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BassBox Pro Frequently Asked Questions

Updated 08-Aug-15
 

What kind of computer do you recommend for BassBox Pro?  Ideally, we recommend a full-featured PC that runs Microsoft Windows 10, 8.1, 8*, 7, Vista or XP very well. This is usually a computer with a "snappy" processor and plenty of memory (RAM) and hard disk space. We recommend at least 2 GBytes of memory. For desktop systems we recommend a minimum monitor size of 17 inches and a graphics display resolution of 1024x768 pixels or higher. For notebook systems we recommend a minimum display size of 13 inches and a graphics resolution of 1024x768 pixels. This is because BassBox Pro allows many interactive windows to be opened at the same time and a small display size will limit how much of each window will be visible. We also recommend that the graphics display have a color depth of 16 bits (thousands of colors) or higher (24 to 32 bits or millions of colors is best). A good color depth provides the most attractive appearance for the program and enables better color support for the plot lines in the graphs.

*Windows RT, the tablet version of Windows 8.x, is not supported.

Is a network version of BassBox Pro available?  No. BassBox Pro is only available as a single-user program and we offer only single-user licenses. The program should not be installed on a network application server. We offer discounts to customers requiring multiple copies.

Can BassBox Pro design a speaker box for an automobile?  Yes. The principles of box design are similar whether the listening space is inside an automobile or a room. In addition, BassBox Pro allows the user to select an automotive listening environment with the Preferences window and then provides the capability to simulate the 12 dB/octave low-frequency response rise that typically begins in many car interiors at about 50 Hz. The acoustic response of the listening space is controlled in the Car/Room Acoustic Properties window.

Can BassBox Pro produce a cut sheet for a cabinet shop?  Yes. BassBox Pro includes a box parts list which includes a two-dimensional drawing of each box part with dimension labels and cut angles. It can be viewed on the Parts List tab of the Box Properties window and it can be printed.

Can BassBox Pro design a trapezoid box?  Yes. However, in geometry a "trapezoid" is actually the name of a two-dimensional shape. The three-dimensional version is called a "truncated pyramid". This is the name used by BassBox Pro. The truncated pyramid is quite flexible and allows its dimensions to be adjusted in a variety of ways.

What box shapes are available in BassBox Pro?  Single-chamber boxes: barrel, cone, truncated cone, cube, cylinder, domed cylinder, truncated cylinder, ellipsoid, square prism, optimum square prism, regular polygon prism, slanted front prism, truncated edge prism, four-sided pyramid, three-sided pyramid, truncated pyramid (trapezoid), sphere and wedge. Multi-chamber boxes: two-chamber cylinder, three-chamber cylinder, two-chamber prism and three-chamber prism.

Can BassBox Pro design double-chamber and triple-chamber bandpass boxes?  Yes. BassBox Pro can design both double-chamber and triple-chamber bandpass boxes. In most cases, you can also configure which chamber(s) control the lower and upper response limits of the design.

Can a user make changes to the driver database?  Yes. The driver database is fully editable by the user. Drivers and companies can be added, edited or deleted.

Can BassBox Pro measure the response of a loudspeaker?  No. BassBox Pro is not a measurement system. It is a speaker box designer. It models or predicts how an open-back driver will perform in a box with a focus on its low-frequency response. It does not model sealed-back drivers like tweeters. It also allows the frequency-domain portion of acoustic measurements of drivers and listening spaces to be entered or imported to augment the accuracy of its Thiele-Small model.

What third-party measurement systems are supported by BassBox Pro?  BassBox Pro can import frequency-domain acoustic data from the following measurement systems: B&K, CLIO, IMP, LMS, JBL/SIA Smaart, MLSSA, Sample Champion and TEF 20. The raw data must be normalized to the predicted Thiele-Small response of the speaker and BassBox Pro includes tools to assist with this. We plan to add additional import capability in the future. Note: If you would like us to add this capability for a specific system, please submit details of the files used and samples. BassBox Pro cannot import phase or impedance data.

Can BassBox Pro measure driver Thiele-Small parameters?  Not directly. However, BassBox Pro does include built-in procedures for performing delta-volume tests of drivers and passive radiators. The procedures provide illustrated step-by-step instructions for making Thiele-Small parameter measurements with basic test equipment (not provided) and performs all necessary calculations as the results are entered into the program. BassBox Pro also includes the largest database of driver parameters in the world. In addition, BassBox Pro can import Thiele-Small parameters from the Woofer Tester 2, other BassBox Pro/Lite design files, and from some CLIO and LAUD measurement systems.

