alexclaber

[quote name='jjl5590' post='291776' date='Sep 25 2008, 02:05 PM']im confused[/quote] Take it back, take it back, take it back! Regarding amp fuses, use whichever specific type of fuse is specified in the manual. Most amps will not draw anywhere near 13A in normal use but there can be quite significant inrush current on switch-on which could require either a slow blow fuse or a higher rated fuse than you would expect. Alex

[quote name='mcgraham' post='291710' date='Sep 25 2008, 12:44 PM']Perhaps showing SPL (or whatever the relevant type is!)charts together with a simple explanation of features and understanding for interpreting what they show. DiMarzio do a simple bar graph for representing strong lows, mids and highs, perhaps that would be a more useful method of representation?[/quote] Continuing to meander off-topic, how much sense does this chart make? Red = The Big One Orange = The Compact Blue ~ Epifani UL410 Green ~ Schroeder 1212L It's showing maximum output in dB SPL as limited by both excursion limited or program power handling. Alex

[quote name='mcgraham' post='291505' date='Sep 25 2008, 09:40 AM']+1. I have to admit, it's only after reading various articles on sensitivity that I realise how sucked in we've all been into wattage ratings... and I [i]still[/i] can't help but think "man, 1500W! that's a beast"[/quote] Yeah, it's really hard to get past that! But even the sensitivity figure on its own doesn't tell you how loud the cab can go where it really matters - in the lows - because few cabs can handle their rated power in the lows. I'm still puzzling over how to present quantitative specs for my designs that won't sell them short whilst remaining honest! At least with all these forums you can build a fair picture of what a given cab can do based on everyone's experiences. Alex

Try it in every room in your house with all the lights switched off. If it does it everywhere then the power supply is faulty and you should return it. Alex

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='291488' date='Sep 25 2008, 09:24 AM']But it might sound loud to him regardless of the wattage.[/quote] I'm sure it does. But justifying such a statement with a wattage figure just continues the mythology of wattage equalling loudness. Alex

[quote name='mcgraham' post='291106' date='Sep 24 2008, 06:17 PM']Sorry for what is potentially an off topic question, what if you wanted (hypothetically) to go low and small? From my limited understanding, it seems like that would also be difficult, as 'lows' are most easily achieved in the real world by increased cab volume. Is this correct?[/quote] Small, loud, low - pick any two. There are plenty of home-cinema subs that go very low despite being very small - but they can't play very loud. The main difference between these speakers and those in a typical bass cab is that the cones are far heavier and the suspension much stiffer, which allows a lowering of Vas whilst keeping Fs the same. (Though a typical home sub has a much lower Fs than a bass guitar speaker anyway). By doing this you substantially decrease the reference efficiency and thus the sensitivity. This is also how Acme cabs manage to produce such deep lows from relatively small cabs. [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='291111' date='Sep 24 2008, 06:22 PM']I was OK with the GK wedge combo - whatever angle that was? 30 degrees?[/quote] So a taller speaker with better off-axis response (midrange driver) and a small degree of tilt will be just as effective at getting the midrange to your ears but with fewer problems from directing so much sound at the ceiling. [quote name='crez5150' post='291361' date='Sep 24 2008, 11:37 PM']Hmmm ....... well I use a JBL SRX712M which is plenty loud enough (800w RMS) in a really compact wedge.[/quote] Wattage is not a measure of loudness! Alex

Hopefully at some point next year Eminence will have a new neo 12" woofer available, which I'm planning to make a compact woofer+mid cab with. With a cab that small I think I'd build in some kind of tilt facilty because it would often be used on small stages or in rehearsals. Alex

I'd agree with your comments on the more muso music - there's some particularly appalling writing in jazz fusion. The pop tunes, particularly the Motown ones, are arguably some of the better songs of the last fifty years so in those examples it's simply a matter of taste as opposed to absolute quality. Alex

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='290448' date='Sep 23 2008, 11:20 PM']Can we please get back on topic? Wedges?[/quote] Are we off-topic? The point of a wedge is so you can hear yourself better. If you can achieve the same result with a non-wedge shaped cabinet then you don't need a wedge. Alex

[quote name='OldGit' post='290151' date='Sep 23 2008, 05:41 PM']That doesn't do what a digital compressor (like the Aphex) does, as I found out when I bought one of each ....[/quote] Optical, not digital. LED shines at light dependant resistor - the brighter the LED the higher the resistance of the LDR and the greater the compression. Alex

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='290293' date='Sep 23 2008, 08:17 PM']With all due respect even a well braced lightweight cab will vibrate because of cone movement. The bracing just means the whole box will vibrate instead of the walls, and thats whats happening with the EBS cab when its tipped on its back edge.[/quote] With all due respect the total cone mass in a 2x10" or 1x15" including the related air load is little more than 100g. Such a mass moving back and forth by a few mm is not going to make a mass more than one hundred times as great move in any significant way. Based on my experience most bass cabs, whether lightweight or heavyweight are underbraced and underdamped. Tilt an Acme cab up and it won't go anywhere because it's really solidly built and properly braced, despite the high excursion woofers creating far more internal pressure than on a run of the mill cab. Alex

