BillFitzmaurice.info

bzb wrote:
What do you think of something comparable to the size of the ZX1s, along the lines of 4-5 piezos and 2 of the Alpha6C?

A half SLA-Pro would cover that base.

Despite being a great value, I was hoping I could do the whole project for around $400. The 2 possible savings I see would be a less expensive driver and maybe save a little money on paint/finish.

Pyle has some drivers about 1/2 the price and Dayton and Goldwood have some for around $20 each. Would any of these be suitable replacements.

johns811 wrote:Despite being a great value, I was hoping I could do the whole project for around $400. The 2 possible savings I see would be a less expensive driver and maybe save a little money on paint/finish.

Pyle has some drivers about 1/2 the price and Dayton and Goldwood have some for around $20 each. Would any of these be suitable replacements.

You could do the half size ones as referenced above. Three piezos and two Alpha6Cs wired in series. I would think those would outperform the EV ZX1-90s.

You take the $530, minus the $70 for Duratex and the $50 for grills, and you're at your price point for the full size cabs.

I still would need to finsih and have grills, maybe less expensive which would help stay in budget. There is a Dayton driver part no 295-020 that I was wondering would be an adequate substitute.

johns811 wrote:I still would need to finsih and have grills, maybe less expensive which would help stay in budget. There is a Dayton driver part no 295-020 that I was wondering would be an adequate substitute.

Maybe Bill can comment on its usage. I stopped trying to use cheaper drivers after experiencing the difference first hand.

johns811 wrote:I still would need to finsih and have grills, maybe less expensive which would help stay in budget. There is a Dayton driver part no 295-020 that I was wondering would be an adequate substitute.

Technically if the specs are OK they'll work. Experience tells us that where less expensive drivers come up short is in midrange clarity. Good midrange requires tight manufacturing tolerances, and not having tight manufacturing tolerances is why less expensive drivers are less expensive.

I looked into using some other drivers. The aurasound 6 at madisound, in particular, and realized that they had about 3 Db less sensitivity and worse power handling (IIRC) so I figured I would have to make four of them to match max spl. Even with the driver being less than half the price of the Alpha 6, it still would have cost me more, have to pack more stuff, and spend twice the time building to get the same performance. Now max spl is not everything, but I still think this sounds like great deal with the good drivers. I will be ordering my kits for these on Friday as a matter of fact. It sound like if you do another finish, cheaper grill, and skip the espresso stand a couple of times ( or something similar), you should be able to hit your budget.

My .02

Benj

bzb, are you using a custom preset on your xti (usually starts at #6)?

Yes, it's a custom one called T39SLA I made in SA.

I have used the Pyle Pro PDMW6 in a 6W12T using the GT302 for tweet and it is amazingly clear. Ask the guys who attended the Chicago Area Hang last fall. You will give up a few dB in response level and would recommend putting in handles to seal up the cab.

We have run that cab up on an XTI4000 to full power then induced feedback (that is when we blew 5 tweets. Replaced blown tweets and all is good. I really want to try one of Bill's SLA Pro cabs to see the difference between the Piezos and Dome tweets.

The Piezo has the advantage of simpler crossover and cheaper too.

Got to play out with them a couple times. They sound great, quite flat to my ears. Top end can be notched a bit. Grills supposed to arrive Thursday.

In a dark bar, they stick out like a sore thumb I'll take a/b video against a matrix 1000 v2 and the EV Zx1 sometime soon. Much more sensitive than either (duh) and get far louder. They are much cleaner sounding than either of the small tops, the high mid range being most dominant. Voice and guitar seemed to cut through more than the rest in the few songs I tested.

Any suggestions for songs for the test?

Run a good mix through them. From things like 1812 to Madonna to Hip Hop to WhatEVER you are going to play. See where it stacks up and if anything is missing. Also play songs you know intimately as see what you may have missed otherwise.

I still like Madonna for reference just because I know it and if it is right on the ballads you should hear the resonance in her chest not just her voice. Yeah it is there on mid to later work.

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote:Good midrange requires tight manufacturing tolerances, and not having tight manufacturing tolerances is why less expensive drivers are less expensive.

Don't the looser tolerances balance out when used in multiples though?
I heard a pair of 16 driver arrays made with cheapo 4" full-rangers, and they sounded great through the mids, if somewhat lacking in bottom end.

A

Alien wrote:
Don't the looser tolerances balance out when used in multiples though?

They do, but four drivers isn't enough to accomplish that. The more drivers you use the lower quality/price you can use, but the opposite also applies.

Updated original post with pictures.

I've completed the pair and they're already booked for 3 gigs this summer. First wedding gig is May 14th.

This first picture has the one on the left with the grill foam. The one on the right isn't 100% finished in this picture, but it's intended to show that they really don't look too bad in white without the grill foam. The grill needs one more coat of paint and it'll be mounted.


slapro1 by bzbatl, on Flickr

Got some bags made by Connie. Quick turnaround, cost about $60. connietookie23@aol.com


slapro2 by bzbatl, on Flickrg]