Types of speakers to create nightclub style sound?
For good punch and live sound on the cheap for a few home parties a year, consider renting from a music store such as the Guitar Center or similar ( I have no afliation with any music store). Probable about 250 for a great system for the day. In increasing order of quality, my opinion, is Mackie, jbl, EV, Qsc. Yamaha is in their too. Most of the above have various quality levels of speakers, but rentals are usually the lower end models as users just need reasonable sound for cheap. For home use I would stay with 2 or 4 10” speakers and two subs, 15 or 18”, all self powered. That will peal the paint off the walls of your neighbours house if you wish, but keep the level down and it will still feel “live”. |
I love the sound at one of my local concert venues. All three of us at the concert were commenting on how great (but not ear piercing) the system was... for an EDM/Electronica concern none-the-less. They a Meyer Mica system. Those are self-powered, not super huge, and available used from various places out there... https://www.cervantesmasterpiece.com/cervantes-ballroom/ |
Perplexy, unless I missed it, you have not mentioned the size of this space. Early in this thread, I recommended what many people here are stating....pro powered speakers. Very reasonable, and can do a good job. I own Lascalas, have used Lascalas, on stages, in gyms, in auditoriums, etc, and yes, they would work very well, but would need additional bass reinforcement ( sub woofer augmentation ). Room layout and usage would determine how many of each you would need. If it were me, I would consider spending more, to achieve a nicer, cleaner and smoother sound, that would also reproduce jazz and classical, as with such a huge space, why not ? But, that is me, and I feel a great system, particularly speakers ( I do enjoy my Lascalas ), should be able to play ANY type of music, and at ANY reasonable volume level ( what is reasonable, lol ). Four Lascalas, additional subwoofers ( at least two, likely powered ) and the associated equipment, will likely exceed your current maximum budget. However, take your time, as it can be complicated, or, quite simple, which ever way you go. Increasing your budget, might allow you to hire a professional, to help with your design, and, installation.....Enjoy ! MrD..... |
I hate to put my stamp on this but I have to agree in this price range the bose 901 for every corner and if you could hang them from the ceiling 2'x2'x2' down and out you would come pretty close to the club sound you're looking for. and not sacrifice floor space. JBL website might have a solution also. Used self powered/active speakers generally go loud without distortion. Have fun with it. |
I think that a good PA rig sounds good when under-stressed...for medium size halls and acoustic based music (what I do primarily) relatively very high power into efficient speakers is what's happening, and either a couple of powered "phased array" types per side or simple powered or non powered more conventional (like Mackie 450s powered or not) PA stuff works great. A good high power sub fills in the bottom end, and all of this stuff is using only a fraction of the available headroom. I've often sat in the middle of an empty 350 seat venue waiting for the artists to show up just playing a CD of something for my own entertainment...a giant stereo rig (although shows are basically dual mono affairs)...the sound when things are set up properly is amazingly good during that self indulgent sound-man time, and also note the background music before shows really isn't loud at all so you'd sort of never know that "large stereo" thing as an audience member, except when the actual act is playing. |
Just go to a larger music store even if its a 2 hr drive and look at jbl prx series . Self powered wifi controlled , built in dsp the whole bit. Get a couple of 15” three ways with a couple 18” subs . Probably remove the pictures off your walls before they come down. And invite the neighbours or the cops will show up. |
I've always been curious about PA sound as it can often provide a very immersive sound, at volume that somehow is not fatiguing. Is this due to frequency balance/sensitivity? I note many PA set ups do not try to reproduce low bass (using a filter of roll off is say 60Hz), I assume there are some frequency bands that are reduced that might otherwise cause harshness at those higher volumes. |
I do live concert production/mixing...have for many years...Consider powered P.A. speakers from Mackie as they’re not expensive and they sound great, and you can run 100 foot balanced lines to ’em. The newer "v3" SRM 350 10" 2 ways are only 23 lbs (neodymium woofer magnets) and 1000 watts (!) with built in signal processing. They're pretty much indestructible...You can buy little rigs for hanging these things. The "v2" version is also light and powerful and less expensive...match them with one of their 18" powered subs and you’ll dance all night at levels that can make your ears ring for months, cause structural damage to your house, and alienate any neighbor within a mile. A little mixer with balanced outs is all you need to drive the things. |
