Sorry if this isn’t the right place but I have a very talented friend who masters for a living with these Focals and I’d like to build him a sub as a gift that he can use at will.
I’d like it to be nice certainly, but too nice and he won’t receive as the gift is intended as most of you know.
I’m mainly looking only to get to the high 20’s hz and the focals get to about 40. I’m pretty certain living close to Madisound I can source a good sub and plate amp (but suggestions always welcome) but would like help with any enclosures someone with experience might be able to suggest. Have the ability to build most enclosures. Thanks so much!
I’d like it to be nice certainly, but too nice and he won’t receive as the gift is intended as most of you know.
I’m mainly looking only to get to the high 20’s hz and the focals get to about 40. I’m pretty certain living close to Madisound I can source a good sub and plate amp (but suggestions always welcome) but would like help with any enclosures someone with experience might be able to suggest. Have the ability to build most enclosures. Thanks so much!
This is a tricky thing, and if you build just one and put it on the floor somewhere, he’s likely going to be worse off than before with room modes and nearfield cancellations. Mastering demands a smooth response which he’s likely getting to 100hz or so if he’s got the Focal’s placed correctly….everything below that is a mix of ragged response nulls and distortion.
My all In The Box room uses a DIY dual 6.5” box that sits on the desk and serves second duty as my LED monitor mount with a VESA plate on the front. The drivers are dual opposed and side loaded and the port exits from the front below the monitor screen. This keeps the bass response nearfield and even and time aligned with the main monitors as well.
You’ll need an amplifier with a selectable high pass filter for the mains though. I use this
https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...-Plate-Amplifier-with-DSP-300-8010?quantity=1
It has XLR ins and outs in stereo for the mains and active DSP to shape the response. This is essential functionality for mastering.
A pair of these wired in series for an 8ohm load will still be enough in the nearfield desktop application. You’ll only need a cubic foot of internal volume to get where you need to be
https://www.parts-express.com/Wavec...aper-Cone-Subwoofer-4-Ohm-298-1052?quantity=1
My all In The Box room uses a DIY dual 6.5” box that sits on the desk and serves second duty as my LED monitor mount with a VESA plate on the front. The drivers are dual opposed and side loaded and the port exits from the front below the monitor screen. This keeps the bass response nearfield and even and time aligned with the main monitors as well.
You’ll need an amplifier with a selectable high pass filter for the mains though. I use this
https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...-Plate-Amplifier-with-DSP-300-8010?quantity=1
It has XLR ins and outs in stereo for the mains and active DSP to shape the response. This is essential functionality for mastering.
A pair of these wired in series for an 8ohm load will still be enough in the nearfield desktop application. You’ll only need a cubic foot of internal volume to get where you need to be
https://www.parts-express.com/Wavec...aper-Cone-Subwoofer-4-Ohm-298-1052?quantity=1
There is a fair amount of recorded material with response as much as two octaves below 40Hz.
Having done a fair amount of mastering, I'd say flat response to 20Hz is the highest frequency that will allow you to hear/feel what is going on in a recording.
If the monitor system does not go that low (and loud enough to hear) it is difficult to balance the bottom octaves, or even detect very low frequency noise like breath noise, air handling, etc. present in the recording.
At about 100dB SPL, 20 Hz sounds about the same level as 40dB at 1000Hz, below quiet conversational level at 1meter.
Looks like the Focal Solo6Be is good to about 50Hz (port tuning frequency, Fb) before it starts to "run out of steam", capable of about 97dB at 1 meter before distortion rises sharply below 50Hz:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s/focal-solo6-be-review-studio-monitor.25407/
A pair of 6.5" with 7mm Xmax could only do ~ 87 dB at reasonable (~10% ) distortion which would sound about 1/4 as loud in the octave from 20-40Hz as 97dB above 50Hz.
This would suggest at minimum to "keep up" in sealed cabinets a pair of 10" with 10mm Xmax for 20Hz, or a pair of 12" with 12mm Xmax to reach 15Hz at 97dB. Room gain at VLF could improve headroom, but can't be counted on, especially if the sub positions are limited.
Most individuals serious about mastering would want considerably more headroom, to get +6dB would require double the drivers or excursion, requiring +3 to 6dB (four times) the power. The smaller the box and drivers, the more power required.
