audioXpress July 2018 is one of those editions that we are certain our readers will read, revisit, and keep for reference. Start with the Editor's notes on the search for a sound reference standard, and how current digital signal processing technology and modern research is, for the first time, enabling us to correct transducers nonlinearities, fine-tune frequency response, and get closer to a consistent listening experience on speakers and headphones. But while this is happening, we are facing new challenges to actually find the best specifications for designs that actually support those reference targets, while allowing variability in emulation and personalization, which paradoxically is essential to get users closer to that ideal experience.In this July 2018 edition, audioXpress reviews the latest iteration of Sonarworks Studio Monitor and Headphone Calibration Solution, Reference 4. Latvia-based Sonarworks is a recording studio software development start-up specializing in acoustic calibration and DAW plug-ins. For years, the company has been working with custom studio installations and developing software solutions, based on research by audio engineer Kaspars Sprogis. Stuart Yaniger reviews this pioneering speaker calibration software for studio monitors and headphones, and also addresses the recent TrueFi solution that Sonarworks released for the consumer market.
And because everything starts with Microphones, Richard Honeycutt dedicates his Sound Control article to mic choices, addressing the many types from which to choose, obviously considering the all-important acoustical factors. The article discusses essential characteristics, from directionality to the proximity effect, polar responses, and corresponding frequency responses, with examples based on many classic and familiar microphones.
In our Q&A for the month, Shannon Becker talks to Kerry Armes and Dan Poinsett of Creative Sound Solutions, about "Breathing New Life Into a DIY-Oriented Company," which they recently acquired. Creative Sound Solutions is now operated out of the Southeast Michigan area by the two friends, after ownership of CSS was transferred from Bob Reimer, the original founder. Armes and Pointsett have been working on bringing back some of the drivers for which CSS is known, as well as introducing some new kits and products to make it easier to get a world-class speaker at a great price. We've met the team at Axpona 2018, and they explain where they intend to go.
Not to be missed, in this edition we bring you the Axpona 2018 Show Report, with all the details about the best sounding rooms and ultimate high-end gear from the Chicago, IL, show. Gerhard Haas concludes his series on audio transformers for tube amplifiers, and of course, our columnist Richard Honeycutt continues to explore the topics of audio electronics, writing about Hollow-State Electronics. In this month's article, he addresses the design and performance of power supplies for hollow-state amplifiers.In this edition, Andy Lewis continues his fascinating exploration of Back EMF Phase Relationships in Moving-Coil Loudspeakers. In the third part of this article, we discuss what causes Back EMF to simulate inductor, capacitor, or resistor (LCR) components. Christopher Paul also returns to audioXpress to discuss Current Feedback and explain how the existence of current (as opposed to voltage) feedback has been challenged, specifically in ICs that the semiconductor industry has come to call Current Feedback Amplifiers.
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