I agree with others that horn speakers are often used in the club setting. A friend used multiple Klipsch with subwoofers strategically placed in the club he designed. Also, EQ is needed since you don’t have much control over the various room surfaces. I include the amount of people in the space as affecting the EQ as well. This is very different than an audiophile’s dedicated room. |
I've done 3 night clubs way back when. In one I did indeed use bag end. They were some of the better sounding drivers that didn't crap all over themselves when pushed. In 2 others, we built the speakers from the place where I worked at the time called SpeakerCraft/Marcof Electronics. We built a 15 inch 2 way that was quite good. In both cases, I was very conscious of making the dance floor a loud yet tolerable place and keeping it so that you could have a conversation 10 feet off of the floor. I found to really do this right that the speakers had to be hung. They needed to be tilted down slightly and they needed their backs away from the area most worried about sound travel. So if you have a place where guest will congregate most, you do not want the speakers to be placed where they can fire toward your guest. Hang them firing toward the floor with the backs to the congregating area. I normally used old Sumo Andromeda's back then, today there are several amps at 150 to 250 watts per channel that would sound better. Large drivers move air well and are normally higher sensitivity. I would recommend a high sensitivity speaker if possible. Our builds were 97 and I recall the Bag End Models that we used at being around 100, Maybe 99. I hope this helps, Tim |
As someone who dove into a similar challenge a few years ago, I don't have a complete solution but here are a few considerations I learned along the way: - Midrange (and separation thereof) is the most overlooked aspect when trying to emulate the 'club sound'. Fairly aggressive separation at the crossover level, coupled with placement of dedicated speakers is key. Funktion 1 does this extremely well, to the point of sounding 'unnatural' or having a 'sound'. (As mentioned in the comments under that RA article shared above) I personally never understood the application of hi-fi ideals to club setups: Club sound systems are designed to create a very specific experience in a very specific environment. Throw in a few hundred people mingling freely under various states of the mind(:) into the mix, and things like 'accurate reproduction', or 'transparency of sound' become useless consideration. Having experienced Funktion 1 setups in many possible variations from small to ginormous, their magic lies in the fact that you can carry a conversation with another person without shouting and fatigue no matter where you are in the space, while still 'feeling' the music. That's due to that aggressive separation of low / mid / highs. Anything you run through a Funktion 1, well, will sound like Funktion 1. As a takeaway, I would go for speakers that imitate that, or at least have a strong, dedicated midrange component in their design. - Take into account the music that's designed to play in the club environment. Electronic music that's mixed / mastered for clubs is a complete different beast than anything that would be acceptable as a good source, at least around here :) (Intense bass emphasis, maniacal dynamic compression techniques, and exaggerated transients that are designed to cut through any background noise etc.) - While it's true the older club setup did make use of them, I would stay away from anything involving tubes especially if Funktion 1 is your reference. I've been frequenting a few 'hi-fi' clubs that are popping up in and around NYC (mostly trying to imitate the ones in Tokyo), which mostly have systems that are either made up of, or emulate that altec / klipsch / bose setups and I have to say they leave a lot to be desired within your context. A quiet listening session of some delicate ECM record works really well, but the moment you throw in something meant for the *dance* club, and people moving about, those systems start to fall apart, IMO. The Bag End suggestion above is an interesting one. I'm not familiar but it does seem like they're going for something similar to your goals. Do report back where you end up! This is a very interesting discussion. |
