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modify a small low power practice amp


cdkey

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I am thinking of putting a small 2.1 home speaker setup into a practice amp type box just to make it easy to lug about as I dont use it for anything else and is worth not a lot second hand so I was wondering if this is a bad Idea and would it be a bad idea to move the main bass (sub) driver from firing downwards to a forwards position but below the two satelite drivers mounted as far appart in the new single enclosure.

(it's Roland dm 2100 system I am going to hack up..maybe)

anybody done this before?

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If you want low power what you are proposing is fine. If you want it to compete with the sound levels of a real band you are asking for trouble. You will likely get distortion, and possible burn out the speakers. PA and amp speakers are much tougher than consumer audio speakers. As a simple plug in at home system it would probably survive.

 

There are some very cheap keyboard practice amps avaiable like the Behringer KT108 which will do a much better job for about $60.

 

Michael

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This is not for band practice, just for giving lessons and front room practice type of thing. The volume is not an issue at all I was wondering if taking the speakers & amp from the roland speaker / sub boxes and placing them in a single enclosure like the size of the average guitar practice amp would give bad results mainly the sub part from going from facing the carpet to facing forwards. I would put internal baffles to compensate for them not being in seperate boxes but not sure about the porting especially on the sub speaker. (I dont like the sound from any of the cheapo keyboard amps, I have used roland kc's in the past and they are dire for low volume use (unless I had a couple of bad ones)

 

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I have the Roland KC-60 which is their smallest (40 watts). Mine is OK at low volume, but does have quite a lot of hiss. The Behringer I mentioned is 15 watts.

 

Typically with small home theatre speakers the enclosures are finely matched to the speaker to give full range or wide range performance (compromising THD and other things along the way). Removing the speakers and putting them into another enclosure will very likely give worse performance, maybe a lot worse.

 

I suggest you just mount the speakers on an open frame or very open box in their existing enclosures so that they can be carried in one piece. Maybe cover them with a cloth or mesh screen if you want them to look like one speaker.

 

Michael

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I have two, the Logitech Z2300 and the Logitech Z4. The Z2300 is THX so it can take loud volumes. The Z4 is smaller but has better presence.

Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 800 of Harry's solo piano arrangements and tutorials at https://www.patreon.com/HarryLikas These arrangements are for teaching solo piano chording using Harry's 2+2 harmony method.
 

 

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I have the Roland KC-60 which is their smallest (40 watts).

 

I suggest you just mount the speakers on an open frame or very open box in their existing enclosures so that they can be carried in one piece. Maybe cover them with a cloth or mesh screen if you want them to look like one speaker.

 

Michael

 

Yes, that's what I thought he meant by installing them in the amp box. Definitely keep them in there original enlosures and mount them all together in one box.

Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 800 of Harry's solo piano arrangements and tutorials at https://www.patreon.com/HarryLikas These arrangements are for teaching solo piano chording using Harry's 2+2 harmony method.
 

 

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Oh now I see the Roland dm 2100 system. No I wouldn't take them out of their enclosures. The are designed to sound good in those custom designed boxes. You could do it with a Logitech Z4 system ($50) and keep them in their original housings and just bolt them into the front face of an empty practice amp..

Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 800 of Harry's solo piano arrangements and tutorials at https://www.patreon.com/HarryLikas These arrangements are for teaching solo piano chording using Harry's 2+2 harmony method.
 

 

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Thanks for the advice guy's

I have since had the enclosures opened up to see what work is involved and I was supprised how much larger the satelite speaker walls are. They only looked flimsy and thin from the outside but this is because of the way they are assembled

they are much thicker about 3/8". So I am not going to remove them. I will just attatch them all together with screws and some insulating gasket/rubber sheet type stuff in between the sub and the sattelites and put a sturdy carry handle on the Sub box.

 

 

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Mike please send me a sketch and I will have a go. Maybe I could use my mini yam mg mixer for the the front bit of it, easy to reach and tweak from the laid back couch playing position Hmmmmm.

 

 

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1a/USS_Enterprise_%28NCC-1701%29%2C_ENT1231.jpg

 

Put the satellites where the engines are, mount to the sub tube, and make the main body as a beer holder!

 

Michael

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