I have a cunning plan......(and yes it does involve boom! boom! boom)

[Imagine]

Like the title? Took me ages to think of that one :)

OK - I'm not known for my willingness to part with cash for starters and I've got a plan to save myself a little hard earned folding stuff.
My current sound setup consists of my lovely Yammy DXR15's and a DSR18. Together, they sound like absolute heaven.

Here however is the problem. The setup looks "unbalanced".

Aha I hear seasoned readers saying.....just buy a second sub!
But that's the problem....with the current setup - I don't actually need one and to spend best part of a grand on a speaker and cover that will just sit and look pretty seems to be a waste to me.

So I had the idea of getting hold of an empty cabinet and maybe filling it with sand to give it the same weight/stability to balance things up.

Apart from the obvious problem of actually getting hold of an empty DSR18 cabinet, can anyone see any flaw in this idea, or am I just being mean?

[DeckstarDeluxe]

It'll only look unbalanced to you, nobody else will notice. I wouldn't worry about it.

I do have my sub tucked in under the dsb bottom shelf though...

[Imagine]

On the sub's first outing I had it under the deckstand (a solid fronted fold-up thing).

The sub was moving everything on the table, and moving the table forwards! Haven't had it underneath ever since that night :rolleyes:

Maybe I'm just trying to be a perfectionist :o

[funkymook]

Like the title? Took me ages to think of that one :)

OK - I'm not known for my willingness to part with cash for starters and I've got a plan to save myself a little hard earned folding stuff.
My current sound setup consists of my lovely Yammy DXR15's and a DSR18. Together, they sound like absolute heaven.

Here however is the problem. The setup looks "unbalanced".

Aha I hear seasoned readers saying.....just buy a second sub!
But that's the problem....with the current setup - I don't actually need one and to spend best part of a grand on a speaker and cover that will just sit and look pretty seems to be a waste to me.

So I had the idea of getting hold of an empty cabinet and maybe filling it with sand to give it the same weight/stability to balance things up.

Apart from the obvious problem of actually getting hold of an empty DSR18 cabinet, can anyone see any flaw in this idea, or am I just being mean?

I think it’s a great idea....’Oi, don’t put your drink on that bass bin...put it on that one instead...’

Having a dummy bin seems like a lot of effort, especially if it’s near enough the same weight. if I was that bothered with the aesthetics (which your clients aren’t so it won’t lose you bookings, so it’s solely for your benefit) I’d rather have a working model, never needs to be turned on but it’s back-up in case the other fails.

Or can’t you just put the single bin under your stand?

[Shaun]

Whilst I understand the comments about the clients won't be bothered about aesthetics and it being unbalanced, I'm not sure I entirely agree. A good balanced look that's symmetrical could be noticed by many clients. Writing things off saying nobody will notice but the DJ....well, I'm not sure I would entirely agree with that.

The appreciation of symmetry and aesthetics is universal.

Feel free to disagree. :)

[Imagine]

Shaun - I agree with you completely (but then since I started the thread....I would do).

To my mind, a balanced and well presented rig is going to look a lot better in photos (whether they're publicity shots or guest shots), plus look like you actually care about what you're doing.

It also opens up the old chestnut of to scrim or not to scrim (love 'em or hate 'em).

Personally, I'll scrim my speaker stands 90% of the time, more to point out the fact that there's something for guests to watch out not to trip over, but also because I've never been keen on seeing bare tripods (although I'm not a huge fan of scrims either). Only once have I thought they looked good, and that was in a completely blackened venue, on a black stage and they were scrimmed in black to stop the stands shining under the lights.

If I only use one sub - I can't just scrim one stand. It'd look silly. If I had a dummy sub, problem solved. DXR15's symmetrically positioned on satellite poles.

The only problem I'm having at the moment is finding a dead/disused cabinet anywhere (they don't break easy these Yammys :( )

[funkymook]

Whilst I understand the comments about the clients won't be bothered about aesthetics and it being unbalanced, I'm not sure I entirely agree. A good balanced look that's symmetrical could be noticed by many clients. Writing things off saying nobody will notice but the DJ....well, I'm not sure I would entirely agree with that.

The appreciation of symmetry and aesthetics is universal.

Feel free to disagree. :)

I both agree and disagree.

I understand the psychological reason why we find symmetry attractive, but I bet you if you asked anyone the day after a great party how many speakers the DJ had and how they were placed they wouldn’t know.

I also felt slightly uncomfortable when I started to use a one side bass bin set-up, soon got over it though.


But looking at it from a different angle - why not make two surrounds, one would cover the bass bin the other would cover the tripod legs - much lighter than having a heavy faux bass bin, and an easy pack if they folded down.

[Imagine]

I both agree and disagree.

I understand the psychological reason why we find symmetry attractive, but I bet you if you asked anyone the day after a great party how many speakers the DJ had and how they were placed they wouldn’t know.

I also felt slightly uncomfortable when I started to use a one side bass bin set-up, soon got over it though.


But looking at it from a different angle - why not make two surrounds, one would cover the bass bin the other would cover the tripod legs - much lighter than having a heavy faux bass bin, and an easy pack if they folded down.

You might actually be onto something there :)

Something to investigate over the next couple of weeks...but I like that idea...A LOT!
(reaches for tape measure, hammer, MDF, spray paint.....)

[yourdj]

Put it behind the booth. :)

Don't see any logic in hauling about a box full of sand ;)

[Imagine]

Put it behind the booth. :)

Don't see any logic in hauling about a box full of sand ;)

Exercise? Muscle building (my DXR15's are getting easier and easier to lift) ;)

[Excalibur]

Or can’t you just put the single bin under your stand?

Ahem! Please read threads thoroughly before posting. :Naughty:


On the sub's first outing I had it under the deckstand (a solid fronted fold-up thing).

The sub was moving everything on the table, and moving the table forwards!


Shaun - I agree with you completely (but then since I started the thread....I would do).

To my mind, a balanced and well presented rig is going to look a lot better in photos (whether they're publicity shots or guest shots), plus look like you actually care about what you're doing.


The only problem I'm having at the moment is finding a dead/disused cabinet anywhere (they don't break easy these Yammys :( )
I too value symetry highly, as do many others. Speakers, lights, the whole shebang. At some venues, it's just not possible, and you have to live with it.

One other leftfield suggestions is to trade one 18" for two 15". Martin's idea of The Mother Of All Scrims to cover the sub and one tripod has merit.

[stormproductions]

Even if you could get hold of an empty DSR18 cabinet which is incredibly unlikely considering they've not been around too many years and have a 7 year warranty, your biggest flaw is that after 3 gigs you'd come to your senses and get bored of lugging it around and people telling you you're daft and would then be left with a big worthless box which would sit for 12 years taking up space in your garage.

Well that's my opinion anyway!

Yep, sell the DSR118 you've got and buy 2 DSR115s that you can actually use. I might have the 118 from you if it was a sensible price. Then I'd buy a 2nd that actually had a driver in it so I could use 2.

[Andy P]

There are three options here:

1. Hide the sub - I do this currently

2. Get a second sub - If so I'd probs downsize them for weight and transport and 2 x 15" probs sound as good as 1 x 18"

3. Accept it

[Daryll]

let me offer another choice......................


http://speaker-cabinets.co.uk/q12.html

I have been using these ( home build) for years , they outperform a lot of 15" cab`s
the drivers are not cheap , but you gets what you pay for...;) , they pack a lot of punch for a small sub.

cheers

Daryll