Re: Stair Cardioid Subwoofer Array
Thanks Art for your swift and thorough response. Despite much searching, I was not able to find the thread relating to Langston's tests. Hence I have some further questions:
You mention good results achieved using horn loaded subs in an end-fire configuration. But you also describe this as a "stair" configuration, which I assume is arranged similarly to that used by Sebastian at the start of this thread. Also it is not quite the same as an end-fire array where both/all boxes are on the same level plain.
Thus my question is - would the same good results happen, if horn loaded subs are arranged and appropriately delayed (not taking into account the delay needed to align them with the mains) when both/all cabinets are on the same level?
Is there not an effect that might influence results, and needs to be accounted for, when a horn loaded box which derives some of its efficiency (and perhaps extension) from its own horn path, box loading etc - then directs a significant amount of energy right through another identical horn path of and via the identical box in front.
This could mean when both boxes sum and propagate forwards - the part of the signal from the rear box, which has subsequently also passed through an additional horn path, causing the whole of the sound propagated forwards by the rear box to be split into multiple sources, potentially lacking temporal coherence - as the simple sum of all sound from the rear box, once it has reached the front of the forward box, is compromised in the time domain purely due to the different paths that different parts were forced to take moving forwards?
Furthermore would this not then compromise the phase coherence of the sum of both the rear and front boxes, when the totality of their output sums at any point in front of the forward box ... and finally can these potential issues be corrected via DSP tools?
