W8 melded array

Post your reviews and pictures here.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
MarcBass
Posts: 108
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 6:41 pm
Location: Toowoomba, Qld, Australia

W8 melded array

#1 Post by MarcBass »

G’day Guys,
I’ve been running a pair of W8 (melded array) since late last year and haven’t gotten around to a review. Some interesting developments at a gig on Friday night have spurred me on to doing the review.

First impressions
Love the dispersion of these horn-loaded speakers. 1st run with no EQ I felt they sounded “boxy”. After auto EQ with a driverack PX they sounded very good and very loud. Their first gig was an open air (low volume) blues festival carrying vocals, drums and blues harp initially. The vocals were so strong the guitarist asked for guitar in his wedge. (He has never asked for that before!)

On-going impression
These wedges have served well for the blues outfit and a thrashy rock outfit until a couple of gigs ago when feedback was starting to be an issue. The sound quality was still fantastic but for some reason the driverack was no longer able to control feedback for the rock outfit.

EQ issues

2 gigs ago there was a change in gain structure. The band runs 4 vocal mics 3 of which are used as lead channels throughout the gig. A TC Helicon mic mechanic had been wired between mic no 3 and the desk for a vocalist with weak vocal. Also the stage was tight with the wedges closely beside the mic stands. Gains were adjusted on the fly but feedback in the higher mids were popping in here and there. Pulling the level back on foldback held it just on the edge.

At the next gig things got really freaky! This stage is smaller with the band resting against hard walls at the back and on one side but the wedges are actually further from the mics (on the floor in front of the stage). The foldback would take-off, oscillate and distort in the highs. It appeared that the guitars, a big scream from vox 1 or heavy use of some of the reverbs on the Yamaha desk would set it off. (The guitars are not running through the desk, they are bleeding through the vocal mics.) For a few sets I rode the fader for the foldback, cutting it when it took off and then easing it back up as well as avoiding the reverbs that set it off (plate reverb & stage reverb).

A Peavey CS800 was being used to drive the wedges instead of the usual Phonic max 1500. By the end of the third set I had dialled the sensitivity of the CS back to 12 O’clock and then attacked the EQ. EQ had been set for “nice” sound. Remembering Bills comments about mid hump matching vocal audibility range I checked the GEQ to find cuts in the low mids and odd boosts in the highs. Flicking the GEQ off and dialling a high cut from 10K up and 100 down on the PEQ seemed to get it all back under control.

Final thoughts for now:
Amazing design. Light, very easy to load. Even though mine were mostly built by a registered builder - well worth building. Just trust the advice in the forum and plans when it comes to EQ and operation.
Attachments
Blues gig
Blues gig
W8 3(1).jpg
Built:
2 T39 24 inch 3012LF
2 W8 melded array Fane Sovereign 8-225 loaded
2 W8 flat array Delta Pro 8
2 Omni 12 (2*10 BP102) TallBoy
2 SLA pro 4x6

Bought:
2 OT12's 3012 / NSD


Next Build: 2 SLA pro 2x6

Post Reply