Currently, Meyer Sound is supporting a CNMAT effort to create a loudspeaker array capable of mimicking the kinds of radiation patterns exhibited by acoustical musical instruments. The most recent prototype array is a 10-inch-diameter icosahedron incorporating 120 1.25-inch drivers developed by Meyer Sound, each driven from a separate audio channel, plus circuit boards for all of the control and class-D amplification functions. The array is controlled through Gigabit Ethernet.
The prototype is the subject of a paper titled A Compact 120 Independent Element Spherical Loudspeaker Array with Programmable Radiation Patterns that will be presented by the CNMAT group during the May 22 Loudspeakers and Sound Reinforcement papers session at the upcoming 120th Audio Engineering Society convention in Paris from May 22-25. An associated poster presentation will take place the following day.
"Our mission is to break new ground and discover how the technologies we create can be made useful," says CNMAT research director Adrian Freed. "The spherical loudspeaker array project is a new approach to sound reproduction that we feel could have potent applications for room acousticians, musicians, and the research community, just for a start."
In addition to Meyer Sound, support for the project has come through a UC Discovery Grant from the Industry-University Cooperative Research Program (IUCRP), which forms partnerships tying together the University of California, industry sponsors, and the State of California.
(Chris Henry)
