Need help about soffit, stereo filter, thx barefoot... :P!

tenkas · Post by **tenkas** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 9:17 am

Hi,
I am a new user on this forum and I am from Canada.
I am a originaly a classical piano player (been playing for 9 years) and I also play the electric guitar (2 years).
I have started building a very simple and basic home recording studio. I am right now only 16 and I am on a very tight budget.

I have a pair of yorkville YSM 1i monitors. I power them with the power amp section of a pionneer sx-1010. This is a 110watt per side amp (220watt).

here is a link to my monitor speakers : http://www.yorkville.com/products.asp?i ... 20&type=33

Here is my question: Is it worth building http://www.saecollege.de/reference_mate ... stics3.htm
This is a link to the soffit mounted I wanted to build.

So is it worth building this? Will it increase the sound quality and the stereo imaging ? Could you tell me the advantages and disadvantages? Also, the seacollege designs seems great because it builds bass traps ( I have none for now in my room that I am planning to build)

so thats it... I don't know if I included everything. I read all of the seacollege website and I read a few books on acoustics and speakers and mics so I know a little but soffit mounting my ysm is a question I prefer to be answered by a pro. (boy sorry for bad english, my main language is french (canada)).

thx

tenkas · Post by **tenkas** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 9:31 am

I forgot to add, I heard I need a stereo filter to soffit mount them, do you have any DIY projects? I am good at soldering and stuff and my father stutied the electronics.

Thx a lot, I really love this forum!!!!

barefoot · Post by **barefoot** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 3:06 am

Tenkas,

Great to see somebody your age here!:) I was teaching myself how to build guitars and amplifiers when I was 16. Though, I didn't have the good fortune of a father around to guide me. So, consider yourself very lucky. Listen, and learn from him! And remind him occasionally that he has a lot to learn from you too!

Flush mounting has many advantages. Here are the two major advantages:

1. It eliminates front wall reflections which interfere with the direct signal from the monitors. These can cause severe response variations. Check out my wall bounce calculators to see the effect.
http://johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=610
http://johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=630

2. Assuming the speaker is designed to be flush mounted or you incorporate the appropriate filter, flush mounting allows the direct field response (sound coming directly from the speaker to your ears) and the power response (total sound energy emitted into the room) to both be flat. In order for a free standing speaker to have a flat direct field response the hi frequency power response must be cut in half to compensate for the fact that half of the low frequency energy radiates towards the back. This creates a spectral imbalance between the direct sound and the reverberant sound in the room. By flush mounting you force all of the sound energy, high and low frequencies, to radiate only in the forward direction. If the direct sound is flat, then the reverberant sound is too (assuming the room acoustics are flat).

I'll start a new DIY thread with some schematics for the "baffle step decompensation filter" required to flush mount near fields. It should be up in a day or so.

Thomas

tenkas · Post by **tenkas** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 7:12 am

Hi Thomas,

thanks for the response!

My father studied electronics and electricity (he's also formed as an electrician before electronician). Most the the electronic stuff he did were only for his personal fun so he's helping me do the electricity wiring and everything in my studio.

Thx for making a DIY project! It's always good to know that with a little cash and lots of effort we can accomplish something of almost pro quality.

My speakers weren't designed for soffit mounting I think (their nearfield and there is an open port in the front). I guess that it's still worth doing the stuff.

Also, I would like to know where do you cut a hole for speaker cables when you soffitmount speakers like on seacollege website

thx

barefoot · Post by **barefoot** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 7:50 am

You're welcome.

Oh, I guess I didn't say it explicitly, but yes, I definitely think it's worth flush mounting your near fields. The fact that your speakers are front-ported makes it an excellent choice.

