Tuning My Musical Journey

Greetings Michael and Zonees!

Here are some musick which made for good listening this weekend:



This LP is a departure from Sonic’s accustomed early music/original instrument performance of this work.  Though Maestro Menuhin’s reading is ponderous in places, I found this performance surprisingly enjoyable.



Then this evening (Sunday), Sonic felt like getting some exercise.  So I started emptying out the Bookcase Wall to clean the shelves and to listen to the effect a substantially empty Bookcase Wall created.

 errk    

The effect was a lengthening of the reverb time and music sounded like it was performed in a bathroom.  Instruments forward in the mix were encouragingly dimensional but all instruments behind were blurred into a wash of sound.  The low bass also rolled off so that the musick lost its bass foundation and low-end authority. This resulted was unanticipated.

Michael, what does this tell you and what shall I do next      

Sonic

Michael, what does this tell you and what shall I do next




Empty those shelves and let the music play.

The bookcases have become use to the tone inside and outside of it for a long time. Now let the bookcases acclimate to the room.

This is very much like breaking in a speaker that has been stuffed for a long time. Once you free up that pressure it takes a while for the cabinet to get the hang of the room again.

I would like to see a few pictures of this once the bookcases are empty. There are many things to do after the emptying.

Don't give up quickly on this tweak my friend. There's some magic waiting for us and I would like to explore this.

errk yet again

Too late, Sonic is afraid! Last night after I filed my post, a BOO! test was a performed and the room/system failed badly. Sonic nearly cried. But as the hour was late, I shut down. It was a turbulent night with the sound which to me at the time being a major retrograde step disturbing my sleep.

So disturbed was Sonic that before I went to work today, Sonic replaced the books and objects I had removed from the Bookcase Wall

Then this missive from Michael arrived.

While I may return to this path one day, Sonic realizes the settling will have to be done without me listening in the room.

Although from what Michael says here, it will be a veritable (not a vegetable) miracle how something that sounds as echoey and bad as what I heard can in time become realistic, beautiful and musical.

Sonic

First rule of tuning?

"open it up, tune it in"

This tune will be waiting for you when you are ready, but for me it is the answer to many listening sessions you have had. Emptying it out shows me how much energy there is to be used that thus far has been un-tapped and worked around instead of with. My mind has often heard the bookcases as a tuning tool not yet put into full power. Hearing your description prooves the point for me.

All things have their season and the bookcase is a big chapter in the book of Sonic yet to be written.

Greetings Michael and Zonees!

Yes, one day perhaps Sonic will get down to dealing with the stuff in the Bookcase Wall and facing that wayward energy. Perhaps.

But having heard the “energy”, Sonic got an idea how to get some of it without compromising Tone or sending the reverb time through the room (heh heh…pun ). The idea Sonic got is a very direct copy of something that Heind001 did. Next to Mr Green, this tuning gentleman from my corner of the world, is a huge influence on Sonic’s music room preparation. More on what I did in the next few days as Sonic makes the tunes in the room.

Anyway today is public holiday here – it is the Indian festival Diwali (Deepavalli). Sonic got an invitation to listen to an unique home audio system. It is a vintage system with Lowther PM6s in large cabinets, a S5000-11 Sherwood amp with 6L6 tubes and a Lenco L75 idler drive turntable with an Ortofon cartridge. Playing some jazz LPs Sonic was expecting a thin, lightning-fast sound and was not prepared for the strong authoritative bass which I never heard from Lowthers till now. The owner beamed as Sonic remarked on this and told me that the secret was the turntable. This is something Sonic heard before that – the idler drive TTs like the Thorens 124, various Garrards, EMTs and various Lencos have an authority in their sound that no belt drive can match. Sonic is pondering this.

Sonic

More pondering from Sonic about turntables, energy and settling.  One thing Sonic is going work on is the way to get the most (or at least, more) wood tonal flavor out of the Brazilian Pine boards that came from Michael. Right now they sit below things and rest across their lower surfaces on floors or table tops. This might not allow the release of tone which must be in some way diaphragmatic in nature and propagation.

