Help me design this midrange only speaker

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Schlumpfpeter

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#1
Good afternoon,

I am on the quest of building another tool for my music production and mixing hobby. It will be something like an Auratone clone but in a modern way. It is a tool for checking levels and tonal balance of mixes and it consists of a closed box with one single mid range driver. This driver is sitting in a small box, about 1 to 3 liters (depending on the speaker) and has no crossover/EQ/whatever sound bending circuit in front of it. Just a mid range driver in a closed box. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

The aim is to get a speaker with not much bass, starting to play somewhere about 100hz or higher, and with not much highs. But the mid range should be there, with very very good transient response. The driver should not be muddy and it should be very dynamic. It does not need to be used at high volumes.

I am now in the process of evaluating the T/S parameters which would suit this case best.

I basically do not need any deep bass. The driver can stop at 100hz or above, fine with me. What I DO not is the great transient response and high dynamic of the driver.

That led me to the idea, why not put a low QTS driver into a small sealed box? Shouldn't this bring out exactly what I want? Low QTS basically reduces the bass of the driver in a small box but should give it a great transient response and great dynamic.

Do I get it right? What would be your suggestions or ideas?
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Budget for one single driver is up to 60 pounds preferably up to 40.

I understand that this speaker won't meet most of the peoples ideas about a good speaker, but please just accept that this is a personalized tool for some work that I am doing. I have build multiple ones before and know why I am after it and what I am after but up until now, I used really cheap drivers with a bit of a hit and miss strategy. I now try to refine my driver choice to further increase the quality of the tool.

Thanks for any input!

SP
 
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#3
Auratone: Auratone Products

You mean something like these?

Passive Monitors
Dimensions: 6.5" w x 6.5" h x 6" d
Frequency Response: 80-15,000 Hz
Impedance: 8 OHMS
Driver: 4.5" Full Range
SPL/Sensitivity: 90 dB @ 1w / 1m
Cabinet: Sealed 5/8" MDF
Wattage: 25 Watt RMS / 50 Watt Peak


1c948f_4b495246ce1641299e6439e86195c927~mv2_d_2048_1360_s_2.jpg




The baffles are not very wel designed; can't get much worse.
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/ might be the correct forum as these are fullrange/broadband drivers.
 
#4
Isn't the whole idea that we shall use that speaker so to have a common reference. Using something else, even better, defies the whole point. If you intend to do work with it, it need to be exactly that *** thing.

//
 
#5
This is not a full range design but a mid range only speaker. Therefore I think it doesn't fit into the Full range category.

Please no discussion about if it makes sense or not to build a box like this. For my pirpose it does make a lot of sense.

How about my question about the low QTS in a small closed box?
 
#6
Many people were using the speaker built in Studer 2 trk master tape machine in the commercial studio for that purpose in 90's. Auratone was already unpopular at that time.

You would not need stereo, nor expensive unit. Just any small paper cone speaker would work fine, and I have been using Mackbook laptop speaker for that purpose. If I want to DIY, I think I would like to try Ikea Bowl Speaker (google), but probably too wide band.
 
#7
Regarding a box, I have a very old field coil speaker not even mounted on the baffle (completely naked), which sounds very nice while very narrow range. The problem is it has annoying midrange peak, so I have to use EQ to make it sounds acceptable to my ears. I think you may find a speaker unit that sounds OK without baffle nor EQ.
 
#9
BTW, have you ever heard 400,000 theory?

I ideal speaker's low cut and high cut frequency should be; LF x HF = 400,000.
If the low cut is 100Hz, your desirable high cut is 4000Hz. (100x4000=400,000).

This is my favorite voodoo theory. 🙂
 
#11
plasnu said:
Many people were using the speaker built in Studer 2 trk master tape machine in the commercial studio for that purpose in 90's. Auratone was already unpopular at that time.

You would not need stereo, nor expensive unit. Just any small paper cone speaker would work fine, and I have been using Mackbook laptop speaker for that purpose. If I want to DIY, I think I would like to try Ikea Bowl Speaker (google), but probably too wide band.
Click to expand...


