Using a single 15" Speaker - solo acoustic

[nrand]

I have recently seen a solo acoustic act using just a single 15" speaker and wonder if others have tried this? He had this sitting on the floor next to him, he was also using a stomp percussive box. It seemed a little bit boomy to me and wonder if any one else has tried this with good effect. I am especially wondering about the positioning - mayby a low stand? Aesthetically it is better than having a speaker on a stick.

Curious to hear from others.

[YamahaGuy]

I've gone with a stand-less powered speaker setup. It's nice going to a gig and not having to lug around a speaker stand or two -- I honestly believe that's why the stick systems are so popular. Anyway, I once had a Harbinger 15 and did it. The high frequency driver blew out and I replaced it and subsequently got rid of the speaker fearing its reliability or lack thereof. I had great success with my 12" Yamaha MSR400. Nice bass response. The sound got to the audience. I didn't have to carry a speaker stand. The setup has a much smaller footprint which could be seen as being more aesthetically appealing. So I guess with the right speaker it can work. For the record, the MSR400 has 2 different angles it can be angled at. If I was up on a stage, I used the one that pointed the drivers almost straight out. On the ground, I used the one that pointed the drivers at a steep angle. Perhaps 30° and 60° respectively.

The tricky part is as the performer where to set up relative to the speaker so that you can hear it without blocking it.

Finally, bear in mind that if the room is deep, this setup is NOT ideal. That's to say if you need to 'throw' the sound farther than 30 feet or so, there will likely be a huge drop off in spl.

15s are hard to put up on a stand. Perhaps that's why the act you saw had it on the ground.

[nrand]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

I've gone with a stand-less powered speaker setup. .....

The tricky part is as the performer where to set up relative to the speaker so that you can hear it without blocking it.

Finally, bear in mind that if the room is deep, this setup is NOT ideal. That's to say if you need to 'throw' the sound farther than 30 feet or so, there will likely be a huge drop off in spl.

15s are hard to put up on a stand. Perhaps that's why the act you saw had it on the ground.

Cheers, I have a Yamaha DRX15 that I would like to keep using - with the transparent cover on it has a nice flat top I can set my mixer on. The trouble was when I did try this it was pretty difficult for me to get much sonic detail when sitting next to it. Also the physical connection between the speaker and the floor added to the boominess. The only solution I have found so far is to add one of my DXR 10s to use as a monitor, which in turn increases my footprint. I was thinking of flipping the 15 but I really like what it adds, especially with my bass/baritone vocals. A 4-6" high plate with speaker pole mount would be ideal but no one seems to make anything like that.

[YamahaGuy]

Originally Posted by nrand

Cheers, I have a Yamaha DRX15 that I would like to keep using - with the transparent cover on it has a nice flat top I can set my mixer on. The trouble was when I did try this it was pretty difficult for me to get much sonic detail when sitting next to it. Also the physical connection between the speaker and the floor added to the boominess. The only solution I have found so far is to add one of my DXR 10s to use as a monitor, which in turn increases my footprint. I was thinking of flipping the 15 but I really like what it adds, especially with my bass/baritone vocals. A 4-6" high plate with speaker pole mount would be ideal but no one seems to make anything like that.

Did you set the DSP switch on the DXR to "monitor'? That will cut the bass. Hopefully Hopefully not too much.

[nrand]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

Did you set the DSP switch on the DXR to "monitor'? That will cut the bass. Hopefully Hopefully not too much.

Yes - that did reduce the boominess, but did not help my ability to hear the sound clearly as I am sitting too close to the speaker. After some thought, I think I may have figured out a solution and will get back to the forum once I have tried it. There are some steel speaker stand adaptor plates I can use inverted on some heavy ply with some 35mm PVC pipe that might do the trick. It wont cost me much and I will try it at home first. This should allow me to use the full spectrum sound, but I will still need to use a separate floor monitor.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by nrand

I have recently seen a solo acoustic act using just a single 15" speaker and wonder if others have tried this? He had this sitting on the floor next to him, he was also using a stomp percussive box. It seemed a little bit boomy to me and wonder if any one else has tried this with good effect. I am especially wondering about the positioning - mayby a low stand? Aesthetically it is better than having a speaker on a stick.

Curious to hear from others.

Hi nrand
I've seen it in Nashville done with Little Walter amps and cabinets, which are hand built and tuned for that style of play.

A 12" 2 way cab would be a better choice, but we players really like to have a strong bass and boom going.

And putting the woofer on the floor enhances (not necessarily in a good fashion) the boom. Lift it off the floor and it tends to become cleaner, clearer and not as 'dramatic'.

[Chriscom]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

15s are hard to put up on a stand. Perhaps that's why the act you saw had it on the ground.

My unpleasant experience hoisting and removing a 15-inch JBL on a stand at a gig six years ago led me directly to finding ways never to do that again. Result: L1 Compact, L1M2, Evolve 30m.

The JBL sounded great, by the way, but as you indicate we needed the height for the throw with that crowd.

[YamahaGuy]

Originally Posted by Chriscom

My unpleasant experience hoisting and removing a 15-inch JBL on a stand at a gig six years ago led me directly to finding ways never to do that again. Result: L1 Compact, L1M2, Evolve 30m.

The JBL sounded great, by the way, but as you indicate we needed the height for the throw with that crowd.

I understand. A few years ago I played a gig. The sound guy built line array speaker cabs that weighed about 87lbs each. They went on poles atop 21" (yes 21") subs about 7 feet up. I had to put them up there from a sketchy at best 6ft step ladder. I'm 6'2" 260+. Glad I didn't have to take them down. Or do that again.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Chriscom

My unpleasant experience hoisting and removing a 15-inch JBL on a stand at a gig six years ago led me directly to finding ways never to do that again. Result: L1 Compact, L1M2, Evolve 30m.

The JBL sounded great, by the way, but as you indicate we needed the height for the throw with that crowd.

Lay the stand on its side, add the speaker, tilt it up into place. No heavy lifting!

[Chriscom]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Lay the stand on its side, add the speaker, tilt it up into place. No heavy lifting!

Ingenious, also, not for me. For example a JBL EON 715 weighs over 37 pounds, almost exactly the same as the sub on my Evolve 30m. Not gonna try to lever that up, the chances for screwup and hospitalization are comedy gold.

A man's got to know his limits.

[YamahaGuy]

Every year at a car show there's this one DJ who flies a Yamaha 15" full range speaker cab about 20 feet up. No clue how he puts it up. Sometimes it's best if you don't know how they make the sausage.