Sonic

"The owner beamed as Sonic remarked on this and told me that the secret was the turntable. This is something Sonic heard before that – the idler drive TTs like the Thorens 124, various Garrards, EMTs and various Lencos have an authority in their sound that no belt drive can match. Sonic is pondering this."

Idler drive and direct drive get the bad rap compared to belt, but this is one of those things I my eyes at. I have heard some older idler & directs that have stopped me in my tracks.

folks younger and maybe new to this

"An idler drive uses a wheel usually with a rubber tire to couple the motor shaft to the turntable platter. They were at one time the most common. They were largely displaced by belt drive which were purportedly more quiet as the belt connecting the motor pulley to the turntable platter served as a filter. Near the end of the reign of vinyl direct drives started to appear. These machines have the motor rotor and the turntable platter on the same shaft."

http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=48139

I haven't made the jump yet, but have been eyeing some tables that have popped up on Craigslist locally. What stops me is not enough rooms. Still it is something that rolls around in my brain. Having a classic Garrard here would be kinda cool.

a page from Steve's forum

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/idler-drive-turntables.117022/

Hi Michael

That solidity and authority, a certain sure-footeness was exactly what Sonic heard from two Lenco L75s -- one with a Shure M55E and the other with an Ortofon 2M Blue.  By contrast belt drives appear somewhat "insubstantial".  Sonic needs to research, ponder and cool off a bit though the siren call of the idler drive is something Sonic hears.

Back to tuning of this here room.

Now Sonic did hear a certain sound of "energy" when the bookcases were emptied and after Michael's advice I worked out a plan in several inter-related steps where Sonic might tap the "energy" in the Bookcase Wall and then tune it.

For the first step, Sonic turned to the teacher of the Tune I learn from after Michael.  Yes, that is Hiend001.  As they say "imitation is the sincerest form flattery". So here are three examples of imitation or flattery whichever way you might describe them.

So from Sonic to Hiend001    



See the employment of Brazilian Pine boards from Michael diaphragmatically.

Initially promising, I am getting more curtain-like soundstage across the speaker plane with more Tone. Sonic is going to let this settle and work forward with the plan...but not too fast, of course.

Sonic

Greetings Michael and Zonees

The rearrangement of Tunes in Sonic room has been settling for four says now and it has told me a number of things about my room rather quickly:

a. Most emphatically is that my room needs FS-PZCs at the side walls to give harmonic tone colour across the stage width. With only two PS-PZCs at the centre, the middle stage is good but the sound at the far ends lack the warmth and richness of Tone that Sonic wants to get especially with this hard-surfaced room.

b. The Brazilian Pine boards, even when placed flat on a surface like the floor do inject a sound into the room. My theory that the contact with a surface over their area might reduce their effect is now in question.

Also Sonic is getting the impression that in some equipment support applications, ¼ inch thick MW may be responsible for the kind of sound that I want to move towards the warmer end of things. Sonic recalls Michael saying that MW is a material that gives a fast clearance of vibrations, or damps quickly. So experimentation is happening here which Sonic will be reporting on shortly because Sonic has also accidentally found a wood material from among the variety of wood pieces that Michael sent me gratis (thank you, Mr Green ) to experiment with that may give my room and set up the kind of Tone that Sonic wants to achieve. Certainly Zonees should know that Sonic's setting up of my tuning gear in accordance to Heind001’s example is to create a new starting point to work from. The set up you see in the pictures will change as no two rooms, acoustic conditions and equipment are the same.

Sonic

Greetings Michael

What is the wood type of these five pieces of wood that you sent me?



Sonic has found them to do some nice things in my system.

Their colour in this picture is fairly accurate -- the wood is this tan colour, not MW yellow-white.

Sonic

Hi Sonic (Tone Beaver)

Those are cross-cut baked Western Redwood.


What are you hearing with them? And how are you using them?

I'm doing lots of wood to give a wide range of flavors for your rooms and components, so your feedback is helpful.

Hopefully we'll all be able to find the right blends to fine tune.

Greetings Michael

Here is the Tone observations of the wood.  With the JVC SEA-10 supported this way using MW and three machine wound Harmonic Springs the sound became thin and light over a long cycle of settling over weeks.



Sonic removed the Harmonic Springs and the MW pieces and used three cross cut Western Redwood squares instead (two front, one rear) and the sound warmed up in the bass and the mid range in the treble recorder range became less “piercing”. The cello range became satisfyingly fuller.

