Any more news on project May?

[Ian Mackenzie]

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=45507&postcount=9

I was doing a search on the 9800 and saw some threads on the project May/

How is it all going?

Just had my 50th it must be nearly 6 years on :wasnt-me:.

[Hoerninger]

Ok :hmm:, Happy Birthday, Jan! ;)
____________
Peter

[Mr. Widget]

Just had my 50th it must be nearly 6 years on :wasnt-me:.Yeah, we are all getting older and slowing down a bit. ;)


Widget

[hjames]

Just had my 50th it must be nearly 6 years on :wasnt-me:.

And a grand Happy Birthday to you, good sir!

[Titanium Dome]

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=45507&postcount=9

I was doing a search on the 9800 and saw some htreads on the project May/

How is it all going?

Just had my 50th it must be nearly 6 years on :wasnt-me:.

Ah well, you finally reveal your age. I couldn't post it here:

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=26256

Somehow I thought you were older.




:rotfl: Kidding, mate, kidding.

[Titanium Dome]

Yeah, we are all getting older and slowing down a bit. ;)


Widget

Slowing down? Hmm. :hmm:

I got the impression you're doing more than ever. I know I am, though the fact that I lost 70 pounds (since Nov 2008) probably has a lot to do with it.

Maybe it's not so much slowing down as it is changing activities.

[Mr. Widget]

I got the impression you're doing more than ever. I know I am, though the fact that I lost 70 pounds (since Nov 2008) probably has a lot to do with it.:blink:

Congratulations... I think. Did you need to lose 70 lbs? From your photos, I'd have never guessed.


Widget

[Titanium Dome]

When I started in Nov 2008 I weighed 230-235. I'm 5'11".

Yeah, I think I need to lose it. :yes:

Definitely it's changed my life and my quality of life. It also means I'm exercising every day, so I feel really active and, thus, not slowing down.

It's too bad there isn't a single thing I can contribute to Project May. If I had any talent in that area at all, I think I could give it a boost. But I don't so... it's back to exercising, drinking, listening to the Synthesis®, and sex. :smsex:

[4313B]

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=45507&postcount=9

I was doing a search on the 9800 and saw some htreads on the project May/

How is it all going?

Just had my 50th it must be nearly 6 years on :wasnt-me:.Happy Half Century!



Don McRitchie is the Project Leader and I haven't seen nor heard from him in more than a year. :dont-know

[Ian Mackenzie]

When I started in Nov 2008 I weighed 230-235. I'm 5'11".

Yeah, I think I need to lose it. :yes:

Definitely it's changed my life and my quality of life. It also means I'm exercising every day, so I feel really active and, thus, not slowing down.

It's too bad there isn't a single thing I can contribute to Project May. If I had any talent in that area at all, I think I could give it a boost. But I don't so... it's back to exercising, drinking, listening to the Synthesis®, and sex. :smsex:

Ha,

I think the best aspect of it was the "thinking" and getting around and meeting some of the other dudes.

I distinctly recall Bill Martinelli saying on ventrillo early on give me it and I have it churned out in a couple of months..like hello.

Dome, don't make it old timers look bad....

Speaking of long shots my quack only this week told me I am deficient in vitamin "D". I said my well girl friend reckons I manufacture baby making projectiles..Muhhaha.:D

[JBLnsince1959]

:birthday:

wish you all the best Ian and many more..

[4313B]

I distinctly recall Bill Martinelli saying on ventrillo early on give me it and I have it churned out in a couple of months..like hello.Talk to Don. It's his project.

[Mr. Widget]

I distinctly recall Bill Martinelli saying on ventrillo early on give me it and I have it churned out in a couple of months..like hello.If it were only that simple. Fact is that we haven't found anyone either capable (appropriate skills or available free time) or willing to actually take on the final project.

I believe the project is currently in good hands, we are waiting for him to have the available time.

As anyone involved in the project knows, it grew and grew and became significantly more than simply another brown box with cool drivers screwed into it. Unfortunately that has made it difficult to complete... heck, my own project which began shortly after Project May is still in an unfinished though playable state.


Widget

[Titanium Dome]

As anyone involved in the project knows, it grew and grew and became significantly more than simply another brown box with cool drivers screwed into it. Unfortunately that has made it difficult to complete... heck, my own project which began shortly after Project May is still in an unfinished though playable state.


Widget

When it's completed, I'm sure it will be noteworthy. Nonetheless, this I why I don't fart around with this kind of thing. It turns into an endless task or a series of unhappy compromises as the dream is consumed by reality.

Even when it's your full-time job to design speakers, it's got to be somewhat daunting, and a lot of stuff gets put out there that you wouldn't be especially happy with for one reason or another. Occasionally someone really gets it right; however, how many "wrongs" or "maybes" were there along the way?

I love (as in "think they're simpletons") the guys who spend a ton of time building one speaker that they think is the best thing they've ever heard, then decide, "Hey speaker building isn't that hard; I'll start a company." So they futz around for a while selling ID or whatever, get some true believers excited about the buzz, the personal attention, the handcrafted BS, the furniture grade cabinets, whatever... then it all goes bad one way or another.

There's a lot of stuff out there that's more highly regarded than midlevel JBL gear that is clearly inferior. It's all BS, smoke and mirrors, and boutique mentality gone amok.

Just ask Steve Schell how hard it is to do all this, do it right, and create a market.

My hat's off to those who build one-offs for themselves or others. I'm not that talented.

I'll just let Greg Timbers or Kevin Voecks or Sean Olive use all of Harman's vast resources to design my speakers for me and consider myself privileged. :yes:

[Ian Mackenzie]

Well the 10th anniversary for the first official post in the Project May forums when by last month.

