Hi!
I've had a lot of help from Mr.Widget about some DIY speakers I'm going to build.
I thought I'd widen the net and ask you guys in general (who have built bass cabs) some questions..
Ok, so you're going to get a carpenter to make some bass cabs for you. Each is going to house 1 x Tad1601a. It's a ported box, with 2 x ports per cab.
You're going to rest a smith horn with a tad4002 on top, and just put a slot over that.
The bass cab, you know how many litres you want it to be.
You know you want an MDF construction, with birch over the top, and heavy hardwood bracing.
The carpenter is a good woodworker, but no speaker builder.
What else do you instruct him to do?
e.g.
1) Is there an 'ideal' baffle width?
2) I've read (Olson) that curving baffle edges is a good idea. Is there a width beyond which this becomes irrelevant?.. I could ask him to 'chamfer' the edges if it helped.
3) Avoiding non-parallel sides.
I thought about angling the front panel back, leaving the sides parallel.. - is there an angle which should especially be used? e.g. 10 degrees, 15 etc.
It would be hard to angle the sides - and still keep a domestically acceptable shape/shape that I can rest the horn on top.
4) The bracing - any particular type of bracing better than other?
5) What about the damping material inside. I know there is trial and error here regarding placement and quantity, which I can experiment with myself. What's the best stuff (generally) to use to stuff a cab with?
6) What else would you specify the guy to do?
I have other questions, but if I can give the carpenter a full description of what to do, I'm sure I can end up with some decent cabs!
Interested in what you guys think..
Cheers!