# How Many Speakers Do you Use?



## Departed_Studios

This may not apply anyone with a _commercial_ Haunted Attraction.. 
But for the rest... For your main "display" what is your primary sound setup?

CD Player? 
MP3 PLayer?
And which would best descibe your speaker setup for your Halloween display?


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## Erebus

I use my a/v receiver that is hooked up to my surround sound inside for background type music. It is nice cause it will seperate the sound so if you hear a scream, it doesn't come from every speaker. It will come from just one to make it more realistic. I have 4 speakers just for the background music. Then each of my props have computer speakers with either a cheap mp3 player, or a boombox.


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## Departed_Studios

Sounds very cool NTX. 

I'm trying to determine if I should limit the tracks on the CD as a trade off to make some of it more flexible for serious haunters... Offering alternate mixes of a few of the tracks maybe. In example: Zombie footsteps in gravel, Zombie footsteps in gravel with moaning.. 

Considering the limitations of time on CD, would you rather have: 
(And this is just one example)... 
A) A track of a ghost moaning with chains rattling
B) A track of a ghost moaning & a separate track of chains rattling (2 tracks)
D) A track of a ghost in the left and chains in the right so users could adjust their balance hard left or right so you could isolate just the ghost or just the chains alone if desired for a specific scene.. 

Maybe I'm overthinking things, but I'd like to make it as flexible as possible.


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## KStone

I have an extra receiver in the house that runs patio speakers outback. I hook speaker wires in the extra B channel to run the front of the house 'graveyard'. And I also have a reciever that runs my lightning/color-organ unit for my thunder effects. I house that in the garage on a shelf and run the lines around to the front.


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## Erebus

I actually use Midnight Syndicate as the background music. Somewhat low in volume so not to over power the other props and sound effects. I used a music editing software to make my effects cause I thought the store bought stuff, there was just too much effects on there. I use two different programs to play them and have both of them on repeat. The effects side, there is a lot of silence to it. Every now and then there will be children laughing, or wind blowing, something of that nature, but it wasn't constant. The better editing software you buy, the cooler stuff you can do. My brother is in a band so I went to their recording studio and used their super expensive stuff since I could do really cool things, and it was free. I know there are some online thing you can download but I mainly wanted something that I can choose which speakers the sound came from. I have some children laughing at one point, and I made it go from one speaker to the other to make it sound like they are moving. It is all trial and error but eventually you will get it to a point that is amazing.


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## Erebus

Departed Studios, check out Audacity. It is a free music editor software that you can use and you can add files to the "background music" and move it around, tell it which speaker to go to (only left or right) but it isn't that bad. I just been messing with it for a little bit and it takes sometime to get used to it if you never edited before. I think it could help you out though.

Also, check out this website from the GOE. http://www.garageofevil.com/tech/creating_dark_ambient_audio.php


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## Departed_Studios

Thanks for the feedback, I use Pro Tools and a Genelec 5.1 active monitoring setup. I own a commercial studio and do soundscape and sound design for a living.

Maybe you got the wrong idea why I asked.. I'm trying to get a consensus on peoples different setups to determine alternate mixes for my next release. 
You can check out the previous one at departedstudios.com. Thanks for responding though.


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## jaege

Up until this year, just the little CD player. But I have an old surround sound systme that I plan to hook up this year.


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## Bilbo

Last year had a mini-disc player hooked up via splitters to numerous (10) powered computer speakers for my thunder tracks.

This year will have that along with my computer hooked up to a 5.1 surround sound unit playing a random selection of spooky sounds via a program I found on one of these forums. It plays ambient sounds then a really cool customizable mix of clips.


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## Uruk-Hai

I tried a new sound set-up last year which worked well. I had a CD player hooked up to pretty good computer speakers (2 small ones with a woofer) that played the background music. I then had individual computer speakers with Mp3 players for the other sounds. One was hooked into a Lightning FX box and would run the thunder/lightning. I then had MP3 player/small computer speakers for individual props - crows for scarecrow, bugs for the front door, etc. Everything worked great with the exception of the thunder - the small speakers just didn't have enough "kick". This year I have a 30W bass guitar amp for the thunder which should help.


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## The Bloodshed Brothers

use portable mp3 speakers and small cd players


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## kprimm

I use a stereo system for the main background music, of wich i have a few cd's that repeat. For each individual prop i use cowlacious sound cards primarilly and they work with everything from amplified computer speakers to guitar amps. I have found that i really prefer the guitar amps and have started changing over to them. I do also have a few cd players for small display areas.


