Recent content by Mark Seaton

  1. Mark Seaton

    PAP Trio 15 Horn Modifications

    Unfortunately you can't just make dramatic driver changes and expect the passive crossover to work well, especially when you need to add another crossover for the BMS driver. From the examples I've seen, the PAP crossovers are rather idealist/purist/minimalistic in approach, and not overly...
  2. Mark Seaton

    Seeking input/feedback on a somewhat unorthodox approach to marketing loudspeakers

    Hi Duke, As someone who deals with shipping large subwoofers all over, I would encourage you to not overlook the design you made out of necessity and the value it might represent. Depending on the net performance compromises, a slightly more compact horn speaker that is more readily shippable...
  3. Mark Seaton

    My monitor/subwoofer system

    This is only the devices in the output stage if the XLR is driven with balanced circuitry rather than a transformer, and the output device will be producing 1/2 the magnitude signal vs that of the device driving the single ended output referenced to ground. We should clear up that the balanced...
  4. Mark Seaton

    "Can't Do 3D Like Other Technologies". Fair Criticism of Horn Speakers?

    I never meant to suggest every person doing this is likely to destroy their driver if they open the back of the compression driver. I only meant to caution that it does significantly change the behavior of most drivers. If you are using 5-25W amplifiers on passive speakers, it's highly...
  5. Mark Seaton

    "Can't Do 3D Like Other Technologies". Fair Criticism of Horn Speakers?

    The resonant frequency will always shift lower with such a change. The air spring stiffness of the chamber behind the dome acts in parallel to the stiffness of the diaphragm surround. Opening the rear effectively eliminates this added stiffness. The amount of change observed will vary for each...
  6. Mark Seaton

    "Can't Do 3D Like Other Technologies". Fair Criticism of Horn Speakers?

    What is possible in opening the back of the driver is dependent on the specific compression driver. Many use the rear cover to secure and align the voice coil/diaphragm assembly. I'm not certain, but I seem to recall both cases of Danny Richie and Clayton Shaw they cut away the center of the...
  7. Mark Seaton

    "Can't Do 3D Like Other Technologies". Fair Criticism of Horn Speakers?

    It's understandable why more than a few get agitated by the questions posing sweeping generalizations. A huge part of the room interaction with a horn relates to it's off axis energy, and diffraction from sharp edges that are spaced too far from a driver will tend to fight with the subjectively...
  8. Mark Seaton

    "Aggressive". Fair Criticism of Some Horn Speakers and Designs? If So, What Causes it?

    30-60 cu.ft. per speaker is reasonable for that sealed approach with plenty of sensitivity, right? :cool:
  9. Mark Seaton

    "Aggressive". Fair Criticism of Some Horn Speakers and Designs? If So, What Causes it?

    Hi ddk, While the math and science of horn loading was largely understood in the 60s, there was much further understanding in creating a full range loudspeaker since that time. As you mention, the modeling and computing to model a wider range of iterations before building have come a long way...
  10. Mark Seaton

    "Aggressive". Fair Criticism of Some Horn Speakers and Designs? If So, What Causes it?

    This will depend greatly on what form or horn you are looking at, priorities and choices of the designer, and the efforts taken to smooth the on axis response. One quality I would suggest separating is a more forward soundstage presentation, vs a more aggressive sound/tone in general. Very...
  11. Mark Seaton

    Does DSP belong in State of the Art Systems?

    Are you sure we are talking about the same thing? You had a set of dipole subs at both the front and rear of the 600 seat concert hall?
  12. Mark Seaton

    Does DSP belong in State of the Art Systems?

    Funny. I am glad I clarified, as I've always seen DBA referred to the double bass array, which uses a sufficiently dense array/spacing of bass sources on the front wall with similar at the rear, where the rear are operated in opposite polarity and delayed an amount equal to the time it takes...
  13. Mark Seaton

    A Spectrum Analysis of Your System

    If using an RTA, pink noise provides equal energy per octave, and would display flat from a speaker that would measure flat in a frequency response sweep. When you use the term spectrum analysis some might think you are referring to an FFT of the spectrum which would be downward sloping from...
  14. Mark Seaton

    Does DSP belong in State of the Art Systems?

    Obviously Kal clarified his point already, and I would add that anyone who doesn't understand that DSP can't directly fix room acoustics isn't going to be assembling a truly state of the art system on their own. It's interesting that you mention the Double Bass Array (pitch-catch approach)...
  15. Mark Seaton

    Does DSP belong in State of the Art Systems?

    Assuming you mean separate subwoofer outputs from the PC and not just L/R full range, then if state-of-the-art was the goal I would try to skip the ADC into the subwoofer amplifier. One exception would be if you could do a digital input to the subwoofer amplifier from the PC with a well executed...

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