I also noticed in my setup (and this may not apply elsewhere), that Sonic finds that MW unfinished or finished can thin or shift up the pitch if the pieces used are too large or too thick.  For instance, under the AAB1x1 cones supporting my FS-PZCs Sonic had used 2.5” x 2.5” x 0.25” plain MW and then switched to 3/4” x ¾” x 1/8” plain MW thins and found that thinner, smaller MW pieces conferred a warmer, fuller sound.

Even from the earlier days of my Hemlock Clampracks, Sonic found that using MW squares too large caused a loss in warmth and 2” x 2” x 1” MW blocks reduced warmth even more.

Right now I have these cross-cut baked Western Redwood pieces in one place and they sound promising. I have enough for another application.

Your views?

Sonic

Ok, keep notes on any changes over the next few days for me. Try not to make any big changes before you report back.

I'll start on some wood.

Also let me know when we want to tackle the "bookcases". Maybe we can take a weekend and do a fast tune up, at least to show you what is there.

Note: with the goal that it doesn't sound bad for too long.

Oh, one more thing

give me a list of all the wood pieces you have

Hi Michael

Two days onward and the sound is nice Sonic notices it is tonally shifted a little down so clarinets and oboes don’t pierce, the bass is fuller and weighty even at low volumes. The only move I did was yesterday when Sonic changed the angle of the Sound Shutters at the side walls and with no other movement, the room sounded noticeably drier in acoustic. A little soundstage airiness and width lost but right now Sonic is looking for a dry acoustic and tonal downshift.

Will do nothing more for a few days letting things settle and making notes by Sonic.

As for the wood in my room, there is no longer any active (meaning it is there for a tuning purpose as opposed to storage) Magic Wood of 2.5” x2.5” x 0.25” size/thickness or MW blocks of 2.25” x 2.25” x 1” size in my system any longer. These MW pieces and blocks have been removed from the room.

Catalog of active wood items:

14 sound shutters – 12 MW, 2 balsa
4 mini shutters (DIY) – balsa from Mr Green
3 FS-PZCs on 4 mini MW thins each, resting on Brazilian Pine boards (mini-thin is an MW square 0.75” x 0.75” x 1/8”)
20 Low Tone Redwood blocks in active configuration on front wall
Mini-clamprack of MW with 4 MW mini-thins
7 Low Tone Redwood blocks under amp
3 cross-cut Western Redwood under JVC SEA
4 MW mini-thins under CD player
3 Low Tone Redwood blocks under TT
2 wood mounts for Deco Tune FS
2 Low Tone Redwood under power strip
8 Cable Grounds
3 Low Tone Redwood blocks supporting preamp on Brazilian Pine board
2 Brazilian Pine Boards under CD player and turntable
A few MW mini thins used here and there to lift cables off table edges and such

Inactive wood items:

Lots of spare MW 1" x 1" x 0.25" squares lying about in the bookcases for storage, spare FS-DT stands, 7 Low Tone Redwood blocks, some cross-cut Western Redwood square and assorted wood from Michael lying about. How about the guitars when uncased for playing? There are at least two at any time, occasionally more. I won't want to start asking how will a spruce, rosewood guitar affect the sound differently from a spruce, mahogany guitar.

That’s the list not counting the equipment tables, my chair, the Bookcase Wall, CD cabinets and Ikea Expedit storage for my LPs and SPs. There is no metal furniture.

Of course in another part of Sonic's dwelling is the tuning closet where all the spare equipment is stored -- all the big MW squares and blocks are there.

Sonic

Hi Sonic,

Wow you have loads of various type of woods injected to your setup, if you do have the time it will be great to hear from you what kind of flavour does each type of wood (MW, western redwood, balsa etc) used brings to your system. I know there is a long list of flavours and it maybe subjective to describe but if you do have the time it will be great .

Regards

TJ

Greetings tjbhuler

Most happy you dropped by here

I’ll work on describing the sound of each wood type although you might have read some cautious attempt on Sonic’s part to do this. The thing to remember in this sort of description the wording used may be very influenced by the present sound and the target sound rather than anything objective.

