The Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound (second largest) question

Cafe Society
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From the article (image 38)…

“Three stories high and a hundred feet wide the Wall of Sound might rate as the second largest non-permanent sound system ever built! The entire system weighed an incredible 75 tons and used 6 independent systems and 11 channels. The complex system came from the mind of Owsley “Bear” Stanley’s and his desire to create a distortion-free sound system capable of changing the earth’s orbit! OK, we made that last bit up but would you be surprised?”

So, my question…What is the largest one?

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I asked ChatGPT and, as usual, it didn’t give a definitive answer. But it did give a contender example…

What is the world’s largest non permanent sound system?

There are many large non-permanent sound systems around the world, so it’s difficult to determine which one is the largest. However, one system that has gained attention for its size and power is the “VOID Trinity” sound system.

The VOID Trinity sound system is a collaboration between the British audio company VOID Acoustics and the German electronic music festival, Time Warp. It features over 300 individual speaker cabinets, including 6 double 18" subwoofers, and has a total output of 200,000 watts.

While it’s difficult to determine if this is the largest non-permanent sound system in the world, it’s certainly one of the most impressive and well-known systems.

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Thanks snfaulkner! The article states The Dead’s as the second largest like they knew of one larger one, why don’t they say what it was.

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To What_Exit:

My icon showed two replies to this thread snfaulkner’s and yours. When I click on yours it shows the edit pencil and the original article printed twice with HISTORY as a header.

I’m just curious what that was about? Was there an edit in the OP or in this thread? Is this article duplicated somewhere else?

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Changing the wording a bit to my ChatGPT query gives this…

What non permanent sound system is larger than The Grateful Dead’s wall of sound?

The Grateful Dead’s “Wall of Sound” was a massive sound system designed and built specifically for the band’s performances in the mid-1970s. It was made up of 586 individual speakers and amplifiers, and was capable of producing a truly massive sound.

There have been other non-permanent sound systems that have been designed to be even larger than the Wall of Sound. One example is the sound system used at the 1991 Monsters of Rock Festival in Moscow, which was built by the British audio company Turbo Sound. This system consisted of over 1,000 individual speakers and amplifiers and was capable of producing a sound pressure level of over 130 decibels.

Another example is the sound system used at the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing, which was designed by the German audio company d&b audiotechnik. This system consisted of over 2,000 individual speakers and amplifiers and was capable of producing a sound pressure level of over 105 decibels.

It’s worth noting, however, that both of these systems were designed for specific events and were not intended for use on a regular basis like the Wall of Sound.

What is the largest sound system intended for touring?

The largest sound system intended for touring is a constantly changing landscape as new technologies and designs are developed. However, currently, one of the largest sound systems intended for touring is the Meyer Sound Leo Family system.

The Meyer Sound Leo Family system features a large number of speakers and amplifiers, all designed to work together seamlessly to produce clear, powerful sound. The system includes the Leo main line array, which features up to 36 individual speakers in each array, along with the Lyon line array, which is designed to work alongside the Leo to provide additional coverage and support. The system also includes the 1100-LFC low-frequency control element, which is designed to provide deep, powerful bass.

The Meyer Sound Leo Family system has been used by a number of high-profile touring acts, including Metallica, U2, and the Rolling Stones.

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Interesting info.Thanks! I had it in my head that maybe the largest system was around the same time as The Dead’s Wall of Sound.

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More interesting info…

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According to my (ex) wife, it was our living room.

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I don’t get the joke? Please to explain. LOL

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I’ve always been sad that I started seeing the Dead too late to experience the Wall of Sound. I was at a Grateful Dead-themed festival last year that had a huge picture of the Wall of Sound printed on the backdrop behind the stage. That was pretty funny.

There are several projects that have built smaller-scale replicas.

Here’s a quarter-scale version: Zoetropolis hosts quarter-scale 'Wall of Sound' based on infamous Grateful Dead sound system [video] - YouTube

Here’s a half-scale version: Half Scale Wall of Sound Walkthrough - YouTube

I haven’t heard of anyone building a double-scale version. :slight_smile:

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Yes. The Wall of Sound must have been something else!

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I like the out-of-phase dual microphone trick that Owsley came up with to avoid the horrendous feedback that you’d normally expect when you have speakers directly facing the microphones that feed them.

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You are making me wish I had a time machine!

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How does this translate to decibels? Would the loudest be considered the largest? Manowar has set the record a couple times reaching 139 dB during a sound check in 2008. KISS hit 136 dB in an actual concert a year later.

Interesting side note: When The Who gained notoriety as being the loudest band in the world (at Leeds) in the Guinness Book of World Records, other bands started gunning for the record and deafening their audiences. Eventually, Guinness stopped listing the record out of health concerns for concert goers.

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I believe the Wall of Sound was 127 decibels and that was back in 1973 or 1974.

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Just guessing, but I would assume this is the moderator adding “music” to the thread tags.

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Yes, this. It’s happened to me.

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What was that trick? I’d like to hear more about it.

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Each singer had two microphones positioned one right above the other, but the mics were wired out of phase with each other. The ambient sound from the speakers went into both mics, but since they were out of phase, the sound canceled out, so no feedback. The singer sang only into the top microphone, so that was the only sound that reached the speakers.

There’s a more detailed (and probably more accurate) description here, in the “Vocal System” section. There’s a picture of one of the microphone setups here.

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Thank you Cervaise and pjd! I didn’t see any edit, so I wondered. Where is that tag?