Sound Dispersion Solutions

[tbonesullivan]

So, once again at PSP I fell victim to the "can't hear myself" problem and nearly deafened people across the barn (with a 50 watt mini stack). I have worked before with tilt back amp stands, but they still have the problem of pretty much just changing the direction of the beam of sound, not helping to spread it out more. This was with a closed back cabinet, so that may have been part of it.

 

Anyway, I've heard about people putting pieces of foam on their grills, the beam blockers, and other internal and external devices to help spread the sound. It would be nice to have something I can put in front of the amp, so that I don't have to get something installed on every amp/cabinet

 

I noticed someone had a plexiglass shield around their amp (I think Yoslate?) that seemed to help.

[fxdx99]

Yeh, Rob had his patented 'Slater Sneeze-Shield'. Like that solution.

 

Here's a compare of some other methods... the foam thingy's would be cheap to put on each cab.

 

[tulk1]

I have a Weber Beam Blocker. Well, Rob has a Weber Beam Blocker on the 5E3 I sold him. Don't recall how effective it is/was. But I like that foamy idea from the above vid.

[Gitfiddler]

I found facing my amp into a corner of a room helps a bit. Looks strange, but sound spreads out better in certain venues.

[AP515]

Turn the amp around and face the back wall, or better yet, at the drummer. I did this once at a church gig (at the wall not the drummer) and the back wall had sound absorbing material on it and so it didn't reverb all over the place. It worked well. You'll find that you can crank it louder and the sound spreads everywhere. Just hard to fiddle with the knobs...

[tbonesullivan]

As I have a bunch of amps, I'm thinking external baffles, like Rob's shield, seems like a good way to be able to use it on a lot of amps, and also customize the effect. Also having to figure out how to get a foam donut to NOT eventually fall off seems a bit scary to me. It does look like there are commercially available baffles, which are good for idiots like myself, who can use but not make things. Though, some are pretty dang big.

[yoslate]

Since my name's being taken in vain, guess I'll weigh in. Conflicting issues, for me: Different amps "breathe" at different volumes...as do various genres of music. Love the super Super through the 5E3 on "4," standup bass, and a drummer with brushes. No baffle required. Now, I'm rehearsing with a new band...rock vets, doing John Hiatt, Albert Collins, Butterfield, Frankie Miller. Prisoners are not to be taken. You get the picture. Volume's a recurring issue for me. I've been in plenty of rooms wherein nobody will be in front of the band. Worse, people just...leave, me included. I really don't want to be responsible for running people out of my own gig. And I have congenital hearing loss. I have Beam Blockers on all my speakers, to attenuate those high frequencies which drill people between the eyes, if they're standing at the right wrong place. I'd seen live acts and demos with the plexiglass shields. Seemed like a good idea, especially in mitigating stage volume. Wind the amp up, and let the sound guy tweak it in the FOH. Or open the amp up without pithing the people just in front or being unfair to those with whom you share the stage. Figured I could make my own, less expensively. After measuring for an appropriately sized triptych, I went to Lowe's and bought hinges and plexiglass, which I had them cut into three pieces. Took it home and sanded the edges; plexiglass is dangerously sharp! Taped the drilling locations to discourage shattering and stayed as far away from the edges as possible to prevent the plexiglass from splitting, and drilled for the hinges. Put a little velcro where the two outer pieces meet when folded, to keep it from falling open in transport. Can wind my amps up a bit, without a lot of sound spilling into places it doesn't need to be.

[tulk1]

Your name in vain. Classic! We do that on a daily basis, you know. :-)

 

I've found that if I park my fat ass right in front of the speaker it acts like a natural sound dispersal system. And feels kind naughty at the same time!!

[Gitfiddler]

Your name in vain. Classic! We do that on a daily basis, you know. :-)

 

I've found that if I park my fat ass right in front of the speaker it acts like a natural sound dispersal system. And feels kind naughty at the same time!!

 

T.M.I.!

[yoslate]

 

I've found that if I park my fat ass right in front of the speaker it acts like a natural sound dispersal system. And feels kind naughty at the same time!!

 

Why didn't I think of that? Glad I was able to inspire the discussion to a higher plane.... Thanks for engaging, Kenny!

[tbonesullivan]

Hmm. well the cabinet I am thinking of beam blocking is front loaded, so I'd need to get some washers or something. Or I could glue something to the front grille, which is metal. The thing is I want something that will disperse the beams, not just absorb them.

 

choices choices.