Hello witches n warlocks
A seller locally is offering a pair of tympanis quite cheap. I've been curious for a while about using planer or electrostatic subwoofers. I don't need to get down to 20 hz or anything but 30ish to a 100ish.
As the timpani has two base panels for each side I'm curious what my my considerations be in arranging each in a riplole or slob config. From what I read about that design the main problem that comes to mind is the huge surface area which leads to a huge slot. The solution that comes to mind is maybe some dividers to shrink the slot into multiple chambers. The problem there of course is it will be hard to impossible to seal each chamber from the next. But maybe that won't be a make or break issue as long as the frequency ends up being usable up to about 100 Hertz.
I do have a couple of high wattage amplifiers and DSP available for subwoofers so if there is a massive peak can I just EQ it out?
On the plus side with no motor sticking out I can make the chambers quite small on either side.
I don't really know what I'm doing so this might be a bad idea based on something I haven't even considered which is why I'm posting here.
Thank you to all who contribute to the site it's a wonderful part of my life and has given me a new hobby that is wholesome and really cool
A seller locally is offering a pair of tympanis quite cheap. I've been curious for a while about using planer or electrostatic subwoofers. I don't need to get down to 20 hz or anything but 30ish to a 100ish.
As the timpani has two base panels for each side I'm curious what my my considerations be in arranging each in a riplole or slob config. From what I read about that design the main problem that comes to mind is the huge surface area which leads to a huge slot. The solution that comes to mind is maybe some dividers to shrink the slot into multiple chambers. The problem there of course is it will be hard to impossible to seal each chamber from the next. But maybe that won't be a make or break issue as long as the frequency ends up being usable up to about 100 Hertz.
I do have a couple of high wattage amplifiers and DSP available for subwoofers so if there is a massive peak can I just EQ it out?
On the plus side with no motor sticking out I can make the chambers quite small on either side.
I don't really know what I'm doing so this might be a bad idea based on something I haven't even considered which is why I'm posting here.
Thank you to all who contribute to the site it's a wonderful part of my life and has given me a new hobby that is wholesome and really cool
I have not built either ripoles or slob subwoofers but from what I've read slobs can sound boxy (post) as you've got the driver pushing against the slots directly. I'd imagine ripoles to not have the same problem, almost every ripole review I've read has been positive. The opposing forces in a ripole may also help reduce box resonance.
I do use a little 2x12" DIY Ripole (Omega Ripole) with my pair of little SMGb in my not-less-little auditorium. You can see my Omega Ripole placed in-between the SMGb, with the rear side free, as advised by Axel Ridtahler, the inventor of the Ripole principle :
I must tell that the Ripole principle is the best sub system I ever tested until now - notably with my planars - offering :
A test at one of my Audio friend's home - who own a pair of Tympani IV - proved very interesting, demonstrating that the Ripole could again marry satisfactorily with planars, even in very different conditions - in both case, the LPF of the integrated sub module was set at 40 to 60Hz, 12 or 24dB/Oct., depending on the speakers tested (planars, classic enclosures...) :
But your idea is different, as you want to use two bass sections of your Tympany face-to-face, possibly in a Ripole configuration : one front opening, and two back openings. I never thought about such a project, because to me, it contraries somewhat the qualities of tone dispersion, box absence and wideness offered by the planar principle. But OK, why not testing this, after all ? You may be surprised...
IMHO, in a Ripole configuration of two bass Tympani sections, what you may obtain :
- an infra-bass extension at 10 to 15Hz, and even lower, given that the Tympani module is announced for 20Hz, but I'm not sure that it's what you are after, reading your post...
- a reduction in efficiency (typically 10dB for a single driver unit, 6 to 8 for a double driver unit) for speakers that already have a low efficiency - circa 84dB/w/m - so this would left a mere 76-78dB/w/m for the unit...
I don't see this very favourably - but it's me, OK ? - and only a test could tell you if your idea of Planar-Ripole is valid or not !
T
I must tell that the Ripole principle is the best sub system I ever tested until now - notably with my planars - offering :
- deep infra-bass extension (15Hz).
- no boxy, resonant tones and overtones.
- unobtrusive wide-floating bass sensations.
A test at one of my Audio friend's home - who own a pair of Tympani IV - proved very interesting, demonstrating that the Ripole could again marry satisfactorily with planars, even in very different conditions - in both case, the LPF of the integrated sub module was set at 40 to 60Hz, 12 or 24dB/Oct., depending on the speakers tested (planars, classic enclosures...) :
But your idea is different, as you want to use two bass sections of your Tympany face-to-face, possibly in a Ripole configuration : one front opening, and two back openings. I never thought about such a project, because to me, it contraries somewhat the qualities of tone dispersion, box absence and wideness offered by the planar principle. But OK, why not testing this, after all ? You may be surprised...
IMHO, in a Ripole configuration of two bass Tympani sections, what you may obtain :
- an infra-bass extension at 10 to 15Hz, and even lower, given that the Tympani module is announced for 20Hz, but I'm not sure that it's what you are after, reading your post...
- a reduction in efficiency (typically 10dB for a single driver unit, 6 to 8 for a double driver unit) for speakers that already have a low efficiency - circa 84dB/w/m - so this would left a mere 76-78dB/w/m for the unit...
I don't see this very favourably - but it's me, OK ? - and only a test could tell you if your idea of Planar-Ripole is valid or not !
T