Logo by Alegra Designs, alegradesigns@optusnet.com.au Last
update 22 - April -
2010.
Bodzio Software Pty. Ltd.: We are based in Melbourne, Australia and have been developing loudspeaker system design software for personal computers since 1990. This site is intended to provide information about our WinXP™ programs: SoundEasy and BoxCad.
SoundEasy 17.0 has been released. Now shipping with Bass Synthesizer, Ultimate Equalizer DSP devices and much more .
SoundEasy + EasyLab system is a complete modelling and measurement software package. ( for full description of the program features, please download the PDF manual below )
SoundEasy operates in time and frequency domains and models the complete design and advanced (Phase/SPL/Zin - constrained) optimisation process of multi-way loudspeaker system, including WMTMW arrays. The program allows for a complete characterisation of all drivers, including complex transfer function for sound pressure (amplitude frequency response) and input impedance. Direct data import functions from PC-based measurement systems are included. SoundEasy will even tell you if your imported phase is correct and will help you to correct it (using Hilbert-Bode Transform, HBT, during the import). Enclosure design includes 13 types of enclosures, including H/U Dipoles and handles multiple driver configurations. Up to 4 identical drivers can be placed on the front panel to analyse diffraction distortion and mutual radiation impedance. Large-signal analysis is provided and includes: BL(x) and Cas(x) non-linearity, port compression and thermal power compression effects. Our NEW, full-screen, scrollable, re-sizable CAD section of the program, handles all electronics of the passive/active system such as: complete and detailed passive or active crossover design, and time/frequency/impedance compensation circuits. The CAD system allows you to include advanced DSP components, like Linear Phase Filters, Time Delay Elements, and our own Super-Components, Mega-Components and Modular Crossover concepts, none of which can be implemented in standard, passive crossovers. 100 of popular filter/crossover types are built-in. Finally, complete system responses are obtained by taking into account mutual 3D alignment of the drivers on the front panel, including off-axis simulations, tilting and rotating drivers. As the Ray-Tracing Methods are really not suitable for low-frequency (below 300Hz) room modelling, we have implemented extensive evaluation of room and car cabin acoustics using Image Method and the powerful Finite Element Method for complex room geometries - ideal for 4 sub-woofer placement evaluation, including two dipole subwoofers. The FEM includes modelling of absorption at each node and allows you to include opened windows, carpets, heavy drapes, (any size) etc. in your analysis. The program is quite large. It contains over 60 plotting screens/control boxes for modelling various design processes and a number of "calculators" for performing specific modelling functions. There are also numerous dialogue boxes for customizing plotting and display functions. The program includes support for design and optimization of Transient Perfect crossovers. Small-Thiele loudspeaker model has been expanded by using FEM to model enclosure resonant modes.
DSP Functions
1. CAD-based Digital Equalizer has been implemented to enable perfect filtering with simultaneous equalization of ANY irregularities of SPL response curve. This has been accomplished by modifying the targeted filter transfer function by the inverse SPL response of the driver, and at the same time cancelling the parasitic "tails"of the SPL using Hilbert-Bode Transform. Our Equalizer allows you to audition your favorite audio-CD via the sound card and also includes simulating propagation delays due to different spatial location of the acoustic centers of drivers. This feature is significantly more advanced than typical Digital Filter - see SoundEasy Reference Manual, Chapter 9 for details. Filters and Equalizers up to 2x4-way can be constructed and evaluated with suitable, MME-compliant sound card.
2. Digital Room Equalizer (DRE) allows you to step out of the loudspeaker box and do something constructive with your room acoustic. The DRE is a HBT-based, minimum-phase equalizer, designed to put "final touches" on your room transfer function. It includes full-screen SPL pixel editor for precise modifications to your measured SPL curves and other processing tools. Please see SoundEasy Reference Manual, Chapter 19 for details. Will run on most 16-bit, full duplex, stereo sound cards.
3. System Phase Equalizer works with already built loudspeakers and allows you to remove all phase delays due to enclosure and crossover frequency responses. Loudspeaker equalized this way will reproduce square wave reasonably well, depending on amplitude irregularity. Please see SoundEasy Reference Manual, Chapter 19 for details. Will run on most 16-bit, full duplex, stereo sound cards.
4. Advanced System Phase Equalizer. In addition to (3), the Advanced System Phase Equalizer also equalizes the amplitude response of the loudspeaker system. When operated with a loudspeaker system, you will be able to flatten the amplitude AND phase of the complete system. Loudspeaker equalized this way will reproduce square wave perfectly. Please see SoundEasy Reference Manual, Chapter 19 for details. Will run on most 16-bit, full duplex, stereo sound cards.
