Mobile Electronics Australia

Scott Buwalda needs no introduction to sound quality enthusiasts worldwide. Having achieved multiple championships in IASCA, and the single highest score ever acheived in IASCA's history, Scott's knowledge has now led to him creating his own brand, Hybrid Audio Technologies whose team members are now enjoying similar success in competition with these products.

Scott Buwalda's Ultimate Sound Quality & Critical Listening Workshop

Tuesday January 3rd, 2012 - Melbourne

Mobile Electronics Australia is pleased to bring Scott Buwalda downunder, and offer an intensive one day workshop / seminar to enthusiasts and industry members in Australia. Scott has conducted many of these workshops around the world and the attendees continue to implement techniques picked up from this course. This is an opportunity not to be missed, but numbers are limited so we ask you to get in quick.

At this stage, only one day will be offered (Tuesday January 3rd, 2011) and as positions are limited preference will be given to those having paid in full. We are now accepting payments, please note however this is a committment to attend and deposits and payments are NON-REFUNDABLE unless the course does not proceeed (due to unforeseen circumstances).

Course Outline   (subject to change)

First Session (1.5 - 2 Hours)

• Seminar introductions
• Audience introductions
• Review of course objectives
• Sound: "Fundamentals" Discussion - a somewhat introductory discussion of sound that will be used later on to reference and tie everything together. This is, in essence, the practical theories of sound and is important in understanding how we hear, and therefore how to properly set up a sound system.
• Sound & Phasing: Discussion of phase.
• Sound Pressure Level: Discussion of measurement, where human hearing can readily detect differences, power, compression, distance, etc.
• The Human Auditory System: Discussion of the human ear as a transducer, frequency spectrum of human hearing, dynamic range, hearing threshold, automatic gain control, temporal synchronization, accuracy.
• Ear Structure – Outer Ear: Signal processing and directional cues.
• Ear Structure – Middle Ear: Conversion of acoustic energy into electrochemical impulses and impedance transformation.
• Ear Structure – Inner Ear: Pressure waves and wave propagation, the basilar membrane, corti and stereocilia, basilar membrane frequency tuning, discussion of cochlea acting as a "spectrum analyzer", etc.
• How We Perceive Sound: Localization, arrival time, amplitude, acoustic shadow, acoustic precedence effect, etc.
• Application: This is the transition from theory into application. Discussion of arrival times, sound frequencies, localization (including the lack of the ability to localize low frequency information), wavelength as it applies to inside a car, pure tones and non-pure tones, sensitivity to various frequencies, etc.

Second Session (Approx 1 hour)

• How Loudspeakers Work: speaker diaphragms discussion, cone rigidity, cone break-up, break-up modes, concave verses convex diaphragms, beaming, Thiel/Small parameters discussion, etc.
• Speaker directivity.
• Speaker Physics and Design Character.
• Multi-Way Speaker Systems.
• Acoustic Space.
• Acoustic Space Effects in a “Closed Field” Environment

LUNCH (provided)

Third Session (5 to 6 hours with Two Parts)

This is the application of the morning sessions

Part I: Advanced Learning

• Imaging, Staging, and Tonal Accuracy definitions.  
• Listening Evaluation #1: Spectral Balance. IASCA Setup and Test CD.
• Phasing and Standing Waves.
• Listening Evaluation #2: Phase.  IASCA Setup and Test CD.
• System Set-up: Nodes and Antinodes.  Phasing – both electrical and mechanical phase.  Optimizing mechanics.  Definition of Electrical and Mechanical problems in car audio.  Determination of the source ensures proper remedy.  Discussion topics include time domain adjustment, improper speaker location, decoupling, baffle step response, acoustical treatments, localization, driver and baffle diffraction, high density to low density reflections, acoustic treatment nodes and antinodes, baffle recommendations, dipole options, etc.
• Phase again – application.
• Driver overlap and driver separation.
• Zero Delay Plane.
• Distortions.
• Power Handling and Power Compression.
• In-Car Speaker Placement
• On-Axis or Off-Axis?
• Acoustical Treatments
• Damping
• Decoupling
• Biamplifying/Vertical Biamplification
• Literature Example

Part II: Application

• System Set-up.  Level Setting > Prelim. Crossover Setting > Phase > Crossover Tweaking > Time Domain Phase > Equalization
• Phase = Time; Time = Phase.
• Group Delay and Impulse Response.
• Active verses passive crossovers.  Finally, we dispel the misnomers!
• Crossover filters.
• Time delay and crossovers.
• Tweeters and crossovers.
• Level Setting
• Time and Amplitude Alignment
• Crossovers and Equalization

Final Question & Answer Time

REGISTRATIONS NOW CLOSED - CLASS IS FULL