AMP SETTINGS FOR BACKLINE

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Sparty

So jimmym would you say the more speakers you have (regardless of size) the wider the beam??
This is a new learning for me. Sorry if I sound dense..

It's the total distance across that determines how much it beams. For example, a single 10" will beam a little but has pretty decent (though not perfect) dispersion of highs. If you add a second 10" and arrange them thusly:

OO

They will have the dispersion characteristics of a 20" speaker, which is to say that they will beam a lot more and at a lot lower frequency than the 10" by itself.

Arrange them like this:

O
O

And the beaming is identical to a single 10".

Beaming is one aspect of audio that I never cared much about, though. My 73 SVT 810 beams but on the few stage volume gigs I've done with it, it still sounds excellent and has plenty of treble all through the house for my tastes. Plus certain members of my band find bass rigs that don't beam a little disconcerting. And on the vast majority of my gigs, I run the bass through the PA, and the vast majority of PA's in use today are built and arranged to minimize beaming. I think it's way more important to guitarists who turn up so loud out of their amps that they drill the people in front of them with piercing treble.

[Downunderwonder]

Originally Posted by B-string

After owning and playing a G-K NEO412 for about 6 years, IME your assessment of this cab's performance is way off the mark.

After going to countless backline gigs where x10 cabs could only be properly heard right in front, before I knew anything about acoustics, and now knowing a thing or five about acoustics, I don't need to experience GK 412 to know it must be worse than any 4x10 or 8x10.

[Downunderwonder]

Bigger speakers have tighter beams.

Side by side speakers behave like a single larger one the width of their combined spread.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

After going to countless backline gigs where x10 cabs could only be properly heard right in front, before I knew anything about acoustics, and now knowing a thing or five about acoustics, I don't need to experience GK 412 to know it must be worse than any 4x10 or 8x10.

Worse at beaming, yes. Worse at sounding good is debatable, though.

[Downunderwonder]

I like the sound in front. I don't like the sound elsewhere. Laws of physics mean everyone else must be less fussy than me.

[B-string]

I personally am not nearly as worried about the sound "in front" as what is heard by the people that pay the bills and ask us back.
I don't have the benefit of a house PA or live sound engineer (that I have to cover).
With your training in acoustics you should be able to see the benefit of the staggered driver arrangement over the "squared" placement. It is still a compromise but seems to work well enough at the frequencies of bass guitar.

[Downunderwonder]

Originally Posted by B-string

I personally am not nearly as worried about the sound "in front" as what is heard by the people that pay the bills and ask us back.
I don't have the benefit of a house PA or live sound engineer (that I have to cover).
With your training in acoustics you should be able to see the benefit of the staggered driver arrangement over the "squared" placement. It is still a compromise but seems to work well enough at the frequencies of bass guitar.

I forgot GK do the staggering, no biggie, afaik that makes it equivalent to a giant 20" woofer as far as the beaming characteristics go, I haven't any formal training in acoustics.

[B-string]

It seems to work better than my training/education thought it would Nice surprise for me.

[JimmyM]

I wouldn't exactly call what's doing in the Neo 412 "stagggering the drivers." Looks like an inch overlap tops. That said, I saw Vail Johnson use one and he sounded fine to me

[B-string]

It is more than an inch but it is at the practice room. Here is an old pic when the 800RB was driving it.