Gathering info for Speaker Building Super Thread

[[email protected]]

Re: Gathering info for Speaker Building Super Thread

I'm going to close this thread for now. Over the next week or so I'm going to try and organize everything into a guide. Links will be used for the time being, as rewriting everything into static documents will be very time consuming. I will look into a better way of displaying everything. Please bear with me. :D

[Paul Carmody]

Re: Gathering info for Speaker Building Super Thread

Paul have you noticed several of the links you posted are broken?

Sorry, I didn't notice that. Must be because I wrote the list up in MS Word first, and it parsed the links or something. Anyway, it's fixed now.

[critofur]

Re: Gathering info for Speaker Building Super Thread

Paul have you noticed several of the links you posted are broken?

Yeah, this really needs to not be links, but be web pages hosted somewhere here.

[dano]

Re: Gathering info for Speaker Building Super Thread

Paul have you noticed several of the links you posted are broken?

[LouC]

Re: Gathering info for Speaker Building Super Thread

I really like how this is developing. Any and all ideas are more than welcome! Gonna keep this open for only a few more days, so anyone with contributing ideas, links, and whatnot... join in on the discussion!

Mike, you are welcome to link in anything from my speaker site that you wish. (No ad's, the domain is even provided for in my will ;)) There's a veneering tutorial (PDF), and a page on measuring with JustMLs that may be helpful. Several design write ups discuss crossover development and evolution.

[Wolf]

Re: Gathering info for Speaker Building Super Thread

You are more than welcome to link or use my "Tips!" blogs in this.
Glad it's shaping up as you'd hoped!
Later,
Wolf

[[email protected]]

Re: Gathering info for Speaker Building Super Thread

I really like how this is developing. Any and all ideas are more than welcome! Gonna keep this open for only a few more days, so anyone with contributing ideas, links, and whatnot... join in on the discussion!

[Wolf]

Re: Some Articles that Helped Me

Ed Froste and Hong both semi-explain ARTA in these links:

http://sites.google.com/site/frostespeakers/arta-information

http://soundhobby.com.istemp.com/measurementsystem.htm

Then there is of course John Kreskovsky's site:

http://www.musicanddesign.com/

and Chad Gray also has a flash Soundeasy tutorial:

http://chadgray.info/

And more tweeter and driver HD/tweaks at Dave Ralph's site:

http://www.speakerdesign.net/

Andy G's site for SXO effects in general:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gradds55/

Later,
Wolf

[Paul Carmody]

Re: Some Articles that Helped Me

All right, so aside from me writing any NEW material, here's several links that have helped guide me along my journey. Some of this is taken from the "links" section of my site. I'll add more as I think of them.

Beginner

Construction techniques and tips

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...october98.html - For those who don't have much experience with power tools, this article does a good job of listing the tools a speaker builder uses, and what to expect from them at different price points.

http://www.diyaudioandvideo.com/FAQ/Build/ - This tells about some best practices for simple box construction and driver spacing. I think they reprinted this from a David Weems book, but most of the info is still good.

http://www.diyaudioandvideo.com/FAQ/MDF/ - talks about the advantages and challenges of working with MDF. Very good for people whose woodworking experience is limited to things like plywood and pine lumber.

http://www.speakerbuilder.net/web_fi...D3W/index.html - This was written by a college kid after building his first speaker, the Dayton III. What sets this apart from the many awesome build threads you see nowadays is that he really had no idea what he was doing at the outset, so he doesn't skip over details a more experienced builder would just take for granted. Plus, it’s very well-organized—which is inherently impossible with a build thread.

http://speakerdesignworks.com/nodal_analysis.html - Curt C explains how to “read” a crossover schematic and turn it into a physical layout of parts.

http://www.speakerbuilder.net/web_fi...xo/xoconst.htm - Wayne J explains very clearly how to assemble crossover components onto a board and solder them together.

http://www.lonesaguaro.com/speakers/VeneerTutorial.pdf - Lou’s speaker veneering tutorial (Contact Cement method)

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/%7Eschneid...veneering.html - Bill's veneering tutorial (iron-on PVA method)

http://www.ellisaudio.com/rhetoric.htm - Dave Ellis' reflections on good speaker building practices

Design and general info
http://www.parts-express.com/resourc...ding-terms.cfm - This is a glossary of terms that speaker builders and designers throw around, assuming everyone knows what they’re talking about.

http://sites.google.com/site/undefinition/diy-mfaq - Answers the common question “I have drivers ABC. How do I make a speaker with them?”

http://www.diysubwoofers.org/ - Tells the basics of various speaker enclosures, and when to use them. Also briefly explains Thiele/Small parameters.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/loudspeak...ele-small.html - Decent overview of Thiele/Small parameters

http://www.speakerbuilder.net/web_fi.../phat/hpif.htm - Wayne J describes the work that goes into designing a crossover, and tells why it’s important without getting too technical.

http://sites.google.com/site/undefin...-provendesigns - Pleads the case for newbies to build a proven design versus trying to design their own from scratch.


Intermediate

Design

http://www.speakerbuilder.net/web_fi...xpointmain.htm - Wayne explains how to choose the optimum crossover frequency for a given driver.

http://speakerdesignworks.com/bafflestep.html - Curt C explains Baffle Step Loss and Baffle Step Compensation, what it means and how to implement it in a crossover.

http://sites.google.com/site/undefin...iverimpedances - Answers to questions about driver impedances and their effects when combined with other drivers, and how they will interact with your amplifier.

http://www.rjbaudio.com/Audiofiles/FRDtools.html - Roman Bednarek’s guide to designing a loudspeaker using the free tools available. There have been some more sophisticated tools developed since the article was written, but his method will still work very well.

http://sites.google.com/site/undefin...d-measurements - This is sort of an “updated” version of Roman’s guide above on how to design a speaker with free tools and simulated measurements.

http://www.t-linespeakers.org/tech/f...eff/index.html - Jeff Bagby describes his approach to creating 2-way loudspeaker using the Vifa PL18 woofer and Seas Excel T25 tweeter.

