Benefits of Center Channel?

[horn player]

I've never owned anything other than older 2 channel receivers. I have a single LaScala that I either need sell or use as a center speaker between some Khorns. To use as a center, would it just be a matter buying a newer receiver with a center channel and hooking it up? Would that be the same as the original Klipsch center speaker setup? Thanks in advance!

[lynnm]

Several folks on the forum have copies of PWK's simple technique for deriving a center channel feed from a two channel amp.

The degree of benefit you will derive from using a Lascala as a centre for your horns will depend on factors such as room size etc. but the single biggest factor will be the distance between your horns -> The greater the separation between the horns the more a centre fill will be of benefit. I recall reading once that PWK recommended a pair of horns spaced 22' apart ( +/-) with a lascala centre as an ideal setup.

[HornEd]

As usual, Lynn is spot on! Three channel stereo was actually invented by Bell Labs decades ago. PWK was so excited by the prospect of something that would allow his horns to be further apart that most of what became the Heritage line was conceived as a potential "no corner required" center channel. PWK designed the Klipschorn to represent the most important audio range of a symphony orchestra back in the days before stereo was a household world. My first Klipschorn was for a monaural, tube fed, HiFi system... no sub, no surrounds, no remote... just the sweetest, most commanding sound that I had ever heard.

The reason that the LaScala has the same ingredients as the K-Horn was due to its destination between widely separated (22'+) corner horns to preserve orchestral balance in the middle. Sadly, Mrs. Klipsch (Belle was his first wife's name) thought the LaScala too ugly to be in her house. So, PWK reworked the cabinetry and horns until his wife gave it the okay. In his wisdom, PWK named the new, prettier version of the LaScala after her... and it remained his center channel for three channel stereo for the rest of his life. BTW, Mr. Paul used "false walls" for his Klipschorn corners.

Of course, most modern receivers can accomodate three channel stereo... and DVD movies make the center channel the main channel pouring over 75% of the total sound through it. Detailed instructions for building False Corners and the simple circuit that PWK used to create the center channel are in the Forum Archives. =HornEd

PS: One of the novel approaches that several Forum members have taken is to split a single LaScala so the bass bin is on the floor as a center... with a TV atop it... and the midrange and tweeter section is mounted on the wall above the TV for greater dispersion of the higher ranges. If you use the Forum search engine, I believe there is a recent thread on the subject.

PPS: My own music system includes Klipschorn's in the corners and a Belle in the middle for three channel stereo... with a pair of Cornwalls and an Academy for side/surrounds and rear effects for multi-channel music. As someone who grew up in the one-channel world... and eagerly expanded to two-channel stereo... and expanded to three-channel stereo from reading a paper by PWK. Seems I recall something in the archives on three-channel stereo... and, of course, it is a highlight of his recent biography. Properly set up, three-channel is definitely the pick of the litter and the configuration I use most for music!

PPPS: You probably would have little trouble selling your single LaScala... even to me. I have another project where I might use f5-7 LaScalas and it is not easy to find singles.

[WMcD]

I think you should try center channel before you sell the LaScala. It may well be that you will not want to sell it once you've hear the effect.

HT receivers usually have a setting to send a R+L to a center speaker. So, yes, that should be equivalent to the PWK resistor based mixer.

One potential problem with an HT receiver is that they use digital signal processing to achieve the decoding and mixing in many of the "modes". The DSPs are sometimes noisy complared to straight two channel. It is likely, though I'm not absolutely sure, that a given HT receiver may use DSP to create the center, and it might be noisy.

But, in any event, you really should experiment. Center channel can be a very big improvement.

Gil

[horn player]

I will definitely experiment with the LaScala before I decide what to do with it. My Khorns are roughly 26.5' feet apart, so the LaScala should be a big improvement. I'll look into building the center channel device. If I do perchance buy an HT receiver, and plug in my Heresys into the surrounds, would that be any improvement over the horns and LaScala alone? I would only be playing music via the radio and CD's through the system. Many thanks for all your helpful comments!

[lynnm]

If your horns are 26.5' apart then you will definitely benefit from putting the Lascala in the centre.

[WMcD]

I think you will find some effects with "surround" off of normally encoded CDs. It doesn't always happen.

On the other hand, center channel is almost always there, in any two channel recording. I can't say enough about center channel being fed with a L plus R. In symphonic recordings you do get a sound stage. In pop recordings the singer or lead instrument is mixed to the center. (You get this listening with headphones.) It really stands out. E.g. sometimes the music is relying on the vocals, but without the center channel speaker, the vocals seem to be "everywhere". With the localization at the center speaker, the vocal is at a focus. Also, the side instruments are more clear because the vocals are not off at the sides. At least that is my experience. Miss Nicks on FM recordings come to mind; The Dance.

PWK reported that just about all recordings sound better with a center speaker. The only exception he reported is when you expect a tight spacing of instruments or a small combo. The wider sound stage can seem too wide. As if one instrument is too far left or right in a presentation where an instrument is mixed. But that is a small price to pay and may be acceptable. E.g. are you really offended by a sax at the far left.

I did some crude experimenting with "surround" off of a Telarc CD. This was in the garage with a very primative L-R to some EV 120 horns.

The Telarc was Symphonic Star Trek. It encodes surround very much like elementry Dolby. The "Trible" track played very well with the critters spread around the floor. But you had to be at the right spot to hear it.

You must realize that any two track recording has some potential for exploiting Left plus Right (center); and Left minus Right (surround). You may find L minus R in any recording being emphased in the surround Heresies. Maybe giving a "hall" sound. However, I find that "surround" is far less dramatic than center.

Gil