BillFitzmaurice.info

bitSmasher wrote:What music were you playing when testing?
I'd expect the T30s to sound honky and wonky in the low/mids (ie 200hz). The Jack 15s will crossover fairly low too, so definitely be prepared for fiddling around with that a bit.
Look out, it's a roller coaster of a learning curve

To call it a test would be an exaggeration. It was more like seeing if everything powered up and worked whilst in a relatively small room (+/- 12' X 24'). The sub cabs were only a few feet away from the tops and definitely not set up in the manner I intend to use them. To say vocals and low mids were easy to distinguish in such an arrangement would not be true and definitely not a good control for a test. To really test this right, I will set it up in my back yard. It will be facing a School for the Deaf and Blind... I imagine it could be quite confusing for them... Anyway, I'll be far more prepared to tell the quality of the sound at that time. Glad the DBX is easy to adjust.

el_ingeniero wrote:

bitSmasher wrote:What music were you playing when testing?
I'd expect the T30s to sound honky and wonky in the low/mids (ie 200hz). The Jack 15s will crossover fairly low too, so definitely be prepared for fiddling around with that a bit.
Look out, it's a roller coaster of a learning curve

Good point. Given the Jack 15s low extension, I'd cross over even lower than 100 Hz. Try 80.

Check... Would I want the Sub and Tops to overlap a range of a few Hz?

No overlap.

You may want to highpass the Jacks higher than you lowpass the Tubas, just to reduce the need for EQ.

Roger that. To leave a small gap in Hz range between where I low pass the Tubas and where I high pass the jacks is acceptable perhaps beneficial for EQ balance between tops and subs. Does that sum it up? Just making sure I have this worked out in my head correctly. Thanks for your responses!

That's it, you got it. Make sure you have a decent crossover.

I got the last braces set this weekend on the final two cabs. Screwed down the access panels and wired up the Connectors. I hauled every thing out side in did a quick set up.

I ran a 60 Hz tone through the amp and now I am able to get almost 70 volts through the XLS 2000 with all setting maxed out. I adjusted the limiter down to 34 volts. Set the crossover to high pass the subs at 30Hz and crossed over at 100 Hz. The filters were set with a Linkwitz Riley 24 DB slope. I set the Jack 15's to high pass at 102 Hz.

Hooked up an RTA mike and Eq'ed the system. Sounded good, then I found one of the cabs was out of phase, fixed that and let it rip. Its a screamer of a system. I am destined to be loved in the neighborhood. I also feel like I got a great work out moving those sub cabs around. They make the Jack 15's seem light.



Soldering up the connectors. Then I coated them in hot melt glue




The basic Cab setup, I will need a longer XLR cable for the RTA Mic.


Setting up some of the basic electronics, I will be getting another XLS but I tested with a friends amp running the tops.

For your sake, I hope you are very close friends with all of your neighbors in a 1/2 mile radius... or else ! For a personal sound system, it doesn't get much better than what you have there. Nice build!

Awesome rig!

Now, go build yourself a V-plate and stick em' in a corner!

This is my dream rig! Sick setup!

67baja wrote:For your sake, I hope you are very close friends with all of your neighbors in a 1/2 mile radius... or else ! For a personal sound system, it doesn't get much better than what you have there. Nice build!

Thanks! I am already a neighborhood favorite... They have blood curdling, screaming, omnipresent children. I have a Stereo that I can't get past 5-10% of its capacity. I call it even. Ke Sera.

Michael Ewald Hansen wrote:Awesome rig!

Now, go build yourself a V-plate and stick em' in a corner!

Thanks... It will get V Plated, just need to pick up the wood and steel and then duratexx the whole thing.

bassmonster wrote:This is my dream rig! Sick setup!

Thanks to you too, not quite complete yet, but its getting a lot closer.

I have been building this entire rig to have great sound at some parties I throw. My next big ordeal is on July 7th, so I have been tuning the system and working out the details. I now have a basic mixer (( A Behringer Xenyx 1204 USB, http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/1204USB.aspx) and a DI box (An EWI DBC-2A, http://www.audiopile.net/products/DI_Bo ... heet.shtml). I have a net book running into a DJ I/O card (http://www.numark.com/product/djio) which runs RCA to the DI box. I have XLR running from the DI to TRS into the stereo inputs on the mixer. The mixer runs XLR to a DRPA+, which in turn is XLR to two amps. Amps are Speakon to the tops and subs. I have the power routed through a rack mounted power distribution box. I don't expect any power conditioning, but it does display incoming voltage and makes power wiring easy.