5. Ultimate Equalizer. This is the most advanced DSP function built into the program. It provides crossover/filtering function, amplitude equalization, time delay and phase equalization (YES, the phase response is a FLAT LINE). Loudspeaker equalized this way will reproduce square wave perfectly. This device is the future of loudspeaker design. Please see SoundEasy Reference Manual, Chapter 19 for details. Filters and Equalizers configured as 2x2-way and 2x3-way can be constructed and evaluated with suitable, MME-compliant sound card.
6. Bass Synthesizer. This is a sub-octave bass synthesizer generating first sub-harmonic of the lowest bass note present in the music material played through the synthesizer. The resulting bass output is user adjustable and is perfect way to give your subwoofers something to do. You can also write your own WAV files, while the bass synthesizer is working, so you can modify your favourite music, giving it tonal balance of your choice. Please see SoundEasy Reference Manual, Chapter 19 for details. Will run on most 16-bit, full duplex, stereo sound cards.
7. Digital Filter (FIR implemented as Fast Linear Convolution, and also as Partitioned Convolution ) function has been provided for auditioning your crossover design via sound card. Our implementation includes simulating sound propagation delays due to different spatial location of the acoustic centres of drivers. You can also write your own, and read WAV files. Please see SoundEasy Reference Manual, Chapter 9 for details. Filters and Equalizers up to 2x4-way can be constructed and evaluated with suitable, MME-compliant sound card.
EasyLab - Advanced is an expanded section of the SoundEasy program, dedicated to frequency and time domain measurements of the driver and room acoustics. The system incorporates 24 screens / large control boxes in total, including: Analogue (continuos tone, sine sweep, quick sweep, and gated sweep) and digital (MLS and pre-emphasized MLS) measurement screens have been implemented for measuring SPL and Zin. Both methods include powerful post-processing functions, including amplitude/time zoom-in on Impulse Response, scroll Impulse Response and analog input buffer, HB Transform for easy determination of acoustic center of the driver. Dual Channel Oscilloscope with built-in 6 signal generators: Sine Wave, Square Wave, Pink Noise, White Noise, Two-Tone and Tone-Burst. Next, Spectrum Analyser with various screen control option (including Warped FFT), THD display, and the same set of signal generators. Cumulative Spectra Decay (CSD) Analyser now includes Tone-Burst Waterfalls as well. There is also a Small-signal (T/S) and Qb extraction screen using Delta Mass and Delta Compliance methods, RLC Measurement screen, Distortion Analyser, including estimation of non-linear coefficients of BL(x), K(x) and Le(x) using truncated Volterra series expansion method, and finally, advanced Non-linear Parameter Measurement screen and modeller based on driver's differential equations and numerical differentiation. EasyLab employs extensively MLS-type of test signals, Hilber-Bode Transforms and curve-fitting methods in it's measurement system. "Curve Arithmetic" function for Digital and Analogue measurement functions is also provided. Your SPL field measurements can be saved as a raw-data files, so that you can perform all post-processing and presentation functions later, at your convenience - see SoundEasy Reference Manual, Chapter 16 & 17 for details. Tone burst testing method is also implemented. The next addition to the EasyLab system is RT60 measurement capability. The system incorporates Schoeder Backward Integration and two methods for noise reduction: Truncated and Subtracted. THD/IMD measurement system and Cepstral Deconvolution have been added recently, and finally, a Matching Filter Technique has been implemented, in this release. Cepstral Deconvolution and Matching Filter Technique both allow reconstruction of measured, echo-contaminated, low-frequency response of a loudspeaker system.
BoxCad is a sophisticated software tool (separate program) focused on enclosure analysis using acoustic impedance models and electrical impedance models - highly recommended for advanced designers. 10 models are built-in for your convenience, but you can let your imagination fly and invent an esotheric enclosure and analyse it using BoxCad - unlike using other loudspeaker modeling programs, you are NOT restricted to built-in enclosure models. Again, frequency and time domain analysis is available. The results of the analysis can be combined with active/passive circuits designed with built-in electronic CAD system. And yes!, you can model Passive Radiator Band-Pass enclosures of any type with BoxCad. If you are concerned with vent non-linearitiy during turbulent flow - perhaps PR system will satisfy your requirements. And how about an Acoustic Cannon ?.
