Point source array
For G Group and other applications I wanted to make a set of point source speakers, following the designs of the Princeton and Stanford laptop orchestras.
Point source speakers fulfill several functions. They allow electronic music to be performed effectively in formal concert halls, placing performers and audience in the same acoustic space and activating the reverberant characteristics of the room. They give each performer a clearer sense of their own place in the mix and allows the group to create their own balance. They provide the audience an association between performer activity with the sound produced, always an issue in electronic music.
I started with salad bowls from Chinatown and components from Parts Express. I also had to build a six-channel amplifier to drive the array.
The results sound very good down to 200Hz. A subwoofer is required in performance, but as bass frequencies are omnidirectional this does not hinder performance.
If I ever acquire the resources I will build a larger set! The total output here is about 700 Watts.
built 2014-2015
