Burning in a speaker

[SteveB]

I have an EVM12L that has been reconed. It's super stiff sounding compared to my other EVM's. What's the best way to "burn in" a speaker without specialized equipment. Stuff it in a closet and play bass heavy music through it?

[Thundernotes]

I'd just feed the iPod into it and let it rip for a few hours. That should soften it up.

[Brooks]

drum machine.

[geoff_hartwell]

I've heard conflicting reports about what type of signal you should feed it (Full range music on iPod vs. drum machine etc.) and I had an idea- If you're using it as a guitar speaker, why not play what you normally play into a Loop Station or Jam Man and let it repeat for as long as you wish?

That way it would be like you're actually breaking it in by PLAYING;

Rather than feeding it a signal for the sake of it, get 'er used to what she'll actually be called upon to do!

Geoff

[SteveB]

That way it would be like you're actually breaking it in by PLAYING;

Rather than feeding it a signal for the sake of it, get 'er used to what she'll actually be called upon to do!

Geoff

Interesting Idea, although I'd hate for my speaker to be trained only to play the first opening riffs of a bunch of zz top songs.

[JohnnyB]

I've heard conflicting reports about what type of signal you should feed it (Full range music on iPod vs. drum machine etc.) and I had an idea- If you're using it as a guitar speaker, why not play what you normally play into a Loop Station or Jam Man and let it repeat for as long as you wish?...

Rather than feeding it a signal for the sake of it, get 'er used to what she'll actually be called upon to do!

The problem with that is that it doesn't completely break in the speaker. At some point you'd be playing outside your typical range, and if that aspect of the speaker isn't broken in yet, the sound will fall flat. If you want a speaker to respond quickly and easily at 100 Hz, it'll be more responsive if it's been broken in down to 35-50 Hz. Then it's operating in its comfort zone rather than at the edge of its usable range.

Drum machine sounds like the best idea for break-in because it goes the lowest and has the fastest transients, the two things that should loosen up a cone suspension the fastest and most completely. I s'pose you could mix in some higher frequencies and gentler stuff too, to break in the suspension for "in-between" dynamics.