So I finally got to play a gig where I could, indeed was asked to by the band, to turn up very loud. I was running my Warwick Streamer Stage I in my Mesa D-800+, using a fEarful 15/6 and a Fearless F112. It sounded glorious, we all agreed. As the gig wore one, and crescendos were enjoyed, I noticed the speaker grille for my fEARful was vibrating! Once it caught my attention, it was impossible to un-hear. Then I noticed another, more faint, sound of frying bacon, a fast staticky crackle. It was a total bummer. To finally really wind out the rig and hear that unwanted noise sucked.
Since then I've played gigs, at the more "usual" volumes, and it's just not enough to get any of the pathology to show itself.
So I just set my rig up at the edge of my garage, with the garage door open, and let it rip. I easily reproduced no issues at lower volumes, even a level that is in truth what I would call a loud gig, but nothing. Then I jacked the master up, like at the fated gig, saw the limiter flashing on the Mesa. And then both issues reproduced. I could then separate the cabinets and test them individually at the same voltage (roughly... I left my gain structure exactly the same and tested each cabinet in turn) and found the rattle was the speaker grille on the fEARful, and the sizzling static was in the F112.
The fEARful 15/6 was built a long time ago by someone else from a Speaker Hardware flat pack (IIRC). They used a cheap stamped wire grate for the grille, with only 4 vibration-damping standoffs. So I am going to replace the grille wholesale. I am attracted to waffle grilles, although I now know this to be polarizing from this informative thread from 2022:
The 15/6:
I am worried about installing the mounting brackets on the finished speaker cabinet, and am hoping some of the speaker cabinet gurus, like @agedhorse , @Passinwind , @Redbrangus , @basscooker , @micguy , @Wasnex can chime in. Let's say I use this Penn Elco mounting bracket kit from Parts Express: Penn-Elcom G0780KIT Large Speaker Grill Clamp Kit
I imagine I un-install the drivers, get the anchor brackets and bolts loose enough to re-install the driver, then put the cover on, and tighten the brackets down. Honestly, it sounds daunting, but whatever.
What I would like to know is: how important is keeping the cabinet air-tight as I drive the mounting bolts through the baffle? Should I avoid drilling through the baffle? The bolts appear flat-headed, so seems I would need to drill. Should I use some glue or something to try and make the hole air-tight? Thanks for any insight. Or does it just need to be "good enough, mostly air-tight" and not "diving on the Titanic air-tight"? Am I over-thinking this part? Thanks for any insight.
As for the F112, I am going to open her up and try and check on the connections to the jack plate, the speakers, and the crossover. Make sure no batting is accidentally rubbing on a cone. After that, though, I'll have to find someone to fix it, maybe test the drivers to make sure they are not blown. Although the cabinet is supposed to handle 450 W and should only ever have received 350 W at the most, so I wouldn't expect the drivers to be blown.
Since then I've played gigs, at the more "usual" volumes, and it's just not enough to get any of the pathology to show itself.
So I just set my rig up at the edge of my garage, with the garage door open, and let it rip. I easily reproduced no issues at lower volumes, even a level that is in truth what I would call a loud gig, but nothing. Then I jacked the master up, like at the fated gig, saw the limiter flashing on the Mesa. And then both issues reproduced. I could then separate the cabinets and test them individually at the same voltage (roughly... I left my gain structure exactly the same and tested each cabinet in turn) and found the rattle was the speaker grille on the fEARful, and the sizzling static was in the F112.
The fEARful 15/6 was built a long time ago by someone else from a Speaker Hardware flat pack (IIRC). They used a cheap stamped wire grate for the grille, with only 4 vibration-damping standoffs. So I am going to replace the grille wholesale. I am attracted to waffle grilles, although I now know this to be polarizing from this informative thread from 2022:
The 15/6:
I am worried about installing the mounting brackets on the finished speaker cabinet, and am hoping some of the speaker cabinet gurus, like @agedhorse , @Passinwind , @Redbrangus , @basscooker , @micguy , @Wasnex can chime in. Let's say I use this Penn Elco mounting bracket kit from Parts Express: Penn-Elcom G0780KIT Large Speaker Grill Clamp Kit
I imagine I un-install the drivers, get the anchor brackets and bolts loose enough to re-install the driver, then put the cover on, and tighten the brackets down. Honestly, it sounds daunting, but whatever.
What I would like to know is: how important is keeping the cabinet air-tight as I drive the mounting bolts through the baffle? Should I avoid drilling through the baffle? The bolts appear flat-headed, so seems I would need to drill. Should I use some glue or something to try and make the hole air-tight? Thanks for any insight. Or does it just need to be "good enough, mostly air-tight" and not "diving on the Titanic air-tight"? Am I over-thinking this part? Thanks for any insight.
As for the F112, I am going to open her up and try and check on the connections to the jack plate, the speakers, and the crossover. Make sure no batting is accidentally rubbing on a cone. After that, though, I'll have to find someone to fix it, maybe test the drivers to make sure they are not blown. Although the cabinet is supposed to handle 450 W and should only ever have received 350 W at the most, so I wouldn't expect the drivers to be blown.
But also, tiny speakers are pretty much invisible beyond the edge of the stage.
