Live Gig + Yamaha 01V + Cheap Generator = #$@%!!!!

[dbbubba]

Yesterday afternoon I threw together a last minute p.a. using a combination of my stuff and a friend's p.a. for an outdoor C&W gig at my daughter's high school.
My friend's p.a. is nice equipment with newer QSC amps and PAS cabs.
He had recently sold his Allen and Heath GL2400 console, so because this was small and relatively short gig I volunteered the use of my Yamaha 01V.

The promoter was the dad of one of the baseball and football team players.
(The baseball team is UN-DEFEATED for the season at 37 and 0!)

They arranged the obligatory C&W stage/trailer which was another player's dad's concrete company's equipment hauling trailer.
It was 27' long and just the right height.
HE ALSO PROVIDED GENERATORS....

When I asked he told me that he was bringing two 7.5Kw generators.
I'd use one for lighting and another for p.a. and the band's backline.
7.5 Kw is PLENTY for this p.a.
Truthfully, I have not done a generator gig without a blimped and trailer mounted generator in twenty years.
Still, I wasn't in charge of EVERYTHING.

When he arrived with the stage and gennies I was a bit concerned that they were construction site (concrete company) general purpose models.
They were also LOUD!
We set them way, way back behind the stage and procured lot's of what appeared to be #10 ga. feeder cable.

We cranked up the gennies and the voltage was right at 110V at the stage.
I did sound check and everything was fine UNTIL THE BAND CRANKED INTO THE FIRST SONG...
With the full 8K of amplifier power being drawn the voltage sagged absurdly low.
The console would distort horribly whenever anyone sang.
WHOOOPS!!!!
My two helpers quickly picked up the gennie devoted to audio and drug it down the hill closer to the stage and I shortened the feeder cable by 100'.
That helped... some.
I was able to crank the system to an acceptable level, but if the vocalist dug into his part the console folded over with BAD, digital distortion.

So, the moral of this story is...
Yamaha 01Vs WILL NOT run on low voltage!
The voltage was sagging below 98V on peaks and that was when the console said, "Nope!"
Surprisingly, the QSC amps ran cooler than I would have expected in this situation.

See?
Sometimes even I don't follow my rule of making sure the AC power is 100%.
Actually, I really had no choice here because this was all donated services.
Still, it is my neighbors and I am Mr. Local Sound Expert...
Not so much last night though...

[JoaT]

My sympathies..

I think you can actually consider yourself lucky in that situation, tho.

With Yamaha being a digital mixer, you could have had continuous reboots instead of digital distortion.

In that regard analog console is a safer bet when conditions are less than ideal.

[dbbubba]

Yes, an analog console IS better in this situation, but the power supply in the A&H GL2400 my friend had just sold had a bad habit folding over when you pushed the console, too.
I am actually REALLY glad we were not using it!

The big sound contractor companies I work for almost exclusively use digital consoles.
In the last month I have used: Yamaha PM1D, PM5D, M7CL, LS9, 01V compared to using a Midas Heritage 3000/52 and a Venice 320 on one show each.

As you can see, I use an analog console on about one in ten gigs and that is because I spec the analog console.
If I am going to be doing multiple bands or I know that I am going to have a short set-up time (I call this combat mixing) I want an analog console.

Also, most events I do are not freebies where everything is donated, so details like show power are well taken care of.

[JoaT]

When power is bad enough, it doesn't matter what is the gear. It just will not work properly.

As a solution of sorts it might be worth using UPS with the mixer. Might balance the power spikes some.

Haven't actually tried this, but as an idea it might not be a total brainfart.

[dbbubba]

Originally Posted by JoaT

As a solution of sorts it might be worth using UPS with the mixer. Might balance the power spikes some.

Haven't actually tried this, but as an idea it might not be a total brainfart.

I do see this on digital lighting consoles like Whole Hogs and the like.
Of course, they are still somewhat flakey and subject to crashing.

I have not seen a UPS on an audio console very often.
It isn't at all a bad idea, but as a rule show power is one of the first things that is taken care of... well, unless it is a freebie with donated stuff like last night.
It is my first technical priority on big shows.

When I do a site survey the power is one of the first things I check on.

The silly part of this is that back in the early '80s I used to specialize in generators for show power!
I did generators for a leg of Kiss's Animalize Tour and had a 600KW generator devoted just to the lighting rig.
I used to run GIANT dual blower, 16 cylinder, diesel, 600 KW and bigger on shows.
Made some GOOD money doing that, too!
I used that money to build my second studio!