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/blog.php?b=74

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/blog.php?b=81

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/blog.php?b=123 – This is a series of articles by “Wolf” from the Parts Express board. He gives you many helpful tips on what’s important in crossover design, and even walks you through how to get your design up and running in Passive Crossover Designer.

http://www.zaphaudio.com/DLR/ - A truly impressive walkthrough explaining how and why a speaker designer does what he does. Even includes files that the reader can download and experiment with to understand the concepts better.

Concepts

http://www.falstad.com/wavebox/ - Java applets that can help a person visually understand concepts like comb filtering and beaming

http://www.rjbaudio.com/Audiofiles/flushmounting.html

http://www.zaphaudio.com/mtg-surface.html - articles describing the effects of flush-mounting drivers


Advanced

Driver Evaluation

http://www.zaphaudio.com/tweetermishmash/ - The section at the top of the page explains how to read harmonic distortion graphs.

http://www.audioheuristics.org/prime...distortion.htm -
http://www.audioheuristics.org/prime...on_testing.htm - Mark K gives lessons on linear and non-linear distortion, and what they mean in terms of testing and listening to a driver.

Measurement

http://www.lonesaguaro.com/speakers/testing/Testing.htm - Nice little walkthrough on how to measure with LSPCad

http://www.zaphaudio.com/setup.html - John “Zaph” Krutke describes his Soundeasy setup in lots of detail.

http://members.cox.net/pjay99/MLSmain.htm - Explains the effect of gating in MLS measurements

[auracle]

Re: Gathering info for Speaker Building Super Thread

Perhaps a webpage like this:

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/waves/cavity.html

could be used as a primer to set the stage for characteristics of the low frequency section of the enclosure. The process could start with that level of detail and gradually progress to the more "esoteric", "arcane", and "extremely difficult to understand" stuff like.....uh.......impulse response plots. :rolleyes:

[Paul Carmody]

Re: Gathering info for Speaker Building Super Thread

It would be nice to assign levels of difficulty, but at the same time weighting items higher in difficulty seem to make them more important to a first time reader, and they may gloss over some of the finer basic points needed before moving on. Just my two cents.

Yes! See, this was something I was afraid of from the beginning of this "sticky" idea. Even now, I see too many noobs just get socked with stuff that's too technical and lose sight of the biggest ideas.

I totally understand why PE would want an article laying out the basics of drivers and electronics for teenagers. If I did write such an article, I'm not sure I could quite reach that audience. But maybe it's a good target, since the first times I wanted to learn about speaker design were when I was in high school and college; and the resources I tried to read basically "blinded me with science," for lack of a better term. I ended up just feeling stupid, and that speaker design was just a black art I would never understand.

[[email protected]]

Re: Here is a very strange idea...

I'd like to second Lou's suggestion. There are a few different ways of accomplishing this. The mods could use a 100, 200, 300, 400, and "Graduate Level" 500 and 600; or Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert...whatever they decided to be the most appropriate. Would have loved something like this a couple of years back, and would still find it VERY useful!
Thanks,
Leonard

I'm sure that most would agree that if there were something like this, with pure intentions in mind, when we started we'd all be better off. I know I would.

[[email protected]]

Re: Gathering info for Speaker Building Super Thread

What I see for this project initially is to allow a newbie to "see" what what we "see" with regards to driver evaluation. Personally, I think that should be first.

Maybe start with a primer on driver Thiele-Small parameters boiled down to their absolute essence, as Paul suggested. Assume the reader has no fore-knowledge of electricity, physics, or mechanical experience. I'd love for this to be written with teenagers in mind.

Once we are able to quantify drivers, we could move on to how woofers operate inside an enclosure. Basic building block type articles. If and when the electronics/physics knowledge is necessary, we develop the same type of laymen article to cover that particular aspect. Maybe even some simple problems for the reader to solve before moving on... just spitballing here.

It would be nice to assign levels of difficulty, but at the same time weighting items higher in difficulty seem to make them more important to a first time reader, and they may gloss over some of the finer basic points needed before moving on. Just my two cents.

[rogoll]

Re: Here is a very strange idea...

Mike

Perhaps a bit of narrative on the content of the links, and/or topics, (box construction, Xover design, finishing, ...)

Or a some kind of skill level rating (complete noob, done a couple, good at it, self appointed expert...)

If you will link in off site stuff, I'm sure we can all live with the usual legal disclaimers and 404 errors.

I'd like to second Lou's suggestion. There are a few different ways of accomplishing this. The mods could use a 100, 200, 300, 400, and "Graduate Level" 500 and 600; or Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert...whatever they decided to be the most appropriate. Would have loved something like this a couple of years back, and would still find it VERY useful!
Thanks,
Leonard

[DDF]

Re: Gathering info for Speaker Building Super Thread

I wrote "Jeff B's crossover tips" several years ago, as well a several other articles on different subjects, like how to use my software to tune a passive radiator system, or my crossover article from 2001. There is also quite a bit of stuff written inside my software on how to use it. I guess I should assemble a blog myself and pull this stuff together, there just never seems to be enough time.

Jeff

Jeff,
IMO, the "standard accepted practices" part should revolve around the PCD, for the xover at least. Maybe some text from your PCD release notes could inform that section?