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pi seven top horns? [message #65526] Mon, 03 January 2011 11:53 Go to next message
artsybrute is currently offline  artsybrute
Messages: 56
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Hi Wayne and all,

I've been away from the forums for about a decade or so. I built the Pi Seven cornerhorns way back and love them. But back then I built the bass boxes and have been using lowther PM6A's in 36 inch front horns for the rest.

At this point where I want to take the lowther setups out of the equation and finish the sevens. (Yeah I know: I move really fast.)

But when I went to the product site, I saw the sevens seem to no longer have the mid and HF drivers dropped into the doghouse, but directionally adjustable in little horns on top. That looks really nice.

Could you please point me to a place that explains this development?

Also, could you please send me plans for the top horns?

Thanks.
Re: pi seven top horns? [message #65528 is a reply to message #65526] Mon, 03 January 2011 13:54 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18678
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

The bass bin of the π cornerhorn has remained unchanged since it was introduced in 1980, but the midrange and tweeter have changed over the years. I've used direct radiating mids and horn-loaded mids, and for a few years even experimented with making the system as a two-way speaker.

The midrange is different than lower and higher frequencies because of acoustic scale. At low frequencies, the woofer is close enough to the walls that the room's corner acts like a large waveguide, at least down to the Schroeder frequency where room modes set the pattern. At high frequencies, the tweeter horn sets the pattern. But the midrange frequencies are sort of in a transition region in terms of acoustic scale. The midrange driver isn't usually close enough to be within a 1/4λ, so the walls act as a reflector instead of a waveguide, with all the attendant self-interference issues.

In 2003, I designed a midrange horn specifically to address this situation. I wanted it to do a couple things, first, to provide constant directivity in the same pattern as the woofer and tweeter and second, to be able to be run low enough to blend with the woofer to smooth floor bounce, much like vertical arrays do. Of course, these requirements make a physically large horn, even when designed for 1/8th space loading (at least at the bottom end where it needs it). So instead of putting the midrange driver in the bass bin, I moved it on top and cradled the tweeter on top of that. Works out great with respect to height too, putting the midhorn and tweeter roughly at ear level.

http://www.pispeakers.com/photos/seven_Pi_cornerhorn.jpg
Re: pi seven top horns? [message #65529 is a reply to message #65528] Mon, 03 January 2011 14:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
artsybrute is currently offline  artsybrute
Messages: 56
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Thanks!

It may be large, but not larger than my sevens plus 36 inch front horns in front of them!

I see you mentioned Martinelli tweeter horns. Does this mean that the plans only include the mid horns but do not include the tweeter horns?

Thanks again.
Re: pi seven top horns? [message #65531 is a reply to message #65529] Mon, 03 January 2011 14:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18678
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

That's right. In fact, the tweeter horn in the photo above is one of mine, not a Martinelli horn. Mine are made on a CNC machine and are what are called waveguides these days. You can also use an H290 horn, which is what's in the stock kit.

Re: pi seven top horns? [message #65534 is a reply to message #65531] Mon, 03 January 2011 17:18 Go to previous messageGo to next message
artsybrute is currently offline  artsybrute
Messages: 56
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Thanks again Wayne.

Darn, leave civilization for a few years and they change the language again...
Re: pi seven top horns? [message #65552 is a reply to message #65531] Tue, 04 January 2011 11:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
artsybrute is currently offline  artsybrute
Messages: 56
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Hey Wayne,

When you send the plans, could you also send pricing on the drivers, waveguides, and kits for this application. I already have the old seven cornerhorns built, so I don't need the doghouse plans or bass drivers.

Also, if you release plans or solid model for the tweeter waveguides, I would appreciate those too. I understand if they are proprietary or otherwise unreleasable.

I have CNC here but it is for metalworking. I only use it on wood for the higher cost items since machining wood rusts metalworking machinery. It gets tiring holding a shopvac to the cutter with one hand while using compressed air to cool the tool with the other. But for the waveguides it could be worth it, depending on wood costs.


Oh: I'm assuming that lowthers are inappropriate for the mids. Is that correct?

Thanks again.
Re: pi seven top horns? [message #65553 is a reply to message #65552] Tue, 04 January 2011 12:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18678
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

I sent plans yesterday to your hotmail address. Did you not receive them?

Kits are available here:
Re: pi seven top horns? [message #65554 is a reply to message #65553] Tue, 04 January 2011 13:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
artsybrute is currently offline  artsybrute
Messages: 56
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Sorry, no I did not receive them. I checked my junk mail folder as well.

I do get mail from webmaster of the forum when I changed my password. But I noticed that I'm having problems navigating your website today.

I sent you an email from another address to the email address you used years back. Please send the plans there. Thanks.
Re: pi seven top horns? [message #65555 is a reply to message #65554] Tue, 04 January 2011 13:39 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18678
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Will do.

Re: pi seven top horns? [message #65564 is a reply to message #65555] Tue, 04 January 2011 20:53 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
artsybrute is currently offline  artsybrute
Messages: 56
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Thanks for the info.

In the info, you mention that the tweeter horn is just cosmetic. Yet you offer an off the shelf horn and a CNC machined horn for the tweeter.

Did you later find that the tweeter horn does indeed make a difference?
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