All items in category Magazine Articles
Bass Shakers (Part 2): Motion Platforms Are Bass Shakers on Steroids
by Mike Klasco and Steve Tatarunis

Bass Shakers (Part 2): Motion Platforms Are Bass Shakers on Steroids

In the first part of this article, our exploration of bass shakers introduced us to haptic sensations, which add the dimension of structure-borne vibrational energy to audio reproduction. At a concert, we see the performers, hear the music, and feel the amphitheater resonate with the bass. For home theaters, this “tactile” component adds another dimension (sometimes referred to as 4-D) to reproduce the impact of explosions, engine sounds, and thunder through by use of vibration. In this article we will focus directly on those haptic components. This article was originally published in audioXpress, May 2014.
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Bass Shakers (Part 1): Enhancing the Deep Bass Experience with Tactile Energy
by Mike Klasco and Steve Tatarunis

Bass Shakers (Part 1): Enhancing the Deep Bass Experience with Tactile Energy

Get ready to shake! Our perception of live music and the auditory world in general includes not only airborne sound energy, but also structure-borne vibrational energy. This creative impact can be powerful, and as subtle as the anticipation created when Jurassic Park viewers first see the dinosaur’s footfall as waves in a puddle, feel the first tremor, and finally hear the thundering vibration. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2014.
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Automotive Audio Solutions: Redefining Surround Sound in Cars
by Birgit Bartel-Kurz

Automotive Audio Solutions: Redefining Surround Sound in Cars

Birgit Bartel-Kurz (Senior Engineer at Fraunhofer IIS) details the ongoing research at the Fraunhofer IIS institute on more immersive audio solutions for automotive applications. The article explores how to apply new audio processing algorithms in actual playback systems for cars, and how the Sonamic Panorama signal processing technology from Fraunhofer creates an immersive in-car sound experience from a simple stereo source. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2020.
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Comparative Studies on the Behavior of Beryllium, Titanium, and CN Fiber Hybrid Dome in the Last Octave
by Peyu Vlaevski

Comparative Studies on the Behavior of Beryllium, Titanium, and CN Fiber Hybrid Dome in the Last Octave

For some years, Oberton has been conducting efforts in the development of a new composite fiber diaphragm, combining a low relative weight and a high damping factor as in beryllium, with mechanical characteristics similar to titanium. The article details the comparative study that took place directly within the research conducted by the famous loudspeaker manufacturer from Bulgaria. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, May 2020.
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Our Future Car: Audio Bubbles, Sterile Cockpits, New Business Models
by Elia Shenberger

Our Future Car: Audio Bubbles, Sterile Cockpits, New Business Models

We probably listen to more music and podcasts in our cars than anywhere else. Which means this is where we’re pushing the boundaries of audio experience — less noise, personalized sound zones, and control. And we’re more aware of the safety implications, not distracting or tiring the driver. This article was published in audioXpress, June 2020.
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Progress on Calculating Edge Effect of Acoustical Absorption
by Richard Honeycutt

Progress on Calculating Edge Effect of Acoustical Absorption

For his audioXpress monthly column Sound Control, Richard Honeycutt explored new methods to calculate the edge effect of acoustical absorption and the research behind these methods. The research focuses on the recognized fact that rooms in which Reverberation Time (RT) is important, requiring the application of absorptive wall panels, seem to achieve better results when the absorptive material is applied only to parts of each wall. The physical reasons behind this apparent anomaly are often lumped into the category of "edge effect." This article was originally published in audioXpress, December 2017.
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More Developments in Loudspeaker Enclosure Materials
by Mike Klasco

More Developments in Loudspeaker Enclosure Materials

In this report, Klasco once again shares his knowledge with loudspeaker enclosures and reports on the progress in enclosure materials and technologies in 2020. And if someone has interesting things to share about wood enclosures, composites, plastics, improved plastic-based formulas, ABS/PA (polyimide), thermoset and thermoplastic resins, bulk-molded and sheet-molded thermosets and more, it's certainly Mike Klasco. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, March 2020.
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R&D Stories: Acoustic Echo Canceller Calibration in Real Time
by Erica Yorga

R&D Stories: Acoustic Echo Canceller Calibration in Real Time

Is it an understatement to say that echo cancellation has been a kind of “holy grail” ever since the first conference call? Nureva’s patented Microphone Mist technology rethinks that quest in innovative ways. In this article, Erica Yorga shares how the development process of a real-time calibration method for acoustic echo cancellation awarded surprising results. This article was originally published in AudioXpress, June 2020. This article was originally published in AudioXpress, June 2020.
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Audio Precision APx500 Flex Audio Analyzer — Hands-On
by Vance Dickason

Audio Precision APx500 Flex Audio Analyzer — Hands-On

Vance Dickason writes about the Audio Precision APx500 Flex Audio Analyzer and shares his hands-on experience with this latest affordable analyzer solution, designed to work with third-party USB audio recording interfaces. Dan Knighten, AP's VP of Product Development, and Michael Martin, AP's Product Marketing Manager, brought a complete system to Dickason's place and assisted him in performing a series of R&D type measurements on the same driver featured in a Test Bench column. Which means, readers can compare the readings and results directly! This article was originally published in Voice Coil, March 2020.
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Speakers: Parts Is Parts - High-Polymer Film, Headphones, Microphones, and Other Audio Applications (Part 2)
by Mike Klasco and Steve Tatarunis

Speakers: Parts Is Parts - High-Polymer Film, Headphones, Microphones, and Other Audio Applications (Part 2)

Lightweight and flexible, piezoelectric film transducers can serve as highly reliable low-cost alternatives to more expensive speakers, headphones, microphones, and even musical instrument sound pickups. This second article about the technology focuses precisely on the many other successful applications of this technology. We can only hope that this article will serve as a reintroduction to the technology. This article was originally published in audioXpress May 2013.
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