For instance, let’s assume that Magic Wood from Michael is a very neutral and transparent wood (which is about how I might describe it objectively). In a system that is dull with lots of vintage tube sound, the use of MW might be an eye opener which leads owner to say it opened the sound up and released all the hidden nuances in the music. For one in a hard room that has a higher-Q rings like Sonic, the same wood might be described as promoting a bias in the mids and bass.

With the Redwoods Sonic finds them a warm wood that I am using to good effect to partly counteract my room tone. Yet in an over-dull tubey system they might cause the owner to jump out of the window.

In my main listening room with its hard walls and ceiling, Sonic’s objective is to shift down the pitch/tone significantly which (unless I damp my ceiling or build a false ceiling) will be a perfect antidote but anyone copying my wood and tuning methods in a more balanced or damped room, the result will be an over warm and bass prominent sound and questions of Sonic's hearing ability or taste.

So I will try to describe the wood but you need to know where Sonic is coming from and where I am hoping to go.

Greetings Michael

Tell me what do you observe in my wood choices?

Also have you heard of this one -- that wearing digital watches while listening affects our hearing and makes us hear a tip up in the upper mids and compromises dimensionality?

There is fellow Sonic who swears this is true but Sonic can’t hear any difference that I cannot attribute to auto suggestion.

Sonic

Hi Sonic

If you start hearing the system settling down instead of up this is a major step. Ultimately the goal is to have the system settle in all ranges and for you to be able to predict how to shape with the settling.

With you changing your music often it means that you are (from what I'm reading) having your sessions at the length from 15 mins to 2 hrs.

My gutt says this.

You have a few tools to use when going into a session and it's not so much that you decide to keep the system at one sound, but more important how you use these tools to adjust to each recording or session.

When I listen, I do it thinking about where the system (music) is and where I might want to go while listening. I might be sitting there hearing the cymbals splash and dying off but then after a while want to hear them splash and continue on flowing through the stage after the first hit. You've heard me say this many times, but the reason I say it in this case is for you to think about the wood not as a one sound, but more of the wood you use being part of a blend of flavors responding to each other and each part of the system and the recording conditions.

All of this wood has different sounds it's true, but that sound changes as conditions change such as weight, direction of transfer and other conditions, so as I might want to put a certain label on a piece of wood, I need to think about that piece as something that may have a sound that I might want to use when the session requires.

Of course I'm speaking about the hobby from my point of view of the hobby. I don't see the hobby as a fixed system and letting the recording play through it. I see the recording as the material to play and it's up to me and my mood for adventure to go where I want. Because of this, the word MW or LTR are used in regards to what is not right or wrong, but more a set of flavors I can use as adjustments.

for example

Lets say I'm wanting to get a particular stage or sound within that stage. I know I can do this through any part of the trilogy, but what part is best and when is up to me making a move within the context of what that move might bring to the table in one direction or the other, and more importantly how that move changes the other 2 parts of the trilogy. I like you guys look at my system as the interaction between acoustical, mechanical and electrical, but within the context of each playing a role in the performance of the others. I make a change to magic wood for example, but in doing so I need to know what that just did to my electrical. Every tool I have ever design has the potential to sound horrible, it also has the potential of being some of the sweetest sound I have ever laid my ears on. But here's the thing, tuning is about the variables and as you guys know even moving something an 1/8" can and does change everything. We might want to will our systems to be auto-play, but this would mean going all the way back to the recording itself and setting standards that defy logic, and the very meaning of the words current and flow.

doesn't mean

Another important part to this is understanding how unique our systems are. In other words, one listener may use a piece of wood a certain way, and the next guy find that same piece of flavor making a different or more suitable flavor for their conditions. Doesn't mean it's right or wrong, but it does mean that if we have the tools we can turn our systems more and more into musical instruments, which is the highest calling to this hobby.

saying all of this

As I listen, I try to take the whole system on an experimental trip. The more I take that ride, the more I learn about each recording and every inch of my audio chain. There are times I might be 1/8" away from the place I want to go and if patient snap boom bang I find it. If I make too big of a change sometimes it's like starting all over, which can be just as much fun or a drag if my time is limited.

