Band Requirements

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Hoyt

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I am working on a bar and grill type building - 5000 sq ft. The owner would like us to provide electrical in the corner of the dinning space and at the exterior patio for a band.

Anyone have any idea what a small band needs for devices / power?

Thanks
 
Hoyt said:
Anyone have any idea what a small band needs for devices / power?
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Always more then you have.

I used to work at place were we had small size shows a few times a week, we did fine with a about Ten 20 amp 120 volt receptacle circuits, a 100 amp 208 v 3 phase disconnect for sound power and 200 amp 208 v 3 phase for lights.

It seemed any band that had a lot of equipment would bring their own distribution panel .... of course a lot of it was pretty scary stuff.
 
Hoyt said:
Anyone have any idea what a small band needs for devices / power?
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Without knowing, I'd suggest a 100a panel with a board for receptacles below it.

Otherwise, I'd say a few MWBC's feeding 2-gang (or for 3-ph, 3-gang) duplexes.
 
Hoyt said:
Anyone have any idea what a small band needs for devices / power?
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iwire said:
I used to work at place were we had small size shows a few times a week, we did fine with a about Ten 20 amp 120 volt receptacle circuits, a 100 amp 208 v 3 phase disconnect for sound power and 200 amp 208 v 3 phase for lights.
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Well, there's small, and then there's small. :cool:
 
LarryFine said:
Otherwise, I'd say a few MWBC's feeding 2-gang (or for 3-ph, 3-gang) duplexes.
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With the 2008s handle tie requirement I might stay away from MWBC but I agree with you about a well located panel with a bunch of outlets right near clearly labeled with circuit numbers.
 
LarryFine said:
Well, there's small, and then there's small. :cool:
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That is the question.

The stage I decried above was our small stage and we mostly had rock cover bands, C&W acts etc.

Our bigger stage had 208Y/120 feeders 200 amps sound 400 for lights. A few shows I had to bring in generators to provide 800 amps for lighting and let the sound guy take the 400 and the rigging or video take the 200.

FWIW stacks of cranked up amplifiers raise heck with the neutral of the feeders. (Well at least when someone had run a reduced neutral on this feeder.):grin:
 
fireryan said:
Probably gonna catch hell for this but 1 50a 4 wire plug that they can plug there own panels into
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You may be right, if that is what the other venues for similar acts have the bands may be expecting it.
 
Wow... I guess I was thinking on the same lines as Fireryan....

This is a farily small bar and grill, I can't imagine a huge setup...but I guess that is why I am asking the questions...
 
For instance the room this is located in is about 950 square feet, and they only want a small little track light w/ a couple heads.

I guess my real question is the band equipment 120 volt...? i am not musically educated....i have trouble with the CD player.
 
Hoyt said:
Wow... I guess I was thinking on the same lines as Fireryan....

This is a farily small bar and grill, I can't imagine a huge setup...but I guess that is why I am asking the questions...
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Do you know if they would be bringing lighting systems in or just using the existing lighting? Many of the bands still use 1000 watt lights so it adds up fast. Would it be rock bands with lots of sound equip, or just mellow bands with modest equipment?

If its just a small place I think Larry's suggestion of a panel near the area, even a 60 amp one, might work good.

Say a 60 amp panel with a good number of dedicated receptacles and you could always add a 2 pole 50 for a 4 wire 'range receptacle' if it turns out to be needed.
 
iwire said:
FWIW stacks of cranked up amplifiers raise heck with the neutral of the feeders. (Well at least when someone had run a reduced neutral on this feeder.):grin:
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It would have been interesting to watch an o'scope on the load end of that neutral.
 
LarryFine said:
It would have been interesting to watch an o'scope on the load end of that neutral.
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I bet it would have been, I know that the neutral was actually vibrating, you could not see it but I could sure feel it.
 
iwire said:
I bet it would have been, I know that the neutral was actually vibrating, you could not see it but I could sure feel it.
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Ive worked on large events where they had the feeders laid nicely in parallel and neutral would actually jump every time they pushed the button that turned on 400 1000w lamps at the same time. This was before they started putting double neutrals on the large dimmer racks
 
dbuckley said:
Whatever you fit, dont fit a dryer socket with no neutral!
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Doing so has always been a violation, even for a dryer.

The code allowed using the neutral for a dryer as the grounding means not the other way around.









(I know not much real difference, just the way the rules where written.)
 
in my music bass rig i have a power conditioner where i plug all my fancy tuners and effects and all that good stuff into so all i would need is one receptacle. depending on the bands level of professionalism i would probably install 4 or so double duplex receptacles each box on there own circuit. you never know how many members will be in the band or what they will have to hook up.
 
most small bands that play gigs at little clubs dont bring there own lighting equipment. were talking about bands that play for 50 bucks a night for the entire band not metallica

how about installing permantly mounted stage lights above the area?
 
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