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141-517: The company's emphasis on research and measurement has resulted in the issuance of dozens of patents, including for the now-standard trapezoidal loudspeaker cabinet shape. Meyer Sound has pioneered other technologies that have become standard in the audio industry, including: processor-controlled loudspeaker systems, self-powered loudspeakers, curvilinear arraying, cardioid subwoofers , and source independent measurement. Some symphony halls and performing arts facilities utilize Meyer Sound products, such as

282-431: A Civil War -themed episode, the ingredients for making a form of homemade black powder were censored in similar fashion. In one extreme instance of self-censorship, the team explored an urban legend stating that a widely available material could be used to create an explosive. To their surprise, the seemingly unlikely legend proved true, but the material was so easy to obtain, and the resulting explosion so powerful, that

423-456: A DBX 100 "Boom Box" subharmonic pitch generator into his system to synthesize 25 to 50 Hz sub-bass from the 50 to 100 Hz bass on the records. By the later 1970s, disco club sound engineers were using the same large Cerwin-Vega Sensurround-style folded horn subwoofers that were used in Earthquake and similar movies in dance club system installations. In the early 1980s, Long designed

564-572: A bass horn is the Bassmaxx B-Two, which loads an 18-inch (45 cm) driver onto an 11-foot (3.4 m) long folded horn. Folded horn-type subwoofers can typically produce a deeper range with greater efficiency than the same driver in an enclosure that lacks a horn. However, folded horn cabinets are typically larger and heavier than front-firing enclosures, so folded horns are less commonly used. Some experimental fixed-installation subwoofer horns have been constructed using brick and concrete to produce

705-539: A better speaker system. The early Western Electric experiments added a set of 18-inch drivers for the low end in a large, open-backed baffle (extending the range down to 50 Hz) and a high-frequency unit, but MGM was not pleased with the sound of the three-way system, as they had concerns about the delay between the different drivers. In 1933, the head of MGM's sound department, Douglas Shearer , worked with John Hilliard and James B. Lansing (who would later found Altec Lansing in 1941 and JBL in 1946) to develop

846-413: A calibrated microphone to measure the subwoofer's in-room response, so the automatic equalizer can correct the combination of subwoofer, subwoofer location, and room response to minimize the effects of room modes and improve low-frequency performance. 'Passive subwoofers' have a subwoofer driver and enclosure, but they do not include an amplifier. They sometimes incorporate internal passive crossovers, with

987-576: A dozen myths that are unlikely to be explored, although four were eventually tested. Savage commented that testing myths that require them to disprove general claims is difficult because of the inherent difficulty in disproving a negative. As a result, when they pursued such myths, they typically went about disproving specific methods that claim to achieve results. Certain myths are not tested due to various objections by Discovery Channel or their advertisers, most notably myths pertaining to radio-frequency identification vulnerability. Through nine seasons,

1128-590: A factor of ten compared to previous designs. This patent was the first of more than three dozen issued to the company since its founding. John Meyer was also involved in the development of the Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound . In 1980, at the behest of Broadway sound designer Abe Jacob , Meyer Sound repackaged the technology of the UltraMonitor into the UPA-1. This loudspeaker had an immediate impact on theatrical sound, but

1269-494: A given total Q {\displaystyle Q} of the system Q t c {\displaystyle Q_{tc}} is proportional to V a s {\displaystyle V_{as}} : where α {\displaystyle \alpha } is the system compliance ratio given by the ratio of the driver compliance and the enclosure compliance, which can be written as: where f c {\displaystyle f_{c}}

1410-459: A high-end audio store in Los Angeles, told Kreisel that some purchasers of the store's high-end electrostatic speakers had complained about a lack of bass response in the electrostatics, Kreisel designed a powered woofer that would reproduce only those frequencies that were too low for the electrostatic speakers to convey. Infinity's full range electrostatic speaker system that was developed during

1551-423: A high-pass " infrasonic " or "subsonic" filter, which prevents the subwoofer driver from attempting to reproduce frequencies below its safe capabilities. Setting an infrasonic filter is important on bass reflex subwoofer cabinets, as the bass reflex design tends to create the risk of cone overexcursion at pitches below those of the port tuning, which can cause distortion and damage the subwoofer driver. For example, in

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1692-572: A lack of upper range above 13 kHz for the satellites, the AM-5 system represented 30% of the US speaker market in the early 1990s. In the 1980s, Origin Acoustics developed the first residential in-wall subwoofer named Composer. It used an aluminum 10-inch (25.4 cm) driver and a foam-lined enclosure designed to be mounted directly into wall studs during the construction of a new home. The frequency response for

1833-438: A listening room's acoustic. However, subwoofers are not universally accepted by audiophiles amid complaints of the difficulty of "splicing" the sound with that of the main speakers around the crossover frequency. This is largely due to the subwoofer driver's non-linearity producing harmonic and intermodulation distortion products well above the crossover frequency, and into the range where human hearing can "localize" them, wrecking

1974-420: A local narrator. As the series progressed, members of Hyneman's staff were introduced and began to appear regularly in episodes. Three such members, artist Kari Byron, builder Tory Belleci, and metal-worker Scottie Chapman , were organized as a second team of MythBusters during the second season, dubbed the "Build Team". After Chapman left the show during the third season, Grant Imahara, a colleague of Hyneman's,

2115-419: A loudspeaker system in its passband is given by: where c {\displaystyle c} is the speed of sound in air and the variables are Thiele/Small parameters: f s {\displaystyle f_{s}} is the resonance frequency of the driver, V a s {\displaystyle V_{as}} is the volume of air having the same acoustic compliance as

2256-432: A more accurate simulation of human flesh, bone, and organs. They occasionally molded real or simulated bones within ballistics gel for simulations of specific body parts. They used synthetic cadavers, or SynDavers, such as in the "Car Cushion" myth. Both for the purposes of visual observation to determine a result and simply as a unique visual for the program, high-speed cameras are used during experiments and have become

2397-450: A new speaker system that used a two-way enclosure with a W-shaped bass horn that could go as low as 40 Hz. The Shearing-Lansing 500-A ended up being used in "screening rooms, dubbing theaters, and early sound reinforcement". In the late 1930s, Lansing created a smaller two-way speaker with a 15-inch (38 cm) woofer in a vented enclosure, which he called the Iconic system; it was used as

2538-467: A number of enclosure approaches: bass reflex (with a port or vent), using a subwoofer and one or more passive radiator speakers in the enclosure, acoustic suspension (sealed enclosure), infinite baffle , horn-loaded , tapped horn , transmission line and bandpass . Each enclosure type has advantages and disadvantages in terms of efficiency increase, bass extension, cabinet size, distortion, and cost. Multiple enclosure types may even be combined in

