How To Improve Your Rack
- Thread starter Ron The Mon
- Start date
Patrick Dixon
Imagineer
You were drunk and hearing double?
Ron The Mon
Location: Detroit
I drink often when listening, but not when doing A/B comparisons. Alcohol affects hearing and often things appear to sound better than they are.
When I say "doubling", this is a common recording technique in which an instrument or voice is re-recorded playing exactly the same (or sometimes different) part twice. Since it is hard to replay a part exactly, there are subtle tone differences. Why do this? It results in a "bigger" sound. Most recordings have some sort of reverb on the voices at the very least to keep the voices and instruments from sounding flat or empty.
As I said above in the Come Together example, one of John's voices has slight reverb, and one has slap echo (a longer delay than reverb with only a couple echoes).
Another way of achieving a similar sound to doubling is to use a "chorus" effect. The chorus plays the original instrument unaffected and at the same time plays a slightly delayed, often phase-shifted version. Again to get a bigger sound.
On Zappa's later albums (notably You Are What You Is), there is a lot of the chorus affect. On One Size Fits All, there is lots of doubling and no chorusing.
The slide guitar solo on "Can't Afford No Shoes" is two guitars recorded independently. The main louder guitar is more toward the right channel, a quieter second guitar is on the left channel only. Like I said above, I previously only heard this solo as one guitar.
Ron The Mon
P.S.
Drinking makes me see double, not hear that way!
Hi Ron et al.
That's one tasty lookin hole you have there. (If you'll pardon the expression)
Do you generally go around cutting holes in things? That's a strange hobby you have.
I thinks it's a result of unresolved childhood issues.
I have plenty of these so I started making holes in things.
I was also inspired by the QSP to go around cutting holes in anything that moved (or didn't) .
I noticed that all my albums have holes in the middle. Do you think this improve the sound?
I made a rack sort of based on a bastard son of a flexy/QSP with glass and marbles and stuff but the best thing about it is the holes in the middle. You can't really see them in the pickies but they are the same shape as the shelves.
I've gotto say that it sounds as better than anything I've ever had
and doesn't look too bad either. Even my Honey approves.
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/bc/scribemole/lst?.
Chow
That's one tasty lookin hole you have there. (If you'll pardon the expression)
Do you generally go around cutting holes in things? That's a strange hobby you have.
I thinks it's a result of unresolved childhood issues.
I have plenty of these so I started making holes in things.
I was also inspired by the QSP to go around cutting holes in anything that moved (or didn't) .
I noticed that all my albums have holes in the middle. Do you think this improve the sound?
I made a rack sort of based on a bastard son of a flexy/QSP with glass and marbles and stuff but the best thing about it is the holes in the middle. You can't really see them in the pickies but they are the same shape as the shelves.
I've gotto say that it sounds as better than anything I've ever had
and doesn't look too bad either. Even my Honey approves.
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/bc/scribemole/lst?.
Chow
jonnoshore
physicist, engineer and healer
On the Q ref uprights the cross section is tapered to to reduce the 'ring' modes on them. A varying cross-section means the resonant frequency changes as it moves through the length... this helps with inherent anti-resonance without damping.
John
RichardH
Bodging pleb
Horus - what a superb job you've made of the rack. Any chance of a couple of closeups of the uprights? Have you just used a single threaded rod all the way up (like the Flexy), or is there more to it that that?
Are the shelves MDF, or something more exotic?
Some suppliers for the bits would be interesting too. Difficult getting the ends turned to points?
Are the shelves MDF, or something more exotic?
Some suppliers for the bits would be interesting too. Difficult getting the ends turned to points?
Richard
You are too kind. I've added another shot to the site. You could right click and save it to your PC so that you could zoom in on it.
I used 1 mtr, 20 mil galvanized threaded bars. If you search Yell for industrial fasteners suppliers you'll be suprised how many of them there are.
Every industrial estate has one. They will probably need to order them but mine arrived next day. They're really cheap. Dont get Chrome (loads o money)
I asked them if they knew where I could get them turned and a place two doors down did them for 15 quid. Industrial estates are teaming with small engiineering workshops. Just go in and ask.
