Replacement speakers---stop the madness!

[CrackBass]

on win-isd most of the time when the plot disappears it is because the tuning frequency requires a negative port lenth. the solution is to reset the default of 1 port to 2 or more and/or increase the port size, then reenter the tuning freq.

sometimes you have to play around with it for a bit to get a value that is workable, especially when modelling an enclosure with multiple drivers in it, but once you understand what's going on it's not too hard.

 

[Petebass]

WinISD.....You wouldn't have the sequence available there mate, would
you?

Ok I just finished playing with WinISd and here is the fool-proof sequence for entering in driver data. I originally got this several years ago from the WinISD forum but have simplified it to.....well.... cut out all the crap:-

1. Enter Mms and Cms
This gives fs. If either is not available, then enter fs and other parameter.
2. Enter Sd, Bl and Re
Now, you should get all but Qms (and Qts). Please note that Vas may not match exactly what is specified by manufacturer, because exact value of Vas depends on environmental parameters. Use WinISD's VAS figure for now.
3. Enter Rms or Qms.
Either one will do, although I tend to prefer Qms over Rms, because RMS isn't always listed.

That's the main stuff. The next few steps aren't as critical so if you're missing a few of these parameters, it should still work.
4. Enter Hc, Hg and Pe.
If Hc or Hg or either is available, then enter Xmax and optionally either Hc or Hg if available.
5. Enter number of voicecoils. This will always be 1 for pro audio. If it's more than one, you may have do make some adjustments. I won't go into it here, but keep it in mind.
6. Correct Znom, if necessary.

This procedure also calculates true SPL (1W/1m) value. So it might not match the marketing SPL value, which is generally somewhat vague. Not in all cases, though.

If the program doesn't seem to be automatically calculating the parameters it's supposed to, uncheck the "autocalculate unknowns" box, then re-check it.

You should have no trouble saving your driver now

 

[dave_bass5]

How about a list of cabs and whats in them?
That might at least give us some idea how a driver sounds in a certain sized box etc.
I know its not totally accurate but it might also help those who dont know how to identify a driver if it needs replacing.

 

[Petebass]

How about a list of cabs and whats in them?
That might at least give us some idea how a driver sounds in a certain sized box etc.
I know its not totally accurate but it might also help those who dont know how to identify a driver if it needs replacing.

Chef's never give away their recipes. Cab manufacturers are no different.

I can give you an idea of which manufacturers use, for example, Eminence..... most of them. And given that Epifani sounds nothing like Ampeg, and both use Eminence drivers, you can see why you'd need to know which specific driver they've used for it to mean anything. Oh and neither of them use the garden variety which are available over the counter. They'd be using OEM drivers.

 

[dave_bass5]

Chef's never give away their recipes. Cab manufacturers are no different.

I can give you an idea of which manufacturers use, for example, Eminence..... most of them. And given that Epifani sounds nothing like Ampeg, and both use Eminence drivers, you can see why you'd need to know which specific driver they've used for it to mean anything. Oh and neither of them use the garden variety which are available over the counter. They'd be using OEM drivers.

It was just an idea.

And some manufactures do tell you what's in the cabs if you ask.

And even though they might use OEM versions you can still get close by buying off the shelf.

 

[BassmanPaul]

I am super lazy. I replaced a 15" speaker in an old 70's Yamaha (truck sized) combo amp. The amp itself doesn't work, but I'm using the cab portion as my 1x15 bass cab for my Fender Bassman 400H. I bought an Eminence Kappa Pro and stuck it in the cab. Guess what? It works perfectly. It even sounds great. Ohms, watts, size and number of mounting screws is all that I looked at (besides price). I figured I could always buy a used 1x15 cab to put the speaker in if this cab didn't work. Again, I'm just too lazy to try and do all the calculations that some people fret about.

Yes the speaker WILL work. Will it work to it's maximum potential this way? Only if you are very lucky. Would you buy a Ferrari and run it then on low octane gas??

Jimmy what you are suggesting is a good thing but who is going to do the work? You would have to model every speaker cabinet in the world and every speaker from every manufacturer worldwide. (Talk Bass isn't just confined to the US). Who would then guarantee the results? If people are too "lazy" to investigate what replacement is suitable for their personal application, then they are not going to get the best out of their equipment and at worse damage their nice new replacement! There is simply no easy method that is a panacea for everyones problems.

I have not used WinISD Pro. I use a similar program that runs on my Macs. Many people on this site swear by WinISD Pro while others, such as yourself i suspect, swear at it. To learn a program you have to persevere until you master it. The tools are there already, all a person has to do is learn how they operate.

Paul