2679-447: A number of factors such as the size of the cabinet and the construction and design of the enclosure and driver(s). Specifications of frequency response depend wholly for relevance on an accompanying amplitude value—measurements taken with a wider amplitude tolerance will give any loudspeaker a wider frequency response. For example, the JBL 4688 TCB Subwoofer System, a now-discontinued system which

2820-414: A popular subwoofer and small high-range satellite speaker system for home listening. Steve Feinstein stated that with the AM-5, the system's "appearance mattered as much as, if not more than, great sound" to consumers of this era, as it was considered to be a "cool" look. The success of the AM-5 led to other makers launching subwoofer-satellite speaker systems, including Boston Acoustics Sub Sat 6 and 7, and

2961-484: A ported subwoofer enclosure tuned to 30 Hz, one may wish to filter out pitches below the tuning frequency; that is, frequencies below 30 Hz. Some systems use parametric equalization in an attempt to correct for room frequency response irregularities. Equalization is often unable to achieve flat frequency response at all listening locations, in part because of the resonance (i.e. standing wave ) patterns at low frequencies in nearly all rooms. Careful positioning of

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3102-418: A second team of MythBusters ("The Build Team"). They generally tested myths separately from the main duo and operated from another workshop. This arrangement continued until August 2014, when it was announced at the end of " Plane Boarding " that Tory Belleci , Kari Byron , and Grant Imahara would be leaving the show. Savage and Hyneman subsequently hosted the final two seasons alone. On October 21, 2015, it

3243-440: A segment was aired on defeating biometric fingerprint readers using various methods. One of these techniques involved creating a fake 3D fingerprint from a 2D image of the authorized print. After some trial and error, the team successfully cast a viable ballistics gel reproduction using a copper-coated printed circuit board , a picture of the fingerprint printed on acetate , and a photochemical acid etching process. After

3384-705: A single design, such as in computer audio with the subwoofer design of the Labtec LCS-2424 (later acquired by Logitech and used for their Z340/Z540/Z640/Z3/Z4), which is a (primitive) passive radiator bandpass enclosure with a bass reflex dividing chamber. While not necessarily an enclosure type, isobaric (such as push-pull) coupled loading of two drivers has sometimes been used in subwoofer products of computer, home cinema and sound reinforcement class, and also DIY versions in automotive applications, to provide relatively deep bass for their size. Self-contained "isobaric-like" driver assemblies have been manufactured since

3525-524: A sound system for the Warehouse dance club, with "huge stacks of subwoofers" which created "deep and intense" bass frequencies that "pound[ed] through your system" and "entire body", enabling clubgoers to "viscerally experience" the DJs' house music mixes. In Jamaica in the 1970s and 1980s, sound engineers for reggae sound systems began creating "heavily customized" subwoofer enclosures by adding foam and tuning

3666-457: A sound system named "Glyph", which used said large loudspeakers . During this time period, Meyer was also involved in developing and constructing custom mixing consoles . A demonstration of the ACD system led to Meyer Sound creating a subwoofer for film director Francis Ford Coppola ’s use with the custom, quadraphonic sound system that toured with the original 70 mm release of Apocalypse Now . This

3807-412: A speaker describes the range of frequencies or musical tones a speaker can reproduce, measured in hertz (Hz). The typical frequency range for a subwoofer is between 20–200 Hz. Professional concert sound system subwoofers typically operate below 100 Hz, and THX -certified systems operate below 80 Hz. Subwoofers vary in terms of the range of pitches that they can reproduce, depending on

3948-425: A spin-off featuring children. The most recent iteration of the franchise, Motor Mythbusters , was produced by Beyond Television and aired on MotorTrend in 2021. Belleci returned for the series and was joined by engineer Bisi Ezerioha and mechanic Faye Hadley. The series focused on testing myths and urban legends about automobiles. MythBusters refers to both the name of the program and the cast members who test

4089-409: A studio monitor and in high-end home hi-fi set-ups. During the 1940s swing era , to get deeper bass, "pipelike opening[s]" were cut into speaker enclosures, creating bass reflex enclosures, as it was found that even a fairly inexpensive speaker enclosure, once modified in this way, could "transmit the driving power of a heavy...drumbeat—and sometimes not much else—to a crowded dancefloor." Prior to

4230-463: A subwoofer (busted). In 2005, Meyer Sound acquired LCS Audio and launched its LCS Series of digital audio products. The first new development by Meyer Sound of LCS technology was Constellation electroacoustic architecture, launched in 2006. Constellation is based on the VRAS (Variable Room Acoustic System) technology first developed and patented by Dr. Mark Poletti of Industrial Research Limited. An aspect of

4371-445: A subwoofer driver and enclosure, but they are powered by an external amplifier. Active subwoofers include a built-in amplifier. The first home audio subwoofers were developed in the 1960s to add bass response to home stereo systems. Subwoofers came into greater popular consciousness in the 1970s with the introduction of Sensurround in movies such as Earthquake , which produced loud low-frequency sounds through large subwoofers. With

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4512-459: A three-episode series pilot . Jamie Hyneman was one of a number of special-effects artists who were asked to prepare a casting video for network consideration. Rees had interviewed him previously for a segment of the popular science series Beyond 2000 about the British–American robot combat television series Robot Wars . Adam Savage, who had worked with Hyneman in commercials and on

4653-543: A total of 2,391 experiments were performed and 12 tons of explosives were used to test 769 myths. The team expressed reluctance to test conspiracy theory myths, such as the JFK assassination or 9/11 conspiracies , although they have tested some of the conspiracy theories relating to the Apollo Moon landings . By the end of each episode, the myths are rated "busted", "plausible", or "confirmed". Myths are rated as "busted" when

4794-522: A tour show in Indianapolis in 2012 that it was a mistake. Another myth related to the paranormal was the "Haunted Hum" myth , which involved testing if a particular, inaudible sound frequency can lead people to believe that an area is haunted. The program generally avoided experiments harmful to live animals, though in one episode, they bombarded cockroaches and other laboratory insects with lethal doses of radiation . The cast addressed this, saying that

4935-530: A trademark of the series. Very fast footage of moving objects in front of a measured scale is commonly used to determine the speed of the object. Testing is often edited due to time constraints of a televised episode. It can often seem as if the teams draw results from fewer repetitions and a smaller data set than they actually have. During the "Outtakes Special" , they specifically stated that while they are, in fact, very thorough in testing myths and repeat experiments many times in many different configurations, it

5076-470: A typical calendar of on- and off-air periods. The official MythBusters website lists episodes by year. Discovery sells DVD sets for "seasons", which sometimes follow the calendar year and sometimes do not. Discovery and retail stores sell "collections" which divide up the episodes in a different way. Each collection has about 10 or 12 episodes from various seasons. The following table is organized according to year of first broadcast. Including Specials and

