Greetings all,
This is one of a number of threads I'm starting about a project I'm beginning to design and build a continuo-style organ. I've been pining after something similar to what Richard McVeigh did on his channel for a few years now, and I finally got the chance to kickstart the project with the recent purchase of two new OSI manuals.
I'm beginning to think about designing the enclosure and I find myself a bit torn about how to incorporate a speaker system. Richard just uses two tower speakers although he admits certain limitations. I find myself considering a few scenarios and would love to receive some advice from more seasoned users who have accomplished various projects as to what might work best.
Scenario 1A:
Two tower speakers, preferably some def-tech bipolars, but they will have to be smaller/older models as the new ones are getting quite large.
Scenario 2A: smaller/cheaper tower speakers like some of the cheaper dayton audio or monoprice ones that are under 40" tall, and due to their afforable price, putting two facing forward and two facing out to the sides.
Scenario B: pack the box with a hand full of small power studio monitors. Perhaps two facing forward, two facing sideways, and one or two on their backs firing up.
Scenario C: getting a mid-range surround system (save the sub), sending it a basic stereo feed, and then allowing the amp to throw the signal around. LR facing forward, center facing up, "surrounds" facing backwards.
Scenario D: (this one I confess I find rather interesting, but I certainly don't know enough about it) building a series of compartments into the internal structure and mounting in-wall / in-ceiling speakers. This would allow me to place speakers ultimately wherever I want. I could mount speakers in the floor firing up, in the center computer compartment firing out, some facing backwards... etc. They could all be mounted into the structure. All I know is that the backside of these speakers would need to be enclosed, not exposed, so that does increase build complexity. I'm also not sure if they would perform as well without cubit feet of wall around them to act as an infinite baffle.
Scenario E: getting some of the smaller wall-mount maggies and putting them in at angles. I know that they are finicky, but as bipolars renown for their clinical precision (and considering I wouldn't ever need to drive this particularly loud) I presume this could work. I do know they lack low end, however, so I'd perhaps have to incorporate one of the bass panels as well. Their dispersion isn't great off-axis though, so I'm thinking this is ultimately a no-go. At present, I'm not aware of anyone using magnepans for HW. (As an aside, I also considered building a harpsichord-style enclosure, and I'd love to use a small MMG as a soundboard for the mietke. I bet the result would be truly stunning in that context.)
Other musings:
I've also been researching bipolar speakers from companies like fluance. These are the models that are technically designed as surround rears but have two faces angled 30-45º apart. I could imagine two of these firing forward (with their secondary sides angled toward the sides. I could also imagine one of these being laid on top to throw sound up and towards the sides.
I was also considering natural pipe speech. I've wondered if two of the larger speakers often intended as center channels for surround systems might be good with one laying down facing forward and another laying on its back firing up. Natural pipes produce the majority of their sound at their mouths and then out the top of the pipe. Of course they radiate sound all around but those are the two primary places for tonal egress. Consequently I wonder if just two simple speakers in this arrangement might most naturally mimic how sound would fly around the box.
I've also wondered if two downward-firing speakers mounted on either side of the manuals with some sort of dispersion baffle on the floor of the box might also be good. That way no one would be hit with any direct sound, but only that which emanates from the box naturally.
As you can see, there are so many questions to consider! This is why I need your help!
This is one of a number of threads I'm starting about a project I'm beginning to design and build a continuo-style organ. I've been pining after something similar to what Richard McVeigh did on his channel for a few years now, and I finally got the chance to kickstart the project with the recent purchase of two new OSI manuals.
I'm beginning to think about designing the enclosure and I find myself a bit torn about how to incorporate a speaker system. Richard just uses two tower speakers although he admits certain limitations. I find myself considering a few scenarios and would love to receive some advice from more seasoned users who have accomplished various projects as to what might work best.
Scenario 1A:
Two tower speakers, preferably some def-tech bipolars, but they will have to be smaller/older models as the new ones are getting quite large.
Scenario 2A: smaller/cheaper tower speakers like some of the cheaper dayton audio or monoprice ones that are under 40" tall, and due to their afforable price, putting two facing forward and two facing out to the sides.
Scenario B: pack the box with a hand full of small power studio monitors. Perhaps two facing forward, two facing sideways, and one or two on their backs firing up.
Scenario C: getting a mid-range surround system (save the sub), sending it a basic stereo feed, and then allowing the amp to throw the signal around. LR facing forward, center facing up, "surrounds" facing backwards.
Scenario D: (this one I confess I find rather interesting, but I certainly don't know enough about it) building a series of compartments into the internal structure and mounting in-wall / in-ceiling speakers. This would allow me to place speakers ultimately wherever I want. I could mount speakers in the floor firing up, in the center computer compartment firing out, some facing backwards... etc. They could all be mounted into the structure. All I know is that the backside of these speakers would need to be enclosed, not exposed, so that does increase build complexity. I'm also not sure if they would perform as well without cubit feet of wall around them to act as an infinite baffle.
Scenario E: getting some of the smaller wall-mount maggies and putting them in at angles. I know that they are finicky, but as bipolars renown for their clinical precision (and considering I wouldn't ever need to drive this particularly loud) I presume this could work. I do know they lack low end, however, so I'd perhaps have to incorporate one of the bass panels as well. Their dispersion isn't great off-axis though, so I'm thinking this is ultimately a no-go. At present, I'm not aware of anyone using magnepans for HW. (As an aside, I also considered building a harpsichord-style enclosure, and I'd love to use a small MMG as a soundboard for the mietke. I bet the result would be truly stunning in that context.)
Other musings:
I've also been researching bipolar speakers from companies like fluance. These are the models that are technically designed as surround rears but have two faces angled 30-45º apart. I could imagine two of these firing forward (with their secondary sides angled toward the sides. I could also imagine one of these being laid on top to throw sound up and towards the sides.
I was also considering natural pipe speech. I've wondered if two of the larger speakers often intended as center channels for surround systems might be good with one laying down facing forward and another laying on its back firing up. Natural pipes produce the majority of their sound at their mouths and then out the top of the pipe. Of course they radiate sound all around but those are the two primary places for tonal egress. Consequently I wonder if just two simple speakers in this arrangement might most naturally mimic how sound would fly around the box.
I've also wondered if two downward-firing speakers mounted on either side of the manuals with some sort of dispersion baffle on the floor of the box might also be good. That way no one would be hit with any direct sound, but only that which emanates from the box naturally.
As you can see, there are so many questions to consider! This is why I need your help!