Design tools needed

[augerpro]

I've just started my DIY journey! Just read Speaker Building 201 and now started the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook. I'm going to start ordering parts soon but i'd like to know what software and measurement tools are needed for designing.

I'm looking for a good enclosure designer, crossover designer, something to do FR sweeps with and also something for driver measurements like Woofer Tester 2 from PE. I see alot of software in catalogs and mentioned in those books but I'm really unsure what is good or not.

I plan to start with some NatP's since they are cheap, have alot of info on them to verify my results and to learn my way around the tools used. Anyway thanks for any advice!

[noodle_snacks]

Personally I'd go, Speaker Workshop (free, with a learning curve), behringer UB802 + ECM8000 plus an impedance jig, should do everything you need. Get the speaker workshop manual, it has detailed setup instructions

[soongsc]

I second this. Speaker Workshop learning curve was not too bad for me, and after using it, you will know what you need as you get better at it.

[augerpro]

Thank you!

So does speaker workshop have a good XO designer?

Using the behringer UB802 + ECM8000 plus an impedance jig does the same things as the Woofer Tester as far as impedance graghs and some T/S parameters? Is it accurate? I read the Woofer Tester 2 may not be accurate above 2k.

Are there any cheap XO optimizers available?

Thanks for the replies so far.

[soongsc]

Speaker Worshop does have an XO designer, it can do the zobel compensation automatically, but the other parts you really need to work on it. The T/S parameters are quite accurate. If you are looking for free tools, few things are automated, and there are many different tools out there. I used to have a link to a list, but can't seem to find it at the moment. I'll post it when I do.

SoundEasy is an affordable all round package with a steep learning curve.

http://www.interdomain.net.au/~bodzio/

[soongsc]

http://www.audiodiycentral.com/jpo-measurement.shtml
http://www.members.aol.com/_ht_a/pja...surements.html

[noodle_snacks]

Have a good go at speaker workshop before spending money on sound easy, the microphone+mixer (and maybe the impedance jig i don't know) is resuable for that software anyway.

Using the XO designer i get results from measured data, then making the crossover then measuring the final result within 0.5-1db (deviance is basically from component tolarances etc). It has a built in XO optimizer build in that can optimise certain components to try and reach a target curve etc. Speaker workshop can take very accurate impedance measurements, and whilst i have not used it for T/S parameters personally, i believe it can do that quite well as well.

[augerpro]

Thanks noodle. I was looking at Soundeasy as an all in one solution. Do you know of a good explanation of building the imp jig? The link at speaker workshops site is dead.

Is the ECM800 a good mic? What are some good mics that don't cost alot?

[noodle_snacks]

http://www.audiodiycentral.com/resou...anual/SWM2.zip
For the manual, should have everything you need just about.

http://www.claudionegro.com/
Has a cable jig setup that you could build.

http://mysite.verizon.net/tammie_eri...jig2/jig2.html
is the other option for the impedance jig etc, I'd go with the cable setup for sheer simplicities sake.