5217-435: A variety of designs, including bass reflex (with a port or vent), using a subwoofer and one or more passive radiator speakers in the enclosure, acoustic suspension (sealed enclosure), infinite baffle , horn-loaded , tapped horn , transmission line , bandpass or isobaric designs. Each design has unique trade-offs with respect to efficiency, low-frequency range, loudness, cabinet size, and cost. Passive subwoofers have

5358-622: A very long horn that allows a very deep sub-bass extension. Subwoofer output level can be increased by increasing cone surface area or by increasing cone excursion. Since large drivers require undesirably large cabinets, most subwoofer drivers have large excursions. Unfortunately, high excursion, at high power levels, tends to produce more distortion from inherent mechanical and magnetic effects in electro-dynamic drivers (the most common sort). The conflict between assorted goals can never be fully resolved; subwoofer designs necessarily involve tradeoffs and compromises. Hofmann's Iron Law (the efficiency of

5499-567: A woofer system is directly proportional to its cabinet volume (as in size) and to the cube of its cutoff frequency, that is how low in pitch it will go) applies to subwoofers just as it does to all loudspeakers. Thus, a subwoofer enclosure designer aiming at the deepest-pitched bass will probably have to consider using a large enclosure size; a subwoofer enclosure designer instructed to create the smallest possible cabinet (to make transportation easier) will need to compromise how low in pitch their cabinet will go. The frequency response specification of

5640-458: Is 2.9 dB greater than that of the closed-box system. Subwoofers are typically constructed by mounting one or more woofers in a cabinet of medium-density fibreboard (MDF), oriented strand board (OSB), plywood, fiberglass, aluminum or other stiff materials. Because of the high air pressure that they produce in the cabinet, subwoofer enclosures often require internal bracing to distribute the resulting forces. Subwoofers have been designed using

5781-551: Is a loudspeaker designed to reproduce low-pitched audio frequencies , known as bass and sub-bass , that are lower in frequency than those which can be (optimally) generated by a woofer . The typical frequency range that is covered by a subwoofer is about 20–200 Hz for consumer products, below 100 Hz for professional live sound, and below 80 Hz in THX -certified systems. Thus, one or more subwoofers are important for high-quality sound reproduction as they are responsible for

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5922-461: Is about the pitch of the lowest rumbling notes on a huge pipe organ with 32-foot (9.8 m) 16 Hz bass pipes) to 120 Hz (±3 dB). Nevertheless, even though the Abyss subwoofer can go down to 18 Hz, its lowest frequency and maximum SPL with a limit of 10% distortion is 35.5 Hz and 79.8 dB at 2 meters. This means that a person choosing a subwoofer needs to consider more than just

6063-405: Is censored, as the show is considered family-friendly, and most such language occurs spontaneously when the team is surprised or overexcited; at other times, a deliberate effort is made to keep the scripted material clean. In addition to the standard bleep , the show often uses a relevant or humorous sound effect. Euphemisms and scientific terminology are used for potentially offensive terms. In

6204-537: Is simply impossible to display the entire process during a program. Beginning in the fifth season , episodes typically contain a prompt for the viewer to visit the show's homepage to view outtake footage of either additional testing or other facets of the myths being tested. However, Savage himself has acknowledged that they do not purport always to achieve a satisfactorily large enough set of results to overcome definitively all bias . In response to criticisms they receive about their methods and results in previous episodes,

6345-444: Is still popular in the professional sound industry. Equalization can be used to adjust the in-room response of a subwoofer system. Designers of active subwoofers sometimes include a degree of corrective equalization to compensate for known performance issues (e.g. a steeper than desired low end roll-off rate). In addition, many amplifiers include an adjustable low-pass filter, which prevents undesired higher frequencies from reaching

6486-453: Is supposed to be a really popular show. Everybody would have been out there. We would have had to cancel it because it would have been too dangerous." Representatives from the show replaced some of the windows that same day. The experiment did air, but the hosts recounted in a 2011 special episode (" Location, Location, Location ") that they have never returned to the Esparto quarry as a result of

6627-593: Is the system resonance frequency. Therefore, a decrease in box volume (i.e., a smaller speaker cabinet) and the same f 3 {\displaystyle f_{3}} will decrease the efficiency of the subwoofer. The normalized half-power frequency of a closed-box loudspeaker system is given by: Here we note that if Q t c = 1 / 2 ≈ 0.7071 {\displaystyle Q_{tc}=1/{\sqrt {2}}\approx 0.7071} , then f 3 = f c {\displaystyle f_{3}=f_{c}} . As

6768-701: The Alameda County Sheriff's facility in Dublin, California , especially the firing range, emergency-vehicles operation course, and bomb range. Occasionally, mainly for special episodes, production is out of state, or even out of the country. Results are measured in a manner scientifically appropriate for the given experiment. Sometimes, results can be measured by simple numerical measurement using standard tools, such as multimeters for electrical measurements, or various types of thermometers to measure temperature. To gauge results that do not yield numerical quantities,

6909-598: The Bay Area . Common filming locations around the Bay Area include decommissioned (closed) military facilities , such as Naval Air Station Alameda , Naval Air Station Moffett Field , Concord Naval Weapons Station , Naval Station Treasure Island , Marin Headlands , Hunters Point Naval Shipyard , Mare Island Naval Shipyard , and Hamilton Air Force Base , and abandoned base housing at Marina, California 's former Fort Ord , and

7050-677: The Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast internationally by many television networks and other Discovery channels worldwide. The show's original hosts, special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman , used elements of the scientific method to test the validity of rumors, myths, movie scenes, adages , Internet videos , and news stories. Filmed in San Francisco and edited in Artarmon, New South Wales , MythBusters aired 282 total episodes before its cancellation at

7191-460: The Pointer Sisters . The Octavium speaker and Dones's subwoofer technology were also utilized, in a few select theaters, to reproduce low pitch frequencies for the 1974 blockbuster movie Earthquake . During the late 1960s, Dones's Octavium was favorably reviewed by audiophile publications including Hi-Fi News and Audio Magazine . Another early subwoofer enclosure made for home and studio use

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7332-586: The TEC Awards in 1990 in the Transducer Technology category. The release of the MSL-4 in 1994 marked the beginning of Meyer Sound's production of self-powered loudspeaker systems for high-level sound reinforcement, and, over the following years, the company converted their entire loudspeaker product line into self-powered systems. Meyer Sound Laboratories has participated and been featured in several episodes of

