Forums - HWK for older digital organ low frequencies

fbrabson

Ex Member

HWK for older digital organ low frequencies
03/15/08 at 16:18:37

I'm new to the HWK forum and to DIY subwoofers in general. It's been cool checking out all the projects on here. 8-)

I'm thinking about a HWK to reinforce the low end of my Allen digital organ. The organ is early digital technology (late 70's), with only two 32' stops (bottom note around 16Hz) coming off one channel...the stops differ mostly in volume and presence, not so much in tone color.

I live in a small apartment (ground-floor, concrete slab) with neighbors above and beside, so I'm not looking to wreck any houses. What I would like is some nice "purr" on the bottom end, and my current cabs just don't do it. I'm running 4 channels thru 4 Allen 100W amps. Speakers can be seen at http://www.allenorgan.com/www/products/speakers/hc14.html

I'm never gonna be in a great big house or needing to rattle walls with the bottom end of this thing....I just want solid reinforcement.

Is the 15" version enough? Recommended drivers/amps/crossovers? I'm currently a grad student, so cost is somewhat a factor.

Thanks for any input. :)

Freddie

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Bart_West-VL. Ex Member	Re: HWK for older digital organ low frequencies Reply #1 - 03/15/08 at 17:05:54 Maybe you would better build one bass reflex box. Tuned to 16Hz with an 18" driver and a low pass filter at ±35Hz.
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fbrabson

Ex Member

Re: HWK for older digital organ low frequencies
Reply #2 - 03/15/08 at 18:49:50

Bart,

One bass reflex box is definitely an option too...and probably more likely. I have the organ's original 3-way cabinets (quantity 4), which have some decent 15" woofers, re-surrounded sometime in the last 10 years. They're not in bad shape; it's just that the other cabinets I picked up are ported and sound fuller. Depending on how they're adapted, volume of each is around 4.5ft^3.

I know squat about tuning boxes, though, so there's a big learning curve there. Good thing I also happen to like all this stuff out of intellectual curiosity.

I'll keep poking around. :)

Freddie

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Bart_West-VL. Ex Member	Re: HWK for older digital organ low frequencies Reply #3 - 03/15/08 at 19:53:07 fbrabson wrote on 03/15/08 at 18:49:50: Good thing I also happen to like all this stuff out of intellectual curiosity. Here ya go:http://sound.westhost.com/project48.htm ;) Nice and small and go's really low! I hope you let us know about your decision on which solution you used.
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60_and_up Ex Member	Re: HWK for older digital organ low frequencies Reply #4 - 03/16/08 at 01:48:34 if your anywhere near north california i have a 15" hwk you can try.
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fbrabson

Ex Member

Re: HWK for older digital organ low frequencies
Reply #5 - 03/17/08 at 04:30:39

Thanks, Bart & 60. I'm in Knoxville, TN, so can't get to 60's place to check out the HWK15. Hooked up one of my spare cabinets in parallel with the regular speaker on the channel in question today. Midrange output was right in line, not too loud (as expected it to be, given double increase in power), and the bass presence was much nicer. Not the same as a cone thwacking away at 16 cycles per second, but plenty for my 11x20 living room. I'm now thinking about adapting one of these boxes with a port and seeing if I can get it right. Pic attached in next post.

Thanks again, guys.

Freddie

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fbrabson Ex Member	Re: HWK for older digital organ low frequencies Reply #6 - 03/17/08 at 04:43:28 Can't get pic to post. But extra cabs are nice walnut finish, ~ 17"W x 18"D x 33"H (at outside, 3/4" materials). Current baffle is inset about 2", could be modded to front if volume needed. Holes for tweeter and midrange drivers are ~3" and 4.25" respectively. Port possibilities? Thanks again for the help.
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fbrabson Ex Member	Re: HWK for older digital organ low frequencies Reply #7 - 03/17/08 at 07:16:33 Pic attached -- I hope. freddie
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60_and_up

Ex Member

Re: HWK for older digital organ low frequencies
Reply #8 - 03/17/08 at 15:42:58

they look cool,

maybe it might be better to use a seperate amp on your low end (power is cheap nowdays) that way you can still keep overall volume down to not offend neibours and increase volume of low end to hear the 16hrtz?

i wouldnt modify those cabinets.

http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?&Webpage_ID=3&CAT_ID=43&ObjectGroup_ID=5...

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fbrabson

Ex Member

Re: HWK for older digital organ low frequencies
Reply #9 - 03/18/08 at 23:52:13

Hi fellas--

Bart's suggestion of a sealed box is beginning to make a lot of sense. When I suggested modding one of the boxes shown above, I envisioned making changes that could always be undone. If one of these enclosures can be stuffed with enough insulation to accomplish the volume suggested in Bart's link above, then that would save a whole lotta construction. Remove the tweeter and midrange driver, close the holes; install a new 15" sub driver, new amp, possibly the circuit described in the article, and we're good to go. (Unless I'm missing something...)

BTW, the cabinets playing the 4 main channels of the organ are very similar to what is shown. Only difference is one midrange driver less, and they're ported. Totally different sound, very clean. (I think there's a link to them on the Allen site earlier in this thread.)

fb

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60_and_up

Ex Member

Re: HWK for older digital organ low frequencies
Reply #10 - 03/19/08 at 15:05:26

fbrabson wrote on 03/18/08 at 23:52:13:

Hi fellas--

Bart's suggestion of a sealed box is beginning to make a lot of sense. When I suggested modding one of the boxes shown above, I envisioned making changes that could always be undone. If one of these enclosures can be stuffed with enough insulation to accomplish the volume suggested in Bart's link above, then that would save a whole lotta construction. Remove the tweeter and midrange driver, close the holes; install a new 15" sub driver, new amp, possibly the circuit described in the article, and we're good to go. (Unless I'm missing something...)

BTW, the cabinets playing the 4 main channels of the organ are very similar to what is shown. Only difference is one midrange driver less, and they're ported. Totally different sound, very clean. (I think there's a link to them on the Allen site earlier in this thread.)

fb

i believe lengthening the port will lower tuning.how bout experimenting with a few different lengths of additional port?

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