Speakers

Can anyone suggest a speaker/subwoofer combo that will give optimum performance and not break the bank?

Here is an ancient post:


http://crumhorn-labs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1807&highlight=behringer

I have Mackie Tapco s8 / sw10 - VERY happy with them. Good to 32 Hz ( ie bottom C 16')

Have a look here re why

http://forum.hauptwerk.com/view ... highlight=

Iain

Thanks for your help- I want something that will handle the Metz 32' bombarde! I guess that requires a sub-woofer that goes to 19hz, doesn't it?....

The 32 range is more difficult!! My solution is to channel the 32' bottom octave to a peavy 100W bass combo amp retrofitted with a horn to carry the higher frequencies - I have had this amp for years and it worked so well as a general amp too. I find that Hi Fi/monitor equipment cannot handle 16Hz without spending big bucks. It is easier/cheaper to find a PA solution. A simple sub woofer alone will not do - a guitar bass amp may work better.

Something like this

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop ... t_id/14408

I have no idea what this amp sounds like, but this is the sort of beast I am talking about. A lot come with a line out socket which allows you to add a tweeter cone (possibly with an in line variable resistor). I ran the main channel of my Rodgers through the Peavey for years - great sound and could never push it to distort. It was so much better than the posh Rodgers speaker cabinet which is still sitting under a pile of car parts in the garage!!

For a trade fair last year, a friendly Tannoy dealer lent us a TS12 subwoofer with a pair of active monitors (Reveal 6). The sub is quoted as having "usuable output down to 15Hz" and retails for between £400-£500 (in UK). Good value for money, I thought, and a very impressive sound.

Thanks! Fascinating (and confusing...)
Some where in the thread was a mention of the Definitive7006 (which goes to 17hz) Does anyone have an opinion/experience of this?
Also, is there a relatively cost-effective way of going 8 channels?

I have the Definitive Super Cube III, which supposedly goes down to 16 hz, and I have been very pleased with it. Taking up little space in a small room, I find it highly desirable. It is also recommended by Classic Midi Works. http://www.definitivetech.com/loudspeak ... tml#scube3

Good luck,
Randall Mullin

I have a speaker question that is roughly along the line of this thread, but not quite. My "organ studio" is a small room, about 8'X12'. I work with headphones most of the time, but I still need a speaker system to use sometimes, for fun and to show off to other people. In such a small room, I cannot hope to have a cathedral-like acoustics with realistic sound down to even 16' level so, I don't intend to spend a fortune on a sound system. I want to save my money for buying the Metz Cavaillé-Coll sample set.

I am wondering what would be best in my situation: a satellite+subwoofer ensemble like the M-Audio LX4 (or equivalent) or a pair of studio monitors of similar value? Any ideas on that? Also, has anyone used the LX4 with the 5:1 expansion, or a similar setup, in a multi-channel system?

In such a small room, confined space, I would think that a
"near field monitor" type speaker set up would be idea. Prof. Helmut
Maier certainly suggests their use if they are to be near the
console--this seems to be your case. Prof. Maier (OrganART Media)
has used such a system at the Frankfurt Music Fair. Such near-field
type speakers are usually on stands, elevated to you listening ear
level, with the sub unit on the floor, of course.

A couple of reasonably priced units with at least an 8" cone plus
some sort of high frequency "tweeter" and then a sub-bass type
speaker ought to be just fine for "showing off" your system to
visitors.

Just a thought....

Yes, you really can achieve a cathedral like sound in a very small room by using near-field monitors!

We even could say, the smaller the room, the better, if your room has a good damping. It's worthwhile to install damping elements there for damping high and middle frequencies. Damping of low frequencies is very difficult to achieve.
You always will have room resonances, which could be corrected by the new voicing features of HW3 (volume and(!) spectral correction)

Playing with near-field monitors in a small room means, that you only get the room impression produced by the wet recording technique of the sample set. There never (theoretically) should be any acoustical excitation of the listening room, which always produces resonance effects, thus altering sound and room impression!

Near-field listening could be compared with taking of the head-phones a little bit from your ears. If you do this small test, you still get an excellent sound and room impression (missing the bass frequencies and volume of course).

Another good idea would be, to place two additional small speakers in the back, feeding them with the same (!), but low-levelled stereo signal. This is not a real quadrophonic sound, of course, but gives you the feeling, to be still more in the sound field.

The quality of the near-field sound impression very much depends on the quality of the speaker system, of course. Very much recommended are the professional Genelec monitors combined with a subwoofer. The are not cheap, but compared the quality, not too expensive and you only buy them once.
With such a system, you achieve nearly a head-phone like room impression.

I agree that in a smaller well-damped room, near-field monitors can be superb. My setup consists of one pair of Mackie HR824, one pair M-Audio EX66, one pair B&W 802, one channel Ruark Sabre, one pair Magneplanar MG IIIa for rear convolved reverb. Bass for all 9 channels is handled by a single 15" custom subwoofer with -3db at 22 Hz. The Mackies and the M-Audio monitors actually outperform the very much more expensive B&Ws for VTPO use. Love 'em!

Joe H.

I agree that in a smaller well-damped room, near-field monitors can be superb. My setup consists of one pair of Mackie HR824, one pair M-Audio EX66, one pair B&W 802, one channel Ruark Sabre, one pair Magneplanar MG IIIa for rear convolved reverb. Bass for all 9 channels is handled by a single 15" custom subwoofer with -3db at 22 Hz. The Mackies and the M-Audio monitors actually outperform the very much more expensive B&Ws for VTPO use. Love 'em!

Joe H.

I think M-Audio EX66 are the way to go; what is the make of your subwoofer?

I'm facing a similar challenge as I investigate a suitable monitor arrangement for my studio which is somewhat larger at 20 ft. x 10 ft. For my own use while playing at the console, positioned at one end of the room, near-field monitors seem like a good choice.

However, my goal is to expand to at least 4 channels + sub woofer and be able to demonstrate the virtues of HW (more so than my playing ability) to others standing in the room. Perhaps a combination of near-field and standard monitors is the way to go. I welcome any suggestions.