stevie

Good choice.

No, that's hearsay.

Got any proper test data on this well-known trial?

Well, this is what he says about it: Grundsätzlich ist mir der Preamp des 800b viel zu schlapp. Viel zu wenig Gain. Wenn man die Endstufe direkt (also wirklich alles umgeht) mit einem guten Preamp zB. dem API Tranzformer anfährt, klingt es um Welten besser. Auch über den EFX Return wird das Signal schlapp und träge. Des Weiteren verkraftet der Return keine hohen Pegel, es knackt dann immer wieder seltsam. Habe dies schon bei 2 verschiedenen 800b's erlebt. Obwohl grundsätzlich linear ist mir die ganze Preamp Sektion viel zu träge und schlecht. Da lohnt sich das moden meiner Meinung nach nicht.

According to the comments quoted by @kodiakblair, the preamp lets it down. It's OK, but not great. Not surprising really.

This is all a bit of a strawman. The instructions for assembling the crossover are on page 3. We're not using a PCB; we're using a chocolate block. The resistor is fitted against the chocolate block and taped (or tie-wrapped) to it, and the chocolate block is then screwed to the cabinet. If you wire it up this way, there is no chance of the resistor wires breaking. The heaviest component isn't actually the resistor - it's the coil. And the advice there is to screw the coil directly to the cabinet.

While it's true that the resistor in the crossover isn't going to see much more than 8W, I'm a great believer in overspecifying resistors in power speakers, having seen too many burnt-out crossover boards in the past, where the resistors have overheated and taken everything else with them. The best place to get these in the UK is Blue Aran, where a 4.7 ohm 20W resistor costs 79p.

5W isn't enough. Use 17 to 20W to be on the safe side.

Be aware that fitting a sub-baffle over your existing baffle will reduce the available space between the driver and the grille. 25mm is normally enough to allow the cone to move without hitting the grille, although it depends to some extent on the driver. If you have less than this, it might be a good idea to do a 'dry run' first, i.e. screw the sub-baffle in without gluing it. If this turns out to be problematic, you can always glue a sub-baffle inside the normal baffle. It can be done, but it's more awkward and you'll need to cut the sub-baffle in half to get it in.

I wouldn't put people off using the Post Office. I've always found them quite good. However, I always use a broker like ParcelToGo, as recommended by @BassAdder27, as they are a lot cheaper for the same service.

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/desktop-window-manager-dwm-exe

It looks like your PC isn't seeing all your memory. 470MB isn't particularly high usage. So the DAW isn't the cause of your problem. You can see how much memory your system is seeing under System/About (or search in the search bar for memory). Or, from the Task Manager (which you displayed above) click the Performance tab and you'll see the total amount of memory available to the system. You could also try the Windows Memory Diagnostic - do a search for it in the search bar on your PC. 16GB would be better, but you still shouldn't be using 95% of 8GB without any large programs running. One of your memory sticks might be duff (or not properly inserted) and you might actually only have 4GB available.

No, you're not. 😁

Sensible decision.

Thanks, Skidder. Thing is, you're a bit limited with just piano and Hammond. It would be good to have the usual popular synth sounds as well. We're going to be experimenting with the various items of recommended software this weekend.

Sad. They were trying to do something a bit different, but the past couple of years haven't been great for small companies in the music business.

OK - Android is out. Thank you. Cantabile for Windows looks really good. What would be the equivalent for an iPhone or iPad?

I'm not surprised you're confused.

For a 12" speaker to produce 137dB, it would have to be able to handle 5,000 watts and have an xmax of 12 inches. Just sayin' 😃

I think I need to do some research on this. I loved the DS61 but also like the idea of using the midi keyboard with plugins. We have a Roland A-49, which seems to have a good reputation and has midi and USB sockets. Computer-wise, we have the choice of a (fast) Windows laptop, an iPhone or a fairly recent Samsung Galaxy tablet (Android). I've also got a small USB mixer that could be pressed into service. Amplification isn't a problem. The big question is the software. I had a listen to VB3m and it sounds amazing. My impression is that a fully-featured DAW could be a bit overwhelming for live work and that something simple (with high quality plugins) would suffice. My lad is doing A level music and can probably get hold of software through the school.

No iPad, I'm afraid not. iPhones only.

I'm afraid the Stevie household is Microsoft-based. 😊

This one keeps coming up. I think you'll find, @Downunderwonder that the attenuator is just that - an L-pad attenuator as found in most bass cabs with a tweeter. A lot of people seem to believe it's more complicated than it is. An L-pad by definition changes the crossover point, which is why nobody but bass cab manufacturers - and 1960s Japanese hi-fi speaker manufacturers - use them.

I've used their rehearsal studios a few times. I think a visit is on the cards.