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Post by pcns on Feb 9, 2019 19:20:42 GMT -7
Hi guys, After a couple of years we finally got our series/parallel box complete and up on our website. I'm looking for opinions on how to present this item. If you would please take a moment and check out the web link below and read through what I have there and look at the pictures I would greatly appreciate it. Here is what I am looking for. Is the description enough?
Is there enough technical information without burrying someone in details?
I know the pictures need improvement but do they tell enough of a story?
More pictures? less pictures?
I value your opinion and would appreciate any comments or suggestions for my consideration.
Here is the link:
procablesnsound.com/items/speaker-y-cables/HAPCAB-detail.htm
Also, a couple of years ago we ran a name contest. I need to find that thread because I think I combined a couple of suggestions from you guys along with my son Joshua's "Happy Cab" to come up with the full name. I want to reward the winners
thanks guys, greatly appreciate you input.
Todd
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Feb 9, 2019 20:00:59 GMT -7
Todd, IMO you tell the story well. Perhaps your pics could be just a little larger, but that is personal taste and doesn't detract from the fine presentation. Please excuse the teacher in me, because there are some grammatical errors. So if you don't mind I'm proofing your copy below. I don't think I can change font color,so I will place corrections in parenthesis in caps.
Our Happy Cab - Duel (DO YOU MEAN DUEL AS IN FIGHT OR DUAL AS IN TWO?)Exhaust for your amp is a handy spin off of our very popular Y cables. Made with a rugged cast aluminum box, this speaker splitter will take the output from your amp and split it to (add TWO) speaker jacks. (AS) An added bonus is(DELETE "IS" THAT PRECEDES PARENTHESIS) this box provides you series and parallel wiring with just one box (DELETE WITH JUST ONE BOX change to ALL IN ONE ENCLOSURE)!! Series on one side, parallel on the other(,) are clearly labeled so you don't mix 'em up! This is (A) cast aluminum box (with a durable black powder coated finish) (FINISHED IN DURABLE BLACK POWDER COAT)with an attractive, informative graphic on top. On one side there is 1 input and 2 output jacks wired in parallel(,) and the (OTHER) side has 1 input and 2 output jacks wired in series. All 3 points of a series Y cable must be plugged in at all times or damage to your equipment can occur. We will not be responsible for damage to your equipment for incorrect use. (WHY IS THIS SENTENCE PRESENT? ISNT THE PURPOSE OF THE BOX TO DO AWAY WITH THE "Y" CABLE? MAYBE IT SHOULD READ SOMETHING LIKE "WHEN USING THIS BOX ALL SPEAKER CONNECTIONS MUST BE MADE TO AVOID DAMAGE TO YOUR VALUABLE EQUIPMENT.)
Sorry if I appear critical. Perhaps I am a bit OCD when it comes to grammar, but when I owned my sales agency, I felt the written word directly reflected upon me and the manufacturers I represented. Hence I was always very particular when it came to, letters, email, and most importantly product copy. I don't mean to offend, but only to assist.
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Post by pcns on Feb 9, 2019 20:10:55 GMT -7
^^^^ awesome, thank you so much for taking the time to read thru and mark it up for me!!!!
I'm an engineer so grammar is way down the list for me!! Ha ha
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Post by pcns on Feb 9, 2019 20:44:42 GMT -7
Todd, IMO you tell the story well. Perhaps your pics could be just a little larger, but that is personal taste and doesn't detract from the fine presentation. Please excuse the teacher in me, because there are some grammatical errors. So if you don't mind I'm proofing your copy below. I don't think I can change font color,so I will place corrections in parenthesis in caps. Our Happy Cab - Duel (DO YOU MEAN DUEL AS IN FIGHT OR DUAL AS IN TWO?)Exhaust for your amp is a handy spin off of our very popular Y cables. Made with a rugged cast aluminum box, this speaker splitter will take the output from your amp and split it to (add TWO) speaker jacks. (AS) An added bonus is(DELETE "IS" THAT PRECEDES PARENTHESIS) this box provides you series and parallel wiring with just one box (DELETE WITH JUST ONE BOX change to ALL IN ONE ENCLOSURE)!! Series on one side, parallel on the other(,) are clearly labeled so you don't mix 'em up! This is (A) cast aluminum box (with a durable black powder coated finish) (FINISHED IN DURABLE BLACK POWDER COAT)with an attractive, informative graphic on top. On one side there is 1 input and 2 output jacks wired in parallel(,) and the (OTHER) side has 1 input and 2 output jacks wired in series. All 3 points of a series Y cable must be plugged in at all times or damage to your equipment can occur. We will not be responsible for damage to your equipment for incorrect use. (WHY IS THIS SENTENCE PRESENT? ISNT THE PURPOSE OF THE BOX TO DO AWAY WITH THE "Y" CABLE? MAYBE IT SHOULD READ SOMETHING LIKE "WHEN USING THIS BOX ALL SPEAKER CONNECTIONS MUST BE MADE TO AVOID DAMAGE TO YOUR VALUABLE EQUIPMENT.) Sorry if I appear critical. Perhaps I am a bit OCD when it comes to grammar, but when I owned my sales agency, I felt the written word directly reflected upon me and the manufacturers I represented. Hence I was always very particular when it came to, letters, email, and most importantly product copy. I don't mean