Long story short, after I got it all worked out running balanced signal from the DI, the cabinets are dead silent at rest. No fuzz, no buzz. It sounds amazing. I will be VERY proud to present this for the party goers. I will take some pictures of the set up and post them here. I want to thank everyone for the input and help thus far.

Traijin wrote:

el_ingeniero wrote:

bitSmasher wrote: I'd expect the T30s to sound honky and wonky in the low/mids (ie 200hz). The Jack 15s will crossover fairly low too, so definitely be prepared for fiddling around with that a bit.

Good point. Given the Jack 15s low extension, I'd cross over even lower than 100 Hz. Try 80.

Check... Would I want the Sub and Tops to overlap a range of a few Hz?

I ran "my personal" system with a Tuba 30 pair at the limit (and then some) this weekend. Everybody was going crazy with tracks from the likes of DMX and lmfao so it was a good stress test. It's not the typical use for it but thanks to properly calibrated subwoofer limits I had no worries. Slammin' sound and pretty crazy to hear what it could do. Plenty loud and super clear.

I was at 90 Hz, 48dB/octave but usually like a little lower x-over frequency. The built in limiters on the Drivecore 2000xls driving my tops were kicking in due to the low end and at 75Hz would have been even worse. Always be ready to adjust on the fly. The best thing is to know your gear well and that means knowing what makes it sound bad too so experiment as much as you can in as many venues as you are able. Generally there's no need to gap unless you're trying to cure a known ill and that's your only way to deal with it.

Traijin wrote:It will be facing a School for the Deaf and Blind... I imagine it could be quite confusing for them...

I grew up in that neighborhood. We used to sled down the hill between the schools near the ravine area in the winter. Aren't many hills there but as a kid that was a fun one. I also remember many years later cutting school one day with friends, using the route to avoid being seen. We dared each other to cross using that nearby pipe high up in the air that connected at each side. At least back then as kids it seemed high...

I was at 90 Hz, 48dB/octave but usually like a little lower x-over frequency. The built in limiters on the Drivecore 2000xls driving my tops were kicking in due to the low end and at 75Hz would have been even worse. Always be ready to adjust on the fly. The best thing is to know your gear well and that means knowing what makes it sound bad too so experiment as much as you can in as many venues as you are able. Generally there's no need to gap unless you're trying to cure a known ill and that's your only way to deal with it.

I'm running the Xover at 80 Hz at the moment. I kept hearing the low end of vocals in the subs at 95 Hz. This still lets the Jack 15's stretch their legs and the Tubas do the rest. I'll be wrapping up my V plate this weekend. I think it will be a bunch of fun, this years big party is not a pig roast, just BBQ'ing some sausage, pork shoulders, briskets and chicken. I will have plenty of time to play around with the sound. Trying to arrange to have a few police officer friends at the party, it will be some good proactive measures to avoid possible authority conflicts later.

I grew up in that neighborhood. We used to sled down the hill between the schools near the ravine area in the winter. Aren't many hills there but as a kid that was a fun one. I also remember many years later cutting school one day with friends, using the route to avoid being seen. We dared each other to cross using that nearby pipe high up in the air that connected at each side. At least back then as kids it seemed high...

Yup, that ravine is just a couple hundred yards from my house. Some people regard it as a hidden treasure in Columbus and hike around it routinely. The Elementary School by that area has been demo'ed and turned into a very nice park. Its a good area, except for the loud jerks like me. (I'm never being loud after 10:00 PM though)

Worked hard on the Tubas over the weekend. Got the V plate built and finished. Put a nice round-over all around the plate and bought a piece of 1/2 inch cold rolled pipe stock. I used a porta-band to cut the pipe in 1/2" and 3/4" sleeves for the tubas and V plate respectively. This will ensure the wood does not get crushed over time and usage.

I also put a round-over all around the tubas and sanded them. Better part of 8 hours of sanding and surface prep. I got two coats of Duratex on 3 of the 4 tubas and the V plate. I love this paint product. Last night's rain put the kybosh on finishing the 4th tuba. I will get it wrapped up tonight.

System debut is on Saturday.

Her are some pics:


V Plate prior to sleeves, round-over or sanding.


Cabinets drilled for the sleeves.


Porta-band and cold rolled stock.


Typical Sleeve.


Sleeves epoxied into the plate and cabinets. Awaiting sanding and finishing.


Sanded and finished... don't mind the saw dust, it is not trapped in the finish.


Like I said, Duratex is a wonderful product.

Traijin wrote:
I'm running at 80 the Xover at 80 Hz at the moment. I kept hearing the low end of vocals in the subs at 95 Hz.

Last time I set mine up I liked 80 Hz better too. I had been at 100 hz.

Epic Rig smashing big effort! I'm sure you'll have many fun times with them!