7473-442: The phonograph record stylus to track the groove. While some hi-fi aficionados had solved the problem by using other playback sources, such as reel-to-reel tape players which were capable of delivering accurate, naturally deep bass from acoustic sources, or synthetic bass not found in nature, with the popular introduction of the compact cassette in the late 1960s it became possible to add more low frequency content to recordings. By

7614-507: The "Peeing on the Third Rail" myth, the show censored the valve used to release urine from the dummy. The names of ingredients used in the production of hazardous materials and some explosives are usually censored to prevent amateurs from recreating potentially dangerous substances. For example, in the " Hindenburg " special, Savage ignited thermite with a hypergolic mixture of "blur" (a syrupy, pale blue liquid) and "blur" (a dark powder). In

7755-472: The 1960s also used a woofer to cover the lower frequency range that its electrostatic arrays did not handle adequately. The first use of a subwoofer in a recording session was in 1973 for mixing the Steely Dan album Pretzel Logic , when recording engineer Roger Nichols arranged for Kreisel to bring a prototype of his subwoofer to Village Recorders . Further design modifications were made by Kreisel over

7896-414: The 2006 Holiday Special, have included the building of Rube Goldberg machines . Before a myth is introduced by the hosts, a myth-related drawing is made on a blueprint. After the hosts introduce the myth, a comical video explaining the myth is usually shown. The MythBusters typically test myths in a two-step process. In early episodes, the steps were described as "replicate the circumstances, then duplicate

8037-413: The 2010s. The smallest subwoofers are typically those designed for desktop multimedia systems. The largest common subwoofer enclosures are those used for concert sound reinforcement systems or dance club sound systems. An example of a large concert subwoofer enclosure is the 1980s-era Electro-Voice MT-4 "Bass Cube" system, which used four 18-inch (45 cm) drivers. An example of a subwoofer that uses

8178-417: The 2014 season, " DO Try This at Home?", classified several myths as safe or unsafe for testing by viewers. Owing to the nature of the experiments performed on the show, many did not go as expected. Sometimes, these mishaps rendered the test equipment unusable, such as when the rocket in the "Rocket Car Revisit" episode exploded on ignition. Others even resulted in minor injuries to the personnel involved with

8319-525: The Alameda County Sheriff's Office. The MythBusters often asked other people, such as those supplying the equipment being tested, what they knew about the myth under investigation. When guests were on the show, the MythBusters generally consulted them or included them in the experiments. No consistent system was used for organizing MythBusters episodes into seasons . The program has never followed

8460-604: The Bass: A Case Against Subwoofers" for Pitchfork magazine, based on his performing experience with Galaxie 500 ; he argues that "for certain styles of music", especially acoustic music genres, "these low-end behemoths are actually ruining our listening experience" by reducing the clarity of the low end. In 2015, John Hunter from REL Acoustics stated that audiophiles tend to "have a love/hate relationship with subwoofers" because most subs have "awful", "entry-level" sound quality and they are used in an "inappropriate way", without integrating

8601-487: The Cambridge SoundWorks Ensemble systems (by Kloss). Claims that these sub-satellite systems showed manufacturers and designers that home-cinema systems with a hidden subwoofer could be "feasible and workable in a normal living room" for mainstream consumers. Despite criticism of the AM-5 from audio experts, regarding a lack of bass range below 60 Hz, an "acoustic hole" in the 120 to 200 Hz range and

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8742-562: The Composer is 30 to 250 Hz. While in the 1960s and 1970s deep bass speakers were once an exotic commodity owned by audiophiles, by the mid-1990s they were much more popular and widely used, with different sizes and capabilities of sound output. An example of 1990s subwoofer use in sound reinforcement is the Ministry of Sound dance club which opened in 1991 in London. The dancefloor's sound system

8883-641: The Constellation system is that it uses an advanced, high-powered computer that calculates twenty thousand echoes per second. A Constellation system was installed in a rehearsal area at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco in late 2013, a facility that is used by the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera . D-Mitri, a next-generation engine for the LCS Series, was introduced in 2009. In 2008,

9024-510: The Discovery Channel online MythBusters forums. Occasionally, episodes are produced in which some or all of the myths are related by theme, such as pirates or sharks, and occasionally these are dubbed as "[Theme] Special" episodes. As of May 2009, four myths have required such extensive preparation and testing that they had entire episodes devoted solely to them, and four specials have been double-length. Several episodes, including

9165-481: The Discovery Channel series “ MythBusters ” involving sound. As a result, Meyer Sound acoustician Roger Schwenke has become an "honorary" member of the MythBusters team. The first MythBusters episode involving the company was “busting” the myth that a duck's quack will not echo. The second time was the infamous “Brown Note” episode, which explored the myth that a person subjected to high levels of very low-frequency sound could experience “involuntary intestinal motility." In

9306-418: The US to get more of a bass reflex sound that suited local tone preferences for dancehall audiences, as the unmodified folded horn was found to be "too aggressive" sounding and "not deep enough for Jamaican listeners". In sound system culture, there are both "low and high bass bins" in "towering piles" that are "delivered in large trucks" and set up by a crew of "box boys", and then positioned and adjusted by

9447-860: The USITT presented Meyer Sound founders John and Helen Meyer with the Harold Burris-Meyer Distinguished Career in Sound Design Award. Also in that year, the John and Helen Meyer Scholarship was established in conjunction with the Escuela Superior Andaluza de Medios Audiovisuales (Superior School for AudioVisual Media) in Andalusia, Spain, and awarded to five students. Meyer Sound also began making loudspeakers for cinema applications in 2009. Subwoofer A subwoofer (or sub )

9588-730: The United States version. Some of these scenes are included in "specials", such as " MythBusters Outtakes ". The 14th season, which premiered in January 2016, was the final season for the series with Savage and Hyneman. Adam Savage returned to TV with the show MythBusters Jr. , without his original co-host Jamie Hyneman, but with a cast of teenagers, hence the name. The show debuted on the Science Channel on January 2, 2019 with rebroadcasts every Saturday morning on Discovery, as well as international broadcasts. Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman are

9729-662: The United States, the Discovery Channel in Denmark, or on the Prime and Sky Discovery Channels in New Zealand. Often, they are presented with an element of humor, such as Savage wearing a padded suit as Hyneman hits him in the chest with a baseball bat, or Hyneman explaining that Savage and he are professionals before Savage slides into view and crashes into a barrier, while saying, "Don't try this at home!" The series employs various degrees of safety- or courtesy-related censorship . Vulgar language

9870-444: The advent of the compact cassette and the compact disc in the 1980s, the reproduction of deep and loud bass was no longer limited by the ability of a phonograph record stylus to track a groove, and producers could add more low-frequency content to recordings. As well, during the 1990s, DVDs were increasingly recorded with " surround sound " processes that included a low-frequency effects (LFE) channel, which could be heard using

