Does doubling your tops make a system louder? ie, I have 1 jbl srx715 per side. Will it go louder if I add more srx 715s a side? I guess my understanding of this maybe wrong from what I have read.
clarification and doubling up
- Thread starter Jack Keaton
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Re: clarification and doubling up
Doubling your speakers can increase levels,but only to certain frequencies.When speakers couple,it can increase levels.But,as it was explanied to me, speakers only couple up to certain frequencies. For example,18" speakers may couple up to 200hz,15's to 400 hz,12's to 600 hz and 10's to 800hz etc. At a certain higher frequency levels,speaker begin to interfere with each other. I'm sure others can give you a better answer than I can.
Doubling your speakers can increase levels,but only to certain frequencies.When speakers couple,it can increase levels.But,as it was explanied to me, speakers only couple up to certain frequencies. For example,18" speakers may couple up to 200hz,15's to 400 hz,12's to 600 hz and 10's to 800hz etc. At a certain higher frequency levels,speaker begin to interfere with each other. I'm sure others can give you a better answer than I can.
Re: clarification and doubling up
This will result in notches in the response-making the sound less clear.
When it comes to loudspeakers-less is always more! It is far better to use fewer-louder speakers than more "less loud" speakers.
Yes it will be louder. HOWEVER the cabinets will start to interfere with each other-especially if they are covering the same area. Google "comb filtering".
This will result in notches in the response-making the sound less clear.
When it comes to loudspeakers-less is always more! It is far better to use fewer-louder speakers than more "less loud" speakers.
Re: clarification and doubling up
Well then I guess I was off on that. I thought that a speakers max spl was it. and doubling a speaker wasnt going to make it louder than what that speaker was capable of.
Well then I guess I was off on that. I thought that a speakers max spl was it. and doubling a speaker wasnt going to make it louder than what that speaker was capable of.
Re: clarification and doubling up
Try this experiment - put both of your boxes near each other and play the same music through both - note, not Left and Right but say Left only through both. Walk around and listen. You can train yourself to hear the comb filtering.
There is another thread here somewhere about using 2 boxes per side but as separate PA systems - eg vocals & guitar through one pair; rest of band through another pair. This does have benefits but won't double your volume either.
Andrew
Try this experiment - put both of your boxes near each other and play the same music through both - note, not Left and Right but say Left only through both. Walk around and listen. You can train yourself to hear the comb filtering.
There is another thread here somewhere about using 2 boxes per side but as separate PA systems - eg vocals & guitar through one pair; rest of band through another pair. This does have benefits but won't double your volume either.
Andrew
Re: clarification and doubling up
As a "general" rule-you get good coupling (addition) of freq when the drivers (center of driver) are within 1/4 wavelength of the freq of interest at the listener position.
Spacing further than that less less addition and when you got to 1/2 wavelength you have cancellation (in the perfect world it would be total cancellation-if everything is equal).
So in order for loudspeakers to work well-the drivers have to be very close together.
It is NOT the size of the speaker-but rather the SPACING between drivers AND the FREQ of interest.
As a "general" rule-you get good coupling (addition) of freq when the drivers (center of driver) are within 1/4 wavelength of the freq of interest at the listener position.
Spacing further than that less less addition and when you got to 1/2 wavelength you have cancellation (in the perfect world it would be total cancellation-if everything is equal).
So in order for loudspeakers to work well-the drivers have to be very close together.
Re: clarification and doubling up
3dB from the power and 3dB from the coupling of the cabinets. But they have to be VERY close at the higher freq.
If the drivers are close enough together (with respect to freq-1/4 wavelength or less) then you will get a maximum of 6dB addition-assuming you have twice the power available.
3dB from the power and 3dB from the coupling of the cabinets. But they have to be VERY close at the higher freq.
Re: clarification and doubling up
It doesn't get louder as such, but it allows you to play louder. If you put the music through one set and the vocals through the other set, you can play very loud before you lose clarity in the vocals.
There are several reasons why this works:
- Our ears are quite tolerant to distrortion from most musical instruments, we even prefer a lot of distortion sometimes.
- Speaker elements that are not required to deliver a lot of sound in their lower register will be able to deliver both clearer and louder sound in their upper register.
- With fewer sources going through one particular speaker, each of the sources can be louder, and thus the sum of all will be louder.
Jack, if you're buying cabinets, and assuming you want to stay with the SRX, I would look for a pair of 725 and run the music through them, or alternatively look for a pair of 712 for the vocals. It all depends on whether you prioritize loud or lightweight. 712 has more vocal clarity then 715, so that is another reason to go that route.
It doesn't get louder as such, but it allows you to play louder. If you put the music through one set and the vocals through the other set, you can play very loud before you lose clarity in the vocals.
There are several reasons why this works:
- Our ears are quite tolerant to distrortion from most musical instruments, we even prefer a lot of distortion sometimes.
- Speaker elements that are not required to deliver a lot of sound in their lower register will be able to deliver both clearer and louder sound in their upper register.
- With fewer sources going through one particular speaker, each of the sources can be louder, and thus the sum of all will be louder.
Jack, if you're buying cabinets, and assuming you want to stay with the SRX, I would look for a pair of 725 and run the music through them, or alternatively look for a pair of 712 for the vocals. It all depends on whether you prioritize loud or lightweight. 712 has more vocal clarity then 715, so that is another reason to go that route.
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Re: clarification and doubling up
In a nutshell, you *can* stack multiple speakers together.
It will be louder.
It will not sound as good.
That's basically the tradeoff people have been making for decades. Clever people with more resources generally can reduce the "it will not sound as good" factor.
In a nutshell, you *can* stack multiple speakers together.
It will be louder.
It will not sound as good.
That's basically the tradeoff people have been making for decades. Clever people with more resources generally can reduce the "it will not sound as good" factor.
Re: clarification and doubling up
If 150 degrees of horizontal coverage was actually needed, side by side angled out SRX715 placement would work OK.
A good way to reduce the "it will not sound as good" factor is by vertically stacking with the HF horns together, pointed down towards the audience center.
The vertical stack will have far less comb filtering in the horizontal plane than forward facing horizontal placement.
The cabinets should be ratchet strapped together, or have some sort of interlocks to keep them from sliding.
There will be still be vertical comb filtering, but the overall effect reduces level in the near field, while still giving nearly 6 dB summation at a distance.
The SRX 715 has 75 degree horizontal dispersion, not wide enough for many venues, so rotating the lower cabinet inward may be needed to cover the center.
If 150 degrees of horizontal coverage was actually needed, side by side angled out SRX715 placement would work OK.
A good way to reduce the "it will not sound as good" factor is by vertically stacking with the HF horns together, pointed down towards the audience center.
The vertical stack will have far less comb filtering in the horizontal plane than forward facing horizontal placement.
The cabinets should be ratchet strapped together, or have some sort of interlocks to keep them from sliding.
There will be still be vertical comb filtering, but the overall effect reduces level in the near field, while still giving nearly 6 dB summation at a distance.
The SRX 715 has 75 degree horizontal dispersion, not wide enough for many venues, so rotating the lower cabinet inward may be needed to cover the center.
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Re: clarification and doubling up
Thanks for the clarification I misunderstood this whole concept, and never experienced it since I don't run more then 1 stack.
Thanks for the clarification I misunderstood this whole concept, and never experienced it since I don't run more then 1 stack.