These speakers: http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/tested-cerwin-vega-cls-215-loudspeaker/ $1K/pair. I believe the current model is the XLS-215. I don't know where else one can get 110lb, full-range speakers with cast-aluminum woofer frames for anywhere near that price. ...and this amp to drive them:https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F283614460903 Leaves you $1K for a good source component or preamp. |
Night club speakers are gigantic, expensive, and sure to be difficult to replicate. Makes me think about that punch that goes into your chest when the bass hits. Maybe Go with a quality tower speaker paired up with a minimum of 2 subs. You need clarity with spl which will require wattage. In your budget, maybe try something like this. Goldenear has an airy open sound with clear vocals and pretty good midbass. Hsu a Makes good subs for a good price. The uls can be adjusted to suit your bass taste and provides good transition into the midbass without being muddy. I - hsu ulsmk2 15"subs x 2 or more ($1800) - emotiva a5175 amp ($840) - goldenear triton 5 x 2 ($2000) - goldenear aon 3 x 3($1500) - bluetooth receiver ($150) or a preamp If its used for tv use too, replace 1 aon 3 with the best center channel they make. The little ones wouldnt be able to keep up with the bass Best of luck |
Nice idea. I SUGGEST: call one of LA's big audio designers who do clubs in town. You can certainly find a club in LA. They will probably advise you to get commercial-level units from a major manufacturer (I am personally NOT a fan of bose, but whatever...) and will be able to visit YOUR ROOM and suggest what and WHERE to place speakers. Pay them for this advice as it is critical to not buying a bunch of random items and HOPING they sound good IN YOUR ROOM, which is much more important than the items you buy. (I would bet I could use a few old Minimus 7 Radio Shack speakers and a woofer or two and do a good job there, but that is another discussion.) I realize posters have nothing but good intentions with their personal suggestions, but we are dealing with YOUR ROOM, not theirs. Loud, distorted music gives people headaches, especially when paired with alcohol. Like in many parts of life, size is NOT the critical variable--the quality of clear sound IN YOUR ROOM at high volume is most important. Do not leave this to chance. Spend a few hundred getting a professional survey and then spend your thousands. Cheers, and happy partying! |
If you are looking for a "club" sound, then get the speakers that many clubs and bars used. Two common brands out there are MTX and Audio Acoustics. I have a pair of 4 or 5-way Audio Acoustics speakers which have 12" woofers and they can rattle the house as well as produce full-bodied pleasing sound. Another consideration is the amplifier. Like most clubs, power is essential and a P.A. amp would fit the bill. For a real vintage sound, if you want stereo, get a pair of P.A. tube amps. |
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FYI
https://www.residentadvisor.net/features/1836 JBL perhaps https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9h63g-jbl-s4700-floorstanding-speakers-cherry-pair-s-4700-20511-full-range (bit out of budget) When's the party? :O) |
Is there a dance floor ? Are you looking to be able to talk over the music ? I would visit Guitar Center on line, and some other places that sell PA and stage speakers. You can get 4 excellent units for less than a pair of used / refurbished Altec 19s ( and I am a Klipsch owner ), and truly surround the area with sound. Pro gear is so reasonable, compared to home audio.....many PA speakers have built in amplification, so a preamp / mixer will do the job. |
I love this question and I am excited to hear responses from members who have experience with this. We entertain 4-6 times a year. Nothing huge, 30-60 guests, but dance music and karaoke is always featured and appreciated. The main area of the house is open, about 50x50, but segmented just enough that music in the living room makes conversation difficult, but doesn't over power the kitchen, dining, open areas. The main consideration for me was the ability to put up and tear down, so I just used stuff I had lying around that wasn't being used. Kef Q300 speakers, Crown XLS 2502 amp, dac of the day. If I want extra punch I add a Rel sub or a pair of diy subs and another 2502 amp and take advantage of the built in cross-overs. I DIY'd speaker cables so I could make game time decisions on length. All in with everything this is probably half your budget. I've considered upgrading the speakers but honestly I think I am the only one who would care or notice. And I don't feel the need to protect the speakers from enthusiastic guests. There is plenty of volume, plenty of bass (especially with a sub), midrange and the upper end doesn't run out of juice. That's what works for me, and it is easy to pack up and put in storage. BG |
