If i'm thinking of the same episode i thought the same thing, wrong subs, outdoor setup, everything was not ideal situations for what they were trying to accomplish.
Has anyone else thought of this yet?
I don't know if this belongs here, but I think it would.
When the Mythbusters first did the Brown Note myth, the tech guy that they had come in used Pro Audio "subwoofers". You all know that these woofers have a resonance frequency of something around 40hz. The Pro Audio speakers have a linear throw of ~10mm before distortion starts to kick in. These speakers are made to reproduce frequencies about 30hz at very loud volumes, due to their high resonance frquencies and relatively high efficiency.
When the Mythbusters tested this myth, they used a frequency from 5hz-20hz to hit the supposed Brown Note. With the stated Pro Audio speakers, they will not reproduce this low of frequencies at a high enough volumes for anything at all to happen. They need to use a true subwoofer like the Exodus 21" Mal (no pun intended, and no advertising either):
I can guarantee that the Mythbusters can hit the Brown Note with 20-24 of these subwoofers (similar number to what they used the first time). Granted it would be very expensive, but, personally, I would REALLY like to see them try it again with those subwoofers.
Also, another place where the Mythbusters messed up in the first one, is they did the test outdoors. You will loose a LOT of sound by going outdoors. Take 6-8 of the Mal-21's, put them in their appropriate size and tuned boxes, put them in a room, and you will have the Brown Note in no time.
Does anyone else agree with me on this?
When the Mythbusters first did the Brown Note myth, the tech guy that they had come in used Pro Audio "subwoofers". You all know that these woofers have a resonance frequency of something around 40hz. The Pro Audio speakers have a linear throw of ~10mm before distortion starts to kick in. These speakers are made to reproduce frequencies about 30hz at very loud volumes, due to their high resonance frquencies and relatively high efficiency.
When the Mythbusters tested this myth, they used a frequency from 5hz-20hz to hit the supposed Brown Note. With the stated Pro Audio speakers, they will not reproduce this low of frequencies at a high enough volumes for anything at all to happen. They need to use a true subwoofer like the Exodus 21" Mal (no pun intended, and no advertising either):
I can guarantee that the Mythbusters can hit the Brown Note with 20-24 of these subwoofers (similar number to what they used the first time). Granted it would be very expensive, but, personally, I would REALLY like to see them try it again with those subwoofers.
Also, another place where the Mythbusters messed up in the first one, is they did the test outdoors. You will loose a LOT of sound by going outdoors. Take 6-8 of the Mal-21's, put them in their appropriate size and tuned boxes, put them in a room, and you will have the Brown Note in no time.
Does anyone else agree with me on this?
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
Not sure the episode, but it would be interesting to see the attempt done with proper subs.
There is no brown note. I agree the test was flawed. The candle test was the same deal. They were using Meyer Sound cabs I believe. Probably tuned to around 35hz.
There was talk from Ivan at Danley Sound Labs that they might have Mythbusters give the Matterhorn a go. That's 40 MTX 9515's (a beastly driver) in a 10hz tapped horn with 20KW or something like that all built into a cargo container for some military simulation or something.
There was talk from Ivan at Danley Sound Labs that they might have Mythbusters give the Matterhorn a go. That's 40 MTX 9515's (a beastly driver) in a 10hz tapped horn with 20KW or something like that all built into a cargo container for some military simulation or something.
Now that would be interesting to see! Doesn't it seem like it would have been better to use stuff like the RE XXX18, Mal-X, or some other 18 instead of the 9515's?? If it was meant strictly for ~10hz output?There is no brown note. I agree the test was flawed. The candle test was the same deal. They were using Meyer Sound cabs I believe. Probably tuned to around 35hz.
There was talk from Ivan at Danley Sound Labs that they might have Mythbusters give the Matterhorn a go. That's 40 MTX 9515's (a beastly driver) in a 10hz tapped horn with 20KW or something like that all built into a cargo container for some military simulation or something.
For pure volume there are much better drivers.Now that would be interesting to see! Doesn't it seem like it would have been better to use stuff like the RE XXX18, Mal-X, or some other 18 instead of the 9515's?? If it was meant strictly for ~10hz output?
The Mal-X and drivers like it are designed for low distortion playback.
Plus horn loaded subs are much louder. Of course they are huge boxes, but hey all in the name of science.
108dB at 5Hz and 154dB at an unknown frequency(s). And a bit of distortion at around 3:50 in part three... :whistling:
Now that would be interesting to see! Doesn't it seem like it would have been better to use stuff like the RE XXX18, Mal-X, or some other 18 instead of the 9515's?? If it was meant strictly for ~10hz output?
The Matterhorn is a bass system, not just a collection of drivers mashed together. It's a giant tapped horn with a low knee in the range of 10hz or thereabouts. It is able to produce triple digit sub bass frequencies below 20hz at a distance of over 250 meters outside. It should also be useable up to around 70hz or so.For pure volume there are much better drivers.
The Mal-X and drivers like it are designed for low distortion playback.
Plus horn loaded subs are much louder. Of course they are huge boxes, but hey all in the name of science.
The drivers you mentioned do not work well in horns. Also the 9515's are no joke. I've heard what just one of them can do in one of Tom's TH's and it's sick.
I kinda doubt 108dB at 5hz with those kind of speakers. There was a lot of mechanical and suspension noise going on in the video, so the SPL meter probably picked up on that and amplified the final reading (possibly, but I don't know). But, with 24 Pro Audio speakers, you might be able to hit 100+dB at 5hz, depending on where the boxes are tuned to.
With 24 Mal-X's in a 145 cu.ft box tuned to 5hz with 40,000w+ input power, you can hit 120+dB at 5hz :bigsmile: With the boxes tuned to 30hz, you could hit 150+dB also. That would be insane in like a movie theater haha. My single Mal-X shakes my bed a pretty decent amount with tones from 8hz-15hz, so the 24 Mal-X's could shake the people out of their chairs lol. I wonder what a single RE XXX 18" could do on the low frequency stuff? It seems like a very impressive driver.
Speaking of the RE XXX 18, can some one post the WinISD file for it?
Perhaps, but considering who was running the test rig, and that they appeared to have a spectrum analyzer operating, I'm guessing they could tell if it was 108dB of mechanical noise or not. Which is certainly not to say that 24 Mal-X's wouldn't produce a better result.I kinda doubt 108dB at 5hz with those kind of speakers. There was a lot of mechanical and suspension noise going on in the video, so the SPL meter probably picked up on that and amplified the final reading (possibly, but I don't know).
That's true. And they did the 5hz test sealed, so it will further decrease the output, as opposed to porting ~10hz or so. If they had their boxes ported to 5hz or somewhere around there, I might be able to believe 108dB at said hz. But like the saying goes, there's no replacement for displacement...well somewhat. The new horn designs might be able to best some of the long-stroke, high output 18" drivers.Perhaps, but considering who was running the test rig, and that they appeared to have a spectrum analyzer operating, I'm guessing they could tell if it was 108dB of mechanical noise or not. Which is certainly not to say that 24 Mal-X's wouldn't produce a better result.
Now that I think about it, the Mythbusters should get ahold of about three of the Thigpen Rotary "subwoofers". I heard that a single one was enough to affect one guys' pacemaker with a 3hz or a 5hz tone. But, I also don't think that there actually is a "brown note".
About 110db at 10hz for a pair in sealed boxes. 104db for a single.I wonder what a single RE XXX 18" could do on the low frequency stuff? It seems like a very impressive driver.
Speaking of the RE XXX 18, can some one post the WinISD file for it?
View attachment RESONANT ENGINEERING XXX 18.wdr
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
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