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Author Topic: LAB vs Tuba32... weight vs cost  (Read 9230 times)

Chris Coleman 2

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LAB vs Tuba32... weight vs cost
« on: March 05, 2006, 04:28:01 PM »

Hey guys,

I'm looking at building four either Tuba 32 or Lab subs.

I heard that one LAB sub is very heavy. In comparison..how much does a Tuba 32 weigh ??

Also.. I notice that lab drivers for one cabinet come to about $300, ie two per cabinet at $150 each, and that when one blows, they both blow because of the physics of the high pressure cavity they are in. What is the price of the drivers in a Tuba??  How much do recone kits cost for lab vs tuba ??

Love y'all
Chris
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Al Limberg

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Re: LAB vs Tuba32... weight vs cost
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2006, 04:41:57 PM »

I can't help you with the weight of a Tuba, but depending on materials (type of plywood, epoxies, etc.) a Lab typically weighs in between 240 and 275.  A regards the drivers, I've been running Labs since the first batch of drivers became available.  I have had two failures and both were determined by Eminence to be manufacturing faults ( the first was a shorted coil, the second a matter of adhesives.  In neither case did the mating speaker suffer any damage within the same cabinet.  On the other hand, when the first one went, it was an end cabinet in a row of four standing on end, side by side.  I opened the chamber cover and found the driver to be moving as much as if it were still being driven.  Talk about coupling!

?;o)
Al
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peter.golde

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Re: LAB vs Tuba32... weight vs cost
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2006, 07:09:54 PM »

For more Tuba info ask here
http://audioroundtable.com/BillFitzmaurice/

I have built and used both the Lab and a Tuba30s.
The Labs are more expensive to build (aluminum plates), are larger and less portable, they are designed to be used in groups of four or more for full horn loading to 32Hz. I only used a pair of Labs, and the output was clean and powerful. The Tuba is designed to be more portable. There are several different configurations you can build to suit your needs, including single or dual 12's or 15's. The Tuba has a smaller horn mouth area, but is different than the Lab in that it takes advantage of the driver running below Fc into direct radiator mode. The larger rear chamber and the path length serve to lower the driver Fs, so a driver with a higher resonant frequency works better in the Tuba. This allows a wide range of pro sound drivers to work well. If better horn loading down low is desired, add more boxes.
The Lab is a world class touring sub, which you may or may not need, or may not be able to use to it's full potential. It all depends on your intended use. A small band putting together their own sound system would be foolish to build a Lab, but a Tuba makes perfect sense. If you are providing outdoor raves, build 8 or more Labs Twisted Evil
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bgavin (Bruce Gavin)

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Re: LAB vs Tuba32... weight vs cost
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2006, 09:28:34 PM »

This is what I have so far:

Tuba24 -  61 pounds - 1/2" baltic birch, no driver, no finish, no hardware
Tuba24 -  64 pounds - HL10 with finish and casters, Oak plywood
Tuba24 -  63 pounds - Beta 10,
Tuba30 -  84 pounds - 26" wide. 18mm ply outer, 14mm inner, Delta 12LF
Tuba30 - 124 pounds - 30" cube, JBL 2206H
Tuba36 - 150 pounds - estimated
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Chris Coleman 2

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Re: LAB vs Tuba32... weight vs cost
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2006, 02:55:03 PM »

Thanks guys for the responses!

Follow up question:

1) Has anyone here ever made an "active" version of this LAB sub or the Tuba sub ??  This way you could eliminate separate amp racks, add only about 50 pounds to each sub, and simplify your cabling runs by turning it into an active sub, fed with a simple balanced xlr subwoofer signal direct from your driverack or other crossover.  What power amp did you mount inside the sub ??

I imagine by mounting the amp inside, you have to be certain not to alter the airflow in the horn.  

2) How would you modify the design to mount a power amp "inside" the sub cabinet..??  

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Mac Kerr

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Re: LAB vs Tuba32... weight vs cost
« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2006, 03:10:49 PM »

Chris Coleman 2 wrote on Mon, 06 March 2006 14:55

1) Has anyone here ever made an "active" version of this LAB sub or the Tuba sub ??  This way you could eliminate separate amp racks, add only about 50 pounds to each sub, and simplify your cabling runs by turning it into an active sub, fed with a simple balanced xlr subwoofer signal direct from your driverack or other crossover.  What power amp did you mount inside the sub ??
If your system is already set up for powered speakers this may simplify your cabling runs, but if not, you will have to provide a power distribution system that gets power to everywhere you have a speaker instead of just to an amp rack. Remember there will now be 2 cables to every speaker.

Mac
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Chris Coleman 2

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Re: LAB vs Tuba32... weight vs cost
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2006, 03:53:33 PM »

Mac good point.

Couldn't you combine things a bit so that you have each "stack" being fed by (for example) :

1) One thick 60 amp AC power feed.. split up into four 15 Amp circuits.. four subs + four tops per stack, one 15 Amp circuit per sub + top.
2) 0ne subwoofer signal on a balanced xlr.. goes to the subs and is "daisy chains" from one sub to the next.
3) One midrange +
4) ... one tweeter signal. On balanced xlr's.. goes to the tops which have one two-channel amp per box.  Daisy chain from box to box in the stack.

Chris
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Randy Pence

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Re: LAB vs Tuba32... weight vs cost
« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2006, 04:01:27 PM »

A lot of meyer users use cable that carries both power and signal in one bundle.  Sending both changes things, but there are enough active speakers out there that its not impossible.
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Mac Kerr

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Re: LAB vs Tuba32... weight vs cost
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2006, 04:06:12 PM »

Chris Coleman 2 wrote on Mon, 06 March 2006 15:53

Mac good point.

Couldn't you combine things a bit so that you have each "stack" being fed by (for example) :

1) One thick 60 amp AC power feed.. split up into four 15 Amp circuits.. four subs + four tops per stack, one 15 Amp circuit per sub + top.
2) 0ne subwoofer signal on a balanced xlr.. goes to the subs and is "daisy chains" from one sub to the next.
3) One midrange +
4) ... one tweeter signal. On balanced xlr's.. goes to the tops which have one two-channel amp per box.  Daisy chain from box to box in the stack.

Chris

Absolutely! My point was that you will have to factor in that kind of power and signal distribution. If your system is set up with a big power feed to an amp rack, you will have to re-task it to distribute directly to the speakers. Where the stack may have had a couple of NL8s going to it in the past, it will now have power distribution plus maybe a 6 pair multi.

Mac
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Mac Kerr

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Re: LAB vs Tuba32... weight vs cost
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2006, 04:10:33 PM »

Randy Pence wrote on Mon, 06 March 2006 16:01

A lot of meyer users use cable that carries both power and signal in one bundle.  Sending both changes things, but there are enough active speakers out there that its not impossible.
The Meyer Veam system is great for onstage monitors, because it cleans up the cable clutter of separate signal and power to all those powered wedges onstage. It is however an expensive and inflexible system. You have to have a combination signal and power system set up with the right number of feeds, and you will have a Veam cable for every speaker. In the Meyer system, there is power, signal, and a cable pair for the Meyer RMS system monitoring and control computer.

Mac
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