Recommended Sound Cards
or Digital Crossovers
1. For usage with EasyLab measurement system -
you will need full duplex, 16-bit sound card, such as
SoundBlaster Live 5.1, Delta 410 from M-Audio, Layla24 from Echo
Digital Audio.
2. For Digital Filter and Digital
Equalizer - we recommend more advanced cards such as,
Delta 410 from M-Audio, FireWire 410, from M-Audio, Layla24,
Darla24, Gina from Echo Digital Audio will provide you with 2-in
and 8-out configuration. Many standard sound card can also be
used for 1x2-way system emulation
3. For Modular Crossover - we also recommend
more advanced cards such as, Delta 410 from M-Audio, FireWire
410, from M-Audio, Layla24, Darla24, Gina from Echo Digital Audio
will provide you with 2-in and 8-out configuration. Many standard
sound card can also be used for 1x2-way systems. Also, you can
remotely program Behringer DCX2496 (V1.14) Digital
Crossover using this functionality.
With our thanks to the Speaker Builder, Voice Coil and audioXpress publishers, you can now enjoy some of our articles on-line.
1. "Active Equalisation of Loudspeakers" in Speaker Builder,
Issue 2 1997, based on BoxCad V1.1 capabilities..
2. "Computerized
Loudspeaker Placement Part I" in Speaker
Builder, Issue 1 1998, based on SoundEasy V3.00.
3. "Computerized
Loudspeaker Placement Part II" in Speaker
Builder, Issue 4 1998, based on SoundEasy V3.10.
4. "Low
Frequency Acoustics of the Open Plan House". Based on SoundEasy V3.20.
5. "Loudspeaker
Diffraction Distortion and Radiation Impedance" in Voice Coil, Volume
13, Issue 9, 1999. Based on SoundEasy V3.20
6."The Auto
Passenger Compartment as a Listening Room". Published in Speaker Builder,
Issue 1, 2000. Based on SoundEasy V3.30.
7." How Good Is
Your Port". Published in audioXpress,
September 2001.
8."Subwoofer
Placement in NonRectangular Rooms".
Published in audioXpress, Issue 9,
September 2002.
9."Multi-Way
Transient Perfect Crossovers".
Some ideas on implementing transient perfect crossovers in
SoundEasy
10. "Acoustic Centre Evaluation".
Locating AC using Hilbert-Bode Transform.
11. "Cone
Break-Up Effects". Modelling of
cone break-up using FEM.
12. "TS Extraction Accuracy".
Discussion of some aspects of TS parameters extraction.
13. "Synthesized Bass". in
AudioXpress, Volume 41, Number 3, March 2010
The V17.0 release is our most powerful and easy to use upgrade to date and introduces a number of significant changes. These release is recommended for fast Pentium™ processors such as Pentium4™ 1.7GHz.
Copy Protection: USB dongle.
SoundEasy Design Guide by John Kreskovsky, is now available from Music and Design - http://www.musicanddesign.com. This is a "must read" for anyone interested in SoundEasy program and loudspeaker design and measurement.
Please review EasyLab capabilities, summarized in this file, and SoundEasy advanced algorithms summarized in this file.
BoxCad V4.0 Manual:
Chapter 1 - Introduction - Overview of the
program and general specs
Chapter 2 - Operation - Entering data, using CAD
and general operation
Chapter 3 - Background - Acoustical tools needed
for this program
Chapter 4.1 - Theory - Enclosures - 10 enclosures
detailed acoustical impedance schematics
Chapter 4.2 - Theory - Enclosures
Chapter 4.3 - Theory - Enclosures
Chapter 4.4 - Theory - Enclosures
Chapter 5 - Powered Subwoofer - Design example
of powered subwoofers
Chapter 6 - Examples - Just a couple of examples
SoundEasy V17.0 Reference Manual:
Chapter_1 - Introduction - Overview of the
program and software functions performed. (NEW)
Chapter_2 - Editor
Screen - Entering driver's data, complex transfer
function, impedance models used, suspension systems, enclosure
dimensions.
Chapter_3 - Importing Data Files - IMP, CLIO,
LMS, DAAS32, MLSSA, includes exporting data as well.
Chapter4.1, Chapter_4.2 - Enclosure
Design Screen - 13 types of enclosures, small and large
signal analysis, lots of plots.
Chapter_5 - Enclosure Optimization - Sealed,
vented and band-pass enclosure optimizations.
Chapter_6 - Enclosure Response To Rectangular Function
- 13 enclosures in time domain, includes impulse, square wave.
