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Custom DIY 2x15 cab build

#241
johnk_10 said:
...the cab is definitely ALOT more 3D with them open, and the low end seems to go thru the floor, whereas when it's sealed it's tighter and sounds more like an SVT 810 cab.
Click to expand...

Several years ago I experimented with sealed & ported home audio speakers, focusing on the midrange. Traditional wisdom holds that sealed boxes sound better in the midrange, and that is what I expected. Well in my simple blind test, the listeners unanimously preferred the midrange of the vented configuration (I told them to focus on the vocals). "Less like it's a box" was what I recall one person saying, which roughly tranlates into "more 3D".

By the way, beautiful work John - in concept, design, and execution.

Duke
 
#242
thanks Duke! coming from you, that means alot to me.

yeah, it's still a toss up for me whether i'll end up running it sealed or ported. when i'm running it ported i can dial most of the wooliness out of it with the bass control on my amps.

i'm also still trying to make my STM900 duplicate my SVT's tone but it's super difficult to capture the 'magic' of the SVT's midrange tone, bloom and punch (i.e it's overall 'voice). even though i really like the streamliner, i just feel alot more 'connected' to the SVT's response. it just feels more natural to me. when i use a VT pedal on the STM900 and it gets it closer, and i've also tried a few compressors to try and duplicate the SVT's attack, but i'm not quite there yet. and i'm going to try a parametric next, just to see what that does for it.

one of my favorite cabs is my 4x12 2512 II V4 cab, but now that i'm getting used to it, i'm starting to like this 2x15 just as much, maybe even more.

the whole idea of making this cab was to have something that is fairly lightweight and will compliment the STM900 so i don't have to haul my heavy rig to every gig, without giving up anything (or at least very little) and i feel like i'm almost there.
 
#243
Great thread for a great cab. Congrats JK. I have a 3015 in a slightly downsized TL-spec cab and was wondering where you're getting the aluminum dust caps for yours?

I agree with a lot of the posters here about the general profile of the 3015. "Muscular" for sure. Mine has continued to mellow as I have broken it in. Not nearly as responsive in the mids as those JBL's, but plenty of authority, and mine takes EQ really well.

Again, nice job.
 
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#244
JohnK- as always, I'm in awe of your work...for the record, I preferred the ports open... The SVT was slightly cooler sounding, but that Streamliner doesn't exactly suck :) I think you're on the right path! Not that you asked :)
 
#245
I mentioned this a while back, and, I realize you are not a Mesa fan, but the Walkabout is the closest sounding amp to my SVT; even more so than the SVP-CL pre with a big iron power amp, or the pile of other MI amps I've tried.
If you can borrow one, give it a go!
 
#246
i've owned the SVP-CL (and an SVP-Pro) and i really liked it, but somehow neither one didn't really do an SVT for me ( ilike the SVP-CL quite a bit more between the two).

i think i'm going to pull out a couple of my 'big gun' preamps tomorrow( my UA 6176 and the ISA 430 MKII) just to run them thru the cab and see what they do with it. i was using my UA 6176/crown xti2000 in place of my SVT for a while. i wouldn't mind trying an SVT-7 pro with it too if i can get my hands on one.

the 3015's feel like they're getting broken in more (since i used my signal generator on it) and i'm really happy with the cab, but especially with my SVT.
 
#248
johnk_10 said:
...so in case i want to go with it sealed, I made some lightweight ones, that weigh only 1 oz each, by taking a 4" pipe cap and wrapping 8 layers of self bonding rubber tape around it so make sure that they get a perfect seal....
Click to expand...
Nice. That's exactly how I plugged the port on the back of my modified SWR WM12 (with Avatar Deltalite 2512)--I used a mailing tube cap that looks identical to yours, except it's 3 inches in diameter. It was a tight fit without tape and the WM12 doesn't blow as much air through the port as your 215s so it hasn't launched itself out of the port, yet. ;) It tightens the low end for living room practice without knocking pictures off the walls.
 
#249
johnk_10 said:
here's what winsd shows that you're hearing in this cabinet vented and sealed.
yellow=vented and red=sealed.

vented-sealed2x15-3015.jpg
Click to expand...

The sealed version of this would be so much easier for me to bring into every room I play in. I would possibly prefer the ported one outdoors at the summer big stage things that I do. I could get by with the sealed 100% of the time.

The recordings sold me.
 
#255
dhsierra1 said:
so how do you perform the the transplant? :help:
Click to expand...

To remove the dust cap, I've used an Xacto knife (No. 1 with a brand new blade), and carefully cut around the edge of the old one to remove it.

To install one, you can buy special glue for speaker repairs and run a bead around the cone where you want the new dome to stick, carefully lower the new dome into place (I've used a rolled up piece of masking tape as a handle), run more adhesive around the edge of the dome so that it looks nice and let the glue dry before removing the masking tape.

I've never handled an aluminum dome either, but my biggest fears would be dents and misalignment (since it would look really bad).
 
#256
i take a brand new exacto knife with a #11 blade and carefully cut the paper one off. then i use a small loop of low tack masking tape and barely touch it to the center of the aluminum cap to use as a 'handle'. i run a thin bead of the black speaker dust cap glue all the way around the new dust cap and lay it in place. once it's one the speaker, i remove the masking tape and carefull place a used roll of 2" wide masking that's about 3" 3 1/2" in diameter on the aluminum cap while the speaker cone is facing upward to until the glue dries.
 

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