I don't want a studio....... I want Bradland....

[bachelorb]

Why must the organ be micc'ed? You can get a cheap high level DI box from Behringer* and 'croc' across the speaker. Or use a DI box from the headphone output, it surely has one?

*Yes, some of their models are noisy but with an organ you will have plenty of level so should not matter.

Dave.

Well.... I just learned something new..... A DI box might just go on the shopping list. I had to look up to see what one was. Since the organ has no headphone jack, I’ll probably have to go across the speaker.

 

[ecc83]

Well.... I just learned something new..... A DI box might just go on the shopping list. I had to look up to see what one was. Since the organ has no headphone jack, I’ll probably have to go across the speaker.

This maker has a generally good rep..ART DUALZDirect Dual Passive DI Box - DI Boxes - Microphones - Studiospares

And it occurred to me that the organ might be stereo but at what, 50bucks, no brainer?
You will need a standard mono (guitar) jack lead to croc clips. Can you solder?
Dave.

 

[bachelorb]

This maker has a generally good rep..ART DUALZDirect Dual Passive DI Box - DI Boxes - Microphones - Studiospares

And it occurred to me that the organ might be stereo but at what, 50bucks, no brainer?
You will need a standard mono (guitar) jack lead to croc clips. Can you solder?
Dave.

Nope... its not stereo..... I can solder. In fact, after I get a pesky carburetor fixed on a chainsaw, I'm going to try you suggestion. I've seen where people have used old M-Audio audio buddy's as a di box. I happen to have one of those laying around. If its too noisy, I'll look into that ART DI box (they're on $29 here). Thanks for the info!!

Brad

 

[ecc83]

Nope... its not stereo..... I can solder. In fact, after I get a pesky carburetor fixed on a chainsaw, I'm going to try you suggestion. I've seen where people have used old M-Audio audio buddy's as a di box. I happen to have one of those laying around. If its too noisy, I'll look into that ART DI box (they're on $29 here). Thanks for the info!!

Brad

Wonderful! Makes SUCH a change to have a practical guy come here! Bet you've got a test meter as well?

Dave.

 

[bachelorb]

Bet you've got a test meter as well?

Dave.

I do have a test meter. Should I be looking for a specific voltage? ....

Wonderful! Makes SUCH a change to have a practical guy come here!

.....I think the guys over on the analog forum would replace the word “practical” with “pesky”

 

[Steenamaroo]

Wonderful! Makes SUCH a change to have a practical guy come here! Bet you've got a test meter as well?

Dave.

Oooooh. I bet he's got box of random small components!
Pics, pics!

 

[ecc83]

No! No voltage just that almost no newbs here have a meter and I just had a gut feeling YOU would!

Analogue guys? Well you WOULD think anyone wanting "Tape sound" (wtevertf THAT is!) would be at least familiar with amps and volts but many of the noobs are terrified of 'lectrik!

Dave.

 

[ecc83]

Oooooh. I bet he's got box of random small components!
Pics, pics!

I have got a ROOM full of boxes of small components, and a loft and a car.......

Dave.

 

[bachelorb]

I have got a ROOM full of boxes of small components, and a loft and a car.......

Dave.

I used to have barns full of small boxes..... sold everything to travel. Now we’re settled in again and I need to get more small boxes!!!

In regards to the meter. I have a pretty nice digital one now, but my favorite was too big to take on the road.... it looked like this:

 

[bachelorb]

Album covers as roxul covering

Alright.... I've got roxul in house!!! Now, I'm thinking about making the first and second reflection point absorbers. I want a covering that is more than just fabric. I've thought about tapestries and stuff, but the ones I've seen are a little too sissy for me (my apologies to any sissies out there that might take offense to that statement..... ). I've been reading in the past how egg cartons aren't good because they are made of cardboard and cardboard absorbs etc.....

Welllll.... album covers are cardboard and if I cover absorbers with something that absorbs, that should be ok right??? so I guess my logic questions lead to this one.

Are 2 foot by 4 foot by 2 inches thick acoustic panels with roxul 60 covered by old carboard vinyl album covers ok to use for reflection points?

Thanks as always,

Brad

 

[ecc83]

I used to have barns full of small boxes..... sold everything to travel. Now we’re settled in again and I need to get more small boxes!!!

In regards to the meter. I have a pretty nice digital one now, but my favorite was too big to take on the road.... it looked like this:

View attachment 100988

Ooo! I had a Simpson for a while. Bloody good meters, not Avos but bloody good!

That has a usefully large dB scale? If you wanted you could make decent high impedance dB meter with a couple of op amps. V handy for annyloggy/tape work.

Dave.

 

[ashcat_lt]

Egg cartons aren't any good because they DONT absorb much, and anything they might catch is really high frequency. All the low and mid stuff that actually messes things up just blow right through them, maybe a little bit of the high end gets absorbed, and the rest gets bounced back. But at least they're not flat, so any higher frequencies which might bounce off of them will be scattered somewhat.

Your record sleeves are flat. They're still not going to absorb much of anything, but anything that bounces off of them is going to the same place it otherwise would have. Basically, you'll be defeating the effect of your absorbers above some relatively high frequency - right in the range where we get our directional cues. I personally would not go there.

Band t-shirts, though...

 

[bachelorb]

Band t-shirts, though...

Now there you go..... my problem is the shirts were moth eaten years ago..... “ The Who” is now just “...ho......”

.....back to looking for manly tapestries.......