Chapter_7 - Car Acoustics - Finite Element
Method (FEM) used to solve low-frequency car interior problems
Chapter_8 - Using CAD System - Introduction to
our powerful, full-screen electronic CAD system. (NEW)
Chapter_9 - Filter And
Crossover Design - Passive / active / digital FIR
networks, built-in filters, Linear Phase Filters, MC, crossovers
and networks.
Chapter_10 - Filter
And Crossover Optimization - Advanced optimization of
filters or complete crossover. Includes Conjugate impedance Opt.
Chapter_11 - Crossover In Time Domain - Time
domain response of the crossover/filter
Chapter_12 - System Response Module - 3D
placement of drivers on front baffle, off-axis simulation and
tilting drivers, vertical and horizontal plots. (New)
Chapter_13 - System
Optimization - Complete system optimization, including
off-axis and tilting drivers.
Chapter_14 - Room Acoustics - Image Method
employed in low-frequency range to solve speaker placement. Also
some theory. (New)
Chapter_15 - Finite
Element Method - FEM theory and several of applications
of this method to predict speaker placement in non-rectangular
rooms.
Chapter_16.1 , Chapter_16.2 - EasyLab
Advanced [Linear] - Operation of all analogue and
digital measurement screens Good examples of HB Transform
usage .( NEW)
Chapter_17 - EasyLab Advanced [Non-Linear] - Two
methods for extracting non-linear parameters and one non-linear
modeller.
Chapter_18 - Recommended Design Sequence - Good
overview of processes and program's applicability. Also, some
computer issues discussed.
Chapter_19 - DSP section. Includes Ultimate
Equalizer. (New)
You are also warmly invited to join our User's eGroup. Upgrades from 13.0/14.0/15.0/16.0 are available directly from Bodzio Software via email. Please contact us via email for your own copy. Payments options are explained in more details on the User's eGroup site.
Here are some of the users of SoundEasy package.
1. John Kreskovsky, is hosting "Music and Design" website with a numbers of references to SoundEasy. Please visit: http://www.musicanddesign.com
2. Chad Gray, invites you to visit http://chadgray.info/soundeasy, where you can find cool SoundEasy tutorials he has made. Chad can help you with woodworking too.
3. John Krutke from from "Zaph Audio" http://www.zaphaudio.com is another skilled user of SoundEasy.
4. George Soong is a very active member of our User's Group. Please vist his http://augene.blogspot.com/
Distributors of SoundEasy and BoxCad programs are:
1. Golden Age
Music AB, Vitalisgaten 23, S-441 43 Alingas, Sweden. Phone: +46 322 66 5050, Fax: +46
322 66 5051
Link: http://www.goldenagemusic.se
2. W.A.R
Audio 203/396 Scarborough Beach Road,
Osborne Park, 6017 WA, Australia. Phone: +619 242 5538, Fax: +619 445
2579
Link: http://www.warco.com.au
3. AKKUS, ul. Kochanowskiego 17/66, 84-200 Wejherowo, Poland. Phone: +48 (058) 6723241, 0501
173793, Fax: +48 (058) 6774036
Link: http://www.akkus.com.pl
4.
OUTLINE,Via Leonardo
da Vinci 56, 25020 Flero (Brescia), Italy. Phone: +39-030-358-1351, Fax:
+39-030-358-0431
Link: http://www.outline.it
5. E.A.M. - Eletro Acústica
Mass , Rua Vinte e Um
de Abril, 850 - Center, 15801-170 - Catanduva - Estate Sao Paulo,
Brazil. Phone: +55 17 3523 2728
Link: www.eam.com.br
6. Parts Express Inc., 725 Plesant Valley Dr. Springboro, OH 45066, USA. Phone: +937-743-3000, Fax: +937-743-1677
Link: http://www.partsexpress.com
7. Roppongi Kougaku
Limited, 4-4-11, Roppongi,
Mianto-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN. Phone: +81-3-3402-5567, Fax: +81-3-3-3402-5563
Link: http://www.ritlab.jp/shop/
8. Cyrus Systems
Technology Limited, PO Box 240,
Tan-Tzu, Taichung City 42799, TAIWAN R.O.C., Phone:+886-4-2531-2506, Fax: +886-4-2531-8884
We are:
Bodzio
Software Pty. Ltd.,
ABN
91 507 372 505
PO BOX 2345,
Rowville, 3178 VIC, Australia.
Fax: +613 9 755
7708 (International), or (03) 9 755 7708 (within Australia)
Phone: +613 9 755 7707 (International), or (03) 9 755 7707
(within Australia)
Email:
bodzio@interdomain.net.au
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reserved.