Fixed it for ya!
Last edited:
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AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...
- Thread starter Thor
- Start date
Come to your senses, man. How else are you going to crush the enemy and obtain a decisive victory in the Volume War to End all Volume Wars? The way I see it, it's mission critical.
Hi all. Just curious about this quote from 12/16 - can anyone speak to whether there are any sonic or performance differences between the prototype B48 and the current model besides the change in shape and weight? Thanks, DM
- Nov 24, 2008
- 4,343
- 7,163
- Disclosures
- Owner & designer, AudioKinesis; Auth. mfg, Big E (Home Audio only)
The prototype BH48 was imo an awkward carry, and the smaller production version is an improvement in that respect. The prototype went a bit deeper of course, with its larger cabinet. The low end of the production version is more like what I've been doing in most of my other cabs.
Attention Hathor 1544 owners:
Duke has 2 fairly easy mods you can do to Improve the low-end responce of this cab.
I've done both of these mods to my 1544, and can report they're truly worth the effort!
I've owned/gigged my Hathor 1544 since 2012. Its the very first Hathor cab Duke ever built, It's his Prototype 1544 that I purchased after Beta testing it. I've always loved this cab, but over the years I noticed more & more that It's deep low-end responce seemed to be a bit more rolled off than I preferred... (I play 4-strings/E-tuning)
When I contacted Duke about this Issue, he suggested 2 mods I could try. (I'll be quoting Dukes Info below)
I started out by preforming 'Phase-1' of Dukes mods: this Involves replacing the 2 Port Tubes that Duke Mailed to me for free. Replacing my original Port tubes definitely made a noticeable improvement, but ultimately It was just a gateway drug that left me wanting more...
So I moved onto preforming 'phase-2' of Dukes mod suggestions. This mod has made a huge Improvement! My lower E-string notes ring out with authority now! The cabs responce Is much better balanced now all the way from higher register down to open-E's. The low end is not boomy at all, Its tight and this mod has also greatly increased what I refer to as the cabs 'thump factor'. With aggressive playing, his little cab now suddenly has that authoritative THUMP that's very similar to what I get with my Bergantino NV610... And that's exactly why I bought this cab: I wanted a smaller/lightweight option that would give me a similar feel, groove & tone to my NV610. And now I can honestly say, it does!
Here's Dukes 1544 mod info:
(Phase-1 mod quote:
I will send you the parts you need.
Your ports each consist of three parts: An outer flare, an inner flare, and a connecting ring. We're going to remove the inner flare and replace it with a short piece of straight-sided tubing. This will raise the tuning frequency and increase the output.
Each outer flare starts out with four factory-drilled holes, and then I add four more holes by hand, and the hand-drilled holes are not very precise. So the first step is, mark the top mounting screw hole on each port. I suggest one bit of tape for the first port, and two bits of tape for the second port. Now you'll be able to easily align the screw holes when you re-install the ports.
So remove the screws and remove the ports, and then remove the tape that's joining the two main sections together (and covering up the connecting ring). Remove the inner flare, and replace it with one of the piece I'll be sending you.
Then re-install the ports, align the holes in the outer flares using your bits of tape as a guide. Be careful not to "spin" the screws - that lightweight plywood is pretty soft. Don't use an electric screwdriver - do it by hand so you can feel if it starts to spin. If that happens stop immediately and back out.
So if that happens, here is how you rehabilitate a screw hole: Remove the port entirely and put a paper towel down inside the cabinet over the woofer to catch any drips. With a toothpick, swirl wood glue into and around inside the hole. Let it dry for a few hours, then repeat. Let it dry overnight. This will bond the wood fibers together.
(phase-2 quote from Duke:
By any chance, do you have a jigsaw or a router? There is an internal modification that would probably be beneficial, but it involves making some sawdust.
If you remove the woofer, you will see that there is a chamber above the woofer chamber, behind the midrange chamber. There will be a 2" ballpark hole connecting that chamber with the main woofer chamber.
