AES Warsaw 2015
Tutorial T7
Friday, May 8, 11:45 — 13:15 (Room: Królewski)
T7 - Live Sound Subwoofer System Calibration
Presenter:Adam J. Hill, University of Derby - Derby, Derbyshire, UK
Abstract:
Achieving even low-frequency coverage across a large audience area while simultaneously minimizing sound energy on stage is easier said than done in large-scale live sound reinforcement. Non-ideal subwoofer system calibration causes severe seat-to-seat variability in frequency response, which often goes unnoticed by engineers firmly planted to the mix position. This tutorial presents practical approaches to system calibration which provide improved low-frequency performance. Source placement, polar pattern control, clustering and DSP techniques are explained using simulations to highlight their respective advantages and disadvantages. All solutions offered consider practical restrictions including: system efficiency, stage layout, truck space, work timeframe, budget, etc. Perceptual considerations are also touched upon, inspecting whether the increasingly-common method of driving subwoofers with a mono auxiliary send is an imperfect approach.