10011-544: The bass seamlessly. In 2018, some electronic dance music (EDM) sound systems for venues that play hardcore bass have multiple subwoofer arrays to deal with mid-bass (80–140 Hz), bass (40–80 Hz), and " infra-bass " (20–40 Hz). Loudspeaker and enclosure design Subwoofers use speaker drivers ( woofers ) typically between 8-inch (20 cm) and 21-inch (53 cm) in diameter. Some uncommon subwoofers use larger drivers, and single prototype subwoofers as large as 60-inch (152 cm) have been fabricated. On

10152-434: The cabinets to achieve "rich and articulate speaker output below 100 Hz". The sound engineers who developed the "bass-heavy signature sound" of sound reinforcement systems have been called "deserving as much credit for the sound of Jamaican music as their better-known music producer cousins". The sound engineers for Stone Love Movement (a sound system crew), for example, modified folded horn subwoofers they imported from

10293-526: The course of a performance. SIM System II, the second generation of this technology (and the first version practical for widespread field use), won an R&D 100 Award (awarded for the 100 best engineering feats in any field worldwide) in 1992, in addition to the TEC award the original system received in 1986. Meyer Sound introduced the HD-1 studio monitor, a fully integrated self-powered loudspeaker, in 1989. The HD-1 won at

10434-433: The course of busting this myth, John Meyer became interested in the physical aspect of transmission of very low frequencies. Three other MythBusters episodes involving sound tested the myths that a glass could be shattered by sound alone (confirmed), that a candle flame could be extinguished by sound alone (confirmed), and that an SKS rifle could be made to fire by subjecting it to massive quantities of very low frequencies from

10575-458: The development of the first subwoofers, woofers were used to reproduce bass frequencies, usually with a crossover point set at 500 Hz and a 4-inch (10 cm) loudspeaker in an infinite baffle or in professional sound applications, a "hybrid horn-loaded" bass reflex enclosure (such as the 15-inch Altec Lansing A-7 enclosure nicknamed the "Voice of the Theater", which was introduced in 1946). In

10716-428: The driver suspension, and Q e s {\displaystyle Q_{es}} is the driver Q {\displaystyle Q} at f s {\displaystyle f_{s}} considering the electrical DC resistance of the driver voice coil. Deep low-frequency extension is a common goal for a subwoofer and small box volumes are also considered desirable, to save space and reduce

10857-403: The efficiency is proportional to f s 3 {\displaystyle f_{s}^{3}} , small improvements in low-frequency extension with the same driver and box volume will result in very significant reductions in efficiency. For these reasons, subwoofers are typically very inefficient at converting electrical energy into sound energy. This combination of factors accounts for

10998-582: The end of the 2016 season in March. Planning and some experimentation took place at Hyneman's workshops in San Francisco; experiments requiring more space or special accommodations were filmed on location, typically around the San Francisco Bay Area and other locations in northern California , going to other states or even countries on occasion when required. During the second season, members of Savage's and Hyneman's behind-the-scenes team were organized into

11139-514: The end of the 1970s, subwoofers were used in dance venue sound systems to enable the playing of "[b]ass-heavy dance music" that we "do not 'hear' with our ears but with our entire body". At the club, Long used four Levan bass horns, one in each corner of the dancefloor, to create a "haptic and tactile quality" in the sub-bass that you could feel in your body. To overcome the lack of sub-bass frequencies on 1970s disco records (sub-bass frequencies below 60 Hz were removed during mastering), Long added

11280-434: The experiments. The series concept was developed for the Discovery Channel as Tall Tales or True by Australian writer and producer Peter Rees of Beyond Productions in 2002. Discovery rejected the proposal initially because they had just commissioned a series on the same topic. Rees refined the pitch to focus on testing key elements of the stories rather than just retelling them. Discovery agreed to develop and co-produce

11421-454: The film become a box office success. More Sensurround systems were assembled and installed. By 1976, there were almost 300 Sensurround systems leapfrogging through select theaters. Other films to use the effect include the WW II naval battle epic Midway in 1976 and Rollercoaster in 1977. For owners of 33 rpm LPs and 45 rpm singles, loud and deep bass was limited by the ability of

11562-404: The film. Four of the subwoofers were positioned in front of the audience under (or behind) the film screen and two more were placed together at the rear of the audience on a platform. Powerful noise energy and loud rumbling in the range of 17 to 120 Hz were generated at the level of 110–120 decibels of sound pressure level , abbreviated dB(SPL). The new low frequency entertainment method helped

11703-400: The filter frequency determined at the factory. These are generally used with third-party power amplifiers, taking their inputs from active crossovers earlier in the signal chain. Inexpensive home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) packages often come with a passive subwoofer cabinet that is amplified by the multi-channel amplifier. While few high-end home-cinema systems use passive subwoofers, this format

11844-441: The first pilot episode of MythBusters . The Diet Coke and Mentos experiment is also an outlier regarding their safety warnings, as Savage and Hyneman stated on-air that this myth was perfectly safe for viewers to replicate on their own. Another example of this is the " Phone Book Friction " episode, in which they investigated the difficulty of pulling two telephone books apart after their pages had been interleaved. One episode from

11985-524: The first satellite speakers and subwoofer system, named "David and Goliath". Subwoofers received a great deal of publicity in 1974 with the movie Earthquake , which was released in Sensurround . Initially installed in 17 U.S. theaters, the Cerwin-Vega "Sensurround" system used large subwoofers that were driven by racks of 500 watt amplifiers, triggered by control tones printed on one of the audio tracks on

12126-419: The higher amplifier power required to drive subwoofers, and the requirement for greater power handling for subwoofer drivers. Enclosure variations (e.g., bass reflex designs with a port in the cabinet) are often used for subwoofers to increase the efficiency of the driver/enclosure system, helping to reduce the amplifier power requirements. Vented-box loudspeaker systems have a maximum theoretical efficiency that

12267-468: The huge MSL-10 in 1981, followed by the MSL-3, a single cabinet (essentially a “slice” of an MSL-10) configurable into arrays of nearly any size. Expanding on the appearance of real-time, dual FFT analyzers, Meyer Sound introduced source independent measurement (SIM) in 1984. SIM allowed sound system operators to use music itself as a test source for the first time, enabling continuous sound system correction over

12408-475: The insects were specifically bred for experiments, and would have likely died anyway. However, animal carcasses, including those of pigs and chickens, were often used, but the MythBusters repeatedly emphasized that the animals died of natural causes. The book MythBusters: The Explosive Truth Behind 30 of the Most Perplexing Urban Legends of All Time ( ISBN   1-4169-0929-X ) gives a list of

