Tannoy Horn loading question

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Hi folks

Just a quick question for research for a future project. Is anyone aware of the Horn geometry used for the Tannoy 12" co-axial system? As most will know, it uses the bass cone for horn loading for the mid/high driver, and am just curious as to if it is designed to a certain geometry, (and if so, what?), or if it sounds good purely by chance.

Anyone any ideas?

Thanks!
 
These are fun drivers to work with. I don't know the exact horn geometry, but the LF section looks sort of like an exponential horn geometry. Steep in the center, and gradually flattenting out towards the edges. The biggest advantage to the Tannoy Dual-Concentric TM drivers is that they create a good time-aligned point source driver. You don't have to worry about driver spacing causing comb filtering and phasing issues. And, I can tell you, those HF sections in the Tannoys are plenty efficient without horn-loading them.

Cheers,
Zach
 
Hi folks, and thanks for your replies 🙂

The reason this came up was that I have just started a Part time degree in Design, and the workshops in college are fully equiped for plastics and ceramics, as well as the usual wood and metalwork stuff, and to me the obvious easy thing to have a play with would be a mid/high horn.

Having owned a pair of Tannoys years ago, I remember well the sweet sound of the horn loaded co-ax, and I thought this would be a good place to start playing with my own designs. The idea of simply copying the flare rate of the cone looks do-able, but what I would really need for that is a photo of one of those half sectioned drivers that used to appear in marketing stuff.

I will probably be using a JBL pro compression driver for first experiments, maybe upgrading to the TAD if successful!

However, to broaden the subject, if anyone has any info on making compression drivers, that might be fun to have a go with as well:devilr:
 
pinkmouse said:
what I would really need for that is a photo of one of those half sectioned drivers that used to appear in marketing stuff.

Your wish is my command.
 

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a few random thoughts

Ceramic horns?

That is just too cool.

If you come up with a design you are particularly fond of you should consider making positive and negative profiles for making molds and being able to hook up some of us other DIY guys.

Ceramic besides making a nice horn in itself also seems like it would make a nice mold for gypsum plaster or resin.

Which Tanoys did you own? Ive placed sets in a number of broadcast and studio environments. They are one of my favorite brands.

The curve in the section looks kind of like a section from an ellipse. Are you thinking about tractrix at all?
 
Y;ummy pic

Hey Brett great pic! Since I own 3 of these beauties HPD385) I would love to have tis pic in higher resolution(to my email ) as I am about to totaly dissasemble it for cleaning and adjustment but the mafnet is hard to open, I thought a pic of the inside might help me to se why.

Regards,

Panos
 
Re: Y;ummy pic

panos29 said:
Hey Brett great pic! Since I own 3 of these beauties HPD385)

I used to own some HPD385's, but I sold them about 18 months ago, when I went to horns. Now I only own a single Red 12, which I might get a friend to design a TL cab for and put it in the corner of my bedroom. Unless I ever find a mate cheap enough.

I would love to have tis pic in higher resolution(to my email )

Send me a PM with your email addy and I'll send them off later.

as I am about to totaly dissasemble it for cleaning and adjustment but the mafnet is hard to open, I thought a pic of the inside might help me to se why.

If you go to the Keiwa site, and scroll down to "Roll Surrounds, Driver Construction, Crossovers, & Curiosities" there are a couple of links where an HPD has been disassembled for surround replacement. These might show you in more detail what you're looking for. Lots of other cool Tannoy stuff on the site too.

There is also another cross-section pic here
 
Re: a few random thoughts

Da5id4Vz said:
Ceramic horns?

That is just too cool.

My thoughts exactly 😉. The only possible (manufacturing) problem I might have is the shrinkage during firing, I suspect many prototypes may have to be made!

If you come up with a design you are particularly fond of you should consider making positive and negative profiles for making molds and being able to hook up some of us other DIY guys.

That is certainly an option, and using slip casting, the resultant form woulk be hollow, so could be filled with the users option of damping materials.

Which Tanoys did you own?

I had a pair of monitor reds in a custom cabinet, unfortunately, due to financial problems at the time, I had to sell them, but I still regret having to do so...🙁

The curve in the section looks kind of like a section from an ellipse. Are you thinking about tractrix at all?

You may be right, but until I can get them drawn out properly it's hard to tell. As for the format and final results, I have no preconceptions about what I will produce yet, it is a long term project after all. The only thing I think I will insist on is that it is an axisymetric design, I have heard far to many honky sounding other types to even consider them.
 
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