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## Spanky

I use my ipod through a reciever with 5.1 and all the speakers for my background music. for props I use cowalicious sound cards, my computer, cheap mps players all played through whatever I can get for cheap speaker-wise, usually powered computer speakers. 
I would say stick to the 5.1 for general ambiance, and then a specific haunt sound effect based disk in 2 channel tracks for haunters to use and apply to props and the like.


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## hedg12

I've used a 5.1 surround system for background sound effects, & PC speakers for the props in the past. This year I'm stepping up to a more powerful receiver for some of my props in addition to the PC speakers.


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## halloweengoddessrn

This year I purchased a bose multimedia set- Companion 3 series adn they kick butt..they are very small adn have a sub for great bass..of course they were $250 but well worth it in my book


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## meestercranky

I used an Airport Express hooked to two Small Sony speakers. The Airport streams sound from playlists inside my house on my laptop, which I can control using a remote controller on my iphone from out in the yard.


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## OpenTrackRacer

I have a lot of speakers for my haunt. The main thunder and lightning effect comes off a Sansa MP3 player through an older JVC KaBoom Box. The second thunder and lightning setup uses the same MP3 player and a set of large amplified computer speakers. I also use more MP3 players along with audio boards from Electronics123 on props with smaller computer speakers. Last but not least, Hallowindow runs through a big stereo amplifier to large speakers.


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## Warrant2000

Several boombox's set in the yard with CD's or iPod's playing (haven't decided yet).

Pushing my living room stereo to the back windows for the porch. Using my desktop computer speakers to the window for additional sound.

Now that I think of it, it will be pretty noisy in my haunt.


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## OpenTrackRacer

Yeah, too much noise is a concern for me too. I ran Hallowindow pretty loud last year and it was great but I don't want it to overpower my props in the garage. No reason to worry until I set it up and test though.


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## Mr Grimsley

I have acquired a set of 20watt wireless stereo speakers (Advent or similar can't remember make off top of head). This will allow me to add my stereo system as part of my whole setup without having to run speaker wire. I've decided to use them for my continuously playing typical "graveyard ambient" tracks. 

I'll then have an older laptop sitting just inside the front window controlling 2 battery powered computer speakers sitting along the path up to the front door, spewing out ghostly whispers, voices and really low eerie music. (although I'd like to acquire another set of the wireless speakers for this as well... would make things a lot more convenient).

Then my last set is conveniently hidden above (inside) my carport. These are solely for my lightning/thunder tracks.


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## Otaku

I use several MP3 players and computer or battery-powered speakers for prop and local sound FX, like crows, hoots and howls. For the thunder I use a pair of 100W JBL 3-way boxes. For the soundscape I use a pair of 24V bookshelf speakers (50W).


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## 5artist5

I am going to be using 9 speakers or so this time.

2 being driven by their own mono amps
3 being driven by a single mono amp that has realays to switch to a different speaker depending on which prop gets triggered.
2 in stereo from a stereo amp plugged into my VSA laptop

and a boom box or two with ambient music from the Midnight Syndacate.


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## The Bloodshed Brothers

graveyard-2 cd players
bug room- 1 ipod and dock
clown room- 1 cd players
electric room- 1 ipod and mini speaker
doll room- 1 ipod and dock
torture/chop shop- 1 cd player

so 7


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## HauntCast

I use 1 Mackie SMR450 for the atmosphere/sfx and another one under the table in my mud room for the big scare. Being a DJ helps out with the sound. I'll post video of my set up soon.


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## Adam I

For our main system is an old Zenith Quadra-Phonic stereo four speakers driven by a laptop.
About 50 feet apart

Our graveyard has a small stereo two speakers - tape. About 20 feet apart

Four mp3 player and battery operated amplifed speakers.


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## NickG

I use a surround 5.1 system for my thunder and lightning, and another 5.1 system for my ambient / graveyard sound-track (Ala krough 2007 iirc) They were both freebies from a friend. One does not play dvds anymore so I use the aux-input and a cd player, and one was a sony with those funky connectors. (I just hard-soldered wires to the terminals) My neighbor says she can hear the thunder inside their house...

Add to that, 3 pairs of powered PC speakers w/ the mpja mp3 players, and one small cd player radio up the scare fx cauldron witch's dress.


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## Hellvin

I typically run a simple two-speaker system run from a small CD player. This year I found an old discarded radio shell that became my "haunted radio".

PA310119-1.jpg picture by KLF66 - Photobucket

Next year, I hope to get a 5.1 system running!