12549-422: The lowest frequency targeted and the level of permitted distortion. The most common subwoofer driver sizes used for sound reinforcement in nightclubs, raves and pop/rock concerts are 10-, 12-, 15- and 18-inch models (25 cm, 30 cm, 38 cm, and 45 cm respectively). The largest available sound reinforcement subwoofers, 21-inch (53 cm) drivers, are less commonly seen. The reference efficiency of

12690-408: The lowest pitch that the subwoofer can reproduce. 'Active subwoofers' include their own dedicated amplifiers within the cabinet. Some also include user-adjustable equalization that allows boosted or reduced output at particular frequencies; these vary from a simple "boost" switch, to fully parametric equalizers meant for detailed speaker and room correction. Some such systems are even supplied with

12831-527: The lowest two to three octaves of the ten octaves that are audible. This very low-frequency (VLF) range reproduces the natural fundamental tones of the bass drum, electric bass, double bass, grand piano, contrabassoon , tuba, in addition to thunder, gunshots, explosions, etc. Subwoofers are never used alone, as they are intended to substitute the VLF sounds of "main" loudspeakers that cover the higher frequency bands. VLF and higher-frequency signals are sent separately to

12972-583: The mid-1950s, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences selected the "big, boxy" Altec A-7 as the industry standard for movie sound reproduction in theaters. In September 1964, Raymon Dones, of El Cerrito, California, received the first patent for a subwoofer specifically designed to augment omnidirectionally the low frequency range of modern stereo systems (US patent 3150739). It was able to reproduce distortion-free low frequencies down to 15 cycles per second (15 Hz). A specific objective of Dones's invention

13113-428: The mid-1970s, 12-inch vinyl singles, which allowed for "more bass volume", were used to record disco, reggae, dub and hip-hop tracks; dance club DJs played these records in clubs with subwoofers to achieve "physical and emotional" reactions from dancers. In the early 1970s, David Mancuso hired sound engineer Alex Rosner to design additional subwoofers for his disco dance events, along with "tweeter arrays" to "boost

13254-545: The mishap. On December 6, 2011, while conducting the " Cannonball Chemistry " experiment, the MythBusters crew accidentally sent a cannonball through the side of a house and into a minivan in a Dublin, California , neighborhood. Although the experiment was being carried out at the Alameda County Sheriff's Bomb Range under the supervision of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office , the errant projectile went over its intended target of water barrels and instead skipped up

13395-401: The myth's results cannot be replicated under either the described parameters or reasonably exaggerated ones. Often, when a myth is declared busted, the team will attempt to see what would be required to replicate the result of the myth through scientific means, discarding the original parameters of the myth itself. Going to absolute limits of what is physically possible to replicate the results is

13536-603: The myth. They use their functional workshops to construct whatever is needed, often including mechanical devices and sets to simulate the circumstances of the myth. Human actions are often simulated by mechanical means to increase safety, and to achieve consistency in repeated actions. Methods for testing myths are usually planned and executed in a manner to produce visually dramatic results, which generally involves explosions, fires, or vehicle crashes. Thus, myths or tests involving explosives , firearms and vehicle collisions are relatively common. Tests are sometimes confined to

13677-493: The myths being tested, but those elements were phased out early in the series. The MythBusters commonly consulted experts for myths or topics for which they needed assistance. These topics included firearms, for which they mostly consulted Lt. Al Normandy of the South San Francisco Police Department, and explosives , for which they consulted retired FBI explosives expert Frank Doyle and Sgt. J.D. Nelson of

13818-616: The myths tested involve purported household scenarios, so all episodes begin with a disclaimer against attempting the experiments seen on the series; most episodes also feature a second warning halfway through the running time. These disclaimers are not broadcast on SBS in Australia, in the Netherlands, Discovery Mix in Sweden, Samsung TV plus MythBusters channel in the United Kingdom, Select DVDs in

13959-670: The name of satisfying personal curiosity. These can either be planned in advance to take advantage of the testing location—for instance, in the "Peeing on the Third Rail" myth Adam got permission to find out if placing coins on a train track was sufficient to derail a train (he found that the test locomotive was not affected at all)—or can simply take place without prior planning. MythBusters refuse to test some myths. Paranormal concepts, such as aliens or ghosts , are not addressed because they cannot be tested by scientific methods , although one exception, pyramid power , prompted Adam to comment, "No more 'oogie-boogie' myths, please" and state at

14100-467: The next ten years, and in the 1970s and 1980s by engineer John P. D'Arcy ; record producer Daniel Levitin served as a consultant and " golden ears " for the design of the crossover network (used to partition the frequency spectrum so that the subwoofer would not attempt to reproduce frequencies too high for its effective range, and so that the main speakers would not need to handle frequencies too low for their effective range). In 1976, Kreisel created

14241-464: The origin of what is unofficially titled the Mythbusters motto, "If it's worth doing, it's worth over doing." This is commonly referred to in the series as "the MythBusters way", and often reveals that the circumstances required to accurately recreate a 'busted' myth are physically impossible or highly unlikely to occur with the scientific facts presented, or the equipment used in the myth used to gain

14382-413: The original MythBusters, and initially explored all the myths of the series using their combined experience with special effects . The two worked at Hyneman's effects workshop, M5 Industries . They made use of his staff, who often worked off-screen, with Hyneman and Savage usually shown doing most of the work at the shop. The show is narrated by Robert Lee , though in some regions, his voice is replaced by

14523-449: The production team decided allowing such information to reach the general public would be irresponsible, instead electing to destroy all footage of the experiment and agreeing never to speak of the incident. Several years later, when DARPA solicited advice from the public regarding potentially unknown bomb risks, Savage contacted them about their discovery. In another episode that focused on myths surrounding electronic security devices,

14664-802: The rehearsal area at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, Svetlanov Hall in Moscow, Russia, and the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. Meyer Sound's Constellation acoustic system is used to manage outdoor sound at the New World Center in Miami, Florida, which is the headquarters for the New World Symphony . In 1979, John and Helen Meyer established Meyer Sound to produce reliable high-fidelity products for sound reinforcement professionals. Meyer Sound's first product

14805-442: The reproduction was shown to defeat both fingerprint scanners, and although the chemicals used during the etching process are never identified, the narrator still hints at an important step having been edited out and discourages viewers from trying it themselves. None of the other techniques that successfully defeated the fingerprint scanners or the other security devices tested in the episode were censored or obfuscated, perhaps because