Unfortunately the shelves are mere 15ml mdf except the top two which are 12ml. 3 coats of varnish, the second one being clear.
The glass was from a book case waiting for a skip so I just slid the toughened glass doors out. They were the perfect width I just needed to cut the length. Three marbles under the glass rest on nut which sit in very slightly countersunk holes. (anything heavier than a 135 and I'd use 4 marbles)
if you make one don't go the flexy route of using rubber washers, they bugger up the bass and stop any energy reaching the floor.
Of course I tried this and it took hours to dismantle and re assemble.
Homebase provided the mdf. A large store will cut it to size for you free of charge.
You are too kind. I've added another shot to the site. You could right click and save it to your PC so that you could zoom in on it.
I used 1 mtr, 20 mil galvanized threaded bars. If you search Yell for industrial fasteners suppliers you'll be suprised how many of them there are.
Every industrial estate has one. They will probably need to order them but mine arrived next day. They're really cheap. Dont get Chrome (loads o money)
I asked them if they knew where I could get them turned and a place two doors down did them for 15 quid. Industrial estates are teaming with small engiineering workshops. Just go in and ask.
Unfortunately the shelves are mere 15ml mdf except the top two which are 12ml. 3 coats of varnish, the second one being clear.
The glass was from a book case waiting for a skip so I just slid the toughened glass doors out. They were the perfect width I just needed to cut the length. Three marbles under the glass rest on nut which sit in very slightly countersunk holes. (anything heavier than a 135 and I'd use 4 marbles)
if you make one don't go the flexy route of using rubber washers, they bugger up the bass and stop any energy reaching the floor.
Of course I tried this and it took hours to dismantle and re assemble.
Homebase provided the mdf. A large store will cut it to size for you free of charge.
dan m
pfm Member
Ron,
This last weekend I picked up a s/h SO table for my LP12. It's now off the top of my target rack. SInce you've had a lot of experience with these do you have suggestions re. set-up/mods. From previous descriptions, it sounds as if this is a later model - it has black plastic fittings on the bottom shelf (but no shelf), and the supports for the upper shelf are bent metal upward pointing tabs. THe shelf is black one side/ white the other. I noticed that the indentations in the shelf are quite deep.
So, your pictures have me thinking I could replace the shelf with a peice of mdf (what thickness), with a hole cut out. Whatcha think? Do mdf shelves need to be painted or veneered?
cheers
Dan
This last weekend I picked up a s/h SO table for my LP12. It's now off the top of my target rack. SInce you've had a lot of experience with these do you have suggestions re. set-up/mods. From previous descriptions, it sounds as if this is a later model - it has black plastic fittings on the bottom shelf (but no shelf), and the supports for the upper shelf are bent metal upward pointing tabs. THe shelf is black one side/ white the other. I noticed that the indentations in the shelf are quite deep.
So, your pictures have me thinking I could replace the shelf with a peice of mdf (what thickness), with a hole cut out. Whatcha think? Do mdf shelves need to be painted or veneered?
cheers
Dan
Ron The Mon
Location: Detroit
Dan,
For most of your questions, I'd have to say "try it and find out". The only thing for sure is that usually an MDF board with gouges from the spikes sounds worse as there is more surface area contact between the board and the spike.
Either fill the holes with wood filler or flip it over if the other side is intact. Contact paper is cheap and would probably do little to affect the sound if there is a cosmetic problem.
My point of this thread though is that it seems universal that cutting a hole in a wooden shelf brings about better sound. However, the shelf needs to sound good in the first place.
Ron the Mon
For most of your questions, I'd have to say "try it and find out". The only thing for sure is that usually an MDF board with gouges from the spikes sounds worse as there is more surface area contact between the board and the spike.
Either fill the holes with wood filler or flip it over if the other side is intact. Contact paper is cheap and would probably do little to affect the sound if there is a cosmetic problem.
My point of this thread though is that it seems universal that cutting a hole in a wooden shelf brings about better sound. However, the shelf needs to sound good in the first place.
Ron the Mon