[streakn]

Okay folks. In a bit of a bind . My friends and I are in our third year of yard/garage haunt building. We have our own rooms that we build, but in the past, we just blasted the music out to set the ambience. This year we'd like to individualize each room with their own music/sounds. How hard is it and what would I need to do it? Oh yeah...the theme this year is carnival freak show. Lots of clowns, dolls, and freaks. Thanks for the read and help.
Jason

 

[poison]

I think i have just the thing EVIL CLOWN MUSIC.
You can listen samples on the site.
click here
Poison Halloween Animatronic Props

 

[DeadTed]

It's not that difficult, however, I imagine you can't get around not spending a little bit of money -- though you could borrow the items needed I suppose.

I've got one of these:
Logitech portable speaker on sale and it's great. Hooks up to a regular MP3 player (which I have 4 of... they were on sale for $5 each).

Download whatever music/sounds to the MP3, hook it up to speakers in each room.... borrow some portable speakers, use computer speakers - basically dig up whatever you can. The 'problem' is getting a hold of enough music devices to fill your need -- use MP3 players, cd players (just burn a disc), use existing devices in the room (computer, tv, surround sound).

EDIT: You can also find many free sounds/ambiance online. My suggestions:

Little kids laughing/playing/singing
carnival music (carousel)
creaking noises (imagine stationary carnival rides that are moving and shifting in a slight breeze - metallic sounds)
of course like Poison said, clown music -- or even clown laughter
I'm always a fan of less-is-more -- which in this case, I'd use simple sounds like the creaking, distant sounds, not right-in-your-face loud scary stuff... but that's just me.

 

[streakn]

I like it DT. We finally pulled our wallets out, waved the moths away and decided on this exact technique. In the future I'd like to "computerize it" and have it all through a computer system.

Poison, finding the music is not the problem. Seperating each room with their own music is...that sample tarck was sick though. Thanks, I have it on my NEED TO HAVE list now. lol

 

[renumqui]

This is an interesting discussion. thank you for sharing
That's pretty good.
Good post. I appreciate it

 

[streakn]

Does anyone know how the larger haunts do it?

 

[Dr. Dark]

I have three of the Halloween Howlers, and plug them in to small guitar amps. They have a built in PIR sensor, and really work great. They are a bit of an expense, though.

 

[streakn]

Thanks Doc. I Googled Haloween Howlers with no luck. Could you provide a link?

 

[gepeters]

To add-on to this discussion: I am looking for a system that allows different music to be coordinated in several rooms.

For example, like how Disney does it in their parks or specifically, in the parades. You are able to play different songs but match them so that as a person walks through each area, there is a constant theme but different music or sound effects.

Anyone know of a consumer (affordable) system available?

 

[Cab]

streakn,
If I may ask... what is your budget for audio?

Cab

 

[Rich B]

A few ideas here -
Digital Sound Systems - Haunted House Forums
Using PCs as a central haunt control system. - Haunted House Forums
Sound Program? - Haunted House Forums

 

[streakn]

Cab, the budget is split between 3-4 of us, so it hasn't really been discussed. We are opn to anything as long as it will benefit the haunt.

 

[streakn]

Thanks Rich B. Sounds complicated. I'm not computer savvy at all. My friends at our haunt call me the imagineer. I do a lot of the design, research, makeup, and final details. Actually, now that I think of it, we don't have a real tech savvy crew member. I guess my wife is the closest thing to a computer person. I'll need to find one.

 

[Morbius J Kromwell]

I have a couple of Clown mixes you can have for free. They are on GraveCast.com I created these for haunts in the past and let anyone who wants them use them. The 2 clown tracks I did are Boingo and FunHouse Reflections.

 

[Morbius J Kromwell]

One cheaper idea I know a local haunt did a few years back, take two mono versions of a track, make a cd where the right side was one room, the left another, run wire to speakers and run 2 rooms from one small boom box. Low cost, not that hard to do.

 

[streakn]

Thanks Morbius. It sounds like we're gonna have several Ipod type radios playing in the rooms and the main stereo unit out front

 

[Cab]

Hi streakn,
I'm afraid my solution is a rather expensive investment.
I'm a professional live sound engineer, and we use audio equipment that would probably cost about $1,200 per room... $2,000 if you added a subwoofer.

Just for the record, here is what we would use:
2 x JBL Control 28 speakers per room - $350 per pair
1 x JBL Control SB210 Subwoofer - $465
1 x Crown XLS 202D 2-Channel Power Amplifier for JBL Control 28's- $300
1 x Crown XLS 402D 2-Channel Power Amplifier for JBL Sub - $400
1 x Yamaha MG82CX 8-Channel Audio Mixer - $160
Total - $1,675 (and that's not including the cabling you would need).

Some of the best prices available to individuals who are not dealers or reps for the above gear can be found at B&H Photo Video | Digital Cameras, Camcorders. I get my discounts through work, of course. But I have purchased from BH before, and have had good service. They also have good pics of the gear I have listed above.
All speakers are small, compact, and built for indoor/outdoor use... we use them for the Oakland California Zoo Lights Festival during December through January.

It sounds like you have come up with a solution that works for your haunt.
However... if you are ever interested in making the investment - just for one room (even if it's not until next year), then please feel free to PM me... I'll walk you through it. You'll need plastic surgery to remove the smile from your face.

Cab

 

[streakn]

That's awesome CAB, that's exactly what I want to do. Now if I can convince the wife to sell our children for the purchase... Now, how many songs or bits or whatever can be played out from the channel mixer? Is it downloaded onto the mixer then played out??? Questions, questions, questions.

 

[streakn]

Okay CAB, no fair, I've begun my search on EBAY, Craigslist, etc. for better deals. Now. with my lack of experience in the studio world...how the F does it work?

 

[Cab]

Stand-by streakn... I'm trying to put things in lay-mans terms.
Give me about 30 minutes.

Cab