Magic Wood is one of those woods that can nail it, bringing every thing to life, or stop everything in it's track, entering "the dull". It's a wood that even after it is cured, will take on moisture. All woods do, but some of the lighter ones that have more open fibers can change character dramatically.

Sonic

Where do you keep your extra MW pieces at?

I think your system is not only reacting to the hard walls and electromagnetism, I think it is also reacting to the climate conditions.

Do this for me when you get a chance. Bake some of the magic wood slowly enough to dry it out good, then listen to it. I have a feeling the wood will take on a completely different flavor than you possibly having it sitting somewhere that might be a little too damp for it.

so to the question

"Tell me what do you observe in my wood choices?"

I believe we're getting somewhere but I also feel like maybe we are fighting with certain conditions that are fluxing causing wide ranges of shift.

Hi Sonic

A question for you.

When you apply different wood do you also make adjustments with the EQ?

Have you spent much time yet, using the EQ and the wood together when voicing?

I'm not just talking about on the EQ, but putting on a recording, start making changes with the wood and also using the EQ as part of the range voicing?

example

You put on a vinyl, listen to what you might want changed, then start to adjust with the EQ and the 3 Low Tone Redwood blocks under TT.

What I'm asking is, how much are you doing simple variables, per recording?

Hi Michael and Zonees!

This is a great reply   and in Michael’s questions there is a lot for Sonic and Mr Green to exchange understanding of things that may go unasked or unexplained in the normal to and fro about discussing the Tune.

Sonic has got two modes of listening to musick in my dwelling.  

The Casual: this is when I take work home from the office and I play CDs as I work.  In this more LPs are never played.  There is no warm up of the system and the volume is usually at background level. Listening may be interrupted by things like conference calls. This can last 2 hours and the music is usually simple baroque ensembles/tafelmusick or ambient.  I won’t listen to Bach, Hindemith or Miles in Casual Time.  I have to work.    

The Serious: this starts with a one hour or more period of system warm up (near always the same CD on repeat) where the evening meal is taken and ablutions carried out.  A playlist is set up before hand.  I usually start with CDs then LPs and when sleepy, go back to CD.  In addition to the warm up time, the actual listening in Serious Time lasts 2 to 6 hours. The music works is played one after the other, never repeated unless interrupted by a phone call.

Now the Points and Questions raised by Michael:

MG: If you start hearing the system settling down instead of up this is a major step. Ultimately the goal is to have the system settle in all ranges and for you to be able to predict how to shape with the settling.

Sonic: Yes, I am getting a little down shifting in tone which is good

MG: With you changing your music often it means that you are (from what I'm reading) having your sessions at the length from 15 mins to 2 hrs.

Sonic: Yes I change musick often but my Serious Time lasts much longer than this

MG: Where do you keep your extra MW pieces at?

Sonic: Lying about in the empty top shelves of the Bookcase Wall

MG: Do this for me when you get a chance. Bake some of the magic wood slowly enough to dry it out good, then listen to it. I have a feeling the wood will take on a completely different flavor than you possibly having it sitting somewhere that might be a little too damp for it.

Sonic: Are you referring to MW in “active mode” like under a piece of equipment like the mini clamprack or MW in “inactive mode” like being left on a Bookcase Wall shelf.  Surely the latter will have no effect on the sound of the room and system?

MG:  When you apply different wood do you also make adjustments with the EQ? Have you spent much time yet, using the EQ and the wood together when voicing? I'm not just talking about on the EQ, but putting on a recording, start making changes with the wood and also using the EQ as part of the range voicing?

Sonic: Never have done this. I use the wood to set the overall sound of the system not for a specific programme. After setting the overall sound with Michael Green products (very effectively Sonic adds), the EQ is used to deal with some broad issues in the room/system hence my default setting of the EQ is a couple of dB up at 40hz, flat everywhere else.

Sonic mostly uses the EQ to adjust the balance of CDs that are too hot in the upper mids ad highs.  LPs are never EQ’d beyond the default setting. For SPs the EQ is used big time to compensate for the non RIAA playback something like -4dB at 40hz, -6dB at 250hz, flat a 1 khz, +4 to 6dB at 5khz and -2dB at 10khz and it varies by record label and condition of the SP being played. This is fun because when you get the speed of 78s right and the EQ correct, they can be magical!

