Horns · Horn types
Compound horn
How it connects#
The front of the cone feeds the front horn and the back of the cone feeds the rear horn, each through an optional coupling chamber.
The two mouths are separate outputs that add with their phase at the listener, like the horn and direct radiator of a back-loaded horn.
When the rear horn is short enough to act as a vent, the horn card shows its Rear tuning.
When to use it#
Good for#
- Getting horn loading on both sides of the cone.
- Designs where a short rear path should behave like a port.
Watch for#
- The two mouths can cancel where their outputs overlap. Check Horn Radiating Outputs.
- Switching a horn to compound moves both entries to the throat. If you switch back to tapped, set the rear tap again.
- The diagnostics graphs call the front path Main.
What you set#
Set the enclosure type to Horn, then choose Compound under Horn type, in the enclosure panel or in the Horn Editor’s path bar.
In the horn card#
The horn card in the enclosure panel lists each path as a row: click one to open that path in the Horn Editor. The card also sets:
| Control | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Front coupling chamber and Rear coupling chamber | Volume for each, and a Front cross-section and Rear cross-section under Advanced. |
| Rear tuning | A readout, shown only when the rear horn is short enough to act as a vent. |
In the Horn Editor#
The path itself is set on the Horn Editor tile. Drag it in the drawing, or switch the tile to Table to type each value:
| Control | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Front horn | The area at the throat, then up to eight spans. |
| Rear horn | Under the Rear chip in the path bar, the same. A new rear horn is one 1.5 m exponential span. |
| Driver marker | On the front horn, where the front of the cone joins it; on the rear horn, where the back of the cone does. Each in cm from that horn’s throat. |
The driver marker can be dragged along either path. Use the Front and Rear chips in the path bar to switch which horn you are editing. How the Horn Editor works.
What the rear horn length does#
Only the rear horn length changes. Each longer rear horn carries the output lower, and the ripple through the band changes as the two mouths interact differently.
- 0.75 m−3 dB 106 Hz
- 1.5 m−3 dB 83 Hz
- 2.25 m−3 dB 62 Hz
How the outputs add up#
The dashed lines are the front and rear mouths on their own. The total follows whichever is louder, and dips where they are close in level and out of step.
- Total
- Main mouth
- Rear mouth
Diagnostics and stuffing#
Horn Radiating Outputs shows the Main mouth and the Rear mouth with their total. Main coupling and Rear coupling appear when their chambers have a cross-section. Reading the horn diagnostics.
Spans on both horns can be stuffed. How stuffing works.
Folding and Hornresp#
- Folding
- Not yet. Folding handles one horn path, so the Fold into cabinet button is disabled for compound horns and the Fold tile says the type does not fold yet.
- Hornresp export · CH, CH1, CH2 or CH3
- Entries must be at the throat or the first junction. A rear coupling chamber cannot currently be exported, and the export says so. The two faces need opposite polarities.
- Checked against Hornresp
- 13 native Hornresp cases of this type are re-simulated in the regression tests. 12 of 12 agreement checks meet their tolerances, and 1 more track stuffing-model differences without claiming agreement.
Try it#
There is no example for this type yet. Open the simulator, add an enclosure, set its type to Horn and choose Compound under Horn type. It starts from the default horn path.
Ask your AI#
Ask your AI
Using 00 Simulator, add a compound horn to my open workspace for the driver I am using now. Try rear horn lengths of 1, 1.5 and 2 m without saving, simulate each at 50 W and show me SPL. For the best one, use the radiating outputs in the results to tell me where the two mouths work against each other.
Connect your assistant so it can open your designs.