Line array speakers
I'm a newbie when it comes to making any comments on these forums, but I had to jump in on this thread because I did build a pair of 20 speaker line arrays based on the article in AudioExpress and was amazed at things I heard out of my lp records that I had never heard before. Unfortunately, I had to leave them with my step-son as they would not have traveled very well as we moved to AR. Yes, they were bass deficient and needed more hi end, but when you start forgetting about the system and start hearing the music, that is what it is all about isn't it!
I agree with a lot of what has been said about the horrible state of commercial recording, what with compression, etc. I love the recordings that were done with 3 or less microphones!
As an aside, Bob Brines. At some point in time I would love to meet with you to discuss the state of Hi-Fi Audio and other audio subjects. Since I am in moderation until I make some Posts I couldn't e-mail you. I will try to contact you otherwise in the future.
I am an Audiophile always looking for the inexpensive way to get what I want in Audio.
I'm a newbie when it comes to making any comments on these forums, but I had to jump in on this thread because I did build a pair of 20 speaker line arrays based on the article in AudioExpress and was amazed at things I heard out of my lp records that I had never heard before. Unfortunately, I had to leave them with my step-son as they would not have traveled very well as we moved to AR. Yes, they were bass deficient and needed more hi end, but when you start forgetting about the system and start hearing the music, that is what it is all about isn't it!
I agree with a lot of what has been said about the horrible state of commercial recording, what with compression, etc. I love the recordings that were done with 3 or less microphones!
As an aside, Bob Brines. At some point in time I would love to meet with you to discuss the state of Hi-Fi Audio and other audio subjects. Since I am in moderation until I make some Posts I couldn't e-mail you. I will try to contact you otherwise in the future.
I am an Audiophile always looking for the inexpensive way to get what I want in Audio.
I guess not.
By the way, there is a great deal at parts express, 200 Onkyo tweeters for only $10. There is no excuse not to do line array anymore.
By the way, there is a great deal at parts express, 200 Onkyo tweeters for only $10. There is no excuse not to do line array anymore.
Alternative to power tapering for line arrays
Read this whole thread in the last couple of days. Just thought would comment on the power tapering suggestion. As I said before my line arrays followed Roger Russell's plans in his AudioExpress article with a few exceptions. I tried the sealed cabinet approach and didn't like the sound. So, I put 19 2-1/2 inch holes in the back. Essentially I have turned them into a dipole system. In the matter of the power tapering I did something different. I rescued my towers from my stepson last December as he could no longer use them. He got married again, I think WAF factor. Anyway I had to literally cut them in half to get them in our suv. To make a long story short, put them back together and I was happy again. Invited Bob Brines over to hear them and I to hear some of his digital equipment plus a pair of excellent smaller speakers of his making. Well Bob had heard Roger Russell's towers at a show and wasn't that impressed. What was funny was that all the time we were messing around first listening to some of my analog stuff and then some of Bob's digital stuff. Bob kept looking around my towers. It wasn't until he had to go that the discussion of power tapering came up. I said no, I had not power tapered the towers but what I did do was some different wiring than normal. When I showed him a diagram of how they were wired he said that must be what made the difference. He said they sounded much different than Roger Russell's towers. Perhaps this little bit of information will spark some other discussion.
Bob
Read this whole thread in the last couple of days. Just thought would comment on the power tapering suggestion. As I said before my line arrays followed Roger Russell's plans in his AudioExpress article with a few exceptions. I tried the sealed cabinet approach and didn't like the sound. So, I put 19 2-1/2 inch holes in the back. Essentially I have turned them into a dipole system. In the matter of the power tapering I did something different. I rescued my towers from my stepson last December as he could no longer use them. He got married again, I think WAF factor. Anyway I had to literally cut them in half to get them in our suv. To make a long story short, put them back together and I was happy again. Invited Bob Brines over to hear them and I to hear some of his digital equipment plus a pair of excellent smaller speakers of his making. Well Bob had heard Roger Russell's towers at a show and wasn't that impressed. What was funny was that all the time we were messing around first listening to some of my analog stuff and then some of Bob's digital stuff. Bob kept looking around my towers. It wasn't until he had to go that the discussion of power tapering came up. I said no, I had not power tapered the towers but what I did do was some different wiring than normal. When I showed him a diagram of how they were wired he said that must be what made the difference. He said they sounded much different than Roger Russell's towers. Perhaps this little bit of information will spark some other discussion.
Bob
Possibly, but you haven't really given any information, little bit or otherwise, other than that you haven't power-tapered them. So about the only thing it might spark at the moment (no offense) is a more or less aimless / fruitless game of 'try-to-guess-what-you-have-done-with-the-wiring.'
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"Perhaps this little bit of information will spark some other discussion."
talking about different wiring and not showing the diagram is pointless, you should keep it to yourself
"He said they sounded much different than Roger Russell's towers."
different does not mean better
otherwise I completely agree with Scottmoose...
I will be adding 60 supertweeters per side to my current line array, I will use power tapering for sure because it makes sense to me and the midranges are done that way already, but I will not tell anybody how I wired it, its top secret and it will sound different for sure than my current line array with nine midranges, six tweeters and one supertweeter
ed
talking about different wiring and not showing the diagram is pointless, you should keep it to yourself
"He said they sounded much different than Roger Russell's towers."
different does not mean better
otherwise I completely agree with Scottmoose...
I will be adding 60 supertweeters per side to my current line array, I will use power tapering for sure because it makes sense to me and the midranges are done that way already, but I will not tell anybody how I wired it, its top secret and it will sound different for sure than my current line array with nine midranges, six tweeters and one supertweeter
ed
Alternative to power tapering for line arrays
Thanks ADASON for siding with me at this time in not showing my wiring. I will add a comment about my thinking when I got to the point in construction where I had to make the wiring decisions.
A point source speaker basically presents a spherical wavefront. Any sound source is basically presenting a spherical wavefront. A line source presents a cylindrical wavefront. So what I did was wire the parallel/series combination and the individual speaker locations so that the top and bottom groups of speakers receive signal current last. This creates a slight time differential between the middle groups and the end groups. Thus causing a slight curvature to the cylindrical wavefront.
I think I have said enough here other than I enjoy listening to music with these speakers as the speakers tend to disappear.
Bob
Thanks ADASON for siding with me at this time in not showing my wiring. I will add a comment about my thinking when I got to the point in construction where I had to make the wiring decisions.
A point source speaker basically presents a spherical wavefront. Any sound source is basically presenting a spherical wavefront. A line source presents a cylindrical wavefront. So what I did was wire the parallel/series combination and the individual speaker locations so that the top and bottom groups of speakers receive signal current last. This creates a slight time differential between the middle groups and the end groups. Thus causing a slight curvature to the cylindrical wavefront.
I think I have said enough here other than I enjoy listening to music with these speakers as the speakers tend to disappear.
Bob
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