Fixing up my audio setup

[thewanderingpine]

So I want to try and fix up my audio setup this year. The last 2 years - I've mainly just had a big 15" powered speaker connected to a soundblaster on the pi. And that works - but I have to bring the speaker out of the weather every night - and it's projecting louder than I would like - since it's right by the house. So I would like to have something waterproof-ish down near the viewing area.

So my plan for this year - is to run Radio 8-12, and speaker 8-10 (Noting that if it gets busy -- I have plenty of standing room for pedestrians and not much good viewing angle for cars.


So what's the best approach with speakers? I've got a couple of "outdoor rated" ones - with no amp for them at this stage. I'm thinking my approaches are:

• Get an actual splitter for the audio (For some reason in the haze of setting things up the last couple of years - I thought the soundblaster would split it for me). Connect the splitter to a dedicated Amp and then wire the amp up to the speakers
• Get an old stereo system off marketplace and tune it to the radio (no splitter, less cabling). Either use it's speakers or hook it up to the "waterproof" ones
• Old stereo system but this time with the audio splitter & cabling.

What else works for people? I have enough traffic that I don't feel I need push to play.
Do you have recommendations for splitters/amps/etc? Does a dedicated amp work better than teenage me's old stereo system with detachable speakers?

 

[Kent]

I'm a fan of the Fosi Audio gear for something that sounds reasonable at a cheapish price, e.g. https://fosiaudio.com/collections/2...tereo-digital-audio-amp-2-0-channel-amplifier

I have the front two channels of the sound card duplicated to the rear two channels. This lets me adjust the volume of the speakers without impacting the volume being sent to the FM transmitter.

Having said that, if you don't need volume control (e.g. drop the volume a bit as it starts to get later), just tuning a radio to the FM transmitter sounds reasonable?

 

[CargoLights]

I run an audio splitter out to an automotive amp that I enclosed in a box along with a differential receiver, then run to a set of outdoor speakers that I mount about 10 ft up my mega tree pole. I use a "push here for music" button with a timed relay to power the amp, but if you don't need that it's a pretty simple setup to fit out in the yard. It's also 12V and can be powered from the same power supplies you use for your show (I run 5V, hence the extra power brick in the bottom of the enclosure). It's nice and clean and doesn't require placing anything where it won't get rained on and then running wires out to the speakers. You just have to make sure that the amp has a 3.5mm input.

 

[Grozzy]

I run the splitter off the sound blaster to a small 15w amp out to a couple of old surround speakers under the porch/balcony. Running the Pi at 80% and amp at 100% is very loud when there is no-one outfront but not loud enough if there are 5 cars and 30 people standing on the nature strip. Speakers to nature strip is about 8 metres. The only thing I'd change would be to get outdoor speakers and move them closer to the footpath. I would love to get a 300W amp and pretend I'm still 18, drinking, smoking and clubbing but not sure the neighbours would be down with that.

 

[Skymaster]

I run split my audio into a 4 channel compressor unit. (Running as 2ch Stereo x 2).
One pair of outputs drives the transmitter, quite heavily compressed, and one pair drives the amplifier with minimal compression.
Due to the high compression on the transmitter output, it means I can drop the volume in FPP without impacting the transmission level (much), and I have FPP automatically lowering volume throughout the night (from 85 to 50 IIRC).
The front speakers are also on a push-to-listen which turns the power outlet to the amplifier on and off (it's a cheap one from Jaycar).

 

[Hoogieburner2]

I run an older amplifier with 4 permanently mounted indoor bookshelf speakers (under cover) and a 10" polk audio subwoofer.
Bought it all used for around 200$ and you can hear it down the block.

 

[Iain]

I guess you have to decide cable or radio.

The car radio/amplifier is a good idea as you can run it off your 12V pixel power supply. You may just need to have a small 12 V battery if the radio has a pin code/security built-in. Saves running audio cables and potentially picking up noise. It would also turn down based on your transmitter if using FPP volume adjustments over the night.

i bought some “outdoor” speakers off marketplace for $40 and they sound pretty good. I’ll have to put them under a plastic box though, as I think they mean “outdoor undercover” and we get pretty heavy rain.

