JBL 4345 build

[ARMED]

this makes me want to start building my own set....like soon.....
thats beautiful

[pioneer]

Attachment 72599
The CNC lenses where tough to make but i think they turned out well, cut enough for 3 sets for all my 43xx.

Lenses look great!!!
how did you attach them to the 4345?

[BMWCCA]

The wood lenses on my 4345 clones are attached with Velcro, though i did have to us a staple at either end of the strip on the baffle to keep the Velcro from pulling away. The self-adhesive glue wasn't enough for the weight.

[berga12]

Someone sell walnut lenses?

[BMWCCA]

My wooden lenses were supposedly made in Japan for Kenrick. They came to the previous owner with the Kenrick cabinets. At one point they had them listed on their website.

I believe Heather got a pair from the same folks who were making the L100 foam grille reproductions at one point. http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...s-for-my-horns

I found this in a Google search, not a recommendation: http://dreamsound.biz/lenses.html

More, mostly out of date, information and some pretty pictures here: http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...308-Lens/page3

[focalguy]

Did you do one side at a time?
Can you post screenshots of the before and after settings?
Were there any adjustments made for phase?

the autoeq was done all at once for all the drivers. I set the gain using pink noise to match the lowest efficiency driver .. the 18 at 95db. Set the gain for each channel with a db meter at 1khz at 95 db. Then just hit the auto eq and it was done. Have not had a chance to check the phasing but it sounds much much better than the behringer. The imaging is awesome. I have a friend coming with a sound analyzer to look at phase timing etc... it is a $22k sound analyzer, figured i would let him find the flaws.
Thus far no disappointments.

yes , I collect vintage R/c cars.. those are Kyosho Optima Series from the 80's. I have the entire series with tons of NIB stock.

[focalguy]

Lenses look great!!!
how did you attach them to the 4345?

The Lenses have velcro on the back attached onto the wet silicone bead during the assembly process.

[lordoflight]

Can you explain how you connect the DBX to the speakers? Do you use 2 DBX and how many amplifiers? I imagine 8 channel amplifier? And the TWO DBX are connected to each other ? How do you feed the signal?
A schematic would be great!

Thank you.

[boputnam]

A schematic would be great!

You can get a schematic (block diagram) from JBL, but you don't need that. What you (and we ) need is your signal path. It seems you are running 4-way stereo?

The DriveRack VENUE360 is 3 In, 6 Out. So, er, uh, yes - you will need two.

Without knowing your signal path, you will need to Y the L/R inputs into each DriveRack VENUE360.
Unit 1 DriveRack VENUE360 will provide (2x) LF, MF and HF
Unit 2 DriveRack VENUE360 will provide (2x) UHF

The reason I'd do it that way, it expecting you can copy and paste settings (L to R) for each pass band within each unit.

But hell - just step-up and get a proper DSP - the xta DP448 could do this in a cinch, and it sounds amazing... You've spent so much getting into orbit, why skimp on the quality of the DACs and filters. The xta software is free, and incredibly powerful. I use it every show, every where. My goal in life is to bypass every Galileo I come across (and yes, I carry their Compass software on my laptop too, but there is no comparison in my book).

[focalguy]

You can get a schematic (block diagram) from JBL, but you don't need that. What you (and we ) need is your signal path. It seems you are running 4-way stereo?

The DriveRack VENUE360 is 3 In, 6 Out. So, er, uh, yes - you will need two.

Without knowing your signal path, you will need to Y the L/R inputs into each DriveRack VENUE360.
Unit 1 DriveRack VENUE360 will provide (2x) LF, MF and HF
Unit 2 DriveRack VENUE360 will provide (2x) UHF

The reason I'd do it that way, it expecting you can copy and paste settings (L to R) for each pass band within each unit.

But hell - just step-up and get a proper DSP - the xta DP448 could do this in a cinch, and it sounds amazing... You've spent so much getting into orbit, why skimp on the quality of the DACs and filters. The xta software is free, and incredibly powerful. I use it every show, every where. My goal in life is to bypass every Galileo I come across (and yes, I carry their Compass software on my laptop too, but there is no comparison in my book).

hello all,
the signal goes from my MacAir into the dac ... XLR to the NAD m3 and then to the dbx.... output 1,2 is the HIGHs 3,4 is the horns.... 5,6 is fed to the behringer dcx 2496 ( which takes care of the 10 and 18. this way the dbx can use the auto eq for all 8 channels and set the levels .
It cost me nothing to get into orbit... hobby feeds itself. Its just fun trying new things.... where would we all be if we stopped trying new setups , amps, dacs, speakers etc... its the nature of the hobby..... does the xta dp448 have the ability to be controlled by an ipad and autoeq?

[ARMED]

Can you explain how you connect the DBX to the speakers? Do you use 2 DBX and how many amplifiers? I imagine 8 channel amplifier? And the TWO DBX are connected to each other ? How do you feed the signal?
A schematic would be great!

Thank you.

yeah this would be great, im the visual type of guy .....

[toddalin]

My wooden lenses were supposedly made in Japan for Kenrick. They came to the previous owner with the Kenrick cabinets. At one point they had them listed on their website.

Have you ever had the occasion to compare (A/B) the wooden lenses to the stock plastic lenses? Obviously wood is thicker and blocks more of the opening than the plastic, but is more rigid. And you have fewer plates.

I can just as easily cut wooden lenses as I can acrylic lenses on the laser.

Also, I was concerned that my test lenses would be 1/8" rather than 1/16" thick, like the stock pieces, and what I am ultimately shooting for. But the Kendric plastic lenses also appear to be 1/8" and the wooden lenses are even thickerer. And, I was a bit concerned about the shape of my plates, but I see shapes "all over the map."

[grumpy]

the kenrick -plastic- lens plates are thin (like JBL 2308).

Seems like one would want to go as this as possible until stability(warping) or resonance ruined the party.
Both were addressed somewhat with the inter-plate touch points or with thin wood strips (older jbl).
The self-damping of wood or plastic seems like a good idea (vs metal, ala mccauley).

[Ian Mackenzie]

As long has the material does not resonate l think wood versus plastic is cosmetic

If someone can measure and compare no lens, wood and plastic that would provide some fact otherwise you are listening with your eyes.

Our friend in Romania has some metal lens made just like the JBL lens.

My own view is dusting makes a difference (damps the live nature of these systems) and the Tad 2002 makes a big improvement in clarity and transparency.

Ken messed a lot with the DEQX. The latest models are far better than the early production models.

I would take Bo's lead on the digital way.

[BMWCCA]

Have you ever had the occasion to compare (A/B) the wooden lenses to the stock plastic lenses?

I have not. I've never owned the stock plastic lenses.

The provenance of my 4345 "clones" is cabinets from Rick (KenRick) to NoRealTalent (Dave Katz) who installed the NOS and rebuilt drivers and CC crossovers, then to New Zenith who dabbled in beryllium, then to me with "stock" drivers.