This chamber is an acoustic filter that reduces one of the ported woofer's impedance peaks, giving it characteristics that come a bit closer to a sealed box. But I'm now suspicious that the technique also reduces low-end punch. So I think we need to get rid of that chamber.
Turn the cabinet upside-down so that this chamber is at the bottom. The chamber may be stuffed with polyfill, if so, try to remove as much of it as you can.
Figure out where the back wall of the midrange chamber meets the board that forms the partition between the main woofer chamber and the acoustic filter chamber, and draw a line there with a pencil. You don't want your jigsaw blade to cross that line!
What we want to do is, open up the hole to several times its original size. We don't need to remove all of the wooden partition, nor even come close to that.
Assuming that you can't reach all of the polyfill on your first try, just try to clear it away from the hole and then enlarge the hole enough so that you can reach through and get the rest of the polyfill. What we want to avoid is, getting the polyfill caught by the teeth of the jigsaw blade.
We're not going to replace the polyfill once the hole has been opened up. I think it also works against low-end impact by absorbing some energy.
Be careful when removing the grille tabs and woofer that you don't push down too hard with your screwdriver and push the little "hurricane nut" threaded inserts out of that soft wood. Once the screws are started, use only enough downward pressure to keep the screwdriver tip securely engaged. I always use a manual screwdriver for this stage, and I like to use my other hand as a helper or a shield just to make sure I don't accidentally poke a hole in the woofer cone. Likewise when replacing the screws, manual screwdriver only, and keep the downward pressure light until the very end. If you start to get any binding, back out and try again with a bit of WD-40 on the threads. You don't want to risk spinning a hurricane nut. If that does happen it's not the end of the world, but it is the beginning of a hassle! If that happens, call me at 504-251-2311.
Let me know if you have questions about any of this.
Best wishes,
Duke
___(Unquote)_____________ ...
Here's a pic of my cab. The 2" round hole you see near the bottom-right side of this pic is the location Duke suggested enlarging with a jigsaw or router. I called Duke after I removed the 15" speaker and got a peak inside. At that time, Duke and I both decided the better method to this mod would be to use a 4-1/2" hole-saw to create a larger opening on the left side of this same chamber shelf. So cutting that new larger round hole you see on the left side of this shelf, plus removing all of the pollyfill is what I ended up doing in phase-2 of these mods:
Duke has 2 fairly easy mods you can do to Improve the low-end responce of this cab.
I've done both of these mods to my 1544, and can report they're truly worth the effort!
I've owned/gigged my Hathor 1544 since 2012. Its the very first Hathor cab Duke ever built, It's his Prototype 1544 that I purchased after Beta testing it. I've always loved this cab, but over the years I noticed more & more that It's deep low-end responce seemed to be a bit more rolled off than I preferred... (I play 4-strings/E-tuning)
When I contacted Duke about this Issue, he suggested 2 mods I could try. (I'll be quoting Dukes Info below)
I started out by preforming 'Phase-1' of Dukes mods: this Involves replacing the 2 Port Tubes that Duke Mailed to me for free. Replacing my original Port tubes definitely made a noticeable improvement, but ultimately It was just a gateway drug that left me wanting more...
So I moved onto preforming 'phase-2' of Dukes mod suggestions. This mod has made a huge Improvement! My lower E-string notes ring out with authority now! The cabs responce Is much better balanced now all the way from higher register down to open-E's. The low end is not boomy at all, Its tight and this mod has also greatly increased what I refer to as the cabs 'thump factor'. With aggressive playing, his little cab now suddenly has that authoritative THUMP that's very similar to what I get with my Bergantino NV610... And that's exactly why I bought this cab: I wanted a smaller/lightweight option that would give me a similar feel, groove & tone to my NV610. And now I can honestly say, it does!
Here's Dukes 1544 mod info:
(Phase-1 mod quote:
I will send you the parts you need.
Your ports each consist of three parts: An outer flare, an inner flare, and a connecting ring. We're going to remove the inner flare and replace it with a short piece of straight-sided tubing. This will raise the tuning frequency and increase the output.
