Members aaronm72 Posted August 3, 2015 Members Share Posted August 3, 2015 I am sure this has been discussed before and I did a search which did not yield much information. Interested if anyone has come up with a solution to eliminate the pole by constructing something else in its place? I have the LS801P's and EF500 tops and looking to eliminate the poles. Seen this done a few years back the guy was running AURA subs and EAW tops and had "stands" made to elevate the tops. They had black skirting on them to hide what they were made of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted August 3, 2015 CMS Author Share Posted August 3, 2015 I'd first have to ask what's wrong with using poles. They're safe, simple, take up little storage and onstage visual space, and work. The speakers are quite often set up for them. I'd need a pretty good reason to make this more complicated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Audiopile Posted August 4, 2015 Members Share Posted August 4, 2015 Yea... like Craig said... what's up with trying to reinvent the wheel? My mid-high poles likely cost less than cheap pack of guitar strings, they work fine and weigh almost nothing, they stow in the mid-high case fine, nobody's ever complained in the least that they "look like poles", delegating authority to get some help from my band mates to help set-up the poles required less than 3 words and there's been no screw-ups, they seemingly require little if no maintenance, and if there's some urgent need to replace one, I simply source a 1 3/8 clothes hanger pole from a hardware store and cut to length and spray paint flat black. Maybe I'm missing something here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members abzurd Posted August 4, 2015 Members Share Posted August 4, 2015 Agreed. Unless you are going to add some sort of functionality like lighting, or a storage case turned stand so you don't have to stow it, I don't understand the problem you are trying to solve. You'll also keep sight lines better.... nothing is thinner than a pole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted August 4, 2015 Members Share Posted August 4, 2015 Sounds like you want a skirt to hide the space between the two speakers? Maybe use some Velcro around the top speaker and a black cloth to surround it and cover the space. Cut it so that it's the right length between the top and the sub i agree with others that having the sight line between the speakers is important. But if you really don't want that space you'll have to go to a lot of trouble to replace the ease and stability of a pole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted August 4, 2015 CMS Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 I'm just guessing here, but maybe the OP is unhappy with the "look", which is similar to "speakers on sticks" that we get with a simple fullrange on a speaker stand. I like guido61's drape idea, as it's simple and takes no room, but it still looks like what it is...hiding something. Giving it further thought, if one really wants to make a project of it, a storage crate could have pole mounts added to top and bottom. Then add thick rubber feet to take up the thickness of the pole mount flanges. Then cut short (6") sections of pole. Stick one pole section into the sub, place crate over it, stick second section of pole into top of crate, and put the mid-high on that. Just as safe as a single pole without needing ratchet straps to hold the mess together. Of course, the pole mounts will affect interior volume, so the crates would need to be cable storage or for small items. But it still looks like what it is....a speaker on a box on a speaker. In the end, I'm left thinking that bigger speakers would stack high enough, but my back says, "be thankful your gigs only need a small midhigh on a sub with a pole". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomm Williams Posted August 4, 2015 Members Share Posted August 4, 2015 I recall a few years back a poster showing off some nice units he had made from trussing. In the end, it was still (basically) a box between the subs and mains but they looked great. Im of the same opinion as the rest, poles get the job done and take up virtually zero storage room. If your system is big enough, storage becomes a larger factor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted August 4, 2015 Members Share Posted August 4, 2015 I recall a few years back a poster showing off some nice units he had made from trussing. In the end, it was still (basically) a box between the subs and mains but they looked great. That's an interesting idea. Take an aluminum lighting truss and cut it down to size and use that between the speakers rather than a pole. Or better still---just run the pole through the middle of the truss. That way you don't have to install new pole mounts. The truss would serve no purpose other than decoration, but it might serve to provide and different and more modern look than the simple speaker-on-a-stick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted August 4, 2015 Members Share Posted August 4, 2015 Or maybe RAISE the pole and put a stripper around it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Old Fart Rocker Posted August 4, 2015 Members Share Posted August 4, 2015 Or maybe RAISE the pole and put a stripper around it. Finally an idea I can agree with!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted August 4, 2015 CMS Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 Nice....brass pole. Don't hide it, make it an asset..