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Auralex Gramma: Worth the money, or worthless?
- Thread starter engedi1
- Start date
That's acoustic coupling. The Gramma Pad reduces physical coupling. If you want to eliminate both, you need the Grampa Pad.
No, that's exactly what it does, and it is a nice thing for those type of stages. What it won't do is help or change anything on a solid floor.
I think the 'experts' are just saying that it won't help 'in general', but only in cases where reducing mechanical coupling (hollow stages, etc.) sometimes cause a problem. Of course, just keeping your cab on the castors will get you 75% there without carrying an extra piece of gear. Those pads are bigger and heavier than my amp head!
Ken. I kind of disagree with this one.To me, casters for some reason are bottom killers. A Gramma seems to tighten up the low end. I have used both, and to my ears there is no comparison.
Absolutely, I perceive no difference on a solid floor. When I got mine home on the first day I tried it in my lounge and was disappointed that it made no difference. Then I remembered that it was a concrete floor there. Took it upstairs where there was a wooden rafters and boards floor and then I was happy.
Whatever works! The 'bottom killing' impact of castors is that mechanical uncoupling. In some cases, the castors probably do a better job than the Gramma, and that might be what you are hearing. Castors literally remove most of the coupling, while the Gramma seems to be designed to reduce the impact (since there is still quite a bit of physical contact with the floor).
I don't bother with mine anymore, but many do, and I guess if I did have a steady gig on a hollow stage, I'd keep my cab up on one.
Over the years I've A/B'd my cabs sitting on and off my Gramma pad on both a hollow/boomy stage, and a concrete floor. I've come to the conclusion that on a concrete floor there is possibly some difference, but for all practical purposes not enough of a difference to really make a difference. On a hollow/boomy stage there is actually a difference. To my ears it's not a "oh my, oh gosh" kind of huge, but there really is a difference in sound. I'd describe it as a bit less boomy/woofy and a bit tighter. For me, it's enough of a difference in a good way that I've simply used the Gamma pad as part of my normal setup. It's not enough of a hassle to not use it every time. And my amp/cab is a GK RB 700 with (2) Neo 112's. Although at the moment, I'm tempted to get one of the small Rock N' Roller carts and just keep my rig on it. It would probably do the same thing as the Gamma and be more dual purpose.
I use one under a turntable on a hardwood floor. No foot falls cause vibration.
I said here once that as often as I play a roadhouse gig I also play some formal sets and I can't show up with a piece of plywood with four tennis ball halfs fastened to the bottom.
Even if it's painted black.
I said here once that as often as I play a roadhouse gig I also play some formal sets and I can't show up with a piece of plywood with four tennis ball halfs fastened to the bottom.
Even if it's painted black.
I think it's been mentioned before, but one of the benefits of the Gramma is that it evens out crappy stages -- some of the places we have played had such lousy stages that my Berg 410 couldn't sit level on all four feet -- there was a significant and disturbing wobble due to the incredible unevenness of the floor.
In addition to the sonic benefits on hollow wooden stages, I'd add that the GRAMMA pad also allows you to put your rig on an uneven stage with no wobble.
You could DIY one, but I'd just search for the lowest price and be done with it.
In addition to the sonic benefits on hollow wooden stages, I'd add that the GRAMMA pad also allows you to put your rig on an uneven stage with no wobble.
You could DIY one, but I'd just search for the lowest price and be done with it.
That will Ensure no stage rumbling.
I dig my Gramma pad when I'm on wood floors or hollow stages. I appreciate the physical decoupling from the kick drum which really cleans up the low-frequency feedback in those horrible rooms. Other than that I think its slightly a waste of time for the most part. It does not decouple your cabinet from floor/corner loading. It doesn't get rid of phase cancellation between the room speakers and my stage speaker. But it does help the kick drum keep from feeding back.
There are lots of things that can hurt your tone live. This is just one tool to help; but it doesn't help every problem.
There are lots of things that can hurt your tone live. This is just one tool to help; but it doesn't help every problem.
I know I'm late to the party, but I like my Auralex - I live in an apartment in NYC with wood floors, in a building that has many older residents. I didn't get it to shape tone, per se, but to cut down on some of the bass coupling.
It does a pretty decent job, actually. No more complaints, so I suppose its working.
It does a pretty decent job, actually. No more complaints, so I suppose its working.
I have the smaller one and there is a larger one. But my son needed a much larger one - so he carpeted plywood then put that on studio sound proofing (SP) and it works great.
But the Gamma looks a little nicer.
But I take mine every where I play.
SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
Huge! in my experience I've used both and the Gamma is the best at what it does but to each their own.