 

[bachelorb]

At Dave's suggestion, I decided to experiment with using audio interfaces as direct outs for my ol Wurlitzer organ. I am sure this will not get the electricians seal of approval, but here's what I did. First the hookup at the speaker:



Then I grabbed my AudioBuddy and ran that setup to its input and ran my headphones through the output.... and we have a winner!! There was distortion at mid to high levels but I figure I might be driving the signal too hard.



Thinking about it a little bit, I was wondering about disconnecting the speaker all together and just running the sound through the. direct out. The audio buddy doesn't have a headphone output, but my old Alesis IOhub does, so I found an old usb house plug and tried that.



It started to distort at lower levels, but it seemed to work. Next thing I'm going to do is run it through my mixer and check the levels to see if the distortion happens after acceptable recording levels. I'm thinking that having headphone capability will let me put a kind of speaker switch in the organ to where if I'm messing around late at night, I won't bother the wife. Plus ever since I switched to linux, that alesis would be a better boat anchor than an audio interface....

...speaking of which....she just popped in and wondered why I am on this thing and not finishing the flooring........i hate flooring........

 

[ecc83]

Holy steaming piles of ***t Brad! I am NOT taking the rap for that lashup!

Yes, I said you could pinch a signal by crocking across a speaker but I also said you need a HIGH LEVEL DI and expected the croc leads would be PROPERLY wired into a jack plug! There are two dangers here..

1) You could short the organ power amp and that will be instant smoke since, obviously they don't intend people to connect to the speaker (would have fitted an Ext jack and so the PA likely has NO protection.

2) Although it is usually impossible to damage audio gear inputs with high levels, SPEAKER levels, 10s of volts CAN do it.

Another issue, do not disconnect the speaker. It is often said that transistor power amplifiers can work without a load. True in theory but I have known them to object and go instable then Pooof! If you want to silence that amp it can be done very safely with a load box. I can supply detailed drawings.

Mods. I will take a bit of flack for my original suggestion and will be VERY guarded in the future when suggesting 'creative' connection regimes!

Dave.

 

[Mack Caster]

...speaking of which....she just popped in and wondered why I am on this thing and not finishing the flooring........i hate flooring........

You forgot the number 1 rule of Audio Brother when it comes to a married man.

HAPPY WIFE = HAPPY LIFE!

 

[bachelorb]

Holy steaming piles of ***t Brad! I am NOT taking the rap for that lashup!

Yes, I said you could pinch a signal by crocking across a speaker but I also said you need a HIGH LEVEL DI and expected the croc leads would be PROPERLY wired into a jack plug! There are two dangers here..

1) You could short the organ power amp and that will be instant smoke since, obviously they don't intend people to connect to the speaker (would have fitted an Ext jack and so the PA likely has NO protection.

2) Although it is usually impossible to damage audio gear inputs with high levels, SPEAKER levels, 10s of volts CAN do it.

Another issue, do not disconnect the speaker. It is often said that transistor power amplifiers can work without a load. True in theory but I have known them to object and go instable then Pooof! If you want to silence that amp it can be done very safely with a load box. I can supply detailed drawings.

Mods. I will take a bit of flack for my original suggestion and will be VERY guarded in the future when suggesting 'creative' connection regimes!

Dave.

...... I thought someone might have a cow over that one

I know the setup looks a little backwoods(.....alright.....a lot backwoods....), but I checked continuity before I ever fired the organ up to make sure there were no shorts.
Also, I never let the voltage get above .3V (which is what line level voltages are right?)

Which I guess brings me to my question: If I run a 300mV signal through my line level input of the mixer, I should be fine right?

Brad

 

[ecc83]

Yes 300mV will be fine but, FCS put some Gaffer on those crocs!

Dave.

 

[bachelorb]

Yes 300mV will be fine but, FCS put some Gaffer on those crocs!

Dave.

Got it....

Another issue, do not disconnect the speaker. It is often said that transistor power amplifiers can work without a load. True in theory but I have known them to object and go instable then Pooof! If you want to silence that amp it can be done very safely with a load box. I can supply detailed drawings.

Thanks... I didn’t know that.... I might take you up on those drawings in the future. I use the organ so infrequently though, it might not be worth it. I think I’ve used it twice in the year I’ve had it....mostly for some background filler.....

 

[ecc83]

Got it....



Thanks... I didn’t know that.... I might take you up on those drawings in the future. I use the organ so infrequently though, it might not be worth it. I think I’ve used it twice in the year I’ve had it....mostly for some background filler.....

A simple load box rated at 100W is pretty simple and cheap to make (under $30 I would think) The 'OC Sstate amp' situation is interesting (well, to pedantic old farts like me so LISTEN UP!)

Transistor amps invariable have a series CR network across the speaker outs. This counteracts the inductance of the speaker load. Some cheap (WTGR) designs commit two sins..
1) They can go instable, especially if driven to clipping (Gge "squegging") and,
2) The CR aka 'Zobel' components are underated. Resistor gets V hot, cooks cap' (which is invariable 0.1mm away!) cap' shorts then all goes to amp hell in a handbasket.

It is this fragile nature of basic SSTate amp designs that results in you rarely seeing EXT speaker jacks on transistor guitar amps and of course your organ.

Ok, OF has had his waffle. One other caveat, and this applies to ANY sstate amp regardless of cost. NEVER connect a low resistance transformer to such amplifiers.

Dave.