to offend, but only to assist. Okay, I think I got it, please check my work. The comment about the series cable needing all 3 connection made is some of our customers like to use our Y cable or our Y box with their combo amps and leave them plugged in minus the cable going to the extension cabinet. This is okay with the parallel cable but NOT okay with series. The comment only applies to the series side. Also, if someone needed to extend a speaker cable they could use the parallel side of this box as a coupler. Could come in handy. I had a heart attack when you corrected my spelling of dual. I had to run and grab my stickers to make sure I didn't good up the art work! Its okay, the art work on the graphic is correct!! thanks again, I'll see if I can get some larger pictures. I am actually thinking about creating a hot link to special page that shows how these boxes are constructed and may show some larger pictures there. Todd
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Feb 9, 2019 20:54:29 GMT -7
Hey Todd!
I think the photos should show close-ups of each side of the box without the cables plugged in so they can get a better idea of what you are talking about. I have several other "word-smithing" suggestions that I'll send to you in the next couple of days.
A link to a You-tube demonstration on how to plug it in both ways would really help as well!
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Post by John on Feb 10, 2019 3:44:43 GMT -7
Yeah...closeups of the pictures if you are able to do so.
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Post by helmi on Feb 10, 2019 5:38:21 GMT -7
I agree, close-ups of the sides of the box. also, unless I missed them, the dimensions (size) of the box, and also the weight. when I look at the pic's of it sitting on top, I imagine those heavy gauge cables running downwards would just "flip" or "pull" the box off the top of the cab if the box is too light, they might put velcro on the inside, but NOT on top of their amp. ( I hope you understand that) I also think that the "we are not responsible" part should have a "NOTE:: In front of it also to make it stand out.
also, in your "I want to reward the winners" statement, this is NOT necessary Todd. we are your friends here, this is what friends do for one another.
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Feb 10, 2019 6:11:22 GMT -7
Todd, IMO you tell the story well. Perhaps your pics could be just a little larger, but that is personal taste and doesn't detract from the fine presentation. Please excuse the teacher in me, because there are some grammatical errors. So if you don't mind I'm proofing your copy below. I don't think I can change font color,so I will place corrections in parenthesis in caps. Our Happy Cab - Duel (DO YOU MEAN DUEL AS IN FIGHT OR DUAL AS IN TWO?)Exhaust for your amp is a handy spin off of our very popular Y cables. Made with a rugged cast aluminum box, this speaker splitter will take the output from your amp and split it to (add TWO) speaker jacks. (AS) An added bonus is(DELETE "IS" THAT PRECEDES PARENTHESIS) this box provides you series and parallel wiring with just one box (DELETE WITH JUST ONE BOX change to ALL IN ONE ENCLOSURE)!! Series on one side, parallel on the other(,) are clearly labeled so you don't mix 'em up! This is (A) cast aluminum box (with a durable black powder coated finish) (FINISHED IN DURABLE BLACK POWDER COAT)with an attractive, informative graphic on top. On one side there is 1 input and 2 output jacks wired in parallel(,) and the (OTHER) side has 1 input and 2 output jacks wired in series. All 3 points of a series Y cable must be plugged in at all times or damage to your equipment can occur. We will not be responsible for damage to your equipment for incorrect use. (WHY IS THIS SENTENCE PRESENT? ISNT THE PURPOSE OF THE BOX TO DO AWAY WITH THE "Y" CABLE? MAYBE IT SHOULD READ SOMETHING LIKE "WHEN USING THIS BOX ALL SPEAKER CONNECTIONS MUST BE MADE TO AVOID DAMAGE TO YOUR VALUABLE EQUIPMENT.) Sorry if I appear critical. Perhaps I am a bit OCD when it comes to grammar, but when I owned my sales agency, I felt the written word directly reflected upon me and the manufacturers I represented. Hence I was always very particular when it came to, letters, email, and most importantly product copy. I don't mean to offend, but only to assist. Okay, I think I got it, please check my work. The comment about the series cable needing all 3 connection made is some of our customers like to use our Y cable or our Y box with their combo amps and leave them plugged in minus the cable going to the extension cabinet. This is okay with the parallel cable but NOT okay with series. The comment only applies to the series side. Also, if someone needed to extend a speaker cable they could use the parallel side of this box as a coupler. Could come in handy. I had a heart attack when you corrected my spelling of dual. I had to run and grab my stickers to make sure I didn't good up the art work! Its okay, the art work on the graphic is correct!! thanks again, I'll see if I can get some larger pictures. I am actually thinking about creating a hot link to special page that shows how these boxes are constructed and may show some larger pictures there. Todd Just two final corrections. Both are in paragraph two. 1.) Remove the pagrenthesis. 2.) add the word "other" to the second half of the last sentence, so it reads:.....and the other side has .....
