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Double Bass EA Combos

#41
keykendrick said:
Just placed my order for a 200 Wizzy Combo with (All Hail) Bob Gollihur. Turns out he's a real person, I spoke with him and everything. Very helpful and nice person. I'm glad that he's there for us.

I understand that the elves at EA are furiously building these things, so it's going to be an exercise in patience for me, but I can use that time to work on my time and intonation since people are going to be able to hear me now.

I'll play some gigs with it and post impressions.

Troy
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Congrats! The long wait that you'll experience is due to having to ship it to me first so that I can conduct quality control testing. :D
 
#42
I did my first serious professional studio session today (9 hours) and it really made me appreciate the importance of my sound and I'm feeling no regrets for the investmest.

I've done a few little studio things before, but this was the first full production LP-type. It was both better and worse than I thought it might be. I'll post elsewhere on it, but the point for this thread, is that I think getting the sound that you want is a good investment.

Troy
 
#43
keykendrick said:
I did my first serious profession studio session today (9 hours) and it really made me appreciate the importance of my sound and I'm feeling no regrets for the investmest.

I've done a few little studio things before, but this was the first full production LP-type. It was both better and worse than I thought it might be. I'll post elsewhere on it, but the point for this thread, is that I think getting the sound that you want is a good investment.

Troy
Click to expand...
Troy, if you do post elsewhere about this studio experience, please stick a link here in this thread if you don't mind. I'd like to read it.

Congrats on the new gear. Enjoy!
 
#44
winston said:
Something about the Wizzy's design (highs and lows come from same place, no crossover) give it a very smooth, balanced sound even when you're standing right above the cab.
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I agree. There's something really "coherent" about the overall sound of the Wizzy, and I’m sure as Winston said that it has a lot to do with the cab’s unique design.

This got me thinking about the off-axis performance of this cab. I think it's better than other cabs I've used, certainly cabinets in this size range (1 x 12”). One amp I used before in particular used to really bug me with its variance in sound as you walked around in front of it. But not so much with the EA.

I was playing outdoors on a big riser once, with no walls behind us or on either side. Not an ideal setting for bass IMO. A local jazz piano player came up and introduced himself to me on break. He said as he walked all around while we were playing, the sound of the bass never got lost or too weak. He said he noticed that my sound was different because all the other bass players he had heard play on that stage had suffered much more negative "off-axis" effect.

It was reassuring to hear someone (another musician even) confirm that the EA was spreading the tone out fairly nicely. And this guy just brought up the topic with me unprompted. I never asked him "So how did it sound?" I guess it was notable to him, or he wouldn’t have brought it up. It just kind of helped confirm what I had suspected about the cab’s ability to project well off-axis.
 
#46
tombowlus said:
The strong off-axis peformance of the Wizzy is definitely something that I notice and appreciate. :)
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I gotta think about this one. Given the frequencies we're discussing, I just don't see how, from the point of view of physics, the radiation patterns of various 12" drivers/cabs are going to be all that different. I'd like to hear more about such experiences. Two things come to mind:

1) If we are discussing venues where there is a stage or riser, then the coupling to the floor could certainly differ among cabinets.

2) For those players who boost/rely on some of the upper harmonics so that they can cut through the mix, moving off-axis certainly will change things.

I am NOT at all dusputing what has been reported. In fact, I have had similar unsolicited reports from folks who have heard my Wizzy. I'll share one experience.

I was playing a gig in a room from hell-- a cafeteria space that was an acoustical nightmare. No matter where I positioned the Wizzy, I couldn't hear myself. I don't know about you guys, but if I can't hear myself I'm not gonna be in tune!

Anyway, my bandmates and the audience reported hearing the bass just fine. Weeks after the gig I was approached by a musician who was there and he complimented me on my playing (HUH???) and told me how much he enjoyed following the bass line. Seems from his point-of-listening (well, it's not point-of-view), the Wizzy was cutting through just fine. Go figure!
 
#48
DRURB said:
I gotta think about this one. Given the frequencies we're discussing, I just don't see how, from the point of view of physics, the radiation patterns of various 12" drivers/cabs are going to be all that different. ...
Click to expand...

There's one factor that may be significant: In a whizzer cone design, the whizzer is supposed to decouple from the main diaphragm at higher frequencies, and vibrate independantly of it. If done effectively it's like have a seperate midrange/tweeter, which would mean you'd get more omnidirectional radition at higher frequencies.
 
#49
I am no techie, but in my naivete I kinda thought the transmission line might also have something to do with it.

I would think 12" driver "X" would sound different off-axis maybe in a TL cab vs. a sealed cab or a ported cab. I dunno.

I'm sure the techie responses will go right over my head. But I appreciate the interest and the info.
 
#50
Here's the link, I suspect true to form I'll get bloggy about it at some point, but just couldn't get going last night. I was really exhausted and still am today and fairly sore.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236339

I'll get some coffee in me and see if I can get going a little.

Troy

bolo said:
Troy, if you do post elsewhere about this studio experience, please stick a link here in this thread if you don't mind. I'd like to read it.

Congrats on the new gear. Enjoy!
Click to expand...
 
#51
mje said:
There's one factor that may be significant: In a whizzer cone design, the whizzer is supposed to decouple from the main diaphragm at higher frequencies, and vibrate independantly of it. If done effectively it's like have a seperate midrange/tweeter, which would mean you'd get more omnidirectional radition at higher frequencies.
Click to expand...

Well, not above and beyond what a multi-driver system would do. Radiation pattern in these devices is determined by frequency. Believe me, I'm familiar with Harry Olsen's original description of the "whizzer" cone. Check it out.
 
#52
DRURB said:
Well, not above and beyond what a multi-driver system would do. Radiation pattern in these devices is determined by frequency.
Click to expand...
Does the fact that the Whizzer cone and the main 12" driver are on the same axis mean anything in terms of off-axis performance?

Like I said - not being a techie at all - I'm picturing these waves - sorry, spheres - of moving air and sound coming out of the cabinet.

If these spheres originate from the same center, the smaller ones would push out and blossom inside the bigger ones. In a multi-driver system, these spheres would be coming from different points, albeit probably less than 12" or so apart, and they would eventually cross each others paths, overlap, smile and say "How do you do?" ... whatever.

Would that affect the perceived off-axis performance?

I'm sure this is at least worth a chuckle to the scientific types ...
 
#54
bolo said:
Does the fact that the Whizzer cone and the main 12" driver are on the same axis mean anything in terms of off-axis performance?

Like I said - not being a techie at all - I'm picturing these waves - sorry, spheres - of moving air and sound coming out of the cabinet.

If these spheres originate from the same center, the smaller ones would push out and blossom inside the bigger ones. In a multi-driver system, these spheres would be coming from different points, albeit probably less than 12" or so apart, and they would eventually cross each others paths, overlap, smile and say "How do you do?" ... whatever.

Would that affect the perceived off-axis performance?

I'm sure this is at least worth a chuckle to the scientific types ...
Click to expand...

Since the different drivers are reproducing different wavelengths of sound (with some overlap), interference between them should be minimal. But you're basically right, and a designer looking ofr accurate reproduction should take into account that interference around the crossover frequencies.

Off-axis performance is mainly a consequence of how wavelength interferes with diaphrapgm size, as DURB pointed out. A speaker smaller than half a wavelength at a given frequency will radiate omnidirectionally at that frequency.
 

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