JBL sound system multi surround!

[Brainstorm]

The delay setting fools the ear very effectively and works very on the DCX2496 so far with films like HEAT chapter 16 “Dead Man Talking” when “Roger Van Zant” gets phone call the tone is heard from the centre channel as well as the left channel.

Here the tone can be heard from the left channel just as it was in the cinema from the conventional optical Dolby stereo soundtrack. The Dolby digital track presents a lot more and few hidden Easter eggs sound surprises that I doubt you’ve even heard before on this rather complex Dolby film mix.

[Brainstorm]

Bought the new (Mel Gibson) film today and what a cracking Dolby film it had on the JBL set-up I was surprised by its openness of the jungle sounds and thou this has been attempted before in other films, it wasn’t a bad Dolby mix dialogue or the original linguistic of the natives made this all seem realistic and thou subtitles are provided to help the viewer follow the story it was bad. Audio commentary by (Mel Gibson) and (Farhad Safina) and "Gibson" is out of control, just listening to the guy near the end credits “SDDS sucks” and “colour by Deluxe” the guy is nuts!

LFE.1 was used subtlety in the film while most of the low end is either covered by the LCR surrounds and with deep waterfall sounds it adds a little more deeper extension without mudding or colourizing the sound. So make sure you’re sub bass extension is calibrated correctly and the LFE.1 channel sub bass or array isn’t going to overpower the mix!


One other thing a few nights back I set the levels of the matching JBL control 5 LCR with the centre channel EQ from centre channel first at output on B channel on the DCX2496.

3.04 KHz -0.7db
4.02 KHz -1.4db
5.08 KHz -1.7db
6.03 KHz -0.9db
8.14 KHz -0.8db

I noted the SPL level and frequency response via the RCA phone that was connected from the SPL to the RTA display Technics SH-8055 and all looked well with a flat line, SPL was set to db A weighting for the high frequency test with wideband pink noise.

Next I played some simple dialogue in down mix mode, this is where its all sent to the left and right channels only! Noted the difference and then switched back to Dolby 5.1 up mix mode! Noted the difference was rather high on the left and right and made some simple adjustments to the left and right with a -10db on left and right that is set on the DCX2496.

While this started to sound ok at first I did however notice the left and right was a bit bright sounding so I added some EQ on left and right at.

1.60 KHz -0.5db
2.03 KHz -0.1db
3.18 KHz -0.9db
4.02 KHz -0.9db
5.08 KHz -1.7db
6.03KHz -0.9db
8.14 KHz -0.9db
9.06 KHz -4.0db

100Hz +0.3db
161Hz -0.1db

Thou these settings might be of some use with someone having the same unit I would say the settings might be useless, well its all about trail and error, and thou its less louder now and with greater clearness of the centre channel from music dialogue and sound effects that are placed in the centre channel and don’t forget the centre channel is delayed it was a higher number the week before but for now its at.
2.35m
6.84m/s

Phase is also been adjusted to compensate for the three-screen when bass is sent to all channels, so I played a few openings from a few films “Catwoman” during the first few moments of the opening titles there’s a nice deep bass note that’s sent to LCR and LFE.1 as well, but I was the centre channel that needed some attention because now it was out of phase with the rest of the three-screen.

Setting the phase by going step by step though the different settings, I finally settled with 180° which placed the three-screen channel in-phase and when set with the LFE.1 it adds greater depth not to mention sub bass extension.

[Brainstorm]

Note wit this screen capture, the scene where Obi-Wan walks calmly towards Darth Maul, and where Maul, uses the force to throw box towards the control panel that opens the doors. The sound is heard in the centre channel as well as on the right channel, with the delay setting on the centre channel where it simply makes it easier to hear the right channel thus creating a smoother front stage as well as keeping the centre channel information loud and clear.



Even when Darth Maul, inhales you can hear the subtlety of it. Oh yes I like the new DCX2496 and the new matching amplifies, truly indispensable

[Brainstorm]

Take a few simple (breezeblocks) and with some plastic of other placed underneath them prevent them from making a mess then place the sub bass on them. If the sub has feet its okay as this will not scratch the surface. If it doesn’t have feet place some carpet on them followed by the sub bass.



This was one of the things I tired out since late of last week and thou it was kinder successful at reducing vibrations it wasn’t near enough when I got around to playing Return of the Jedi yesterday afternoon.



Chapter 13 The Emperors Arrival all the deep tympani bass was kinder lost due to the placement as I had only played a few films since and I guess some of them didn’t have bass between 20 and 40Hz that was deep enough. So after use the SW-Re-mix function on the Kenwood KR-F9050D THX select and sent the screen channel bass to the JBL 4645 where it sounded outstanding with lots of drama in chapter 13 when the Emperor arrives at the new Death Star.

Now all I had to do was re-position it which took around 8 minutes played the same scene over again and wow that was better and no vibration that is originally within 2” from the floor surface this produced enormous rattling problems with the floorboards where I forced to reduce the volume be many db, and as you guessed it this would reduce the impact emotional drama of the mix.

When Han Solo gets punched after carelessly steeping on a twig SNAP! The stormtrooper gives him one heck of smack that felt better than before yes a few (breezeblocks) can make a bit of difference.