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Feb 10, 2019 6:22:26 GMT -7
Oh and in the disclaimer it would read better as, We will not be responsible for damage to your equipment for due to incorrect use.
P.S Hey, I just learned how to use the editing feature in the forum on my iPad. Notice the underline and strike through. This would have made the original so much easier and clearer.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Feb 10, 2019 7:15:11 GMT -7
Everything I would have suggested is already done. I'm a grammar perfectionist like j4gitr and like what he has proposed. Mike's point about pictures of both sides is a good one too.
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Post by GuitarZ on Feb 10, 2019 7:36:14 GMT -7
I like the hot link idea to show larger pictures. The one idea that popped into my head is whether you might want to show a simple line/stick drawing/schematic view showing the amp, box, speakers, and cabling along with your beautiful photos of z cabs if you do the hot link. At the end of the day, it's pretty straightforward. You have a single output on your amp and want to connect it to two speakers. I can imagine a little stick figure guy holding a speaker cable staring at two speaker cabs with hand under chin, a quizzical look, and a question mark above his head. And, wa la, problem solved with the Happy Cab putting a big smile on his face. I'm not saying to add the cartoon, but that's a picture of your customer before and after. I like the dual exhaust , and I see the box has a dual exhaust graphic. Nice! Your first paragraph is straightforward and to the point which is what you want. The only tweak I would suggest is: Series on one side, parallel on the other, are and clearly labeled so you don't mix 'em up! You're an engineer. You're solving a problem!
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Post by pcns on Feb 10, 2019 11:50:51 GMT -7
Everything I would have suggested is already done. I'm a grammar perfectionist like j4gitr and like what he has proposed. Mike's point about pictures of both sides is a good one too. Hi Dave, Thanks for the comments and the PM you sent me. I'll comment on the PM here so everyone else can see my logic. The reason we went with a more costly 6 jack set up instead of 4 jacks is that with the 6 jack system both sides can be in use at the same time. You could literally sit this between to sets of amps and share the box with each amp set. I figure the bulk of this use is going to be tuners who like to fiddle and thought that the ability to use both sides at the same time would be a great way to swap between series and parallel using two different amps and Cabs. I think the other set of users will be people who throw this in their gig bag and keep it there for emergency use or for using at larger gigs where an extra cab would be handy. I do greatly appreciate your comments and appreciate the thoughts. Todd
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Post by pcns on Feb 10, 2019 12:40:07 GMT -7
Okay, I figured out a way of making the pictures go large when you click on them. My shopping cart service is pretty limited and I'm not much a web designer so I have fiddle around until I figue stuff out sometimes. I think I captured all of the grammer corrections . . . . . I'm going to create a seperate page that will contain technical details and a lot more pictures, including the guts of the box and various stages of built. procablesnsound.com/items/speaker-y-cables/HAPCAB-detail.htmAnother question for you guys . . . . The box is very solid, very compact and pretty light. In other words, for these pictures I had to tape it to the top of my amp to get it to lay flat. Like Martin pointed too, it won't sit by itself. Myself, I wouldn't set it on top of my amp anyway, I would put it inside the back. Here is my question though . . . should I leave the design alone or should I consider a larger box or a weighting the box so that it can sit on top of the amp? I could include a strap with the unit so that a user could strap or tie the box to the amp handle? I'll mock something up and show you guys and let me know what you think. Todd
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Post by GuitarZ on Feb 10, 2019 12:47:47 GMT -7
Nice. I like clicking to see the larger pictures. Can you make that first one get larger too? That's the first one everyone sees. According to the personality surveys we've done at work, I'm an image guy more than a text guy. My first gut reaction is 'light and compact' is good. Weight would add cost. Plus, light and compact is good when you're throwing stuff into your gig bag. If it didn't look solid, I'd maybe say weight is good. But, solid and light is good. That's my two cents.