Can BassBox Pro model a complete multi-way loudspeaker system?  BassBox Pro is a low-frequency enclosure design program. As such, its focus is on modeling the low-frequency portion or "bottom end" of a loudspeaker system. (Remember that the primary function of a speaker box is to control the low-frequency response.) BassBox Pro will model only the response of the box and the woofer. The response of a tweeter cannot be added to it. However, complete two-way and three-way loudspeaker systems can be modeled with the addition of BassBox Pro's companion program, X•over Pro. X•over Pro is a passive crossover network design program which can display the net response of a two-way or three-way system. All relevant box parameters can be imported into it from a BassBox Pro design. When this is done, the graphs in X•over Pro will show the full system response of a box, a woofer, a midrange driver and a tweeter. Note: There is a discount when BassBox and X•over Pro are purchased together.

Can BassBox Pro model multiple woofers?  Yes, as long as they are identical. Any number of identical drivers can be specified for a box and BassBox Pro will determine the correct total box volume. Multiple drivers can be configured several different ways and BassBox Pro provides separate mechanical configuration settings (standard, isobaric, bessel, push-pull, not coherent) and electrical configuration settings (parallel, series, series-parallel, separate).

Can "alignments" be specified in BassBox Pro?  No. The concept of speaker "alignments" such as B4, B5, B6, QB3, C4, C5 and C6 goes back to the days of slide rules—long before the invention of powerful "personal" computers. They provided a "shorthand" way of describing the response of a box design. With today's computers and high-performance box modeling software, like BassBox Pro, you can now view the predicted response directly in a graph and no longer need to be bound by the artificial boundaries of each alignment. For example, whether or not a design happens to be a B4 or QB3 is irrelevant because you can view the response directly and determine if it satisfies the goals of your design.

What "alignment" is used for an "optimum" vented box?  When the "Suggest" button is used BassBox Pro attempts to design a box with a maximally flat amplitude response. Its ability to do this will depend on the driver parameters. It does not try to achieve a particular speaker alignment. However, if the Qts of the driver happens to equal 0.4, the optimum vented box will resemble a B4 (4th-order Butterworth) alignment. As the value of the driver Qts drops below 0.4 the optimum vented box will begin to resemble a QB3 (quasi 3rd-order Butterworth) alignment. As the value of the driver Qts rises above 0.4, the optimum vented box will begin to resemble a C4 (4th-order Chebychev) alignment.

Can BassBox Pro calculate the length of a flared vent?  Yes. BassBox Pro includes end-correction adjustments for vents with flared ends. Vents with single or double flared ends can be selected.

Will Harris Tech add my drivers to the database?  Yes. We are always eager to add additional drivers to the driver database for the benefit of all our customers. To have us add your drivers, send us the full Thiele-Small parameters for them. Also include descriptive information and dimensions.

Why does BassBox Pro suggest different closed box sizes than other programs?  BassBox Pro tends to recommend a smaller closed box volume than less sophisticated programs. This is because the BassBox Pro closed box model allows several box parameters to be adjusted which are not adjustable in many other programs. These parameters include QL, Qa and gamma. QL is the Q of the leakage losses of the box. Qa is the Q of the absorption losses of the box. Gamma is the ratio of heat at constant pressure to that at constant temperature for the air inside the box. QL can be manually adjusted on the Box Design tab of the Box Properties window. It usually gets smaller as the box gets larger. Qa and gamma are automatically set according to the Damping or "Fill" setting of the Damping tab of the Box Properties window. The default values for Qa and gamma for different Fill settings can be adjusted with the Preferences window. BassBox Pro can be made to predict similar box volumes as other programs by turning on the "Use Classical equations" option on the Damping tab of the Box Properties window. This can also be configured as the default setting with the Preferences window.

Is BassBox Pro available on diskettes?  No. It is only available on CD and we use CD-R discs because we print and record them ourselves. CD-R discs do not last as long as commercial CDs which are stamped so you should make a backup copy.

Is there a 64-bit version of BassBox Pro?  No. BassBox Pro is only available as a 32-bit application. However, we've tested it under 64-bit versions of Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 and Vista and have found no problems. Note: BassBox Pro is not compatible with Windows RT, the tablet version of Windows 8.x.

Is there a Mac version of BassBox Pro?  No. We presently develop software only for the Microsoft Windows environment. To run BassBox Pro on a Mac, you will need to do so under a PC emulator (like Apple's BootCamp) running a licensed copy of Microsoft Windows.

 

how to purchase BassBox Pro is available from one of our distributors or directly from us. Click the purchase button above for information, including special package deals.

support policy Technical support is provided for one year to users who have purchased a software license and registered their license with us. Our preferred method of support is email. For more information, visit our Support page.

BassBox update Latest BassBox Pro maintenance release:
  6.0.23  10-Nov-2013.

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