14946-490: The rest were all fairly simple and straightforward methods, such as holding up a bedsheet or moving extremely slowly to hide from ultrasonic motion detectors or holding up a pane of glass to defeat thermal motion detectors . Brand names and logos are regularly blurred or covered with tape or a MythBusters sticker. Brand names are shown when integral to a myth, such as in the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment or Pop Rocks in

15087-402: The results is neither available to the general public, nor capable of producing the results. For example, when trying to see if diamonds can be made with a microwave, and the myth is busted, the team arranges with an expert to have diamonds created with a large quantity of explosives. Some of these myths are retested if the viewers are dissatisfied with the results, and are declared "rebusted" if

15228-405: The results of this second attempt result in the same conclusions as the original attempts. On rare occasions, retested myths result in a conclusion different from the first attempt, usually going from "busted" the first time, to "plausible" or even "confirmed" on the retest. Plausible is given under a few circumstances: The term "true" was used instead of "confirmed" in the first season. Many of

15369-429: The results" by Savage. This means that first the team attempts to recreate the circumstances that the myth alleges, to determine whether the alleged result occurs. If that fails, they attempt to expand the circumstances to the point that will cause the described result, which often reveals that the claims of the myth are objectively ridiculous or impossible to achieve without specialized training or equipment. Occasionally,

15510-489: The revival series, a total of 296 episodes of MythBusters have aired so far. Each MythBusters episode focuses typically on two or more popular beliefs , Internet rumors, or other myths . Many of the myths are on mechanical effects as portrayed in live-action films and television of fictional incidents. The list of myths tested by the series is compiled from many sources, including the personal experiences of cast and crew, as well as fan suggestions, such as those posted on

15651-514: The robot combat television series BattleBots , was asked by Hyneman to help co-host the show because, according to Savage, Hyneman thought himself too uninteresting to host the series on his own. During July 2006, an edited 30-minute version of MythBusters began airing on BBC Two in the UK. The episodes shown on the European Discovery Channel sometimes include extra scenes not shown in

15792-501: The show, such as when Belleci banged his knee falling off a fire tower; the fall was expected and prepared for using a safety harness, but the injury to his knee was unforeseen. The most common injuries were caused when moving safety equipment, which resulted in stitches and at least four broken fingers. These kinds of incidents were usually included in the broadcast program, with little other media attention, but some things failed in more spectacular and newsworthy ways. On March 20, 2009,

15933-423: The size for ease of transportation (in the case of sound reinforcement and DJ subwoofers). Hofmann 's "Iron Law" therefore mandates low efficiency under those constraints, and indeed most subwoofers require considerable power, much more than other individual drivers. So, for the example of a closed-box loudspeaker system, the box volume V a b {\displaystyle V_{ab}} to achieve

16074-407: The smaller end of the spectrum, subwoofer drivers as small as 4-inch (10 cm) may be used. Small subwoofer drivers in the 4-inch range are typically used in small computer speaker systems and compact home-cinema subwoofer cabinets. The size of the driver and number of drivers in a cabinet depends on the design of the loudspeaker enclosure , the size of the cabinet, the desired sound pressure level,

16215-453: The sole hosts. Byron, Belleci, and Imahara went on to host Netflix 's White Rabbit Project . The series had two interns, dubbed "Mythterns": Discovery Channel contest winner Christine Chamberlain and viewer building contest-winner Jess Nelson . During the first season, the program featured segments with folklorist Heather Joseph-Witham , who explained the origins of certain myths, and other people who had first-hand experience with

16356-463: The sound engineer in a process known as "stringing up", all to create the "sound of reggae music you can literally feel as it comes off these big speakers". Sound system crews hold ' sound clash ' competitions, where each sound system is set up and then the two crews try to outdo each other, both in terms of loudness and the "bass it produced". In the 1980s, the Bose Acoustimass AM-5 became

16497-416: The staff produced several "Myths Revisited" episodes in which the teams retest myths to see if the complaints have merit. These episodes have sometimes resulted in overturning results of several myths, as well as upholding some results for reasons different from the original. Occasionally, the MythBusters take the opportunity to test "mini-myths" during the course of one of the episode's main myths, usually in

16638-419: The stereo "image". From about 1900 to the 1950s, the "lowest frequency in practical use" in recordings, broadcasting and music playback was 100 Hz. When sound was developed for motion pictures, the basic RCA sound system was a single 8-inch (20 cm) speaker mounted in straight horn, an approach which was deemed unsatisfactory by Hollywood decisionmakers, who hired Western Electric engineers to develop

16779-501: The subwoofer driver after the crossover and at frequencies above the crossover. While the term "subwoofer" technically only refers to the speaker driver, in common parlance, the term often refers to a subwoofer driver mounted in a speaker enclosure (cabinet), often with a built-in amplifier . Subwoofers are made up of one or more woofers mounted in a loudspeaker enclosure —often made of wood—capable of withstanding air pressure while resisting deformation. Subwoofer enclosures come in

16920-402: The subwoofer driver. For example, if a listener's main speakers are usable down to 80 Hz, then the subwoofer filter can be set so the subwoofer only works below 80 Hz. Typical filters involve some overlap in frequency ranges; a steep 4th-order 24 dB/octave low-pass filter is generally desired for subwoofers in order to minimize the overlap region. The filter section may also include

17061-457: The subwoofer in home-cinema (also called home theater ) systems. During the 1990s, subwoofers also became increasingly popular in home stereo systems , custom car audio installations, and in PA systems . By the 2000s, subwoofers became almost universal in sound reinforcement systems in nightclubs and concert venues. Unlike a system's main loudspeakers, subwoofers can be positioned more optimally in

17202-469: The subwoofer within the room can also help flatten the frequency response. Multiple subwoofers can manage a flatter general response since they can often be arranged to excite room modes more evenly than a single subwoofer, allowing equalization to be more effective. MythBusters MythBusters is a science entertainment television series developed by Peter Rees and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions . The series premiered on

17343-405: The subwoofer(s) and the mains by a " crossover " network, typically using active electronics, including digital signal processing (DSP). Additionally, subwoofers are fed their own low-frequency effects (LFE) signals that are reproduced at 10 dB higher than standard peak level. Subwoofers can be positioned more favorably than the main speakers' woofers in the typical listening room acoustic, as

17484-474: The team, usually Savage and Hyneman, holds a friendly competition between themselves to see which of them can devise a more successful solution to recreating the results. This is most common with myths involving building an object that can accomplish a goal. For example, rapidly cooling a beer , or finding a needle in a haystack . While the team obeys no specific formula in terms of physical procedure, most myths involve construction of various objects to help test

17625-552: The teams commonly make use of several types of equipment that can provide other forms of observable effects. When testing physical consequences to a human body, which would be too dangerous to test on a living person, the MythBusters commonly use analogues. Initially, they mainly used crash-test dummies , usually, whatever form and function it possessed, it would be named Buster , for observing blunt trauma injury, and ballistic gelatin for testing penetrating trauma . They progressed to using pig carcasses when an experiment required

