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How To Improve Your Rack

R

Ron The Mon

Location: Detroit
Ron The Mon wields a mean Dremel:
mailedD22.jpg
 
On the last photo I was hoping to also show
what the top-plate "Screw Mod" looks like on
my LP-12. I guess if a little glare makes it
disappear, it proves my point of showing it's unnoticeable!

Click here if you don't know what the "Screw Mod" is.

I'll tell tomorrow about the sound improvement as it took me a lot longer to figure out how to post the photos here.

Ron The Mon
 
Yeo Ron, is that the router attachment for your shiny new Dremmel, or is it the tile srouting remover kit with an appropriate cutter? Sure looks kewl.

Anyway, nice job! Did it improve the audiotech table?

PS - to those nay-sayers, a dremmel-as-router would provide a better finish than any jigsaw, even mine!

sajidw323k.gif


Rico
 
The plot thickens: I can't see Rico's pic, either!

Edit: now right-clicked on the links and wrote the URL manually into my browser. That works.

Nice work, Ron.
 
Yeo Ron, is that the router attachment for your shiny new Dremmel, or is it the tile srouting remover kit with an appropriate cutter? Sure looks kewl.
Click to expand...

Rico,
Neither. It is the new Dremel Advantage. It's actually called a "High-Speed Rotary Saw". It works fantastic with the new circular saw attachment. I also have a standard Dremel which works better in situations where you need to hold it with a pencil grip or do polishing. The Advantage is higher torque and has faster speeds. It still takes all the standard Dremel bits and attachments but is more appropriate for bigger jobs. It has a longer cord too and you can store many bits and chuck in the grip (it's hollow).

I prefer to use the Advantage over standard Dremel on most of my handyman work, though I still use my 35 year-old hand drill more than either Dremel!

Ron The Mon
 
re. pictures:

I think the reason some can't see the photos is there are so many viewing at the same time. I believe this is compounded by the way Tony has mentioned that when someone's logged in here, the photos stay connected, it which case, many are linked to the photos even though they're not actually viewing.

I did try the pfm photo file attachment but couldn't get the file size down.

I am far from an expert when it comes to anything photo or computer related, so any tips would be appreciated.

Ron The Mon
 
Originally posted by johngilleran
Try this link to see Ron's pics:

/page3.html
Click to expand...

I was hoping for something better... A rack on page 3! ;-)

(for Ron's benefit 'The Sun' newspaper usually shows a topless girl on page three...)

Ron, Thought about curving the cut to cut down on resonances on the length? ie non-uniform x-section? ala the Q-ref curves..
 
Does a Dremel work on glass?...Andy.
Click to expand...

Actually it does! The diamond-tipped glass etching bit used deeper and deeper will eventually cut through. However, it is dangerous for this purpose for two reasons; first, while cutting, a flying shard could cut you. Second, weakening the glass and putting a heavy hi-fi component on top could fracture or break it.

Also, I have no proof this mod would improve a glass shelf. In fact, the Mana crowd's description of the improvement when "double glazing" sounds like it's accomplishing the same goal.

So how does cutting a hole in a piece of MDF sound?

Several years back a friend made me a carbon fiber shelf for my turntable stand. He was the first to tell me about the nodes in MDF shelves. He actually cut holes and measured the effect. I discounted his measurements though as he found the carbon shelf measured better but it sounded worse.

So I shelved the idea until last year when I started reading about the Quadraspire Reference stands. Even though the QR stands use different rods and a baseboard from the Standard version, a key to their better sound is the holes in the shelves.

So I first started cutting old pieces of SO shelves I had extra, which actually are particle board (the later boards are MDF). Even thought the stock MDF sounds better than stock particle board in this instance, the cut particle board sounded better than the stock MDF. So of course I had to then cut the MDF! Success!

I've since cut holes in every shelf I have. Some were solid hardwood, plywood, MDF. All sounded better afterwards.

The only exception was my Audiotech floor stand the LP-12 is on. I only had one shelf so if it sounded worse, I was screwed. The reason I was sceptical is that I put the cut SO shelves in place of the stock Audiotech board and they sounded worse! If you've read about my LP-12 before, you'll know I use the Trampolin baseboard on the Audiotech, and find it to be a great match.

So I bit the bullet a few days back and cut the Audiotech's board. Whenever I do any change to my record playing sistem, I do three things. First is record a short piece of music with the volume up and down over the speakers, and record the same after a mod or change on my casstte deck. Second is listen to a short piece of music immediately before and after mods, and third play an entire record before and after for comparison.


Long Review (scroll to bottom for short review)
I want to always be sure something sounds better, not just different.

