for a specific event or show? If your Drama Teachers are anything like ours they will change which end of the hall they use and which way round they do the show every time!

[paulears]

If your college has a fabrication department, where they deliver coded welding courses - my old college had a great one where they trained offshore welders - then they might make you a purpose made frame. Mine were often looking for projects like this where they could design, fabricate and then test their welding for certification. Amazing what they can knock up with box section and bolts. I took them an adjustable frame from one brand of loudspeaker, and they knocked me up a nice pair of frames to fit some Tannoy I series kit. Pan/tilt, and a TV spigot fitting to hang them from. I'm a firm believer in using in-house skills where you can.