Entries by Pat Brown
Direct Field Coverage – Where intuition and modeling meet
This is a short case-study to illustrate the role of computer modeling when placing loudspeakers in a venue. Why guess when you can get it right?
Coverage is not intuitive. If you get it wrong, there’s no way to fix … Read more
Windows Apps on a Mac? Try CrossOver!
Virtual environments for running Windows apps on a Mac are computationally intensive and complicated. For the casual user, there’s another alternative.
SynAudCon’s online training courses utilize two apps generated specifically for them. These are CAFViewer™ and IntelliKwik™. Both … Read more
Why 8 Ohms? – Part 2 – Voltage-Referenced Specifications
Despite their name, audio power amplifiers don’t amplify power. They produce a higher voltage copy of the input voltage, along with current as demanded by the load impedance.
As audio becomes increasingly digital, there remains two major design decisions rooted … Read more
Mains/Sub Alignment – A Different Take
Mains/Sub Alignment is a popular topic. Pat shares a logical, accurate, Time Domain approach that can be implemented with free software.
It’s all summed up in four instructional videos, prefaced by a short introduction video.
Outline
1. Timing … Read more
Loudspeaker Maximums Part 2 – Peak SPL
Finding the Maximum Linear Peak Sound Pressure Level
In the first part of this two-part series, I described how to determine a loudspeaker’s maximum continuous input voltage (MIV) regarding heat. The MIV is the maximum RMS input voltage before the … Read more
Musician’s Ear Plugs Comparison Study
Can sound be attenuated and the fidelity preserved using musician’s ear plugs?
As the population ages, hearing damage has moved to the forefront of public consciousness. Many older folks are realizing (often too late) that they had some bad listening … Read more
Amplifier Sensitivity – Is Yours Optimized?
The amplifier’s gain/sensitivity switch allows you to minimize the noise floor of your sound system. Learn how to properly set it.
An amplifier has an input and an output. The output power rating gets a lot of attention, but this … Read more
Loudspeaker Maximums Part 1 – Continuous SPL
Have you ever tried to find a loudspeaker’s “maximums?” Here’s how you do it.
by Pat Brown
How does one know when a loudspeaker is “all the way up?” There’s some science behind it.
Whether we are selecting an amplifier … Read more
Why 8 Ohms? – Part 1
Anyone who has messed with audio gear of any kind has run across “8 ohms.” Where did it come from and what does it mean?
“8 ohms” is found in loudspeaker specifications, amplifier specifications, and on wire gauge charts. Amplifier’s