MG: You put on a vinyl, listen to what you might want changed, then start to adjust with the EQ and the 3 Low Tone Redwood blocks under TT.

Sonic: How do I adjust the 3 Low Tone Redwood blocks under the TT when an LP is playing?


MG: What I'm asking is, how much are you doing simple variables, per recording?

Sonic: The only variables to recordings are a couple of dB here and there on the EQ nothing else.

Are you suggesting that wood and things can be adjusted with the system in play? But the gear is powered up, CDs and records are spinning – isn’t equipment damage and electrocution an issue?

Personally Sonic finds the Tuning actions part of the preparatory process for the time of listening to beautiful musick and drama/poetry not part of the listening process itself. Beyond a touch of EQ, if I had to tune during playback of recordings, it would be a divergence and distraction.  

But tell me what do you do when from the time you put a CD on the tray – a case history will be nice, of course Sonic understands you have played one CD over for days at end exploring it.

Sonic now has Mendelssohn’s Trios for Piano, Violin and Cello on the TT.  After this will be an LP of Shakuhachi pieces, then Handel’s Fireworks Music (a rare 10-inch disk from early Archiv of the Vienna PO playing this work) and I will close Sunday night with Bach’s Cantatas.        

Sonic

continued

Sonic

"Are you referring to MW in “active mode” like under a piece of equipment like the mini clamprack or MW in “inactive mode” like being left on a Bookcase Wall shelf.  Surely the latter will have no effect on the sound of the room and system?"

mg

I'm talking about doing a before and after with the wood your using in the system. Listen to a piece of music, then go bake one or more pieces of the wood, put it back in the system and listen to the difference between drier wood and your normal climate.

I listen to the wood obviously a lot drier than in your neck of the woods. Today your at 84% and I'm at 10% humidity. My rooms most of the time are being baked. In my setups the drier it is, the easier my music goes from high frequency beaming or clustering to open, airy and warm. My bass (in my part of the world) goes from mushy, when it gets up around 37% and up, and deep, tight & rich as the humidity goes down. The condition of the wood I use (dry to wet) makes as big of a difference to the sound as any component I use.

As I read the posts from over there, I think about why my systems can change easily in the directions I want them to. Part of this is I listen all day long and voice things as I do. Part of this is because I usually spend more time letting things settle in than most. I'm listening to my systems change throughout the day, as well as how I change throughout the day as a listener. My hearing changes as much as my system does I'm sure. There are a bunch of other variables that go on that are too many to mention, and with this I'm trying to get you guys to see (hear) that you are incharge. I'm also trying to break it to you easy, that every system and part of this hobby is far more variable than any of us realize. I know it sounds like I'm stuck on repeat, but I need to keep doing this so you guys don't fall into the trap of fixed sound, cause it's never going to happen and the more skilled we become as listeners the more we realize that the audiophile hobby is not the same as the high end audiophile hobby.

now, lets go a little further here

We've been talking wood, but lets take a capacitor or resister and heat treat it. The difference between a heat treated cap and stock is shocking  Everything in our systems are going through constant change, and to rule this hobby we have to learn those changes. Just like playing those guitars.

so

Here's another thing I would like you to try and then explain how you got there.

After you do the drying a/b test to see how you can control that piece of wood, I want you to put on a piece of music and listen to it until there is something you wish to change. It doesn't have to be fix the sound, but just make a change to explore different parts of the stage as well as the content within the stage. Picture in your mind part of the recording you want to explore and describe how you went from the place you started and where you are after achiving the sound you want.

now

Do the same thing with a different recording and pay attention to how you tuned differently. If you get stuck I can give you a walk through so we can follow it. Put out of your mind during this time, that you want one setting to play all, and lets study the reality that not only is every recording different but we are on the quest of being able to take our systems where ever we want, and we understand our personal conditions.

keep in mind

I'm not trying to over look the Q&A's. What I'm trying to do is get us to a place of listening methods so we can use or even create the specific tools you have or need.

sonic said

"Personally Sonic finds the Tuning actions part of the preparatory process for the time of listening to beautiful musick and drama/poetry not part of the listening process itself. Beyond a touch of EQ, if I had to tune during playback of recordings, it would be a divergence and distraction.  

