Another Passive Biamping "Discovery"

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ka7niq

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    • Roof Cleaning Tampa FL
Another Passive Biamping "Discovery"
« on: 22 Oct 2006, 05:08 am »
This is NOT my "discovery", it is Brians, but I have found that passive biamping makes this easier.
Brian mentions that when adding or removing  the putty from your VMPS Ribon Monitors, a "setting" will be found that improves midrange clarity.
Many of you just tune for "musical" bass, then adjust your ribbons to "match" this level.'
IF so, you are missing much of the magic in your VMPS speakers.
What Brian really wants us to listen for is the point of midrange clarity.
I have found a way of doing this, and it works for me.
Here is what I do.
I have older RM 40's, and I am powering them in the passive biamp mode, with two seperate amplifiers.
One amp drives the ribbons, and one powers the bass.

I simply shut my ribbons amp off, and listen to the Woofers ONLY.

I used Jewels female, and Bob Seegers male voice to strike a "happy medium" as I played with the putty.

It turns out, the setting for best bass and best midrange are very close in the amounts of putty they require.

And, it is quite sensitive to very small amounts of removed, or added putty.
With the ribbons turned completely off, you can clearly hear the woofers "contribution" to the sound.

Brian is absolutely correct about the right amount of the putty "clearing up" the midrange!

And, you can clearly hear it if you just listen to the woofers!

If you are not using two amps in a passive biamp configuration, I GUESS you could just turn your ribbons all the way off and listen too, and get the woofers sounding good all by themselves, THEN bring your ribbons back in ?

I find this a much easier way to tune these wonderful speakers.

Here is how I tune my tweeters.

Remember, my midrange levels are all the way up, and the level controls on my amps now "control" things.

I use the ribbons amp to set midrange to woofer level, AFTER I have first listened to the woofers all by themselves, and adjusted the putty for best midrange clarity/bass.

Then, I simply listen to the tweeters level relative to the midrange, and adjust for a SLIGHTLY lower tweeter response level.

It MUST be remembered that I am listening for correct musical timbre.
I am NOT a "detail freak", and I prefer a very slightly downward tilted response curve.
YMMV

Ever listen to your RM 40's with the tweeters all the way OFF ?
I have, but I own OLD RM 40's with spiral ribbons that cross way up at 10K.

Believe it or not, I find these old RM 40's actually image a tad bit better W/O tweeters turned on, in my room.
Perhaps because w/o the tweeters turned on, they are more directional ?

However, they do not sound better w/o tweeters, and that's why Brian put them there, LOL

I find that if I just bring them in a TAD bit lower in level then the midrange ribbons, I have my cake, and eat it too.

I just wanted to share this different tuning method, in the hope that some may find it easier to do.

My RM 40's have never sounded better, and I do not even have my good stuff hooked up right now.

All my good equipment is being repaired, or modified, so even better things are in store for me!

Back to listening some more, see ya!
Chris







 

klapse

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 17
Re: Another Passive Biamping "Discovery"
« Reply #1 on: 17 Sep 2014, 12:08 pm »
Thanks Chris,

just bumping the topic cause I think it is very useful to all VMPS owners with bi-ampable speakers. 

PMAT

Re: Another Passive Biamping "Discovery"
« Reply #2 on: 17 Sep 2014, 02:27 pm »
Good idea newbie.

buddyiramae

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 23
Re: Another Passive Biamping "Discovery"
« Reply #3 on: 17 Sep 2014, 09:06 pm »
Chris, thank you for sharing this info! I shall follow your instructions, my vintage VMPSs will be further improved.