Power Procedures: Ways Of Driving Loudspeakers Via A “Parade Route” Scenario

There are several competing philosophies among audio power amplifier designers as to how an amplifier should behave under load. They can be constant voltage, constant… Read More

Clearing Up The Confusion: Attributes Of 70-Volt (And Other “Stepped Up”) Systems

Most people are surprised to find that “70-volt” systems share many common traits as “direct connected” counterparts. The most important trait of 70-volt (more accurately… Read More

The Right Context: What Does “Constant Voltage” Actually Mean In Audio?

Those new to the audio field are often dismayed by the subjective nature of many audio terms, which may mean different things in different contexts. Read More

The Reason For “Bad Sound” May Not Be The Sound System

Many things around us are getting better. Computers are faster, televisions have more resolution, and dishwashers are quieter and more powerful than ever. But with… Read More

What Is Equalization?

As I was preparing a recent OptEQ workshop, a few things crystallized for me, the most fundamental being “what is equalization?” If… Read More

Understanding The Nuances Of Crest Factor

The crest factor of an audio signal is the dB difference between the peaks and the RMS value of the signal. The RMS (Root Mean… Read More

Illuminating The Audience With Beautiful, Consistent Audio Coverage

When it comes to room acoustics, definitions of “correct” or “appropriate” can be largely dependent upon the musical tastes of the listeners, often making it… Read More

Do You Speak Geek? The Unique Language Of Audio Analysis

In my lifetime, the size of sophisticated audio analysis systems has evolved from table top, to under-airplane-seat, to computer bag, to cell phone. The cost… Read More

Miracle Solution? What Equalization Can—And Cannot—Do

Almost every sound system has an equalizer. It can be as simple as a channel strip tone control or as sophisticated… Read More

Tech Topic: Where There Is Flow…

The nature and measurement of impedance Read More

Measuring Reverberation Time: An Essential Character Of Room Acoustics

The reverberation time (RT) is one of the most fundamental room measurements. It gives a broad brush stroke description of the… Read More

Clearing Up Misconceptions And Clarifying Constant-Voltage

Why a “70-volt” system? A good question, and one that causes a lot of confusion among audio practitioners. Some common misconceptions… Read More

The Right Match: Is “Digital” Cable Required For Digital Audio Interfaces?

The audio interface provides the means of getting the signal from one component to the next. It includes the source (output) circuit, the cable, and… Read More

The Differences Between Dynamic Range & Signal-to-Noise Ratio

Adequate signal-to-noise ratio is one of the characteristics of a professionally designed sound reinforcement system. The terms “dynamic range” and “signal-to-noise… Read More

Speech Intelligibility: Gathering Additional Pieces Of The Puzzle

When most people think of sound reinforcement systems, or audio systems in general, they rarely do so with regard to speech… Read More