Does anyone know what became of the idea or the drivers JBL donated?

[1audiohack]

I'm the current obstacle in the road to progress. I wanted to make the throats in one peice and I can get them geometrically correct but the tool path and finish is unsatisfactory to me. Long thin undercut tools and deflection make the internal corners not pretty. The horn should be cake, the throat has been hell.

I have sent the throat that I own, the Solidworks model and my program to a friend of mine who is way smarter than me who teaches CNC at a university and has the same machine as I do with the addition of fifth axis. He is going to run one and see if he can get me a four axis tool path that will run. If not I am just going to make them two peice, which should be a snap, it's just not how I want to do it.

I have none of the drivers.

Barry.

[cooky1257]

Making the horns in 2 pieces i.e. throat/mouth is the way JBL do it IN THE 9900,66000,SAM1.
CNC'd throat/horn should mate seamlessly so not sure why you are making life hard for yourself.

With such a long time passing perhaps the sota route would now reflect the M2?

[Mr. Widget]

With such a long time passing perhaps the sota route would now reflect the M2?...and if we wait long enough there will be the JBL Ectoplasm drive system!

I just hope we all live long enough to see a finished speaker system. :o:


Widget

[cooky1257]

...and if we wait long enough there will be the JBL Ectoplasm drive system!

I just hope we all live long enough to see a finished speaker system. :o:


Widget

I favour waiting for the JBL Improbability Drive system;-)

[Ian Mackenzie]

As an alternative given the gestation why not use a TH4003 clone given the May project title and Ed May's association with Tad?

I mean find a worthy alternative and move forward and get the job out of the shop.

[4313B]

I'm in the process of finding yet another cabinet maker and believe that I have found one local. Don has told me to go ahead whatever the cost. I just need to find the time to draw up new plans and get them over to the shop.

As for the horns, we purchased a pair of H4338 sonoglass back horns with the thought of building a pair of front horns out of wood. The TAD horns were discussed and nixed. I'm not too terribly concerned with the horns at this point and will use either the H4338 or H9800 dimensions to work up the new enclosure plans.

There seems to be a consensus on two methods with respect to the side walls.

1. Kerfed MDF with the kerfs filled with ultra fine finish sand blasting beads. JBL uses a prorietary goop that they won't divulge. I was told numerous times that they had serious problems building the Everest II enclosures and it took several attempts to come up with a suitable solution. I have no reason to doubt them. I suspect the glass beads add a substantial weight to the enclosure.

2. Laminated 3 mm baltic birch panels built up to ~25 mm, this would be similar to how other major manufacturers build their curved panels to excellent effect.

As for the components, I hope I am able to get the 1500AL's back from the forum member who was last going to build the enclosures. I no longer have any interest in getting the original Project May enclosure panels back. Mr. Widget and I had cut them all and finished the backs and baffles in the dead of winter years ago but they were never assembled by any forum members. I still have the 476Be's.


With such a long time passing perhaps the sota route would now reflect the M2?A world class DSP solution as witnessed via the Crown/M2 presentation is definitely the way to go with this caliber of components.

[ivica]

I'm in the process of finding yet another cabinet maker and believe that I have found one local. Don has told me to go ahead whatever the cost. I just need to find the time to draw up new plans and get them over to the shop.

As for the horns, we purchased a pair of H4338 sonoglass back horns with the thought of building a pair of front horns out of wood. The TAD horns were discussed and nixed. I'm not too terribly concerned with the horns at this point and will use either the H4338 or H9800 dimensions to work up the new enclosure plans.

There seems to be a consensus on two methods with respect to the side walls.

1. Kerfed MDF with the kerfs filled with ultra fine finish sand blasting beads. JBL uses a prorietary goop that they won't divulge. I was told numerous times that they had serious problems building the Everest II enclosures and it took several attempts to come up with a suitable solution. I have no reason to doubt them. I suspect the glass beads add a substantial weight to the enclosure.

2. Laminated 3 mm baltic birch panels built up to ~25 mm, this would be similar to how other major manufacturers build their curved panels to excellent effect.

As for the components, I hope I am able to get the 1500AL's back from the forum member who was last going to build the enclosures. I no longer have any interest in getting the original Project May enclosure panels back. Mr. Widget and I had cut them all and finished the backs and baffles in the dead of winter years ago but they were never assembled by any forum members. I still have the 476Be's.

A world class DSP solution as witnessed via the Crown/M2 presentation is definitely the way to go with this caliber of components.

Hi 4313B,

I am very glad that You are again with us, after so long time has passed.

Regards
Ivica

[BMWCCA]

Hi 4313B,

I am very glad that You are again with us, after so long time has passed.

:applaud:

[hjames]

Great to see you back again!
I know you're busy, so no reply is needed, its just very, very nice.

:bouncy:



A world class DSP solution as witnessed via the Crown/M2 presentation is definitely the way to go with this caliber of components.

[boputnam]

A world class DSP solution as witnessed via the Crown/M2 presentation is definitely the way to go with this caliber of components.

+1

[Earl K]

A world class DSP solution as witnessed via the Crown/M2 presentation is definitely the way to go with this caliber of components.

I'd say it's worth taking particular notice here, that the M2 includes a resistive pad within the horn network .

IME , the pad ( when bi-amping ) is a mandatory component ( usually over-looked ) that's critical to properly align the dynamics of the top end to those of the bottom end .

Without the pad ( & even with the components properly balanced to each other ), any such bi-amped system will eventually be deemed to be too horn-aggressive ( ie; "somethings just not right with horns" , etc. etc. etc. .

:)