Each outer flare starts out with four factory-drilled holes, and then I add four more holes by hand, and the hand-drilled holes are not very precise. So the first step is, mark the top mounting screw hole on each port. I suggest one bit of tape for the first port, and two bits of tape for the second port. Now you'll be able to easily align the screw holes when you re-install the ports.
So remove the screws and remove the ports, and then remove the tape that's joining the two main sections together (and covering up the connecting ring). Remove the inner flare, and replace it with one of the piece I'll be sending you.
Then re-install the ports, align the holes in the outer flares using your bits of tape as a guide. Be careful not to "spin" the screws - that lightweight plywood is pretty soft. Don't use an electric screwdriver - do it by hand so you can feel if it starts to spin. If that happens stop immediately and back out.
So if that happens, here is how you rehabilitate a screw hole: Remove the port entirely and put a paper towel down inside the cabinet over the woofer to catch any drips. With a toothpick, swirl wood glue into and around inside the hole. Let it dry for a few hours, then repeat. Let it dry overnight. This will bond the wood fibers together.
(phase-2 quote from Duke:
By any chance, do you have a jigsaw or a router? There is an internal modification that would probably be beneficial, but it involves making some sawdust.
If you remove the woofer, you will see that there is a chamber above the woofer chamber, behind the midrange chamber. There will be a 2" ballpark hole connecting that chamber with the main woofer chamber.
This chamber is an acoustic filter that reduces one of the ported woofer's impedance peaks, giving it characteristics that come a bit closer to a sealed box. But I'm now suspicious that the technique also reduces low-end punch. So I think we need to get rid of that chamber.
Turn the cabinet upside-down so that this chamber is at the bottom. The chamber may be stuffed with polyfill, if so, try to remove as much of it as you can.
Figure out where the back wall of the midrange chamber meets the board that forms the partition between the main woofer chamber and the acoustic filter chamber, and draw a line there with a pencil. You don't want your jigsaw blade to cross that line!
What we want to do is, open up the hole to several times its original size. We don't need to remove all of the wooden partition, nor even come close to that.
Assuming that you can't reach all of the polyfill on your first try, just try to clear it away from the hole and then enlarge the hole enough so that you can reach through and get the rest of the polyfill. What we want to avoid is, getting the polyfill caught by the teeth of the jigsaw blade.
We're not going to replace the polyfill once the hole has been opened up. I think it also works against low-end impact by absorbing some energy.
Be careful when removing the grille tabs and woofer that you don't push down too hard with your screwdriver and push the little "hurricane nut" threaded inserts out of that soft wood. Once the screws are started, use only enough downward pressure to keep the screwdriver tip securely engaged. I always use a manual screwdriver for this stage, and I like to use my other hand as a helper or a shield just to make sure I don't accidentally poke a hole in the woofer cone. Likewise when replacing the screws, manual screwdriver only, and keep the downward pressure light until the very end. If you start to get any binding, back out and try again with a bit of WD-40 on the threads. You don't want to risk spinning a hurricane nut. If that does happen it's not the end of the world, but it is the beginning of a hassle! If that happens, call me at 504-251-2311.
Let me know if you have questions about any of this.
Best wishes,
Duke
___(Unquote)_____________ ...
Here's a pic of my cab. The 2" round hole you see near the bottom-right side of this pic is the location Duke suggested enlarging with a jigsaw or router. I called Duke after I removed the 15" speaker and got a peak inside. At that time, Duke and I both decided the better method to this mod would be to use a 4-1/2" hole-saw to create a larger opening on the left side of this same chamber shelf. So cutting that new larger round hole you see on the left side of this shelf, plus removing all of the pollyfill is what I ended up doing in phase-2 of these mods:
Duke, Is there a similar shelf or similar mod you recommend for the 4 ohm TC115 cabs, or is the horn situation mounting entirely different. To be clear, I’ve never felt the TC lacked anything in the low end, but am simply curious about your thoughts in that regard after many years of experience. TY!