[Brainstorm]

Had this rather interesting conversation with mate down under that says this technique has been down once before back in 1990 and much to my surprise I think it’s a wonder solution to tighten up the sub bass and give it a fast attack.



So here’s the deal I’ll grab a few more breezeblocks in a jiffy for an LFE.1 experiment in the morning as its too late here right now! I’ll need x3 for the task one for each end and one for the middle.

I won’t just go right into it I’d first test it out without the (breezeblocks) make notes of it, the way it feels! SPL db notes would be a little pointless as the unit will only be off the floor be as much as 4” but still I’ll take SPL db readings to use as guide reference.

Also I’ll plug the lead into the SPL db metres output and take RTA readings before and after.

While it may have improved the sub bass extension with tighter low end response and faster attack as that is what I noticed and I’ve had the darn thing in that position time and time again with the same thing having to turn it down slightly due to the sound waves vibrating the floorboards directly beneath the sub bass driver. That’s it beneath “What Lies Beneath” I haven’t tried that one out that’s got awesome low end that is supported over the range of channels mostly the threes-screen like when Norman puts his wife in the bathtub and the water level is rising above the overflow pipe with deep low end!

One other minor change I’d have to make is to the height of the JBL Control 5 right channel it’s going to up by 4” and I’d have to figurer a way of getting it within a few millimetres.

I kinder feel like Indiana Jones “Raiders of the Lost Breezeblocks.”

Oh yeah I’ll try that scene out with the bolder rolling down the cave.

When I get around to building horizontal platform for the front loudspeakers which would take care of placement overnight and a lot more.

Okay time to garb a few breezeblocks before someone else garbs.

Well that didn’t take long and yes I encountered spiders but no snakes, slugs yes and one centipede and I hate bugs.

Well before bring those breezeblocks in I cleaned them down with broomstick and its just struck me, I’m going to need some type of carpet or other to place over or around the breezeblocks before I start moving the JBL 4645 on top them as I don’t what to damage the surface!





Well I now have some cardboard and I can go ahead with the project sometime today, it was easy after spotting the (ISS) passing overheard only 10 minutes ago heading (southeast) out towards Europe and after showing a girl at the (Co-Op) I then asked for some cardboard and look what I got yes this is more than enough.

[Brainstorm]

Now there’s term I like to call “crazy bass” that hits the ear in way that you kinder flitch to one side quickly this was more recognized when I saw Titanic at the local ABC and via the -auditoriums JBL 4675-A screen array. When “Jack and Fabrizio” are running though the crowded docklands the bass rhythm was tapping my ear drum with pleasurable and yet pleasing situation that was kind of ticklish.

Now try that one at home but you’ll need matching fronts and a little phasing of one of the channels left and right to achieve this. The music is one the left and right fronts with subtle instatement on the split-surrounds the centre channel carries dialogue and effects during this sequence.

The first bass note starts around here with slow rhythm that picks up the beat in the next shot it taps the ear somewhere between the 40Hz and 60Hz region.

[Feanor]

These pictures where taken a few nights back while I was modifying each of the three JBL Control 5 monitors.

Here I have installed two extra cables into screw socket holes that hold the passive crossover. With the passive crossover HF disconnected and with the new cables connected power the HF tweeter via an electronic frequency dividing network system.
The crossover is set for Linkwitz-Riley 24db LF 50Hz to 1KHz – HF 24db 1KHz to 16.1 KHz 80Hz +7.0db Q 1.0 for the LF LCR channels.

...
A closer view of my little JBL Control 5 and for the first time they sound a lot better this way without the harshness of brittle sound thou they have been quite beneficial for the past 16 years, but now its time for active crossover active is the way to go its cleaner and its got far more potential.

...
Catwomen was the first film to be tested with the Behringer DCX2496 loudspeaker management system. I was astonished at how the hash sound disappeared into the JBL Control 5 thus leaving it with cleaner more dynamic lower and higher range, meow.

I have one of those older model Radio Shack SPL meters myself; I also have the newer mode.

[Brainstorm]

I have one of those older model Radio Shack SPL meters myself; I also have the newer mode.

Yeah its been dropped lord knows how many times and keeps on giving me good readings for a 10 year old SPL metre. It was sold by (TANDY) here in the UK and (TANDY) packed up here around mid 1990’s the only thing close to a Tandy store is (MAPLIN Electronics) I just re-soldered the wires on the VU metre last week an its fine.

Oh well I’m back and I’m tired after humping that huge monolith of 2001 odyssey JBL 4645 sub onto those breezeblocks, well it was easy the cardboard made it slide onto them and its kinder added a slight impact with X-Men II The Last Stand when Jean uses her powers to suspend objects until it all came down to thundering SLAM!








I believe the frequency response is down to 25Hz on X-Men II when that house slams into the ground as well as most part of film. It hit at 112dbc in the middle and that was more than enough comfortable without being overwhelming.



At the moment I’ve got summer hit from 1999 The Mummy playing chapter 5 when “Rick” busts in to save “Evelyn” his voice his heard from the left sidewall surround array and partly the front its then accompanied by some crazy LFE.1 pounding on my body.