May 31, 2013

Introducing Cine12 - a HT speaker with extreme dynamics and constant directivity

Cine12 is currently in development for an LSK kit.



This is a speaker designed with home cinema in mind. As such, it doesn't need much extension, making a small box with high sensitivity possible. Max SPL is around 120 dB, 95 dB sensitivity, 60 Hz anechoic extension.

May 29, 2013

Room Treatment primer - part 2 - mid and high frequencies

Have you seen my previous article for StereoNET?

Room treatment primer - bass traps >

Now part 2 is out:

Room treatment primer - mid + high frequency treatment >

This is a practical get-started-now guide, for those who want to roll up their sleeves and get started. Not so much for the tech theory junkies.


May 27, 2013

Revelator Tower

This is a project currently in progress, featuring a Scan Speak Revelator Woofer and a ring radiator.

The drivers were purchased together with a simple passive crossover. The previous owner wasn't satisfied with the result, describing the combination as overly bright sounding. The reason for this was not hard to find - running a Vifa XT tweeter with a simple crossover will very easily result in brightness. This project will feature a waveguide to overcome the limitations of the tweeter.


May 23, 2013

Introducing Cinem8

This is a home theatre speaker in progress: Cinem8.

It brings together elements of pro and home audio. With a compression driver loaded into a pro horn for superior dynamics and dispersion control. Peerless 8" midwoofers are used for their high sensitivity, smooth response and excellent value.


This is an active speaker for a client, with a kit based on this design to follow.

May 22, 2013

Monster sub

We're currently looking at a design for a HT monster sub, with a view to offering it as an LSK product.

This could be offered both as a DIY kit and fully finished.

We could offer a special pre-order price for a group, if there is sufficient interest. We can also take on feedback regarding what people would like, in terms of the type of sub on offer, form factor, etc. Anything is possible.

Some of the options include:
  • passive sub for use with external high powered pro amps or plate amps
  • large sealed multi driver - dual opposed
  • extreme drivers - we can get in TC Sounds LMS drivers as we are the distributor
  • value oriented drivers from Dayton - we're also a distributor
  • infinite baffle kits to suit installation in walls or ceilings
  • large ported LFE monsters
  • giant horn subs
We can also offer options beyond the usual black box.


May 16, 2013

CNC curved sub




CNC curved sub. This is a job in progress for a client who wanted sexy curves. This will be build by the client and supplied as a design-only service. Using a Rythmik servo kit. Bracing not shown here.

Coming soon ...

So what is in the works at Red Spade Audio? A great deal.

  • HE2 - I have been working on getting HE2 ready for production. 
  • S3 - I'm in the process of working out how it will be machined and there are options being considered that I'm not revealing just yet until I have figured out if it can be done without blowing out the budget. 
  • Room analysis - Figuring out the details of a remote room acoustic analysis service - this will be offered internationally in addition to my onsite services within Melbourne.
  • Custom speakers & subs - There are a number of custom speakers in the works currently. Those will be featured here once they are complete.
  • Demo room - nearing completion
  • New kits - I have some new kits in the works that will provide new options in Australia. 
Too many other things coming to mention!


Articles for StereoNET

I'm now a technical writer for the StereoNET forum.

The first article is a quickstart guide to bass traps. You can find it here:

http://www.stereo.net.au/articles/articles/room-treatment-series-part-one-bass-traps/

Of course, articles and updates will keep coming in here as well, even though I've been doing less due to a very busy schedule with Red Spade Audio and the Loudspeaker Kit.


May 13, 2013

Echohush image panels

This is a product that I'm working on at the moment with a local manufacturer. Echohush image panels. It will feature an image printed onto a semi rigid acoustic panel, typically 50mm thick and 600 x 1200 mm in size.

Here is an image that I have for the Red Room:


I will also be featuring some charcoal Cosmo panels.


May 9, 2013

The Red Room

My listening room is starting to take shape. Here you can see my S3 horn prototype - soon to be replaced with the final version coming out soon. Next to it you can see HE2 and in the middle of the room a new concealed rack that sits in an old fire place. The rack comes out on wheels. Soon a power point will be added inside the rack and this will mean no power cable coming out. 

I've allowed for a set of cables to run from the power amp to drive a pair of passive speakers. You can see here I've integrated the binding posts.

The rack has a source that will soon be changed, it will run as a digital transport into an Emotiva surround processor which then feeds the DSP active crossover (Behringer Ultradrive DCX2496). Active mains (S3) will be driven by the Emotiva multi channel amp. UPA700.

 

 How does he fit it all in the fireplace? He doesn't. Here is rack 2:

This rack contains power amps to drive the surrounds, woofers and sub. Only the woofer amp is shown right now, along with the custom wall plate. It was neater to create just one wall plate and cut a big hole that makes it easier to run so many cables down the wall. To get the cables all the way down, I had to cut 3 holes in the wall, even though I had under floor access. This is where you can see the benefit of DIY cables. Everything is cut to the exact required length and it avoids a birds nest of cables. There is no way to buy the lengths you require in this situation and there is no way to have so many cables neat otherwise with this kind of setup. I don't enjoy making my own cables but it's the best way to get things neat.

This rack is located inside a wardrobe, however, it is situated where a return air duct was previously installed. This means the power amps will blow their exhaust air out an existing grille (not shown).



S3 prototype and HE2. The original passive has been replaced with a more complex version. 
Just a little bit more work before it's ready for release.

Left surround. This is an active speaker with an 8" midwoofer and waveguide loaded compression driver, fully active with high sensitivity and high output. It is a ported box to keep the efficiency high. Very heavy and solid with bitumen rubber damping. The block to which it is attached is very solidly anchored to the structure - a solid noggin was added for this purpose. As a result, you could attach monkey bars to it, it's that solid. Speakon speaker connector is used here.

The surrounds are a little higher than usual due to the door way in an inconvenient location.


 The whole system powers up with a remote switch shown here. Even the second rack in the robe.


All this is preparation for setting up the red room for demos for both Red Spade Audio and the Loudspeaker Kit.  Cables run through the concrete base of the chimney, under the floor, through the ceiling and through the walls. It's been a big job to get it all done and my back isn't happy about it!

Coming soon:
  • Pyrotek Cosmo midrange absorber panels
  • Pyrotek flocked foam panels
  • Custom printed image absorber
  • Custom baffle/bass traps
  • Custom bulkhead traps over the rear wall
  • Floor rug
  • Diffusers
  • New source and media streamer
  • S3 complete and installed
  • New LSK kits