- Nov 24, 2008
- 4,343
- 7,163
- Disclosures
- Owner & designer, AudioKinesis; Auth. mfg, Big E (Home Audio only)
Thank you very much anderbass for doing the mods and posting the results! I didn't know for sure about that second mod, cutting the bigger second hole in that dividing panel, as I hadn't tried it nor had I made any direct comparisons that would have answered the question of whether or not it was a worthwhile thing to do.
The only cabs I made with that internal chamber were the Hathor 1544 cabs. The internal chamber connected to the main chamber by an opening that tunes the internal chamber to a particular frequency. The way I used it was to modify the impedance curve of a reflex cabinet to more closely resemble that of a sealed cabinet, but I started to suspect that it detracted from the low-end thump, and anderbass's experience confirms that.
By cutting a significantly larger hole in the partition, anderbass essentially un-tuned that upper chamber, as the big hole will short-circuit the small hole and vice versa.
Not all of my ideas end up being good ones!
Got it. Thank you. ...and you're WAY ahead on the good to bad ideas ratio!
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Your welcome and thanks again Duke!
Would you expect these 2 mods would have transformed the low-end of my 1544 to be more similar to a Hathor 1533 ?
- Nov 24, 2008
- 4,343
- 7,163
- Disclosures
- Owner & designer, AudioKinesis; Auth. mfg, Big E (Home Audio only)
Ha! One 1203 puts down most of my foes. If two won’t do it I'm running away.
Certainly less collateral damage, and I have no doubt that 2x 12 saber rattles with plenty of authority
My rig for this last Saturday's gig. Hathor 212, Orange 4 Stroke 500, American Original P Bass. The 212 really has enough firepower for any situation.
Cool. That's the Orange amp where every EQ band is semi-parametric, right? How do you like it? Got to play one a few weeks ago at the local Mom-n-Pop shop -- not through one of my cabs, but it was the first Orange bass amp in awhile to pique my interest a bit. As for the Hathor 2x12, I'm sure it fired on all the right cylinders (groan and/or rimshot appropriate).
Yep, that’s the Orange amp with the semi parametric eq. It’s totally clean and super loud. I get my grit and drive from my pedals. Very versitle too. It slams so much harder than any of the class D amps I’ve had (still have the Quilter BB800). Too bad it looks silly sitting on top of the cab, hence it’s on the floor.
Hunh. Orange has been among the last SS amp makers I'd consider for myself, based on certain, perhaps not-entirely-justified ideas I've had about their tone (very colored, distorted) and dynamics (compressed). I heard the amp through a single, Orange 15 -- not my speed, though, to be honest, I didn't play it at length -- but I might have to go back and try it with one of my cabs, just to see.
Though there are several class D amps I like and have gigged successfully, I am still, in general, with you on the slam/detail/touch of the class D micros I've played (a fair number) vs. the better AB amps I've played.
As far as looking silly, I don't mind some overhang of the amp, as long as it's stable. On the floor in your photo looks good, though -- a businesslike briefcase of tone.
Well I’d been gigging an SVT with an NV610 for a few years so I’m used to a certain sound and feel. For most of the clubs we play it’s total overkill though so I needed to find a smaller rig. I bought Duke’s first production Hathor 212 and went through about 5 class d heads from Ampeg, Darkglass, Peavey, etc. they were all missing something in the feel/slam/heft or whatever you want to call it department. The Orange amp is really clean and not colored at all. I can eq it to get close to my SVT and then add a little flavor with my OD and distortion pedals. It’s got that feel I was looking for too. I’m totally satisfied with it. Sounds great through my nv610 too. Now my Quilter is relegated to my backup/practice amp.
That Orange 4 Stroke is impressive. Amidst the fooling around this demo does a pretty good job of showing the range of tones this can dial in and you can tell it has some meat to it.
OMG...finally put a deposit for Hathor1203T. I am so excited!