Yes, this is almost exactly what I try to replicate, but with modern technical understanding und methods. I try to upgrade those oldschool systems with modern methods and standards.


I do not try to upgrade the linearity or the fact that they have an early roloff in the bass and lack highs, I try to replicate this actually.


What I try to find out is for which technical specification I need to look for, specifically to get the best transient response and dynamic reproduction possible for a mid range speaker in a small closed box which does not need to play loud. It is actually not even necessary to keep the closed box small, if this would help.


From my understanding, the QTS parameter defines the damping applied to the membrane by multiple factors. The damping stops the membrane from continuing to move after the input signal stopped.


If this is correct, wouldn't a low QTS speaker (highly damped) be the best bet for my purpose, as the speaker would only replicate what's fed into it as it stops moving very quickly after the signal stopped, meaning very good transient response?
 
#13
plasnu said:
Have you ever tried speaker design software? Many of them are free. You can predict a lot of things just entering speaker's spec and enclosure size.

Speaker Design : Comprehensive list of Recommended Design Tools
Click to expand...


I actually designed quite some speakers using the tool from Visaton and another using this very nice free of charge TML design tool from leonard audio.



I am trying to brain storm here a little bit on the theoretical side, which combination of parameters should theoretically bring the best results.


From there on I wanna select speakers and then bring it into the software and play a bit around with size etc. to see exactly what I am at.
 
#14
OK, I see. You may also want to consider the resonance of the cone. Aluminum is the best (and those Aluminum SB drivers are used by Allen Sides for great sounding Oceanway monitor), but it has a nasty breakup at upper range. It won't be an issue when it was used with high cut filter, but in your application, I'm pretty sure it will sound horrible while it stops quickest at midrange...

SBAcoustics-61-NAC

Polyprop is the best? I'm curious.
 
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#15
plasnu said:
Many people were using the speaker built in Studer 2 trk master tape machine in the commercial studio for that purpose in 90's. Auratone was already unpopular at that time.

You would not need stereo, nor expensive unit. Just any small paper cone speaker would work fine, and I have been using Mackbook laptop speaker for that purpose. If I want to DIY, I think I would like to try Ikea Bowl Speaker (google), but probably too wide band.
Click to expand...

I was not aware that Auratones were unpopular given that Avantone and Behringer produce copies, Auratone itself restarted production to feed the existing demand and original pairs fetch upwards of £300.

Don't agree that they only need to be mono either since their imaging is remarkable and makes panning decisions incredibly easy.
 
#17
Charles Darwin said:
I was not aware that Auratones were unpopular given that Avantone and Behringer produce copies, Auratone itself restarted production to feed the existing demand and original pairs fetch upwards of £300.

Don't agree that they only need to be mono either since their imaging is remarkable and makes panning decisions incredibly easy.
Click to expand...

Well, when I was working in the studio in 90's (and early 00), I have only seen very few Auratone in big commercial studios in NYC. And if I see them, it was sitting at the center of SSL for mono compatibility check. I have never seen stereo Auratone was sitting in the studio. We were using Boombox, Japanese miniature bookshelf stereo set sitting in the waiting room for real world translation. Maybe different in London...

The Auratone's reissue started with Avantone early 00, and I actually tested a pair. I remember that they are powered, if I'm correct. The reissue movement was started with Protools home studio movement for unknown reasons.
 
#19
Dear SP,

Regardless of the fact that this is not a full range design, it is not a mult-way speaker.

I directed you to a thread with an excellent driver:

1. It fits within your budget.
2. Has excellent midrange performance
3. Can be run crossover-less

Gets some free box modeling software, put in the driver's Thiele Small parameters from its data sheet.

Start adjusting the box volume in the software for a sealed enclosure. See if it gives you the low frequency extension you need.

Come back here and we will help you.

This is a DIY forum, therefore, I encourage you to learn and research your project.

Cheers,

Greg
 
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