TagMcLaren construction.

[AndrewM]

Hey Buzz and everybody else,

I was going over some of the information you provided here and on the website about the Avant F1 speakers construction. Now most of this post will probably be asking questions you can't really answer due to patents, company secrets, etc but you may be able to give me a little insight.

I have some knowledge of using composite and sandwich construction, but that's mostly from a sailboat/racing perspective, where most of the design goals are opposite than that of a high-end speaker (we want something super light, not very dense, etc), but there are two things that they share is the strong construction and the ability to make just about any shape you want.

So my question is how do you get the density and weight in your composite construction? Most sailboats (well that are more performance oriented) are using a balsa core, or in some cases a foam core. I just can't think of a material that has some weight and density to it that will dampen the sounds a speaker makes.

I've always been curious about building a speaker out of composites, but I don't think it would ever happen as I really don't have the proper equipment to do it right, or at least make something that would look good anyways.

Thanks
Andrew

[Buzz Goddard]

Hi Andrew.
Being a sailor myself (are you foillowing the Vendee Globe or The Race?), Sailing was the application I knew best as well. But McLaren pioneered the use in racing and even makes composite suspension materials now!
Rather then go into great detail here, I'll direct you to http://www.tagmclarenaudio.com/produ...literature.asp
where you can download any and all lit, (it will gather all the files, zip them and email them right to you) including a white paper on the F1's that goes into it in as much detail as we are willing to do. Of course the goals for a speaker enclosure a quite different then those for a hull, but some of the problems are the same.




Buzz Goddard
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[AndrewM]

Actually I'd be following TheRace a lot closer except the website is WAY to slow. Tis ok though as I was never a big fan of the whole idea anyways, having a completely no holds-barred race is going to be fairly boring as somebody will just run away from the rest of the fleet, plus sending those 100'+ rocket sled cats into the southern ocean is just asking for trouble. The Vendee I'd like to follow, is there a decent website that is covering the race? I followed the Whitbread and Around Alone on a daily basis, plus living in the Ft. Lauderdale area plus having some interesting connections meant I got to spend a little time with some of the Whitbread guys when they came in for their stop, plus I went out sailing the day they left for the leg to Baltimore (man those Boats are FAST, we were on a 40ft Cat with way to much sail up, and those things ran away from us even while doing their warming up.

But thanks for the link, it was interesting and I think I have a fairly decent idea on how it's done or at least in concept. So does that ,errr Ahem Ron Dennis (hey I'm a Ferrari fan) guy have a full TagMcLaren audio setup?

Man can I pick some of the worst hobbies, sailing, fast cars, and just withing the year the whole HT/audio stuff...I'm more broke now than every before...

Thanks again,
Andrew

[Buzz Goddard]

I have nbot been to Ron Dennis's house, but I understand he has quite a nice sounding rig, including the F1 speakers.
On the sailing front, you should consider Virtual Spectator. I bought it for the Amreica's Cup and loved it! Best $70 I've spent. This unfolds much slower of course, but between the books I've read, the few pictures and the info on the site, it's pretty cool.
http://www.virtualspectator.com




Buzz Goddard
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