My DIY IsoCab ! Pictures and tips…

[magibatalla]

Originally Posted by Colonel Blues

To be continued !!!

Nice done! Looking forward to your impressions on real use. Good luck!

[theom]

I would imagine you will need to put batting behind the driver for sure. Prob the "hat" side too. Standing waves will make finding a sweet spot for the mic damn hard.
It would be interesting to record some before and after files.

[Colonel Blues]

Originally Posted by theom

I would imagine you will need to put batting behind the driver for sure. Prob the "hat" side too. Standing waves will make finding a sweet spot for the mic damn hard.
It would be interesting to record some before and after files.

Be sure I will !
And then post some samples to get advices from here !

[Mr.HOLMES]

I never understood the idea of those iso boxes!

I guess you will get a lot of resonances and standing waves in it!!

[fredouli]

1971 fender champ 5W is a box in itself

[Colonel Blues]

Originally Posted by fredouli

1971 fender champ 5W is a box in itself

What do you mean by "a box in itself" ? I don't know this model, but a cranked 5W tube amp is too loud to record at home without an Iso Cab…

[AdelynneDrive]

Any chance you'd be willing to tell us how much dough you spent overall for the parts?

[Colonel Blues]

Originally Posted by AdelynneDrive

Any chance you'd be willing to tell us how much dough you spent overall for the parts?

As the "wood" is really cheap and the external finish is almost "raw", without the SM57 it's around 150 euros… let's say a bit more than 200$… if you don't pay the workmanship…

In fact, this one is going to be my "prototype", I'll make it progress by little touch… My goal is to try to pack up a smaller one, made with real plywood, equipped with a 10" speaker, but still in tune for the big sound !

[strewnshank]

Very cool, sir.

[Colonel Blues]

Originally Posted by strewnshank

Very cool, sir.

Thanks Chris !

[Recman]

Does it sound boomy or boxy when you record it. Vibrations picked up by the mike or other unwanted artefacts? Does it sound like it has been recorded in a box?

[big country]

thats cool !

[allencollins]

looks really nice. Better than the one I attempted.
Mine sounded too boxy.


let's hear the clips!

[Colonel Blues]

Tadaaaaammmm ! Here are the samples...

3 different sounds : crunchy / distorted / clean

All played with a simple Melody Maker Gibson 2007 Reissue
Directly plugged in a Blackheart BH5H (5W tube head)
SM57 inside the IsoCab, aiming the side of the speaker
Mic plugged into my SMProAudio TB202 tube preamp
Connected to my Tascam US122L soundcard
Logic Express 8 on iMac
Some EQ tweak on the amp (all 3 sounds)
Some EQ tweak on the preamp (2nd & 3rd sounds)
Some EQ tweak in Logic (2nd & 3rd sounds)
A drop of reverb (Logic plugin)
A slice of limiter on the master (excellent W1 plugin from Yohng)
That's all folks !


So ??? Feel free to give your REAL advices !!!

NB : The current speaker (from an old Randall 12W transistor amp…) though seems a bit crappy to me… Gonna try a PE-100 12" Eminence I have somewhere… stike !

[badboymusic]

Too boomy for my taste.

[Colonel Blues]

Originally Posted by badboymusic

Too boomy for my taste.

Every 3 sounds ?

[TAVD]

Very nice work!

I came across a used Randall Isocab for cheap and took a chance. I recorded a bunch of tests with the box open, closed, and filled with various materials. I ended up with fiberglass board around the mic with a bunch of stuffing behind the speaker to make it less efficient. After a bunch of mics and preamps, a Blue Ball and Purple Biz seems to work best. The Ball wouldn't be my 1st choice on speaker cabs open to the room though. Go figure.

[badboymusic]

Originally Posted by Colonel Blues

Every 3 sounds ?