I was thinking of getting one of these audio amps. There’s another build post here somewhere that uses one… but that might be a project for next year.

 

[Hoogieburner2]

Couple pictures to help with the description.......4 bookshelf speakers and the furthest run about 30' from the amp parked in the garage. Zero noise.
One subwoofer also parked in the garage. Halloween night is the only time its really bumping and I am outside all night with the garage door opened attending to 800+ kids.

 

[Wayne1]

You can wrap internal speakers in a plastic bag, no need for a box, for use outside, its significantly cheaper and there is no effect on the sound.

I use an old stereo amp and run cable out to the speakers.

I have the volume slight higher over the weekend for the first couple of hours of the show.

 

[djgra79]

I have audio from pi into transmitter. I then have an old Teac hifi system in my garage that drives a pair of outdoor speakers under our pergola but I switch it to a 2nd speaker output and only use one outdoor speaker that sits next to my letterbox at the front of the yard so reduces the need to have it very loud.
I've done this for years so have the levels dialed in and adjust via FPP as required which isn't often, depends on number of cars all cranking the same tune at once

 

[Iain]

run about 30' from the amp parked in the garage. Zero noise

you’re much less likely to hear noise if you have a long run on the powered side as the signal-to-noise ratio is much better.

Good quality line-level cable should go just as far so long as it’s not next to an AC cable! I find it’s highly dependant on the site, the cable, the equipment, etc etc

 

[thewanderingpine]

So I’ve got my radio transmitter working much clearer, and I’ve got an amp + some weatherproof speakers. Are those audio->rj45 converters good for long-ish runs?

I’ve got AC at the front of the yard for the bubble machine - so I can put the amp close to the speakers - or do I leave the amp back near my pi (at least 15 metres assuming the cable is neat). This would also likely need to run alongside the AC extension cord.

 

[Skymaster]

Are those audio->rj45 converters good for long-ish runs?

It depends what it's doing. If it's balancing the audio with a transformer at the sending and, and then bringing it back out at the far end then yes. That's similar to the way a diff transmitter/receiver works. It'll prevent grounds loops and induced noise over that distance.

If it's just a straight through adapter and wiring the audio signal directly to the cat5 then no, a proper shielded audio cable would be better.
Putting the amp at the back and running longer speaker wire would give you better audio in that case.
You're not likely to pick up any noise from the mains if it's going to the speakers direct, the noise would be too low of a signal.

The latter is how I have mine done. Speakers in the hedge, long wires back to the amp in the shed.

 

[Dreamin]

I got rid of the car radio idea this year, too complicated.

This year I bought one of these, https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/325782146383 it's louder, runs off power in the box (12V is an option) and I ran 12V down to the box from my 12V side to run the button. Works well, it's much louder than the marine car stereo I was using. The only issue is that when it's on Aux is the default and the radio is only mono (googling said that wouldn't be an issue anyway). In the end I just ran a 15m Aux out to it from the sound Play USB which splits off to the FM transmitter.

So far, better sound, less faff, and it just works. I've got Jaycar 5" marine speakers in a box, which also has all my 240v feeding in and out of it.

 

[David Hayes]

I run split my audio into a 4 channel compressor unit. (Running as 2ch Stereo x 2).
One pair of outputs drives the transmitter, quite heavily compressed, and one pair drives the amplifier with minimal compression.
Due to the high compression on the transmitter output, it means I can drop the volume in FPP without impacting the transmission level (much), and I have FPP automatically lowering volume throughout the night (from 85 to 50 IIRC).
The front speakers are also on a push-to-listen which turns the power outlet to the amplifier on and off (it's a cheap one from Jaycar).

Hi Mike,
You had a video of this setup you mentioned at the 2024 Syd Mini. Do you have the YouTube link to that?