Ya gotta keep em separated
After many years and countless gigs powered by our trusty old sound system, I finally broke down and bought a real crossover. We’ve been operating fine without one for quite a while, but using the “built-in” crossover features of our Mackie m1400i amps has the unfortunate drawback of not excluding the low frequency range from the mains. Result… when you crank up that kick drum mic in order to get good response from our aging Peavy Sub-Compact subs, the resulting sound you get from the mains is something along the lines of whacking an empty Rubbermaid garbage can with a yard-stick.
My model of choice is a DBX 223XL. It’s your typical no-frills, 2 way stereo / 3 way mono crossover. I have to say it did the job pretty well. We put it thru it’s paces when the Robin Moxey Trio played last Friday and Saturday at the Halftime Saloon in Gig Harbor. The only downside is now that the main mix is clear of the low-frequency muddiness, I can really tell how old those speakers are! Oh well, one thing at a time.
But what exactly is wrong with the garbage can lid and yard stick sound? Some people would call that “retro.”
Personally, I’ve made quite a few good sounds using exclusively a garbage can lid and a yard stick. Phat beats, yo. You ever see the show ’stomp’?