The clean is always going to be better, but that's not really what you need isolation for. It's when you get it loud that it's going to give you problems. This is why isolation boxes need to be large and completely treated acoustically. The smaller ones resonate and the microphone picks it up loud and clear.

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by Colonel Blues

Tadaaaaammmm ! Here are the samples...

3 different sounds : crunchy / distorted / clean

All played with a simple Melody Maker Gibson 2007 Reissue
Directly plugged in a Blackheart BH5H (5W tube head)
SM57 inside the IsoCab, aiming the side of the speaker
Mic plugged into my SMProAudio TB202 tube preamp
Connected to my Tascam US122L soundcard
Logic Express 8 on iMac
Some EQ tweak on the amp (all 3 sounds)
Some EQ tweak on the preamp (2nd & 3rd sounds)
Some EQ tweak in Logic (2nd & 3rd sounds)
A drop of reverb (Logic plugin)
A slice of limiter on the master (excellent W1 plugin from Yohng)
That's all folks !


So ??? Feel free to give your REAL advices !!!

NB : The current speaker (from an old Randall 12W transistor amp…) though seems a bit crappy to me… Gonna try a PE-100 12" Eminence I have somewhere… stike !

I think it sounds good. Not boxy or unnatural.
and not boomy at all in my speakers.

sounds better than those randall iso cabs they sell for $400.......
I'm jealous

[Cameron Johnson]

I like the crunchy (first) clip best. The distorted is a bit muddy to me, while the totally clean one is a bit thin. However, this is completely subjective, as I'm currently listening on really crappy computer speakers. I'm in the process of moving, so the studio is all ripped apart. I'll let you know when everything's hooked back up in a few weeks :o)

Cheers,
Cam

[kurt]

Sounds very good to me. Very good workmanship. Congrats. Can you play without restrictions by night?

[big country]

it sounds good

[badboymusic]

I would replace the foam you have in there with some 4 inch Owens Corning 703 (or similar). The foam you have in there now is only catching high frequencies and none of the boominess.

I think the cabinet looks great and I'm only giving my opinion to help it sound as best as possible, it's not meant as any kind of a slam at all.

Cheers!

[Colonel Blues]

No, don't be shy, all your advices are good for me, because I need to improve the sound of this box as much as possible, so even if your advices are negative, I don't take them for slam or anything like that, I actually need to know that some people find it "boxy", or "muddy", or "thin", or… "good", "punchy", anything !

One asked me if I can use it at night… yes ! But may be not around midnight !
How to compare ?… a TV, middle volume, let's say…

I think I can improve also this spec by applying carpet on all external surfaces of the box…

Keep on posting your feelings !

To be continued…

[kurt]

Originally Posted by Colonel Blues

One asked me if I can use it at night… yes ! But may be not around midnight !
How to compare ?… a TV, middle volume, let's say…

I think I can improve also this spec by applying carpet on all external surfaces of the box…

Keep on posting your feelings !

To be continued…

So it is not reducing spill enough? IMHO Carpet will not improve anything. If, than another heavy & damped with some hard pressed rockwool case, so you have case in a case..

Or at least:

Originally Posted by badboymusic

I would replace the foam you have in there with some 4 inch Owens Corning 703 (or similar).
Cheers!

[badhorsie777]

Yeah - just listened to it on a stereo that goes low and the 2nd clip is VERY boomy - you may not notice it til you get on a system that plays low enough to notice.

I think for the money and time, unless you're able to RADICALLY improve things, I'd rather spend my money on AMplitube and some IR cabinets (free download from all over) or a palmer load box for your amp heads. I hate to discourage you - I don't have the skill to build what you've done, but I'm just not sure the time and money will ever be able to get you what you're looking for - the sound of a cranked up amp in open space in a great room with a great mic and great pre... the cabinet variable will screw up all the good stuff down the line, I'm afraid.


Please prove me wrong, as I love the idea - just skeptical.

