| Author |
Topic: Powered floor monitors as speakers. |
Keith Hilton
From:
248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721
|
Posted 23 Sep 2007 7:42 am |
|
 Saw some nice Peavey and LBJ powered floor monitors at a music store. Has anyone tried these as your main amplifier,with a pre-amp effect unit driving them? |
|
|
 |
Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
|
Posted 24 Sep 2007 4:46 pm
|
|
| I've tried some (admittedly older) Peavey and EV monitors for steel, and I found them to be "boxy" or tight sounding. I think they're much more suitable as PA (voice) units than as main instrument speakers. |
|
|
|
Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
|
Posted 24 Sep 2007 6:32 pm
|
|
Keith,I have a Peavey Session 400 wedge that a friend gave me works great,a little heavy as all of my stuff is.
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
|
|
|
T. C. Furlong
From:
Lake County, Illinois, USA
|
Posted 24 Sep 2007 7:09 pm
|
|
I have a sound company and we have dozens of powered speakers and powered floor monitors. I have tried a bunch of different kinds out. The problem with them is that they all have high frequency drivers mounted to horns or waveguides and that means that they require a crossover (frequency dividing network) The horn will usually have a type of distortion that some poeple call a "honkiness" or "gacky sound". The crossover usually has a fair amount of phase shift and there can be a time difference between the high driver and the low driver. IMHO, none of these things translate into good sound for steel guitars. The bad stuff is happening right in the middle of the critical range for steel guitar.
TC |
|
|
|
Keith Hilton
From:
248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721
|
Posted 24 Sep 2007 7:26 pm
|
|
| TC, how can I try some of your powered speakers? |
|
|
|
Rick Nicklas
From:
Verona, Mo. (deceased)
|
Posted 24 Sep 2007 8:35 pm
|
|
Keith, I tried one on Saturday at a Class ReUnion Dance. Our subsitute Piano Player (Leon ??? from Marshfield, Mo. uses this setup and we both wanted to see what my steel sounded like thru it. T.C. is right... What a terrible boxy sound. I think T.C.'s explanation of the horn separation makes the most since. This was a big and tall power driven speaker with horns. His piano sounded terrific thru it and I don't know what the difference is. You probably know Leon. He has played with most everyone around SW Missouri.
Last edited by Rick Nicklas on 25 Sep 2007 8:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
|
Posted 25 Sep 2007 6:54 am
|
|
| TC is exactly right. Those are full-spectrum speaker systems designed for vocals, acoustic instruments and keyboards. We are use to hearing guitars and steels through guitar speakers, which substantially roll off the highs. If guitars and steel had to be played through full-spectrum speakers, the tone generated by pickups and amps would be designed differently, so it would sound good. Guitar and steel amps and speakers have evolved over more than half a century to give us tone we like. Why throw all that experience out and go to a more complicated, more expensive system that sounds worse? Of course it is possible to build powered speaker systems with guitar amps and speakers that sound good. |
|
|
|
T. C. Furlong
From:
Lake County, Illinois, USA
|
Posted 25 Sep 2007 11:56 am
|
|
Keith H., I sent you an email about the SPLIT self-powered speakers that I build.
David D., right on target!
TC |
|
|
|
Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
|
Posted 26 Sep 2007 1:37 am
|
|
These are usually closed-back units, and the "boxy" sound is caused by the small enclosure/speaker-size ratio. You can disable the crossover...and unhook the tweeter...and they will still have that peculiar "boxy" sound. (Yes, I've tried it.  ) |
|
|
|
