Why multiple subwoofers in sound reproduction?
In an enclosed space sound is reflected by the room's boundaries. At certain frequencies, two or more reflected sound waves can superimpose themselves on one another in such a way where stationary locations can be found where that frequency becomes very loud or very quiet. This is called a mode. In every enclosed space there's a certain frequency at which the sound field can be devided into two parts. This frequency is called the Schröder frequency. In common living rooms it's about 200–300 Hz.
At higher frequencies, above the Schröder frequency, modes are not a big problem because there are so many. Two ears and a brain are very good in suppressing modes that otherwise would lead to coloration of sound (see Bilsen). Music has a more transient nature at higher frequencies and other effects play a major role: Soundwaves need time to travel through the room (about 34.4 cm per millisecond). If the difference between the direct sound and reflected sound is bigger than about 1 ms then our brain is capable of separating the two. However, only one sound sensation is perceived (precedence effect). If the difference is smaller than 1 ms then the two sounds are melted into one (summing localization). Only in the latter case sound coloration is perceived.
At frequencies below the Schröder frequency modes become a problem. There are fewer modes and they are more spaced relative to each other. Low frequency modes lead to the typical sensation of "booming" or "one-note" bass or even no bass at all. Our hearing needs a couple of cycles before it can determine a sound timbre. So in a small room the reflection becomes part of the sound almost instantly because wavelengths are in the range of a room's dimensions (e.g. 40 Hz = 8.6 m). Additional sound sources influence the frequency response of a mode. Because we can't localize sound sources below 150 Hz the use of additional subwoofers can smooth the frequency response at a given listening position or over a certain listening area. Studies have shown that only 2 to 4 additional subwoofers are necessary to smooth the low frequency response (see Welti/Devantier).
Subwoofer setup after Earl Geddes (GedLee LLC)
The multisub setup described on this page has two big advantages over other methods: only three subs are needed and you don't need to put the subwoofers at specified locations. Nonetheless there are some basic rules that have proven to yield best results:
Put one sub in a corner close to the mains. The second sub is a lot more flexible as to its location, but it should not be in a corner. Side wall or back wall, near the midpoint is a good idea. Put the third sub wherever you can that is not too close to the other two. It's a good idea to get one of them off of the floor.
Subwoofer requirements
Because we are using 3 subwoofers, they do not need to be as powerful as a single subwoofer. Any decent active subwoofer (ported or closed design) with a 10" or bigger driver will do. It should have controls for
- level (infinitely variable)
- low pass frequency (infinitely variable)
- phase (switchable or infinitely variable)
- parametric equalizer (optional)
Measurement equipment
- Measurement microphone
- Microphone preamp
- Computer
- Realtime FFT analyzer software
- White noise signal (download - WAV, 5.1MB)
Calibration procedure
Make sure that the main loudspeakers are not high pass filtered as they act as additional low frequency sources. The more the better.
"First setup the mains and the nearest sub [(the sub nearest to the mains)]. Set your spectrum analyzer to a very low bandwidth but not less than 200 Hz and fairly long averaging time. This will yield a very long average of the sound signal. Take your mic and move it through large spatial positions near but arround the prefered listening position. Be carefull as small bumps of the cable can generate large erroneous signals into the mic. The sweeping has to be smooth. When the analyzer has completed its run you will have a plot of the frequency and spatial averaged low frequency sound field. Try adjusting the sub - never adjust the mains - to see if you can get a better response by changing the gain, the low pass point, the phase and or delay if you have it. The bass should be sagging slightly at this point since you will be adding in two more subs.
Now add in the next closest sub and repeat the entire procedure again. You should be able to improve upon what you had before. If not try turning off the first sub and setting the second one optimal and then add in the first sub. If you still can't get a better response with two subs than with one then you will need to move one of them. You need to get an improvement from the second sub or something is wrong.
Now repeat this process with the third sub. The third sub, when you are close to it should barely be audible. If it is loud, then once again, something is wrong. It should only be filling in holes at this point and not adding any actual level. The level after two subs should be about flat or possibly a slight rise - based on preference. I find a few dB rise at the low end is desirable for best effect.
With the three subs things should be quite smooth when spatially averaged. You can now use any EQ that you have to make a final flattening of the response, but these bands should never be more than a few dB. When you are done, if things go as they usually do for me, your should have a spatial average of about ± 2-3 dB. This can take several hours so don't be impatient. [...] Make sure and write down all the settings!!
Two people helps - one to sweep the mic and another to run the analyzer. Sweep the mike vertically as well as horizontally, but in a wide ellipse. Its not necessary to repeat the same pattern, its only necessary to NOT leave the mic in a stationary position. You can try wider sweeps or narrower ones, but the bigger sweep will likely be better." (Earl Geddes)
Exemplary data
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