Altec Valencia shrillness

[Old Guy]

Zilch on the other forum uses the Behringer CX3400 with the CD button in the on position.

CD horn equalization for constant directivity horn compensation

He's treated this topic inside out and knows what he's talking about.

Behringer CX3400 Super-X Pro Crossover 3-Way/4-Way | Parts-Express.com


.....................

Kewl. I agree that's a good unit...best cheap one IMHO.

[haryn]

Panomaniac,
I would be interested in looking into the tube amp you suggest, but have no idea what the numbers for it mean. I ended up putting a bid in on E-bay for the Rane that OD had given the link to, and I have 2 days to see if I get it. But if you sell cables made to work with these, I would be interested in that too. I think you can email me off my profile. I understand that some one here are in the business, and I would rather spend my money with someone that knows exactly what is needed, instead of just suggesting parts and pieces like PE.

I got my center speaker in today and hooked it up, a BIC FH6-LCR. I does help on voices and listening to the radio on NPR. I can leave the power amps off, and listen to voice type stuff with the KLH's and this Center, and then turn on the big boys for music.

[Panomaniac]

Hey Haryn. Well get everything up and running first, then worry about the tube amp. But I do recommend it for the horns.

Just pop me an email for the cables. I don't sell cables, but would be happy to build a set for you. They'll just be RCA to XLR to get you into and out of the Rane crossover. I use Canare, Belden or Mogami cable. Great pro stuff.
Once you get the crossover, let me know. Then you'll need to figure out how long the cables have to be to reach everything.

[haryn]

Panomaniac,
Thanks for your offer. What is your opinion of these Y cables:Dayton RCAY-FMM RCA Y Cable 1 F To 2 M | Parts-Express.com

I had planned to use them with adapters like this:Dayton XFRM XLR Female to RCA Male | Parts-Express.com

and then use RCA cables from xover to the amps. I have no idea of the quality, but figured with such low power that they wouldn't affect the sound.

Thank you all for your help with this project.

[Panomaniac]

You're welcome!

The Dayton Y cables will be OK and the price is great. But that XLR to RCA will not be good for the Rane. It has pin 3 shorted to pin 1 (ground) and Rane says not to do that on their gear.
Using the Dayton RCA is a good idea and cost effective, I buy cables from then on sale all the time. Often I cut the ends off and make my own RCA-XLR cables. Let me look at this and get back to you.

PM sent.

[Old Guy]

, instead of just suggesting parts and pieces like PE.

Don't mean to imply PE is bad...just you probably talked to a guy with at best a year experience....vs the 40+ years many of the guys here have...

OTOH young people tend not to be as grumpy...

[Cal Weldon]

One rheostat is connected in series with the loudspeaker and, as the [[Electrical resistance|resistance]] of this rheostat increases, less power is coupled into the loudspeaker and the [[loudness]] of sound produced by the loudspeaker decreases. The second rheostat is connected between the input and ground (earth). As the first rheostat increases in resistance, the second rheostat decreases in resistance, keeping the load impedance (presented at the input of the L pad) constant.

Right so why am I yet to see an Altec L-pad actually wired that way? I only see them being used as a variable resistor ie: two leads connected.

Cheap L-Pads may just be a rheostat

IMHO opinion that is not an L-pad, it is a simple variable resistor which when used as such will change not only the apparent volume but the load seen by that section of the XO which in turn alters the slope and frequency cut off point of the driver as it is rotated (operated).

[Panomaniac]

Well there are lots of ways to do it. I don't think much of the Altec crossovers. Lovely drivers, tho, real works of art.

In this case Harry just needs some after amp volume control on the horns, as well as some damping - both of which the L-Pad provides.

In some crossovers like Altec or Jeff Markwart's nice designs 1/2 an L-Pad is used to shape the response, not as an overall level control. That may be what you are seeing.

[scott fitlin]

By shrillness, I mean it hurts your ears. But I only hear it on certain songs. What do I need to get to make these old speakers sound new again?

Much of the SHRILLNESS in the upper mids and high frequencies are in fact recordings of that era. Some were good, some were really bad. You play a recording with very pronounced excessive energy in the 1k o 6.3k range, the ALTECS are merely letting you hear everything your recordings are about.

Some EQ can help, but play a really well recorded tune through your ALTECS and see how that sounds.

[tomt]

tube amps , for real