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='290162' date='Sep 23 2008, 05:49 PM']I think it would need supports on both sides or a frame. Once a lightweight cab starts vibrating with mids and lows its very easy for it to tilt either way. I've had a cab fall completely on its back even though its been propped up against a wall because its been shaking so much while tilted on its back edge that its started walking.[/quote] That's a clear sign of a cab with insufficient bracing. I'm finding interesting to note that I'm doing about everything possible to make a cab as light as possible, and it's quite complicated, yet there are a few other makers producing equally light cabs without all the clever stuff to stop the cab resonating. A well-braced cab should stand up perfectly well with 3 points of contact. [quote name='The Funk' post='290159' date='Sep 23 2008, 05:46 PM']Is this a stupid question: does this mean generally that the smaller the speaker the greater the dispersion BUT the smaller the speaker the higher the frequency range AND the higher the frequency range the smaller the dispersion?[/quote] Any sound source has two limits - the one below which all frequencies are radiated omnidirectionally and the one above which all frequencies are beamed (projected in a very narrow spotlight type beam). The omnidirectional frequency limit is two octaves below the beaming limit. In between the two the sound transitions from omnidirectional to forwards only and then in a gradually narrowing cone until it is beaming. Courtesy of Eminence: Note that this theoretical and assumes that all frequencies radiate equally from the speaker. In reality you get much more of the high frequency output from the middle of the cone and also from the dustcap itself. One of the speakers I use doesn't have much output from the dustcap because it's a really stiff woofer and cap, whilst the other has a lot of output specifically from the dustcap so despite the speaker being a 15" you still get a good amount of output off-axis above 1kHz. Also note that as soon as you put a pair of speakers side by side they interact in various ways and one result is the dispersion ability approximately halving in the plane of their width. Alex

If you need the cab tilted back at 45 degrees or more then you could achieve that with a threaded rod with rubber foot that screws into a socket in the back of the cab. [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='290037' date='Sep 23 2008, 03:18 PM']I know you've mentioned a cone of 30 degrees radiating out from the speaker but in practice, on stage, I definitely [i]need[/i] to have a cone more or less pointing at my ears to hear it properly.[/quote] I thought I mustn't have explained that clearly enough. If your mids are coming from a 12" woofer than you probably need to be within about 10 degrees of on-axis to get all of them. If your mids are coming from a 6.5" woofer then you could be 30 deg off and still hear them well. The dispersion is inversely proportional to the size of the source. Alex

[quote name='lowhand_mike' post='289750' date='Sep 23 2008, 11:03 AM']he has a folder with all the lyrics in front of him on a stand so missing words/verses/chorus is just not on but that happened alot and is very off putting.[/quote] He probably doesn't remember the lyrics because he subconsciously knows he has a crib sheet to help him out. Ban him from using his folder at rehearsals and he should rapidly improve. Also as said elsewhere record your rehearsals and gigs so he can hear how bad he sounds and take steps to improve! Alex

As I've said before, the problem with wedge cabs for bass is that the internal volume is much less which leads to much less bass response. Some kind of fold out or removable tilting mechanism would be a better bet IMO. Alex

Nowadays very little, if any, of the beginner stuff is hopelessly bad. Just buy what you can afford, don't spend much, and get playing! Alex

On another forum Max Valentino highly advocates the Demeter Compulator for live use (in the studio he has some of those crazy expensive valve beasts). A good man to listen to on that front! The Aphex Punch Factory is a great choice if you want a more transparent compressor. I used to use a TE Dual Compressor which works well if you don't mind the very midrangey EQ it inflicts on everything - good for punching through a rock band. Alex

We're The Reluctant and we play BritSkunk (kind of ska funk influenced rather English sounding rock original stuff). We loiter around Brighton. I play bass, sing and do quite a lot of the writing. [url="http://www.myspace.com/thereluctantmusic"]http://www.myspace.com/thereluctantmusic[/url] Alex

A QSC PLX fits perfectly but you wouldn't want any deeper an amp. Compare the specs and you have your answer! Alex

My '87 Warwick Streamer has a cherry body and sounds very nice. Cherry appears to have fallen out of favour as a tonewood because its relatively expensive and doesn't look fancy but that doesn't mean it isn't a good body wood. It isn't the lightest of woods, so bear that in mind with body shapes / chambering. Alex

Sepultura - Roots Alex

[quote name='lateralus462' post='281970' date='Sep 11 2008, 04:38 PM']Not if you use the blend control and eq properly!!![/quote] Not the ODB-3 specifically, just pointing out that bass distortion in general is easily lost if it's under distorted guitar. If you're already going for a bright fresh string sound with a pick and plenty of growl from the instrument adding a distortion pedal is arguably an unnecessary detail, live. Alex

Didn't get as far as the solo'd bit - the ODB-3 has that kind of nasty s/s distortion though it's often lost once the rest of the band is playing. Try cranking the gain on your head, that may give you a similar distortion. Alex

Excellent, some things I wouldn't have thought of! Keep them coming... Alex

Try a boost around 400Hz and 2.5kHz and a scoop in between. Try having either your neck or bridge pickup backed off to let the growl from a dominant pickup come through. Alex