B1 Bass Module / Positioning: Difference between revisions

Sound comes through the bass module grille only and then spreads out the same amount in all directions from that surface. So box orientation doesn't matter to the bass module sound. Sonically the bass module can rest on any one of its four sides and nothing will change. (Of course, for stacking, you want the "wide side down" in order to engage the nubs on the next bass module.) Once you pick a side to rest it on, you can aim the bass module in any direction you want, forward, sideways, even firing backward toward a rear wall. If you hear a change, it is because you've moved the grille relative to other bass modules or relative to boundaries. Don't shove the grille into a wall or into a big obstacle, because then the sound can't get out; leave at least 6 inches (15 cm) of space in front of the grille. The side of the box itself can be right against a wall, so long as the grille is not obstructed. We often start out placing our bass modules on the floor, sideways against the rear wall, so that the first reflections from the floor and rear wall will not change the tonal balance in the bass. (Room modes will change the tonal balance anyway, but at least we eliminate one source of variability this way.)

When multiple sources playing the same signal are spaced apart, they make an "array" which means that the tonal balance they radiate can be different in different directions. If you understand array theory, you can make this work for you, but in our case, it is safest to keep the spacings as small as we can, so that the array radiates the same in all directions. When we keep the spacing tight, multiple B1s will behave just like single B1s, only louder. What matters here are the spacings of the grilles, not the cabinets, because the grilles are where the sound comes from. The more specific suggestions that follow below rely partly on my own understanding of the theory and partly on consultation with Hilmar, who has both theory and a lot of experience to guide him.  

In any arrangement where the grilles fit completely within a 30-inch (75 cm) diameter sphere, your two bass modules will act like a single one, only louder. Note that spacing two bass units on the floor with the {{Classic}} or {{Model I}} or L1 Pro32 Power Stand between them does not meet this criterion. That arrangement would reduce the mid-bass that radiates to the left and right sides.

For 4 B1s, we are most likely to stack all 4 on their wide sides, but sometimes we make two stacks of two, side by side. The stack of four takes up the least floor space, but it radiates a little less mid-bass upwards, which has not been a problem and might be beneficial. We don't lay all four in a line on the floor on their wide sides, since we expect this to weaken the midbass that travels left and right toward other band members or audience at the sides. You could probably lay all four in a line if you rest them on their handle sides, so that they make a short line. If you use the 2x2, keep the two stacks adjacent to avoid possibly weakening the mid-bass to the sides.