DBX DriveRack PA for Bass

[greenboy]

So you think audio engineers don't take these measurements into consideration when designing cabs and speakers? You don't think Schroeder or Eden doesn't take advantage of the low mid bumps in voicing the cab?

You are giving bass cab "designers", by and large, way more credit than reality would seem to indicate. Most bass enclosures are designed around a form factor, and a driver is chosen for cost and decent if not inspiring fit, and because the driver and enclosure size (usually a bit small for the driver) are what they are, there tends to be a midbass hump. Since there are a lot of variations of the basic response curve available in the marketplace, people can audition and choose between them.

The driver manufacturers by now of course realize this, and thus through their R&D they produce some decent if not awe-inspiring fits, with variations in response in the mids and above that allow a enclosure company to "taste test" and pick a flavor that they like better than some other "flavors".

There are a few enclosure companies that take this further and have bonafide design stuff going on, with measurement equipment, and custom driver spec'ing, or the search for drivers from alternate sources that their competition is ignoring, and some knowledge of actual acoustics showing in the final designs.

But by and large, a lot of the market is formed around presenting familar shapes and sizes and driver contingents, and keeping the cost down. Again, fortunately this has gone on for enough time that the actual driver manufacturers are hip to the formula so they have at least a few models that work for this basic "box stuffing".

You don't think audio engineers do the same for high end vocal monitors etc.? I would say they are absolutely using it to thier advantage in the design process. So why take it out and flatten it unless there is an issue with the room?

Good audio engineers use whatever tools are available at the time, and often bring some extra ones if they feel it's really needed. They realize that even the best PA enclosures are not perfect - and that acoustics are very complex and vary from venue to venue, and of course, even at multiple positions within any given venue.

 

[RicPlaya]

I found the Driverack a nice peice of equipment. But unless your a pro audio person completely overkill. I think getting things to sound flat does just that.. makes it sound flat. I would only RTA if tuning in a PA system one time, or debugging a recording room.

Obviously you are a semi pro/pro audio person. I am not nearly as advanced but do understand how it works. I am familiar with your knowledge of the subject from reading this board and the FEarful threads. In fact I was thinking about TB members like yourself when I made the comment about cab designers being offended. There is nothing wrong with eithier approach. There is no right or wrong when doing this stuff as long as it sounds good to you. I can easily purchase cabs that are considered flat or coloured depending on whats plesant to my ears and EQ from there to taste. Sure not nearly as much control as your approach, but I can get great tone. I also enjoy the process of using that equiment and can appreciate your approach and the advantages of having a piece of equipment like that in your rig.

 

[jlaplante]

Guys - thanks for chiming in! I didn't expect such a healthy response

There's another important reason to use a flat response - compatibility with house PA systems.

I pull my DI off the post-EQ output of my preamp which is immediately before the DriveRack. Since everything after this DI is basically flat in my system, what comes out of my speakers represents what the FOH is delivering, assuming most house systems are basically flat.

Then I adjust the tone on my preamp to my liking knowing this is roughly what the audience will hear. My pre has full parametric eq. I do all the typical low-mid hump stuff w/ the preamp. The house PA gets the same tone.

 

[kringle77]

I have a driverack in my band pa. I tried it once and thought that even though it worked well, it kind of made my tone sound blaw. I was just running my bass into a compressor pedal, into the drive rack. Maybe if I ran an actual preamp in front it would work better. I too, like to high-pass my bass and go direct. Do you find that it effected the tone of your preamp?