# Rave Zombie



## nathancarter (Aug 7, 2012)

I don't know what your budget is like, but we recently bought one of this and it works surprisingly well. Pretty loud for its small size, and decent bass for its small size too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HHICKC/ref=oh_details_o05_s01_i00

It's got a built-in rechargeable (not replaceable) battery, but I don't know what the battery life is like. It's never run out on us, but... we've never used it to run an all-night zombie rave party, either.

[edit:] You already have the speakers/? Got pics of them?


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

Good find. It would be awesome if I could purchase two of them and have THOSE attached to my shoulders! I would need a multi-out put for my iPod but those aren't too hard to find. The main thing though is that I want my hands to be free. In past years I've always had something to hold on to and I want to have the mobility freedom this time around. Another possibility for the speakers is maybe attaching them to the sides of my legs, but shoulders are preferred. I've attached a photo of the speakers that I currently have. The cord is about three feet long so it provides me with the range to twist my body as well. Thoughts?


----------



## WitchDr13 (Oct 31, 2011)

Two thoughts: 
First - RadioShack has simple RCA extension cables fairly cheap so you wouldn't be limited to 3' if placement limits your range of motion.
Second - Does it *have* to be left and right (shoulders or legs)? How about on your chest behind your tie and on your back (So they hear you coming and going...)


----------



## Immortalia (Nov 2, 2009)

Just go out to Big Lots or any of the package stores like that and look at the small portable speakers that are made by IHome, specifically for the IPOD. Some are even wireless and they are all very affordable.

Here are a couple of options:

http://www.ihomeaudio.com/iDM8RC/#tech_specs

http://www.ihomeaudio.com/iHM61W/ These change colors, pretty cool.


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

WitchDr13-
Thanks for the extension tip. I'll be sure to look into it some more.
I had the notion of putting one in the front and back, but I decided against it because I didn't want to look like a hunchbacked uni-boob, haha. I believe that when I play the dub step at full volume however, they'll for sure be able to hear me coming and going. This is one costume that will not be easy to sneak around in.


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

Immortalia-
Wireless Speakers, eh? Something that I haven't considered yet. I'll be sure to check them out. The problem remains though on how I would attach them to my costume? I would need to be able to attach them to a base and then attach a base to myself. Thoughts or suggestions?
P.S.- Changing colors is very good with this outfit.


----------



## nathancarter (Aug 7, 2012)

Drill a couple of small holes in the legs/feet.
Use machine screws and nuts to attach it to small L-brackets.
Make a little reinforcement plate out of scrap plastic*, with holes that line up with the L-brackets.
Punch holes in the tops of your coat shoulders that line up with the L-brackets.
Put the plastic plate on the inside of the coat, put machine screws through the plate and then through the coat, and bolt on the L-brackets and speakers.

*I've gotten scrap plastic form all sorts of stuff... old retail display cases, product packaging, junk you find at a yard sale, discards and garbage of all sorts. Cut it to shape with a Dremel, or score it with a hobby knife and snap it.

The bigger you make the reinforcement plates, the less the speakers will flop around up on your shoulders... especially if you can find a curved piece of plastic that fits over your shoulder. How about a section of a fat piece of PVC pipe?


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

Would it be possible to attach the speakers without damaging the coat? On the flip side, would it be easier to simply purchase an old coat from a thrift store and use that instead? The only issue is that it'll ass more $$$ to the bottom line, so the cheapest and safest route in this scenario is the way to go. On the notion of placing the speakers through the curved plastic reinforcement plates or PVC pipe, is there a way to pad the underside so that the screw head doesn't dig into my shoulders the entire night?


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)




----------



## nathancarter (Aug 7, 2012)

Whatdya mean, "would it be possible?" Sure, with a little inventiveness. You've already described exactly what you want to do, you don't need my permission to do it  I guess it depends on how much space you have to work with, and what tools you have at your disposal.

How about this:
Speakers attached to the PVC curves as described above. PVC curves fit over the top of your coat. You'll need to paint/distress them to make them look good since they'll be visible. There's a thread around here on making manacles out of PVC pipe, take a look at that.

Get a couple of old leather belts from the thrift store. Cut them in two pieces, about eight inches in from the buckle end. Screw or rivet the cut ends to the corners of the PVC pipe. Loop the tongue end of the belt behind your back and under your armpit, buckle it on the front of your chest.

You may need a reinforcement rod that goes across the PVC shoulder mounts in the back to help hold them in place, so they don't crawl up your neck.

I'll see if I can sketch something up when I get home. It's kinda turning into frankenstein-armored-rave-zombie but that might still be cool.


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

This is sounding awesome! I'm loving your ideas. I don't mind the Frankenstein aspect... but in fact I love it! 
Yea, I might need to see a drawing of your idea because I'm having trouble picturing it in my head. So the belt ends attach in the front or back of the PVC pipes? Or both?
I'll see if I can find the manacle tutorial as well. Thanks for your input!


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

Possible music to play through the speakers. If anyone has any further suggestions let me hear' em!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Waqn0jBG58
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEWJ32ZF2i0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z-rlCPzdtw


----------



## nathancarter (Aug 7, 2012)

Here's a quick sketch. Sorry I'm not good at drawing on my tablet


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

Your drawing skills are awesome! I love the depth of this sketch.
Anyway... this idea is looking better and better. I'm with you on the PVC attachment and reinforcement bars, but the belts are still a little hazy to me. Where do the buckles come into play? Is it merely two ends of the belt fastened to the PVC, or were you thinking of the belt looping around the front and coming back towards the chest? Even that concept baffles me though, haha.
Would a belt like this be easier to manipulate and work with?


