Strange Mantaray design

[cclark65]

yes, the design of the vari-intense horn has intrigued me in the past, but I have never had the opportunity to see one.

I imagine a horn like that in the center of a large church would be very good for the intelligibility of the system. All the churches around here don't seem to get the fact that they need REALLY good PA systems because a lot of the older people that support the church are hard of hearing anyway.

[bfish]

Charles,
Knowing how you take care of your stuff, I figured you might get some "closure" with a few details of the disaster. I just googled "fedex truck fire" and sorted for a logical location and date. What amazed me was the number of fedex truck fires I had to choose from! A few involved collisions with fire trucks too! Makes you wonder how many times a legit seller has to contact a buyer with that story, and the buyer, thinking "yeah, right", blasts him with bad feedback. Dogs really do eat the homework once in awhile.

Richard,
Yeah, "that's not how we did it back up North" is exactly the Yankee attribute that gets under so many southerner's skin. More than once, I've offered to buy a bus ticket so they could go home and do it their way. I used to have a bumper sticker proclaiming "I don't give a s*** how you did it back North" (till someone stole it). On the other hand, my fishing buddy, who came here from Minnesooohhhta 30 years ago, says the Cranky Yankees we inherited likely weren't too popular back home either...must be a sign somewhere saying "Send us your dissillusioned, your malcontents, your arrogant and bossy..."

I'm all for killing the sweet spot, but find (good) CD horns do that well enough for me. Having to sit perfectly still with my head locked in an imaginary sweet spot just isn't my idea of fun. With the 994s I can go about my business without being distracted by unnatural shifts when I stand up or move around.

Somewhere here, I once posted details on the M500 boxes. I can't say the 3154s are 'better', having never substituted any 416s for them, and I really like 416s too. 3154s do dig a little deeper though, and as a system, with the built-in EQ, do a better job as a (production) fullrange two-way (which is really an oxymoron IMO) than most. Still, I see no reason you couldn't come up with an equally satisfying system with 416s. Ron has mentioned using the 994s on his 19s with good results.

Todd,
You're gonna have to keep your garage locked now...

<font color="#FFFFFF" size="1">[ May 28, 2008 06:14 PM: Message edited by: bfish ]</font>

[Todd W. White]

Our old friend, Don Davis, likes to say, "If bad sound could kill, it would be the leading cause of death in this country - ESPECIALLY IN CHURCHES!"

Man oh man - the stuff I've seen trying to pass for "good sound" being sold to and used by churches...yeesh!

[dedmonds]

Electro Voice still makes a couple of speakers with the VI horn - they call them the EVI12 and the EVI15. They couple a fairly small VI horn with either a 12" or 15" woofer and put it in a cabinet that can usually be bolted to a flat ceiling and cover the entire room. They deliver excellent coverage and directivity if they fit the space in question, and the system is not complicated. We recently put one in a Primitive Baptist Church, and they absolutely loved it! Primitive Baptists sing, but don't use musical instruments, so the system isn't complicated - one wired mic, one pulpit mic, one wireless lapel mic, 8-channel console.
Dave Edmonds

[Richard C.]

Dave, what are the ~ room dimensions of the church main room that you installed this VIR horn in? Does it cover out to the edges very well?

Richard C.

[bfish]

If anyone wants to wade in the shallow end of the VI experience, here's your chance (not mine or anyone I know);

http://cgi.ebay.com/VI-12-VERY-INTEN...QQcmdZViewItem

[bfish]

The eBay photo yielded a patent number (for the terminally curious);

Vari Intense patent

As GaryZ said, from Buchanon, MI.

Added;
The patent shows what the ad photos don't (fig 15), a set of transverse vanes in the initial throat section that divvies things up right off the bat. After the vanes, it's just what the photos infer, an assymetrical diffraction slot followed by a waveguide.

<font color="#FFFFFF" size="1">[ June 04, 2008 02:13 AM: Message edited by: bfish ]</font>

[whitebroncoii]

The vanes on the VIR and VIT horns route more energy to the top (wider) part of the throat to help deliver 6dB more for the long-throw function. The vanes found in Electro-Voice HP series horns are used to break up standing wave throat distortion (2" throat). On a side note, I think large format JBL HF drivers (4" voice-coil) sound significantly better on the HP series horns and they bolt right on.

The smaller VI horn is a very small horn. It does not begin to deliver any VI function until past 5kHz. Above 5kHz they offer the 6dB long-throw function, but almost no coverage control. IMHO the only advantage the small VI horn has is a little better sizzle for music at the back rows (when properly aimed).

[bfish]

Thanks Gary. Yeah, the one on eBay must be really small, evidenced in comparison to the 12" LF in the picture. Safe to assume a small format driver lurks inside?

Originally posted by GaryZ:
...The vanes found in Electro-Voice HP series horns are used to break up standing wave throat distortion (2" throat)...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Does this patent, also by Gunness, look like the right one for the HP?

[hmole]

Here is a VI 12, a 2 way, only $200 in CA
http://cgi.ebay.com/VI-12-VERY-INTEN...QQcmdZViewItem

Harry