Loudspeakers: For Music Recording and Reproduction, Second Edition

Cover......Page 1
Half Title......Page 2
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Table of Contents......Page 6
About the Authors......Page 14
Acknowledgements......Page 19
Preface......Page 20
Introduction......Page 21
Reference......Page 24
1.1 A Brief Look at the Concept......Page 26
1.2 A Little History and Some Background......Page 27
1.3 Some Other Problems......Page 29
1.4 Some Basic Facts......Page 30
1.5 The Practical Moving-Coil Cone Loudspeaker......Page 34
1.6 Resistive and Reactive Loads......Page 39
1.7 The Bigger Picture......Page 44
Bibliography......Page 45
2.1 Moving-Coil Cone Loudspeakers......Page 46
2.2 Dome Loudspeakers......Page 63
2.3 Compression Drivers......Page 68
2.4 Ribbon Loudspeakers......Page 72
2.5 Heil Air-Motion Transformers......Page 74
2.6 Bending-Mode Loudspeakers......Page 76
2.7 Beyond Magnetics......Page 84
2.8 Electrostatic Loudspeakers......Page 86
2.10 Summary......Page 90
Bibliography......Page 91
3.1 The Concept of the Infinite Baffle......Page 92
3.2 The Sealed Box......Page 94
3.3 Reflex Enclosures......Page 98
3.4 Acoustic Labyrinths......Page 102
3.5 ABR Systems......Page 108
3.6 Band-Pass Cabinets......Page 109
3.7 Series-Driver Operation and Isobaric Loudspeakers......Page 110
3.8 General Discussion......Page 112
3.9 Cabinet-Lining Materials......Page 113
3.10 Cabinet Constructions......Page 114
3.11 Cabinet Shapes and Diffraction Effects......Page 115
3.13 Cabinet Mounting......Page 119
3.14 Some Practical Considerations......Page 121
References......Page 128
4.1 The Horn as a Transformer......Page 130
4.2 Directivity Control......Page 135
4.3 Horn-Design Compromises......Page 137
4.4 Non-Linear Acoustics......Page 138
4.6 Practical Horns in Studios and Homes......Page 140
4.7 Implications for Practical Horn-Design Parameters......Page 142
4.8 Summary of Results......Page 146
4.9 General Horn Characteristics......Page 147
4.10 Phasing Plugs......Page 149
4.11 Acoustic Lenses......Page 152
4.12 Horn Types......Page 154
4.13 Materials of Construction......Page 156
4.14 Vestigial Horns and ‘Waveguides’......Page 157
4.15 Flare Rates......Page 158
4.16 Summary......Page 159
References......Page 160
Bibliography......Page 161
5.1 What Is a Crossover?......Page 162
5.2 Reconstruction Problems......Page 164
5.3 Orders, Slopes, and Shapes......Page 169
5.4 Filter Shapes......Page 176
5.5 Target Functions......Page 178
5.6 Active versus Passive Crossovers......Page 181
5.7 Physical Compensation of Crossover Delay......Page 185
5.8 Digital Crossovers......Page 187
References......Page 188
Bibliography......Page 189
6.1 Amplifiers – An Overview......Page 190
6.2 Basic Requirements for Current and Voltage Output......Page 192
6.3 Transient Response......Page 193
6.4 Non-Linear Distortions......Page 196
6.5 Amplifier Classes and Modes of Operation......Page 197
6.6 MOSFET or BJT?......Page 202
6.7 Choosing an Amplifier......Page 203
6.8 Loudspeaker Cables and Their Effect on System Performance......Page 205
6.9 The Amplifier/Loudspeaker Interface......Page 209
6.10 Some Provable Characteristics of Cable Performance......Page 212
6.11 Some Passing Comments......Page 226
6.12 Multi-Cabling......Page 228
6.13 Polyamplification and Multi-Amplification......Page 229
6.14 System Design......Page 231
Bibliography......Page 232
7.1 The Anechoic and Reverberation Chambers......Page 234
7.2 Boundary Loading and Room Gain......Page 238
7.3 Room Reflexions......Page 246
7.4 Flush-Mounting of Loudspeakers......Page 249
7.5 Multi-Channel Considerations and Phantom Imaging......Page 250
7.6 Stereo Perception in Rooms......Page 254
7.7 Rooms for Critical Listening......Page 255
7.8 Analogue and Digital Response Correction......Page 258
7.9 Minimum- and Non-Minimum-Phase Responses......Page 261
7.10 Correction of Loudspeakers in Rooms......Page 263
Bibliography......Page 264
8.1 The Chain......Page 266
8.2 Recording Monitors......Page 268
8.3 Mixing Monitors......Page 291
8.4 Mastering Loudspeakers......Page 299
8.5 Domestic Loudspeakers......Page 304
8.6 Musical-Instrument Loudspeakers......Page 306
8.7 Directivity Considerations......Page 310
8.8 Summary......Page 315
Bibliography......Page 317
9.1 The General Situation......Page 320
9.2 Test Signals and Analysis......Page 321
9.3 Sound Fields and Human Perception......Page 349
9.4 Toole’s ‘Circle of Confusion......Page 356
References......Page 357
Bibliography......Page 358
10.1 Physics or Psychology?......Page 360
10.2 The Musical Dependence of Compatibility......Page 361
10.3 Real Responses versus Preconceived Ideas......Page 363
Acknowledgement......Page 368
11.1 The Great Low-Frequency Deception......Page 370
11.2 Commercial Solutions......Page 376
11.3 The Evolution of the Desk-Top Monitor......Page 383
11.4 The Great Time Deception......Page 388
11.5 Resonant Tails and One-Note Bass......Page 389
11.6 The Masking of Detail......Page 391
11.7 Theoretical Equalisation and Excess Phase......Page 393
11.8 Modulation Transfer Function and a New Type of Frequency-Response Plot......Page 396
References......Page 407
12.1 The Early Days of Surround......Page 410
12.2 Cinema Sound......Page 415
12.3 Music Mixing......Page 418
12.4 Sub-Woofers – Discrete and Managed......Page 419
12.5 Size-Versus-Performance Compromises......Page 422
12.6 Compound Sub-Woofers and Electronic Control......Page 426
12.7 System Considerations......Page 429
References......Page 432
13.1 Introduction......Page 434
13.2 The Early Days of Cinema Sound......Page 435
13.3 The Introduction of Digital Soundtracks......Page 436
13.4 Digital Unchained......Page 439
13.5 Dynamic Consequences......Page 441
13.6 System Limitations, Screen Losses, and the X-Curve......Page 443
13.7 Loudspeakers in the Fully Digital Era......Page 445
13.8 Standard Level Calibration......Page 447
13.9 The Distribution within Mixes......Page 448
13.10 Realistic Performance Specifications......Page 449
13.11 Amplification Systems......Page 464
13.12 Discussion......Page 465
References......Page 466
Bibliography......Page 468
14.1 Historical Development......Page 470
14.2 The Advent of Digital Measurement Systems......Page 475
14.3 Computer-Aided and Numerical Modelling......Page 476
14.4 Digital Signal Processing of Loudspeaker Systems......Page 480
References......Page 486
Glossary of Terms......Page 488
Index......Page 512