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

So I was browsing the web and actually found a picture that's damn close to what I'm going for (aside from her being a... well, a her). So here's this image so that my goal might be a bit more clear if some of you are still confuffled about it.


----------



## nathancarter (Aug 7, 2012)

The buckles are on the front of the chest, a few inches down from where the belt is secured (wires, riveted, screwed, bolted) onto the PVC shoulder pad.

On the drawing, the parts that are drawn sort-of faded are the parts that would be behind your back. So, if the half-pipe of PVC is sitting on your shoulder, the cut end of the belt is permanently/securely attached to the PVC on the corner closest to your chest (I drew a couple of little black dots for screws), then the belt buckle is on your chest, then the long end of the belt goes around your side, under your armpit, and up across your back to attach to the corner on the back side of the PVC half-pipe. With the buckles on your chest, it'll be relatively easy to put the "armor" on and off.

Really, any kind of belt will do. A couple of old mis-matched black belts from Goodwill will be super cheap and look good.


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

I see, so the placement of the buckles plays no real key part in putting it on, they're always clipped and there only for show?


----------



## nathancarter (Aug 7, 2012)

You might be able to put it on without doing up the buckles... but with them on the front of your chest like that, it should be not much hassle to buckle and unbuckle them.

Thinking about it a bit more, it still might be a bit top-heavy, and tend to slide forward or backward if you move around much. So instead of strapping it around your sides, you might need to have some vertical straps going from the shoulder-pads down to your belt or pants, like suspenders.


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

Ah, okay! I'm starting to get this now. So clipping the belts about eight inches from the end, I would then attach the punched sides of the belts together at my chest and clip them there. Makes so much more sense now.
I agree with the suspender-esk idea. Would rigid poles on either side of me work better, or would actual elastic suspenders be better do you think?


----------



## nathancarter (Aug 7, 2012)

Probably not something rigid, as you'll still need to be able to move your torso about - leaning, twisting, sitting, etc.

You may not need to pad the underside of the shoulder pads if they are over your shirt and coat. If you want padding, you could probably get some foam rubber of some sort (pipe insulation or something) and adhere it to the inside of the shoulder pads with glue or spray adhesive or something. Adds a marginal amount of weight but probably a lot of comfort.

You probably also don't want them perfectly level (like in my drawing) unless your shoulders are perfectly level (they're probably not).
You probably also don't need a full half of a pipe - probably about a 1/3 section will be plenty.
-- something like one of these, cut into thirds.. maybe 4" is too small, maybe you need 6" if you have big shoulders: http://www.lowes.com/pd_23284-1814-...6__?productId=3132707&Ntt=8"+pvc+pipe+fitting

You may need a friend to help you mark where the rigid back bar will fit. After getting the pipe cut, put on the shirt and coat, set the pipe pieces on your shoulders where they'll be most comfortable and least restrictive, and have a friend hold your rigid cross-bar on the back and mark the outline of it with a Sharpie on the pipe pieces.


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

Awesome! I went out today and followed your suggestion, purchasing a 4" PVC pipe. After cutting it in half with a hack saw I found it to be a near-perfect fit on my shoulders after some fiddling and sand papering of them. They're in the garage drying from a base coat of black paint that I applied, but after they dry I'll probably mount the speakers on them individually and THEN figure out where the supporting bar will go. (It'll make the job more maneuverable and less of an overall hassle.) After I get the support pipe on as well as the speakers, my next thought would be to drill the holes into the corners of the pieces and fit two ring belts (the kind where you loop them through the loops opposed to a buckle system) onto the whole "chassis" system. After that it's up in the air as far as the suspenders go. I'm still debating whether to attach them the same way as the belts of to have some sort of clip system? Thoughts? I also purchased two PVC clamps (size 8", but they can obviously shrink to the size that I need them to be) on the hope that they'll balance out the system as well, wrapping them around the PVC pieces and under my arms for further support. Am I missing anything or should anything else be done?


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

Part of my costume so far. Thoughts?


----------



## nathancarter (Aug 7, 2012)

I think those pipe clamps will be very uncomfortable underneath your armpits - but you could do a test fit and wear the thing for a few minutes and see how they work. They might abrade the coat a little bit where they rub in your armpits as well.

It'll probably just take some trial-and-error to figure out a support method that is comfortable and secure.


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

Good thoughts. I'll definitely play around with it.


----------



## Instant Monsters (Jun 15, 2011)

Cool concept! Can't wait to see the whole thing


----------



## Immortalia (Nov 2, 2009)

Have you considered the heavy duty strength velcro by chance? You could tack the bottom to your shoulders without removing the adhesive cover so it could easily be removed after Halloween and then use the adhesive to attach the other side to the bottom of the speakers. If you are using the small portable ones the velcro should handle the weight fine.


----------



## churchofsubgenius (Sep 8, 2008)

Don't forget your pacifier


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

The adhesive velcro approach is a great idea! I hadn't thought of that. I'll look into it and see how strong and durable they make of a base surface. In likelihood I'll probably apply it to the bottom of the PVC pipe base I already made and that way they won't wobble as much. Keep you posted as it comes along!


----------



## WereEagle19 (Feb 15, 2012)

So after some deliberation and thought regarding the costume, I've decided to do some researching on hockey and football pads for the portable speaker system. The "chasey system" that I originally was trying to build has proved to be a little tedious and temperamental, and hopefully this method should prove more cooperative than the last. I'll upload some pictures when I have some progress to show.


----------



## Crunch (Oct 23, 2008)

Commenting to subscribe. I haven't read everything but looks/sounds cool so far. I like the black and lime green combination on almost anything.


----------

