Interesting thread on solution for "beamy" speaker cabs

[Norjef]

As Bruce and Jay kinda "started" this continuing thread on TGP, I hope that Bruce has tried the donut-thangs (I love 'em in all 4 Egnaters). The Egnater company keeps pushing, inventing, improving - they're the perfect amp co. to implement this revolutionary yet simple solution.

These have replaced the Beamblockers in all my cabs/amps.

 

[richedie]

I never founs a need for beam blockers. With the right cab/speakers, I have never felt it was necessary. I use a USA Randll MTS cab which has a slight slant to the front baffle similar to the Bogner oversized 212. No blockers required.

 

[Resonant Alien]

I never founs a need for beam blockers. With the right cab/speakers, I have never felt it was necessary. I use a USA Randll MTS cab which has a slight slant to the front baffle similar to the Bogner oversized 212. No blockers required.

How does a slanted baffle even out the high frequency response of the on-axis vs. off-axis response? It seems like it would just redirect where the on-axis high frequencies go rather than dispersing them?

 

[richedie]

Well, if you are up on a stage...the speakers are not pointed directly at the audience.....if they are down low like on a dance floor...the slant send the direct sound more toward my ears so I get a better read on the sound and can EQ accordingly. Honestly, I just never saw a need for these and I don't have any friends who use them. This is from many years of gigging and never ever heard an issue personally.

 

[Resonant Alien]

Well, if you are up on a stage...the speakers are not pointed directly at the audience.....if they are down low like on a dance floor...the slant send the direct sound more toward my ears so I get a better read on the sound and can EQ accordingly. Honestly, I just never saw a need for these and I don't have any friends who use them. This is from many years of gigging and never ever heard an issue personally.

Gotcha - I thought you were meaning that the slanted baffle dissipated the hf somehow. Wasn't trying to be a smart-ass, just curious.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

How does a slanted baffle even out the high frequency response of the on-axis vs. off-axis response? It seems like it would just redirect where the on-axis high frequencies go rather than dispersing them?

this is entirely correct.

Well, if you are up on a stage...the speakers are not pointed directly at the audience.....if they are down low like on a dance floor...the slant send the direct sound more toward my ears so I get a better read on the sound and can EQ accordingly. Honestly, I just never saw a need for these and I don't have any friends who use them. This is from many years of gigging and never ever heard an issue personally.

you are still not accounting for what you hear when not standing directly in front of your cabinet/ in line with the speaker. walk off to the side of the cabinet ( off axis) and see if your sound is identical to listening directly in front. this is the point of these "donut thangs" .

It seems as if all of your listening is done on axis. you must compare the two on axis to off axis to first hear the difference in sound that is being addressed.

If your cabinet is not directly pointed at the audience secondary to the slant of the baffle then they are off axis and are also not hearing exactly what you are hearing without "donut thangs".


try em out and see they really do work wonders.every loudspeaker in existence has this issue, you just have to move around until you are hearing what is being described.


I'm calling them "donut thangs" from now on.

 

[richedie]

Is it hard to make the donut thing? To me off axis it sounds a little warmer......fine by me.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

no the donut thing is super easy, you cut it so the outer diameter is the same as the speaker size and cut a 3 inch hole directly in the center over the dust cap. thats it.

as for the cab sounding warmer off to the side which you say you actually prefer, wouldn't it be awesome if when you then moved back to the front it sounded exactly the same way?

the idea is that no matter where you stand in relation to the cabinet the sound will always be the same.

enter the Donut Thang!

 

[Roddy]

Are the "Donut Thangs" really that good at dispersing the sound???.....I use beam blockers, but they have some weird frequencies I hear sometimes...

 

[Resonant Alien]

Is it hard to make the donut thing? To me off axis it sounds a little warmer......fine by me.

Well, that is the point of the donut thangs - they are supposed to make the on-axis and off-axis response sound the same - they do not change the off-axis response, but they make the on-axis response sound the same as the off-axis response. So no matter where you or the crowd is standing, you will all hear the exact same thing. If you have your speakers pointed directly at your head, you are probably dialing out some high frequencies so that it sounds good to you and doesn't rip your head off. This probably means that when others hear it from an off-axis perspective, they are hearing a much darker sound that what you are hearing. The point of the donuts is that everyone hears the same thing.

Read the thread I posted at the top of this one - it explains why this works, how to make them and where to buy the foam. It is super easy. I have my foam cutout, but I haven't pulled my speakers out yet to install them.

 

[jwdubois]

That guy seems like a condescending dildo.

He treats Bruce, an amp genius/guru/veteran/legend like he's an idiot

It sounds muffled like there's a giant foam donut in front of the speaker

Now I can't mic anywhere on the cone.

That whole thread pissed me the hell off.

I was reading through this thread when it hit me who you were talking about. That Jay. He was busting my balls over at the TGP when I got this PM from the designer of one of the more respected current boutique amps. (I'll respect his privacy and not post his name here, it's not Bruce BTW)

I don't normally contact anyone directly, but don't even waste your time trying to debate with Jay Mitchell. He likes the sound of his own voice and crafts his responses to sound intelligent in a condescending way. I know all this because I ended up in a debate about amp design of all things......he felt he needed to argue with me about a product I actually designed...go figure.

The guy might be a musical jeenyus but he is a "Richard".

JWW

 

[stephen sawall]

The only thing needed is the 3 inch hole in the middle. The shape of the outer edge does not matter as long as it is at least as big as the speaker .... mine are sq with the 3in hole in the middle.

They do not cause the weird phase stuff like beam blockers.

None of this is effected in anyway by yours or anyone Else's perception of Jay.