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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Road Test: Danley Sound Labs SM-60F & TH-Mini

Evaluating a Danley Sound Labs high-pack/subwoofer combo in the field.

The Danley Sound Labs SM-60F is a passive, full-range loudspeaker that utilizes Tom Danley’s Synergy Horn concept, where multiple drivers covering different frequency ranges all play into a single horn.

It’s loaded with 2 x 8-inch woofers and a 1 x 5-inch mid/high coaxial driver. Dispersion is 60 x 60 degrees.

The Danley TH-Mini is a compact subwoofer that uses a single 12-inch driver in a tapped horn configuration.

At only 24 x 15 x 22 .5 inches and 76 pounds, it’s easy for one person to move around. This 8-ohm box will handle 700 watts continuous and 1,400 watts program.

As I do with all new gear, I set up an SM-60F to try out before taking it on a show. I drove it with a QSC RMX 2450 amplifier and listened to some CDs full range. (Note that it is also available with a built-in amplifier as an option.)

They sounded great! I noticed detail in some songs that I usually don’t hear on my regular 15-inch, 2-way high packs.

They sound as good if not better than many reference studio monitors I’ve heard.

Next up was the TH-Mini, which I drove with a QSC CX1102 amplifier, and crossed at around 100 Hz. It had the walls of my shop rattling with headroom to spare.

I then placed the SM-60F on top of the TH-Mini and played around with the crossover settings to see what sounded the best, running the SM-60F full range with added subwoofer as well as crossing both boxes over.

Both ways sounded good, and would give me more options at gigs.

Stand Note
The only negative thing I ran into during this initial evaluation is the stand mount on the SM-60F and the lack of a pole mount on the TH-Mini.

The stand mount sits toward the back of the cabinet, making it rather front-heavy - in fact, too much for my usual “corporate” speaker stands, which are 50-pound cast iron lighting bases and black pipe. (I prefer these instead of tripods because they look better, and can use taller pipes to get the loudspeakers up higher in the air.)

Too be fair, there’s no way to move the stand mount forward on the box, because an 8-inch driver is in the way.

If I bought these boxes and wanted to use them on stands, I’d make a frame that bolted to the bottom of the SM-60F using the fly points, and locate a stand mount at the center of gravity.

Then I could use them worry-free on any tripod stand or my corporate pipe and base stands. For purposes of this evaluation, I put them on Hamilton metal tripods - with the weight centered over a tripod leg, the stands were stable, and just to be sure I also used sandbags to weigh down the rear of the tripods.

As for the pole mount on the sub, the company can put one in if you ask when ordering.

You can also retrofit it in, but talk to the folks at Danley first so they can tell you a good location on the box so you don’t hit an internal brace. 

Every Detail
The first gig I used them was a small dance band playing a corporate affair at a hotel ballroom.

With the band set up near the corner of the room, I placed two TH-Minis by the wall, side by side, and hid them behind a large potted tree.

One SM-60F went on a tripod, and I could almost get away with using just this one box except that the room was rather wide and a 60-degree box only covers so much area. 

So I located a second SM-60F next to the first, had great coverage, and each loudspeaker was hardly breaking a sweat! The band was quite impressed with how great the boxes sounded, especially how much bass the TH-Minis produced for their small size.

I had no problems thumping the dance floor later in the evening with two 12-inch subwoofers. Mixing on the rig was a pleasure - I could hear every detail clearly.

Next I took them to a corporate meeting, originally planning to use both tops and subs, but had little need for the subs, so they sat backstage. The SM-60Fs sounded great for the walk in music, and had more than enough bottom end for the video playback.

One thing I noticed was that I seemed to have more gain before feedback when using the SM-60s on stands with a podium microphone than with the loudspeakers I had used in the same room in the past. Again, they sounded great.

Big Bass
On another gig, I used the TH-Minis with some of my regular high-packs, a typical small DJ setup for a corporate party held in a large ballroom, one loudspeaker per side by the dance floor, and the subs center stacked.

The DJ was skeptical that the Minis were big enough for the gig, so I cued up “What is Hip” and watched his jaw drop. The DJ could not believe how much bass the TH-Minis put out.

Later in the evening when only the hardcore party people were left, the DJ played some newer urban bass heavy stuff, and we both were pleased at how nice the subs thumped. Probably not my first choice for a sub if I were a DJ playing serious bass heavy music, but for a regular corporate/party/DJ gig, the Minis would be a great choice.

Monitor App
For yet another gig, I used an SM-60F on a stand as an area monitor, and covered the backstage with a low-volume program feed.

While a little big for this application (I usually use a 10-inch coaxial or a 10-inch and horn-loaded box), it sounded great, and I liked the tight coverage pattern that helped keep the sound only in the area I wanted to cover.

I put the other SM-60F on a stand and it became the video world monitor. Again, a bit big for that application, but the video crew remarked how great the box sounded.

The last show I used them on was a typical corporate general session. The SM-60Fs served as front fills, and I placed them side by side on a small trunk in the center of the stage.

The two loudspeakers covered what normally would have taken three to four of my usual front fill cabinets. The coverage of two cabinets next to each other seems seamless, and they just sound like one wide single loudspeaker.

In all, I really love both the SM-60F and TH-Mini. I think both would make a great addition to my inventory, as well as any inventory where you need smaller boxes that can outperform their size.

Go to the Road Test Forum on ProSoundWeb to read Craig’s full review and other comments from the community, as well as to ask questions about the SM-60F and TH-Mini, 

Craig Leerman is senior consulting editor for Live Sound International/WroSoundWeb and has headed up the PSW Road Test Forum for six years. He is also the owner of Tech Works, a production company based in Las Vegas.

 

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