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Post by El Gato Blackie on Feb 10, 2019 13:30:01 GMT -7
You forgot to add that buying the box magically makes one a better player.
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Post by pcns on Feb 10, 2019 13:48:41 GMT -7
You forgot to add that buying the box magically makes one a better player. That's implied ha ha!
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Post by headshrinker (Marc) on Feb 10, 2019 14:06:47 GMT -7
Rather than make the box bigger or weighting it, I would let it go. If someone wants to make it more permanent, it's easy enough to put some velcro on what you want to mount it on and the back of the unit, and it would be as permanent as pedals on a pedalboard.
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Post by headshrinker (Marc) on Feb 10, 2019 15:41:29 GMT -7
I would add a shot that will get larger of the guts as it shows the quality of the inside and how it is wired if you want to experiment with which speaker comes first in series.
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Post by helmi on Feb 11, 2019 4:46:58 GMT -7
Rather than make the box bigger or weighting it, I would let it go. If someone wants to make it more permanent, it's easy enough to put some velcro on what you want to mount it on and the back of the unit, and it would be as permanent as pedals on a pedalboard. But nobody wants to put sticky velcro on the top of their amp. (luv you Marc-lol) unless I missed them, I still think you should put the dimensions of the box in the ad.
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Post by pcns on Feb 11, 2019 7:53:11 GMT -7
Rather than make the box bigger or weighting it, I would let it go. If someone wants to make it more permanent, it's easy enough to put some velcro on what you want to mount it on and the back of the unit, and it would be as permanent as pedals on a pedalboard. But nobody wants to put sticky velcro on the top of their amp. (luv you Marc-lol) unless I missed them, I still think you should put the dimensions of the box in the ad. It doesn't need to sit on top of the amp, it can go anyplace. Also, I will mock up a solution for on top of the amp, a simple string to the amp handle will keep the box in place. Pictures coming.
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Feb 11, 2019 8:34:52 GMT -7
But nobody wants to put sticky velcro on the top of their amp. (luv you Marc-lol) unless I missed them, I still think you should put the dimensions of the box in the ad. It doesn't need to sit on top of the amp, it can go anyplace. Also, I will mock up a solution for on top of the amp, a simple string to the amp handle will keep the box in place. Pictures coming. You can purchase long strips of Velcro that would accomplish what you are suggesting with string. That would be my solution. But I wouldn't advertise either idea as it implies a problem with the box. Your box works. Add weight and load in is now heavier. Leave well enough alone. Users will find their solution. Should you hear negative comments, then perhaps you can offer solutions within a comment section, or through direct communication with a customer. If complaints become numerous then you address what may be a problem. Kudos to you for constant forward thinking and product improvement.
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Post by jhen86 (jordan) on Feb 11, 2019 13:19:45 GMT -7
Agree with all that was noted above. Great unit, Todd!!!
Similar to what others have said...
I'd do some real high quality closeups. Probably just 3 tight shots. That's all they need to see. - overhead/main shot with logo - side 1 - side 2
This is just me, but there is a gut shot of 1 unit. I'd probably not show that. I know transparency is great but I think gutshots on sale pages kind of take the mystery out of the unit you are wanting to buy. I immediately start to think "Oh I could make something like that", as opposed to "I need to get that NOW!".
For the wiring up process....I would probably do schematics/diamgrams rather than show the unit in pictures like you have done. The pics are great. But I think it just comes off more polished.
I'd be happy to help with those, no charge. I do some marketing and media for work. Would need to ship one unit to me though to photograph.
As far as marketing, I think the two major features you are selling are...
1) Problem solving...for folks who want to run more than 1 cab. Maybe they want a different flavor speaker, or multiple speakers, or their combo just sounds too small. 2) Tone chasing....the ability to test cabs in parallel vs series is a really cool option. Giving guys the option to do on the fly without having to rewire cabs or speakers is a huge plus! Just plug and play.
^^^ Those are the "felt needs" I'd be really pressing in to ^^^
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Post by jhen86 (jordan) on Feb 11, 2019 13:24:56 GMT -7
A few other clarifications things weren't clear to me at first glance...
- Are the inputs on the Series side the same as the parallel. So middle jack is IN, outside two are the OUTS? - Can this be used with an attenuator like a brake lite or other models? - Your call, but I think dimensions would be helpful and important to know for some buyers.
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