-Matt

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by badhorsie777

Yeah - just listened to it on a stereo that goes low and the 2nd clip is VERY boomy - you may not notice it til you get on a system that plays low enough to notice.

I think for the money and time, unless you're able to RADICALLY improve things, I'd rather spend my money on AMplitube and some IR cabinets (free download from all over) or a palmer load box for your amp heads. I hate to discourage you - I don't have the skill to build what you've done, but I'm just not sure the time and money will ever be able to get you what you're looking for - the sound of a cranked up amp in open space in a great room with a great mic and great pre... the cabinet variable will screw up all the good stuff down the line, I'm afraid.


Please prove me wrong, as I love the idea - just skeptical.

-Matt

If you use amplitude over a real amp you are already proved wrong

If it's boomy just high pass it make don't make a big deal out nothing
this iso cab is way better others I've heard. So it may need some eq.

It's still better than a cheezy digtial plugin like Amplitube
Amplitube sounds like shiat . Amplitube is more brittle and fake
than anything know to gtr playing.

I think this cab sounds good overall. You guys are picking it apart like
it's a perspective girlfriend or something. Jeez make some a adjustments
and make some records.

cripes, so you have to eq a little. When do you not have to eq a gtr sound?
you always have to high pass at the minimum.

the cab sounds good. real good for an iso cab. Id be happy with that
perspective sound. And it's overall potential.

Cripes you guys insult the guy and he's done a cool thing. 10x better than any digital plugin.
It's weird you experts can hear the boominess but then you guys use gtr modelers?
some of you chaps can't see 3 feet in front of you.

strange. I always look for potential. Put it in perspective.
look at some other iso cabs on the market. I'm not saying this thing is like
micing a 4x12 in a tuned room but it blows away the randall cab and other I've heard

Take it for what it is. It could make a good recording and keeps the neighbors from crying

[315hz]

Wow.

I'm impressed. I had one of the Randall iso things for a few years. While it was great for practicing, and demos; I could never get a really nice, useable guitar sound out of it. Always too boxy.

Your demo sounds really good. I should sell my Palmer and build something like that.

Nice work, and thanks for sharing !!

-Rock
315hz

[rogerbrain]

Originally Posted by Colonel Blues

Hi Slutzies people !

I hope I'm in the right section of the forum… if not, please move it to the good one…

Let me show you my today work… an Iso Cab !
When I saw the Randall model, I loved it, but not its price ! (around 600$ !), so I decided to make my own…

We start !

Assembling the panels (18 mm MDF), cut to my dimensions in the "tool store" (I don't know this name in english...)
Attachment 132087

Close to finish the bottom :
Attachment 132088

Let add some "lips" to soundproof it :
Attachment 132089

Ok for the top part of the box :
Attachment 132090

After sanding, some black satin paint and 4 casters :
Attachment 132091

A handle on the top, a 12" speaker, a mic flexible stand, a SM57 :
Attachment 132092

Close inside view…
Attachment 132093

Put the hat on…
Attachment 132094

FIRE !
Attachment 132095

Ok, in fact, it's not wired, I'll make it tomorrow and after testing will decide if I add foam or any acoustic absorbant inside !

To be continued !!!

Edit 08/16/09 :

After a day off, the work goes on…

Internal cabling and connectors, jack for input toward speaker, XLR for outing signal from the mic :
Attachment 132361

And after some test, acoustic foam everywhere in the cab :
Attachment 132362Attachment 132363

The external perceived sound is incredibly low, compared to what happens when you open the box… thumbsup

Samples tomorrow !!!

WATCH OUT.. it looks like the cab is sealed air tight behind the speaker... as the voice coil goes forward it will create a little vacuum behind the speaker that will pull the outer area of the cone back.. creating a real nasty cone cry... and possibly creasing the cone.. you 'should' have a couple of vents through the baffle to share some air and equalize pressures on both sides of the cone/baffle... it will sound better that way.
ESPECIALLY if you put much power to the speaker.