17766-520: The town of Esparto, California , was shaken and windows were shattered by a blast created by 500 pounds (230 kg) of ANFO during filming of the myth " Knock Your Socks Off ". Some residents were upset that the blast took place without "telling anyone". Chief Barry Burns of the Esparto Fire Department had several firefighters present for the explosion. He said he made the decision not to notify anyone in town for safety's sake. " MythBusters

17907-706: The treble and bass at opportune moments" at his private, underground parties at The Loft . The demand for sub-bass sound reinforcement in the 1970s was driven by the important role of "powerful bass drum" in disco, as compared with rock and pop; to provide this deeper range, a third crossover point from 40 to 120 Hz (centering on 80 Hz) was added. The Paradise Garage discotheque in New York City, which operated from 1977 to 1987, had "custom designed 'sub-bass' speakers" developed by Alex Rosner's disciple, sound engineer Richard ("Dick") Long that were called "Levan Horns" (in honor of resident DJ Larry Levan ). By

18048-623: The two found outside investors and reorganized as Infinity . The subwoofer was reviewed positively in Stereophile magazine's winter 1968 issue as the SS-1 by Infinity. The SS-1 received very good reviews in 1970 from High Fidelity magazine. Another of the early subwoofers was developed during the late 1960s by Ken Kreisel, the former president of the Miller & Kreisel Sound Corporation in Los Angeles. When Kreisel's business partner, Jonas Miller, who owned

18189-480: The two teams covering different myths. During the Build Team's tenure, Belleci was the only member to appear in every myth that the team tested. At the end of the 2014 season finale " Plane Boarding ", Savage and Hyneman announced that Byron, Belleci, and Imahara would not be returning in the 2015 season. This was reportedly over salary negotiations due to the rising cost of five hosts. Hyneman and Savage returned to being

18330-401: The very low frequencies they reproduce are nearly omnidirectional and their direction largely indiscernible. However, much digitally recorded content contains lifelike binaural cues that human hearing may be able to detect in the VLF range, reproduced by a stereo crossover and two or more subwoofers. Subwoofers are not acceptable to all audiophiles, likely due to distortion artifacts produced by

18471-475: The workshop, but often require the teams to be outside. Much of the outdoor testing during early seasons took place in the parking lot of M5, and occasionally M6 and M7. A cargo container in the M7 parking lot commonly serves as an isolation room for dangerous myths, with the experiment being triggered from outside. However, budget increases have permitted more frequent travel to other locations in San Francisco and around

18612-474: Was a forerunner for now-industry standard loudspeakers, using a dedicated processing unit to provide crossover, amplitude and phase correction, along with driver protection. Also in 1979, the company developed the UM-1 UltraMonitor, which led to a long association with the band Grateful Dead . The UltraMonitor was the first product to employ a new, patented horn loudspeaker design that reduced distortion by

18753-457: Was also notable for its introduction of the trapezoidal cabinet shape, which enabled the construction of curved arrays (flat-front arrays, in common use at the time, result in substantial destructive interference). A patent was issued for this innovation. The UPA-1 was an inaugural inductee into the TECnology Hall of Fame . Meyer Sound pioneered high-level loudspeaker arrays with the release of

18894-489: Was announced that MythBusters would air its 14th and final season in 2016. The show aired its final episode with the original cast on March 6, 2016. Kari Byron, Tory Belleci, and Grant Imahara, former MythBusters stars, led the Netflix show White Rabbit Project , which premiered on December 9, 2016. Through experiments and tests, they delve into topics like jailbreaks, superpower technology, heists, and WWII weapons. The series

19035-768: Was based on Richard Long's design at Paradise Garage. The club spent about £500,000 on a sound system that used Martin Audio components in custom-built cabinets, including twelve 21" 9,500 watt active subwoofers, twelve 18-inch subwoofers and twelve Martin Audio W8C mid-high speakers. The popularity of the CD made it possible to add more low frequency content to recordings and satisfy a larger number of consumers. Home subwoofers grew in popularity, as they were easy to add to existing multimedia speaker setups and they were easy to position or hide. In 2015, Damon Krukowski wrote an article entitled "Drop

19176-533: Was canceled after one season. On November 15, 2017, sister network Science Channel revived the series with new hosts Jon Lung and Brian Louden, who were selected via the competition spin-off MythBusters: The Search . The revival was filmed in Santa Clarita and on location in other parts of Southern California , airing for two seasons that lasted until 2018. Savage would later return in MythBusters Jr. ,

19317-515: Was designed for movie theaters, had a frequency response of 23–350 Hz when measured within a 10-decibel boundary (0 dB to −10 dB) and a narrower frequency response of 28–120 Hz when measured within a 6-decibel boundary (±3 dB). Subwoofers also vary in regard to the sound pressure levels achievable and the distortion levels that they produce over their range. Some subwoofers, such as The Abyss by MartinLogan for example, can reproduce pitches down to around 18 Hz (which

19458-448: Was hired to provide the team with his electrical and robotics experience. Byron went on maternity leave in mid-2009, with her position on the Build Team temporarily filled by Jessi Combs , best known for co-hosting Spike's Xtreme 4x4 . Byron returned in the third episode of 2010 season. The Build Team worked at its own workshop, called M7, investigating separate myths from the original duo. Each episode typically alternated between

19599-695: Was the ACD/John Meyer studio monitor , based on a design Meyer developed while heading the acoustics laboratory at the Institute for Advanced Musical Studies in Switzerland. Prior to the founding of Meyer Sound, the Meyers started a relatively short-lived company named Glyph, which in part provided large speakers that were four to eight feet in diameter. However, bands were unable to bring the gigantic speakers with them when they traveled. Prior to this, John Meyer developed

19740-572: Was the separate bass speaker for the Servo Statik 1 by New Technology Enterprises. Designed as a prototype in 1966 by physicist Arnold Nudell and airline pilot Cary Christie in Nudell's garage, it used a second winding around a custom Cerwin-Vega 18-inch (45 cm) driver to provide servo control information to the amplifier, and it was offered for sale at $ 1795, some 40% more expensive than any other complete loudspeaker listed at Stereo Review . In 1968,

19881-517: Was to provide portable sound enclosures capable of high fidelity reproduction of low frequency sound waves without giving an audible indication of the direction from which they emanated. Dones's loudspeaker was marketed in the US under the trade name "The Octavium" from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s. The Octavium was utilized by several recording artists of that era, most notably the Grateful Dead , bassist Monk Montgomery , bassist Nathan East , and

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