Those choices would require a lot more than 250 watts in small sealed boxes, but will narrow your choices of drivers and amplification that will get the job done.
Art
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Things have changed since the birth of the digital stream and even before that…….most engineers will high pass the mains buss at 25hz 12db per octave or even sooner and steeper depending on the track. ‘Serious’ mastering?……..he can get his buddy an acoustic interior or design contractor then…..upwards of $75k. My nearfield subs eliminate the need since I’m not loading the room.
Mayhem13,
If your 2x6.5" near field sub is about 1/2 meter from your head, should be able to do around 93dB at 20Hz there.
Although "most engineers" may HP an entire recording as high as 25Hz, there are also many who do not.
After hearing quite a bit of LF on Billie Eilish's Grammy performance last week, checked into some of her tunes.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-go-by-billie-eilish-insane-bass.39762/page-3
The flat VLF (very low frequency) "drone tone" extending below 40Hz on "You should see me in a Crown" song looked interesting.
Played the song snippet through floor and corner subs plus Tannoy PBM6.5 mains flanking a 21.5" iMac.
When the 21Hz BW24HP was bypassed from the subs the low tone picked up by the (uncalibrated) built in mic in iMac closely matched "danadam"s 10 second average -60dB level, ~40dB below the -20 60Hz peak.
The peak level indicating +135dB on my RTA chart actually was ~90dB SPL, the VLF drone tone ~50 dB SPL.
By the time I'd played the track back enough times to capture the screen shots the VLF had started to make me feel a bit queasy 😳.
Anyway, the artistic choices of HP level and frequency are difficult to make if the speaker system can't reproduce VLFs.
Art
If your 2x6.5" near field sub is about 1/2 meter from your head, should be able to do around 93dB at 20Hz there.
Although "most engineers" may HP an entire recording as high as 25Hz, there are also many who do not.
After hearing quite a bit of LF on Billie Eilish's Grammy performance last week, checked into some of her tunes.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-go-by-billie-eilish-insane-bass.39762/page-3
The flat VLF (very low frequency) "drone tone" extending below 40Hz on "You should see me in a Crown" song looked interesting.
Played the song snippet through floor and corner subs plus Tannoy PBM6.5 mains flanking a 21.5" iMac.
When the 21Hz BW24HP was bypassed from the subs the low tone picked up by the (uncalibrated) built in mic in iMac closely matched "danadam"s 10 second average -60dB level, ~40dB below the -20 60Hz peak.
The peak level indicating +135dB on my RTA chart actually was ~90dB SPL, the VLF drone tone ~50 dB SPL.
By the time I'd played the track back enough times to capture the screen shots the VLF had started to make me feel a bit queasy 😳.
Anyway, the artistic choices of HP level and frequency are difficult to make if the speaker system can't reproduce VLFs.
Art
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I would agree that it would certainly be ‘nice’ to have the full bandwidth available as a mix or mastering engineer but as we all know, there’s significant and costly challenges to completing that equation….so in my mind’s eye….or ear (lol) while not knowing the environment or mastering skill level of the intended recipient of the OP’s gift better to not add to the problem with VLF or ULF capability.
Our vintage Ludwig studio kit’s kick goes well below the HP i mentioned and it’s always a challenge to keep the bottom end clean and well defined even with nearly 60cuft of bass trap volume in our space and 4 well integrate subs. I’ll routinely apply the HP during the mix process, just so I can hear what’s going and and get something that resembles a punch from that monster. Sometimes I’m sure I’ve forgotten to defeat it before a session got printed…..I wonder if anyone ever noticed? 🙂
Our vintage Ludwig studio kit’s kick goes well below the HP i mentioned and it’s always a challenge to keep the bottom end clean and well defined even with nearly 60cuft of bass trap volume in our space and 4 well integrate subs. I’ll routinely apply the HP during the mix process, just so I can hear what’s going and and get something that resembles a punch from that monster. Sometimes I’m sure I’ve forgotten to defeat it before a session got printed…..I wonder if anyone ever noticed? 🙂
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Headphones can be useful, but are not as effective in translating the visceral feel of low frequency as loudspeakers.
There is big difference between 100dB of 20Hz in your ear canal and the same level over your entire body.
There is big difference between 100dB of 20Hz in your ear canal and the same level over your entire body.