But tell me what do you do when from the time you put a CD on the tray – a case history will be nice, of course Sonic understands you have played one CD over for days at end exploring it."

mg

I have a few systems so my approach depends on each system and each mood. My idea of the hobby is to be able to pretty much do it all. If I had more room you would probably even see a studio. Currently I listen to speakers that range from 4"-12" woofers. Two speaker pairs are 3 ways and the rest 2 way or 2 way and sub. I don't show everything cause I don't want to confuse everyone. I use some of the other speakers (I have modified them) to help me with referencing.

My case history needs to include all the systems cause that's really how I do things, when I live in places that allow me to have more. TuneVilla and every multi-room dwelling I live in become the same type of space. It starts in one room and I make my way throughout the whole space till every part of the dwelling is part of the sound, even outside when I have the chance.

I'll come back to this post later.

Greetings Zonees

After Sonic set my system layout to a variation of what Hiend001 a couple of weeks ago I learnt a number of things about my room and system condition.

So I am applying these lessons – like how do deal with the strong front back flow which is responsible for much of the waywardness of this room. For instance it is possible that placing a FS-PZC centrally is now not the best idea. It worked to prevent the “banana soundstage” but after that room artifact was overcome, the FS-PZC had some issues of its own which Sonic can hear and need to address.

I am beginning to do something which Sonic is surprised I did not think of doing before -- which is to map a Tune Strategy and assign a function to what I want each class of devices from Michael to do. You see music lovers who apply the Tune span those who have a free hand creating their rooms like those buildings a new home to those who have some freedom to apply the Tune in a dedicated room to those who have Tune in shared, multiple use spaces plus those who have to work with some very sub-optimal conditions. Sonic is fortunate to be in the group who have a dedicated room with a good amount of freedom within it but with some limitations and no flexibility outside it. So I have to think what the different classes of Tune devices from Michael I have or intend to buy from him from the pillow products, PZCs, wood and mechanical grounding devices might be used to contribute to dealing with or shaping the overall sound. Since I don’t have unlimited freedom or resources to Tune, Sonic needs to Tune smart.

I think this might be a more elegant way which will realize the Tune here. I don’t want to go the way of building a false ceiling and severely damping the top 1/3 of the room while leaving the lower half tuned like Michael does.

More in a couple of days on this line of thought as it is put into action.

Sonic

Greetings Zonees

Sonic has been persisting with ideas gleaned from Hiend001:



This is a classic set up with a pair of  these devices based on Michael’s original set up advice. The use of the absorptive sides facing into the room helps in Sonic’s room to deal with the signature of the hard surfaces.

The listening chair zone looks like this:



I might substitute a stacked pair of DTs leaning against the Bookcase Wall and find another place for the single FS-DRT or buy a few more from Michael to use more of these devices in Sonic’s room. This combination as it is is sounding promising enough and there will be a weekend of intensive settling. And if it sounds good and better through into next week this will signal how Sonic might go forward.

The “Tune Strategy” Sonic wrote about earlier is a division of purpose for different types of Tune devices in the room.  Like this: acoustic control – use products from Michael that have more burn effect such as Corner Tunes, EchoTunes, TuneStrips, FS-DRTs and FS-DTs. Foam is used for the most stubborn BOO! effects and some absorption must be used to get a deader top 1/3 of the room and ceiling with focus on the front-back flow. Flow control and tone creation – Sound Shutters. Tone creation – FS-DRTs, Brazilian Pine, Low Tone Redwood blocks, cross-cut Western Redwood.

So Sonic is dealing with the BOO! or any hard-surface artifacts by burn and absorptive control while tone is accentuated/added back through use of wood from Michael.

Sonic

Yikes

Big Fail

Deep bass gone, upper bass thin, upper mids boosted, soundstage narrowed, surround sound gone!

What happened, Michael?

Sonic did not expect this to happen

 Laughing with you not at you

Direct absorption, absorbs

I have tried a few times, quite a few times, to go outside of the laws of the tune, and everytime ended up with a big part of the music missing and or a dramatic shift. It may have taken me a while to find it, but in time I have realized that absorption is different from controlled burn.