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Telecruiser Posted August 4, 2015 Members Share Posted August 4, 2015 Or maybe RAISE the pole and put a stripper around it. Ok, now we're gettin' somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aaronm72 Posted August 5, 2015 Author Members Share Posted August 5, 2015 I can totally understand all the comments and have thought about the ease of the poles and portability. Here is my issue and it's not looks. The tops do not fit into the cups tight and are fairly loose. I have two different heights I can use (2' normally). The speakers also have this slight lean back that aims the front of the speaker up on the poles. Maybe the pole size diameter is wrong but that's what came with them. I realize they cant be tight but you push on them and they have a wobble to them. Again nothing to do with looks. Just don't like the movement while mounted. Your thoughts? Maybe a shim in the cups? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomm Williams Posted August 5, 2015 Members Share Posted August 5, 2015 Some looseness is normal so the poles don't get stuck in the cups but the speaker shouldn't be flopping around. Try some different poles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted August 5, 2015 Members Share Posted August 5, 2015 The tops do not fit into the cups tight and are fairly loose. ..... I realize they cant be tight but you push on them and they have a wobble to them. Again nothing to do with looks. Just don't like the movement while mounted. That's my problem with many strippers as well. Oh wait....you're talking about the POLES.... ....nevermind..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members abzurd Posted August 5, 2015 Members Share Posted August 5, 2015 I can totally understand all the comments and have thought about the ease of the poles and portability. Here is my issue and it's not looks. The tops do not fit into the cups tight and are fairly loose. I have two different heights I can use (2' normally). The speakers also have this slight lean back that aims the front of the speaker up on the poles. Maybe the pole size diameter is wrong but that's what came with them. I realize they cant be tight but you push on them and they have a wobble to them. Again nothing to do with looks. Just don't like the movement while mounted. Your thoughts? Maybe a shim in the cups? There is a solution for this. - K&M 21366 I have both those and the ones with threads on the sub end and the adjustable mount on the other. They aren't cheap but are the best poles money can buy. It allows me to put lights atop our mains over the subs and have them rock solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aaronm72 Posted August 5, 2015 Author Members Share Posted August 5, 2015 Too funny! 50 Shades could use this for the next book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomm Williams Posted August 5, 2015 Members Share Posted August 5, 2015 Just looked those up, good solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aaronm72 Posted August 5, 2015 Author Members Share Posted August 5, 2015 Now those look very interesting. I am a big K&M fan and have about 90% of their stands in my collection. Looks like a winner to me as I have never been disappointed by their products. Thanks for the input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted August 5, 2015 CMS Author Share Posted August 5, 2015 The loose pole/cup is easily solved on the cheap. Save and clean a plastic milk container. Cut it into strips. Insert a strip between the pole and cup. Wider if it's still too loose, narrower if it jams a bit. It won't mar the parts, and won't get anything stuck. About $2 and it does a body good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Audiopyle Sound Posted August 5, 2015 Members Share Posted August 5, 2015 There is a solution for this. - K&M 21366 I'd suggest that you order these or any other K&M items from a knowledgeable dealer instead of a "box" store. They have revised some models recently, including the 21366. Both the older and newer styles are available. The new ones cost slightly more but are worth it IMO, because they have replaced the plastic telescoping slip collar and lanyard pin with a metal collar that will NOT turn and a captive spring loaded pin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted August 5, 2015 Members Share Posted August 5, 2015 I use a couple cable boxes under each to raise up the speakers about a foot. I put a piece of 7/8 plywood cut to size and painted black to stiffen it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomm Williams Posted August 5, 2015 Members Share Posted August 5, 2015 And I would assume you've never needed access to those boxes during a show ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted August 5, 2015 Members Share Posted August 5, 2015 I mainly use 2 of the boxes. One has AC & speakon cables, the other one has XLR - Long and XLR short cables. The other 2 boxes on the other side, one is set up as an all in one Open Mic box, XLR, Power, Speakon. The other has extras. 2 - 50' & 2 - 25' speakon, a bunch of long AC cables, and a hand full of XLR. I don't generally use either of those two. Before we stack the speakers I make sure I have 2 - 25' Speakon, 2 - 25' and 1 - 50' XLR, 2 - 25' AC cables and 2 - 10' AC cables as well. As I learned the first time, it's a pain in the butt to have to drop the speaker because you needed a 25' AC cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members abzurd Posted August 5, 2015 Members Share Posted August 5, 2015 I'd suggest that you order these or any other K&M items from a knowledgeable dealer instead of a "box" store. They have revised some models recently, including the 21366. Both the older and newer styles are available. The new ones cost slightly more but are worth it IMO, because they have replaced the plastic telescoping slip collar and lanyard pin with a metal collar that will NOT turn and a captive spring loaded pin. I got mine form Mike ^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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