I would cut a hole in the rear wall of the soffit box, directly behind the wire terminals of your monitors. Then you can run the wires down through the wall and into the studio. You might want connect the speakers via a terminal plate mounted near the bottom of the wall. You can find parts from one of these sources:
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm ... 1&desc=ASC
http://www.madisound.com/benniccups.html
http://www.solen.ca/conn.htm

You might also consider my flush mount design. I think it has some advantages over the normal method. http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=718

By the way, the DIY filter will be a relatively easy circuit to build. It's just a low shelf filter. I'll post a few alternative designs - a bare bones passive circuit, a single ended active (the one I suggest you build), and a full blow active circuit with balanced inputs and outputs. I could have posted it by now, but my otherwise outstanding speaker design software (LEAP 6.0) has one very annoying feature. In order to run it requires a key (dongle) to be plugged into the printer port. Of course, the key is in the printer port of my computer....... my other computer at home.

Thomas

tenkas · Post by **tenkas** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 8:53 am

lolll seems like more and more company are going with the dongle! Cubase does it too hehe.

I have seen your DIY flush mounting thread but I didn't really understand it...

http://membres.lycos.fr/tenkas/plan2.gif

here is a very very very very very basic plan of my studio (loll yes I know it's small, it's 1 room... but hey I am 16

)

The left wall isn't builded yet. I will build it with my friend who has done construction for 2 years now. It's now already builden so what would you suggest me to do to mount my speakers? What would be the most satisfying and cheapest way of doing it (soffit mounting).

I was planning on building a double wall (left wall again) even if I am in the basement because my parents will use the other room in the basement for other activities. As you can see, I am not seeking PRO quality which is out of my budget... but I am sure you have good solutions for kids (lol) like me on a budget. As I said, I have a good friend of mine who did construction and also again, my father and my grand father are both great in construction (built floor, small house, etc).

thx a lot! I really appreciate your quick responses! INcredibLE

tenkas · Post by **tenkas** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 9:04 am

I also wanted to add, how do you angle your speakers when you mount them with your DIY project? My nearfield (yorkville YSM) are made to be in a triangle shape with my head (I guess 60 degrees is typical). I may be wrong but I think your design is for more advanced speaker am I right?

barefoot · Post by **barefoot** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 5:26 am

My design will work for the normal 60 degree layout. Here is how it might look in your room.

Thomas

tenkas · Post by **tenkas** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 7:34 am

Hi Thomas!
Man your great posting an image!!!

I am very impressed! However, there is a little problem, the wall on which the speakers will be mounted will be the wall with my entrance door (34inch exterior door). My yorkville monitors meause 10"x10" (wide and lenght). Is it still possible for me to soffit mount my speakers????

thx

tenkas · Post by **tenkas** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 7:46 am

here is a link to a REAL size dimensioned drawing I have done with a program that was recommended by Steve.

http://membres.lycos.fr/tenkas/basement.gif

The dimensions are the same as on the other plan.

Thx a lot for all of you help Steve

barefoot · Post by **barefoot** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 8:55 am

I just posted a thread in this forum describing a DIY decompensation filter for flush mounting.

Thomas

tenkas · Post by **tenkas** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 9:16 am

hi! Wow thx a lot Steve, I will go analyse it! Have you seen my other reply just before your last post? It's an important factor and I have to take it seriously in consideration. Thx

francois

barefoot · Post by **barefoot** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 9:45 am

Steve???... do I look like Steve?

How about something like this?

Thomas

tenkas · Post by **tenkas** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 11:29 am

lollllllll I AM SOOOOOO sorry Thomas!!! I posted a few threads in steve's forum and then I got mixed up :S

lolll really sorry for that

Seems like a great design, but I may not soffit my speakers after all... it all depends of the final budget I have... if I still have a few hundred, yes I will do it, but if I don't have anymore money, I will just build some PCB monitor stands with the toilet thing (damn nice DIY) and I will live with it for now... but your plan seems extremely ingenious and intelligent!

I will have to find a new space for the drums also lollll

maybe infront of the door? lolll

again, steve... huh I mean Thomas... Thomas... Thx for everything, I will start building my room this weekend or the next week end!

Thx

francois

knightfly · Post by **knightfly** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 12:13 pm

Hey, first of all we might be identical twins separated at birth, who knows - plus, when ya got dudes around that be as cool as us...

-

See, we look just alike...

Steve

(Now, if we can just get John over here for a "fambly pikchur"...)