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PiAlign program [message #43736] Wed, 21 January 2004 07:20 Go to next message
David Morrison is currently offline  David Morrison
Messages: 16
Registered: May 2009
Chancellor
could some one explain how to design a box use the Pialign program. I know how to enter the information. I am not not sure how to adjust the box. or what i am actualy looking at.

Re: PiAlign program [message #43738 is a reply to message #43736] Wed, 21 January 2004 10:15 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18791
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
PiAlign suggests box volume and port when driver parameters are entered. Vad, Qd and Frd are the significant values it uses; All the rest of the data is really for archiving information about a specific loudspeaker design. You can enter the midrange and tweeter for example, give the loudspeaker a filename, and it will store the information for you. But the main purpose of PiAlign is to calculate box parameters when the driver parameters are known.

Re: PiAlign program [message #43749 is a reply to message #43738] Wed, 21 January 2004 13:57 Go to previous messageGo to next message
David Morrison is currently offline  David Morrison
Messages: 16
Registered: May 2009
Chancellor
I understand the i enter the parameters and get the recomend box and tuning. I pick a port but do i match both a Q and Fre to the recomend box.

better put how do you know what port to use my other boxes are based on cone area, EBP, and Xmax. Also is it possible to change the box volume for the motor cabinet. with the RF2210 i want to use 1 cu ft. also does the box volume include port and speaker. with a 9512 the sub is twice the box volume.

Re: PiAlign program [message #43750 is a reply to message #43749] Wed, 21 January 2004 18:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18791
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
PiAlign uses the terms Fre and Qe to describe cabinet tuning. Fre is the Helmholtz frequency and Qe expresses a ratio of cabinet volume to port area. But PiAlign also suggests a specific port and cabinet volume that reflect these values. You can substitute a different port if you wish, and just keep the cabinet tuning the same. But usually PiAlign does a pretty good job of fitting the biggest port it can into small cabinets, and chossing a reasonable size port for larger cabinets.

Sometimes PiAlign "thinks" a smaller port is acceptable, sometimes it chooses a larger port. But, except in rare cases, I usually find its port suggestions are reasonable for the cabinet size suggested. The times you might choose a different port are times when port installation is difficult or sometimes when a high-excursion driver would make port turbuulence a problem at high power levels. These situations sometimes require special port placement or size considerations. It often depends on your cabinet layout and intended use. PiAlign is a software tool that I've found extremely useful, but ultimately, the design choices are still yours to make.

Re: PiAlign program [message #43751 is a reply to message #43750] Thu, 22 January 2004 06:59 Go to previous messageGo to next message
David Morrison is currently offline  David Morrison
Messages: 16
Registered: May 2009
Chancellor
"Qe expresses a ratio of cabinet volume to port area"

How can you personally interpret that.

So then using a larger port I need to match the frequency and not the Q for it. Just about any sub a will be using will a al least 12" of Xmax.

also is there anyway to model a larger box with the program.

Re: PiAlign program [message #43755 is a reply to message #43751] Thu, 22 January 2004 16:45 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18791
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
I wrote PiAlign and I defined the term Qe used within it. I mis-spoke because Qe is actually a ratio of port length to area, not cabinet volume. But the point is that it is an indicator of port restriction to airflow.

PiAlign was designed to iterate and find solutions to the forumulas that express Pi Alignment for a loudspeaker cabinet. To perform T/S analysis of a Pi aligned cabinet or others, I suggest using something like Carlson's BoxPlot. That will show you the response curve of a speaker using whatever alignment parameters you enter into the program.

Re: PiAlign program [message #43778 is a reply to message #43755] Tue, 27 January 2004 06:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
David Morrison is currently offline  David Morrison
Messages: 16
Registered: May 2009
Chancellor
i think i understand how the horn and vented box work together now. The vented enclosure is tuned low and the cut off of the horn is a little higher. using the peaks from the event and the horn creates a bandpass type of response that is flat broad and effecient.

If the horn cutt off is lower or the vented box is tuned higher than peak in the responce is created.

my next question if this is right how can you predict a peak in the box. say if the box is only going to be use for below fifty hzs. and you want more of peak below that use a larger horn bigger box ?

Re: PiAlign program [message #43779 is a reply to message #43778] Tue, 27 January 2004 06:30 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18791
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

You can find the response of a vented or sealed cabinet using BoxPlot, and that will tell you if the motor chamber is peaking. Horns can be modeled with Hornresp to see their response.

Re: PiAlign program [message #43780 is a reply to message #43779] Tue, 27 January 2004 08:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
David Morrison is currently offline  David Morrison
Messages: 16
Registered: May 2009
Chancellor
but when I model a small horn there is no response in the bass region can one of your horns with desired cutoff be used for a box. Then adjust the tuning to get the responce you want.

I know both programs and have been using Boxplot for awhile but horn responce is still new to me. But i still believe in trial and error for a box design but it helps to have a theory of how it will change then have a theory on why you got the change you did. for instance I built a fourth order bandpass that modeled good the the port was to small.

Re: PiAlign program [message #43781 is a reply to message #43780] Tue, 27 January 2004 08:23 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18791
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
You're right that a small horn isn't really suitable for low frequencies. It is either rolled off or peaky or both. But like I think you're alluding to, you can run the woofer as a direct radiator down below the frequency where its horn rolls off. This is how many Altec speakers are designed.

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