For the short A/B I used Come Together by the Beatles. After the mod, I listened very intently hoping to focus on every nuance. Instead my focus was destroyed because the bass depth increased so much it ruined my concentration. (BTW, all volume settings, etc. were unaltered before and after.)

After adjusting to the extra bass, I replayed the song. WOW! Stereo separation increased enormously. Not in the Round-Earthy "imaging" fashion, but rather that stuff that is supposed to be in the left channel is in the left channel and vice-versa. To me this is important as it allowed me to clearly hear that it is guitar in the left channel and keyboard in the right channel. I have always thought it to be two guitars doubled. For the first time I also could hear that one of John Lennon's doubled voices has a slap echo on it and one doesn't.

After the song was over, I let it run into Something. I always thought that it was George doing the two doubled voices, but it is now clear as bell that it is George singing lead only with Paul on the left and John on the right. THREE voices!

I put Come Together back on and realized that what appears to be a simple mod, has results which are quite striking. I've been listening to this song since the day it came out. But I never before realized that what appears to be a simple song with simple production and average musicians is really a masterpiece. If this mod only made Come Together sound good, I'd be happy.

But no, it makes everything sound better. I put on my long-term listening record, One Size Fits All by Frank Zappa. If you could only buy one Zappa album, this should be it.

The problem I have with the Zappa albums from this period is the voices are too close in register. Starting with Chunga's Revenge you have Frank, George Duke, Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. It's very hard to tell who's singing what part. On One Size Fits All the singers are Frank, George, and Napoleon Murphy Brock. Different from the Beatles, all in this band have the same vocal range which is high bass/low tenor. Previously I could barely tell if a voice was doubled or there were two people singing. I don't have that trouble anymore.

The fact I pointed above about stereo separation revealed that in the left channel of "Inca Roads" was actually a flute. I always thought it was a synthesizer as I didn't know Napoleon could play flute that fast! Now I hear flute, two synthesizers, and marimba all playing the same part. I have even more respect for this band now knowing they were that tight as musicians.

In fact hearing how great Chester Thompson's drum playing is makes me realize what a waste of talent he is now playing keyboards with Santana!?!

"Can't Afford No Shoes" offers a rarity; Frank playing slide. Until this mod, I thought it was a single guitar. Again, even more respect to Frank as this solo is doubled! Are you starting to see a pattern here?

The biggest surprise playing this record though was the song, "Evelyn, A Modified Dog". It was one of my least favorite
Zappa songs. It's a song I'd never previously play on its own. It does provide a nice interlude between "Florentine Pogen" and "San Ber'dino" though. "Evelyn" is just a duet with Frank singing quirky lyrics and George playing electric Steinway. HOLY SMOKES! This is now my favorite song on the record. I have yet to mention how this mod affects timing and the tune. "Evelyn" clearly showcases this. The way Frank and George interact showcase their superb timing. And Frank Zappa a great singer? Hell yea! George is also a fantastic piano player even though he's more known for the synth.

A few other affects of this mod; surface noise is increased. Actually the frequency spectrum is widened. I noticed the same thing when I cut a hole in the board on the SO table my FM tuner sits on. At first I thought it to be more RF hiss (which it is). But really there is more of all instruments on the high (and low) end. Same with the LP-12. More surface noise, but I can also hear cymbals much more clearly and differentiate between two which previously sounded like only one.

Short Review:
Cutting a hole in the board results in better timing, instruments more in tune, better stereo separation, and more bass.

Ron The Mon
 
[/QUOTE]

Short Review:
Cutting a hole in the board results in better timing, instruments more in tune, better stereo separation, and more bass.

Ron The Mon [/B][/QUOTE]

I have heard that doing a similar thing to loudspeaker cabinets makes them sound very open! ... Not panel resonances... Unfortunately the bass was degraded somewhat.
 
John Shore,
Ron, Thought about curving the cut to cut down on resonances on the length? ie non-uniform x-section? ala the Q-ref curves..
Click to expand...

Do Quadraspire do this for performance reasons? I understood it was strictly cosmetic. It would take a lot of money and time for me to find out exactly what shape and cut would be ideal; then it would probably only work on that specific rack.

I am claiming no science here. I am just a man who owns a Dremel and likes to use it.

I have made several pick-guards for my semi-hollow guitar and all sounded different. The first one I made (for cosmetic reasons) with the sound hole in the shape of an "X" sounded best. I wouldn't have guessed that!

My point of this thread is that cutting a center portion of a wooden shelf out gives better performance. It is cheap and easy to do. If anyone tries shapes or profiles which they hear as better, I'll gladly try it.

Ron The Mon
 
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