SD-50 -
The only real solution I ever had work for me was to eq the things way more than I'd like - I'm a "Cut Only" type guy and don't liek to use much of that, even (I probably get that from Don Davis and the AcoustaVoicing training), so I've used 1/3-octave units on it, as well as parametric's on them (used to own the Altec relabeled Dynacord parametric - it was NICE!). The parametric's were really nice, because I could dial in the correction, but, that said, you can do it with a 1/3-octave equalizer, especially if the filter skirts are constant-q, rather than variable-q. I like variable-q for live-sound eq, but not for this application.
The other solution is a custom crossover with eq built into it.
We used to have all kinds of problems with the acoustical consultants not allowing 604's because "they don't have any bass" back in the "K" years, when, in reality, as we later found out, the bass WAS there, but it was being overwhelmed/covered up by the midband...kind of like adding two dozen trumpets to your concert band, but not increasing the number of low brass players (tuba, baritone, trombone) to compensate and balance them out - the group will sound "shouty" and "harsh", not because the bass isn't there, but because the other guys in the trumpet section are playing TOO LOUD.
Does that make sense?
Oh - and thanks to all the other fellows who echoed my advice to take them outside: I remember years ago talking with my friend the late Dr. Paul Veneklasen about his experiences in measuring the Altec speaker systems out at the RKO Ranch in the late '40's: he said they had to get the speakers way up off of the ground to minimize LF reflections, but they still had to EQ the curve to compensate for them.
That said - even though he might get some bass boost from the ground reflections, he's still got a way better chance to hear what they're really doing without the interference one gets from the reverberant field...
Bookmarks