Paul Carmody appreciation. Hitmakers & Classix II completed

[Dewmiester]

So? How did it go? Did you finish them?

Not yet, been too busy with work. Boxes are glued up. Now have to do the crossovers.

[Jasta]

Is anyone making cabinet-only flat packs for the Classix II?

[Jeff F.]

Is anyone making cabinet-only flat packs for the Classix II?

Melby Audio does for $100, however they are listed as out of stock currently. Maybe contact them to cut you a set.

[Spaker]

I am returning today to once more bow at the altar of Paul... because tonight... last night.... I dunno, it's 3AM- so whatever a few hours ago was: I installed the TWENTIETH PAIR of Hitmakers in a musician's home studio.

That is FORTY INDIVIDUAL CABINETS. Forty Woofers and Forty Tweeters. Forty Crossovers and Forty Ports. Eighty Binding Posts. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY Panels of MDF. Every one of them coated in Duratex. Most are black. Four are Navy Blue. Two are Yellow. Two are Red. Two are white. Six are powered. Two I built for the same studio twice after the first pair were stolen. None have blown. None have broken. Zero have generated a single complaint. Of the ones I could track- zero have been sold, traded, given away or taken out of use. Some were for "friend of friend's" and I couldn't verify, but as far as I could make inquiries and get clear answers, every single one still plays as the main L + R in small, home studios on a consistent basis.

Thank you Paul. Between the solo artist singer/ songwriters, to the little bands that play for fun, for the twenty-two year old techno producer, for the bar bands that play for a little money, and from the indie artists that make a living within the modern musician career models of self recording and releasing digitally, and even from a few guys who were once in bands with a couple modest hits: we collectively say once more: "Thank You."

I'll check back in when I've made 50 pair.

PS- When I got here and looked around for the first time in a while, I just saw the "Classix 2.5" And the answer is "Of course. Of course I will."

[Geoff Millar]

The 2.5s should be great fun - I have the parts but need an excuse to build them!

My Classix II - complete with Hendrix decoupage for atmosphere - are doing sterling duty in my workshop

Geoff

[Paul Carmody]

Wow! WTH? 20 pairs of speakers?! How do you have time to brush your teeth? Again, I'm so happy to hear that they are going to help musicians. Thanks so much!

[coopman]

I made myself a pair of the Hitmakers and am really enjoying them. Paul sure knows his stuff. They replaced a pair of Klipsch R-15M that I had just gotten a couple of months prior. You guys have got me curious about the Classix II now.

[Spaker]

Wow! WTH? 20 pairs of speakers?! How do you have time to brush your teeth? Again, I'm so happy to hear that they are going to help musicians. Thanks so much!

Well, remember, it has been over a period of about 16 months. And I was doing two and three at a time assembly line style last fall. I sent a pair to London to a very famous electronic music producer for his home studio. They are not his mains, as those are monstrosities inside walls- but the Hitmakers sit on top of his modular system and send the monitor signal there, for when he gets up and starts using that.

Another pair are now in Nashville in a semi Famous singer/ songwriters home studio.

One pair is in Chicago at the home studio of a semi famous bass player.

One pair is in the guitar player for a HUGE up and coming (they've been at it for over a decade, but now have begun to headline places like Red Rocks) band- out of Philadelphia. He has a home studio as well.

Most are in Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse, NY- as I live in Rochester. Most are for local acts that live on making music.


I forgot! I put a giant "Hello Kitty" decal on the side of one. Under protest. One pair I made stands for. Two pair were painted by a collision shop with auto paint and they shine like a new car. Most I used Duratex- but TINTED duratex in a lot of cases. Off white, Navy Blue, Maroon, A very dark brown, grey, and a beige I hated but the customer loves.

I made some powered with plate amps. I made some powered with amp boards, power supplies tucked inside, and a knob / switch panel on the side to control it all. I was really worried when I did the first one, it would mess with the internal volume. But they sounded amazing. So I made more. People like powered monitors. I preferred to suggest a 200w reference monitor below the studio table as much as I could, but some people just want powered monitors. One guy asked for "bi-amped" Sheesh. OK. So I went through like four tweeter amps until I got that right with a 60W RMS MAX and I used a 120W MAX for the woofer. I also made it so the volume knob would never let him go past about 75% power. It sounded good, but I was so against the idea to begin with I feel like I was looking for problems on that one.

The guy from London recently asked me to make him a 9.2 system that has the same "look and sound" YIKES.

And it looks like #21 has been asked for. They just keep coming. Gotta hand it to ya, Paul.... a lot of recordings / jam sessions / smiles have resulted from the "Hitmakers" Especially my own smiles seeing people light up once they are hooked up.

I will pledge to make just about anything you put on your page to fabricate. I am going to do the Classix 2.5 next. Some of them I cannot justify the budget for right now- but I will get to them all. So far, I have done the Hitmakers, Classix II, Overnight Sensation, Overnight Sensation MTM, Overnight Sensation TMM tower, Core 2-Way, Amiga, A version of Sprite, I made the Swope Center and MTMs- thinking I was going to make the whole home theater, but didn't end up doing that at all. These three alone were perfect for a bedroom TV setup. That center speaker is- by far- the clearest, most powerful center I have ever come across.

I can't do the Sunflowers or the Tubiflex or Carrera or either Speedster because of either lack of resources to put into them, fear of that tubiflex, or the fact that I have half a dozen pair of brand new, finished by me, great sounding bookshelf size speaker pairs and no where to put them. I have sound in every room, including the bathroom and a couple closets. I really have no where to put them. I am still going to make that Speedster though. It looks so cool.

They'll be gifts someday. But even that is a problem. I have made so many and given them away on Birthdays or holidays, just about anyone worthy of a couple hundred dollar plus labor blood sweat and tears - in my life - already has one or two pair of "gift" speakers from me. I wonder what would happen if I had a yard sale and just put price tags on speakers I have made for the cost of the parts? "Is this really $216?" Yes sir. And it took me fifteen hours to make over a period of eight days. I would guess something that sounds like those in a boutique store that hand makes speakers would be about ten times that price- so think of the $216 as 90% off.

Right now, I have been on a short kick of designing my own. Some pretty standard formula... a pair of 2 ways. A Monkey Coffin 3 way for a friend who is huge into vinyl. Bi amped stage monitors. A 2.2 for my sister- you know... Left, Right and TWO SUBS! But I'll get to more. That Classix 2.5 is calling me.

[griffin443]

Just finished one of Pauls earlier designs, DCR's. Sound great in my HT. Appreciated!!

[Paul Carmody]

Just finished one of Pauls earlier designs, DCR's. Sound great in my HT. Appreciated!!

Fantastic job on those! Super-high SAF!

[griffin443]

Fantastic job on those! Super-high SAF!

Thanks for the kind words Paul. Here is a pic with completed front showing port and one with close up of stone paint. I added 6in. to the height for ear level tweets and put crossovers in bottom. No effect on volume.

[mlau]

Hey Spaker,

Thanks for the reviews!

I was trying to choose between Hitmakers and Classix 2.
Thanks to your help, I'm going with the Classix 2-- hopefully, while building Paul's guitar (when he figures out what he wants).

-Matt