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## stagehand1975

Now for the pro haunt. Before I started working a pro haunt, I did it in the front yard just like most of us. Back in those days I used a pair of large dj speakers for the main tracks and for a mic that was patched through an effects processor, and a set of wireless speakers for one of my other effects. I also had a real siren hidden under a metal trash that was set off by a sensor and timer. It helps that I dj and do sound for bands.

3 years ago I got involved with a not for profit pro haunt at a childerens camp. being that the haunt raises money to run the childerens camp, they didn't have a lot of quality gear or anyone that knew how to set it up or run it. Not that it was a bad attraction, they had been around since the 80's and so had most of there props.

Since then, they have had a major upgrade. this haunt has 3 attractions spread accross the grounds. Outside this year there will be 10.4 surround sound covering 3 acres. That is just rough estimte. Really there will be a 4.4 surround system. the first 4 being 2 pole mounted speakers on a deck and 2 of the same sized speakers elevated in 2 scafolding speaker towers on the opposite side from the deck (about 200 feet away from the deck). each of those speaker locations will have its own 18" subwoofer, giving the other 4 in 4.4. This setup will run from a 4.1 surround processor that is playing a custom scare track and thunder. The rest of the speaker in my 10.4 description are the multiple pairs of landscape style speakers that will mostly have just thunder put through them. as you walk the grounds it will sound and feel like a true thunder storm. There was a coment made last year by one of our own staffers when they were standing under a speaker at our novelties booth. There was a loud crack of thunder and she thought a real storm was coming.

Ok enough with the outside, after all they are indoor attractions. Each of the three attraction has its own main sound system with a themed scare track for that building. I also mix in that same thunder track that is playing outside. Then most rooms have there own cd players and speaker sets. This year I will also be using picoboo controllers for some newly built props. 

I use one room in a building to mix all of this and send it out though a series of cables and maybe a transmitter or 2 this year. I do use a fm transmitter for that special thunder track.

Ok all you pro haunters. I have never been to a pro huant anywhere that uses this much gear. Our main competition which is for profit doesn't even have a sound system in all of there attraction.

On top of all this, I actually scare too


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## Sickie Ickie

So what do the numbers mean? 4.4 is 4 speakers...what is the .4?


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## stagehand1975

In a 5.1 surround setup you have a left, right, center, left rear, and right rear. That makes up the 5. The 1 is your subwoofer. In my case, 4.4 front right, front left, right rear and left rear make up the first 4. The other 4 will be the 4 subwoofers at each of the first 4 locations. The subwoofer is still a seperate output in my processor and I still have the option to seperate what I want to go into each subwoofer. I needthat much to cover the area between the attraction. This space is about a full acre of land between the 3 groups of buildings that house the 3 different buildings. The lines for each attraction for in tbs area and we do scares in this area as well.


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## Sickie Ickie

ah! Thank you kind sir.


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## stagehand1975

Some may think it overkill.


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## shadowopal

I use multiple Mp3 players around my display. I have a super big Bass Guitar amp for my thunder, a Boom box from craigslist hooked up to decorative outdoor speakers for my ambiance. Home built speakers for each of my props triggered by a prop-1 hooked up to a Mp3 player that plays off of memory sticks (can't think of the name right now).

But, I put a lot of time into my audio. So, I want it to sound good. I spend some cash on my speakers.


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## Evil Queen

We use a surround system in the cemetery and a laptop with 2 large speakers in the garage.


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## The_Caretaker

It wasn't a choice but I use a pair of computer speakers and also a boom box


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## nixie

I just use a small portable cd player hidden in the shrubs. Now I feel all inferior


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## Ryan Wern

I use a total of 3 stereo receivers, one 5.1 surround sound receiver, and one boombox. 

I use my small stereo receiver for my graveyard sounds with an mp3 player looping sound effects, my two larger ones are used for graveyard sound track and ambient sounds in the haunt, and the 5.1 is the main soundtrack in the haunt. I also have 4 2-way speakers, 4 3-way speakers, a bunch of 4'' full-range speakers in small cabinets that I made, and two 12'' powered subs.


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## Lunatic

I use two small cd players with looped sound effects that I recorded. I use my electric bass 10" combo amp for a thunder sound track. I also use one of my stereo receivers with 10" woofers for spooky sound effects. That's it for my sound. I don't have to set them too loud to get a good atmosphere.


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## jdsteel82

right now I have my Z-680 comp speakers running in stereo off a discman. Hope to have all my props have their own sounds, and have ambient effects by the time Halloween rolls around this year.


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