Fane Sovereign Pro 12-500

[OldogNewTrick]

Yes. Sensitivity and frequency response are similar but this Fane 12-500 has a more supportive low end to my ear.

The Fane 12-500 has been on my list of drivers of interest for several years. Unfortunately, one can build only so many cabs to test things out.
I really appreciate you building a cab with this driver and giving real world feedback.

Question: You measured an Fb=56.19Hz - what was the predicted/simulated Fb? You stated in your drawing a port length of 3,75"

 

[5StringPocket]

The Fane 12-500 has been on my list of drivers of interest for several years. Unfortunately, one can build only so many cabs to test things out.
I really appreciate you building a cab with this driver and giving real world feedback.

Question: You measured an Fb=56.19Hz - what was the predicted/simulated Fb? You stated in your drawing a port length of 3,75"

Increasing Fb from 55.5 to 59.0 Hz in my Eminence Designer model reduced port length from 4.75" to 3.75" but the as-built measured Fb was 56.2 Hz with a 3.75" port length. There are assumptions in the model including a "typical" amount of dampening material and manufacturer given T/S parameters which can be off enough to affect the measured Fb. It sounds good where it landed enough not to do any port surgery.

 

[OldogNewTrick]

Thanks for the feedback
I do simulate most of the DIY builds here on TB to get a better understanding of the design choices made.
Coupled with feedback like yours I can build up a better feel for what works and what does not.

5StringPocket said: ↑
Yes. Sensitivity and frequency response are similar but this Fane 12-500 has a more supportive low end to my ear.

 

[Arjank]

Increasing Fb from 55.5 to 59.0 Hz in my Eminence Designer model reduced port length from 4.75" to 3.75" but the as-built measured Fb was 56.2 Hz with a 3.75" port length.

I'm curious about how close a simulation of the port length in Boxsim comes to the measured Fb.

 

[5StringPocket]

I'm curious about how close a simulation of the port length in Boxsim comes to the measured Fb.

I ran the port simulation in Boxsim shown below. With a small amount of damping, Fb=57.29 Hz. Adding a bit more damping material reduced Fb=55.94 Hz. This agrees reasonably well with the measured value of 56.19 Hz but shows that the amount of damping makes a difference.

 

[OldogNewTrick]

in your Boxsim port tuning you set your port to round and a diameter of 8,646 cm or a port area of 58,7 cm².
In your drawing you spec the triangular corner ports with 4,46" x 4,46" or a port area of 64,2 cm² minus corner cleat 3,2cm² would be 61.0cm²...

Port calculation as single square port 4,46" x 4,46" x 3,75" returns fb=55,2 Hz for no fill and 54,1 Hz for light fill .
Port calculation for 2 round ports, but adjusted diameter for 61cm² is spot on
So reasonably close to the measured result.

 

[5StringPocket]

Boxsim is limited in available port configurations but port geometry and number of ports for a given cross section area does affect the calculated Fb. From what I’ve read, tri-ports resemble round ports in a model but their corner placement introduces wall effects which increase effective port length and lowers Fb. Shelf ports on the bottom of a cab exhibit similar behavior which means a shorter port is required for a given Fb.

Boxsim seems to do a better job than Eminence Designer at accounting for wall effect but Designer has some useful features that Boxsim doesn’t. I’m curious what BassBox Pro looks like but don’t feel like investing more time and money as I’m pretty close to done with DIY projects.

 

[OldogNewTrick]

... I’m curious what BassBox Pro looks like ....

If I recall correctly Eminence Designer is essentially a rebadged BassBox Pro.
I would have to search where I got that info from to support my statement....
So take this with a grain of salt.

 

[5StringPocket]

If I recall correctly Eminence Designer is essentially a rebadged BassBox Pro.
I would have to search where I got that info from to support my statement....
So take this with a grain of salt.

That wouldn't surprise me. The screens, tabs, and graphs look very similar.

 

[5StringPocket]

I finally brought my Eminence KL3012CX cab back from band practice to pair with this Fane Sovereign 12-500. Alternating them sided by side, their sensitivity and voicing is pretty similar, but with the coax tweeter dialed all the way back the more extended treble response of the Fane was noticeable. The two cabinets are identical except that the Eminence has 4" deep ports with Fb=55.5 Hz while the Fane has 3" deep ports with Fb=56.2 Hz. When stacked with the Eminence Coax on top the two drivers combine very well. Setting the tweeter at 6 (a little over half way up) provides enough treble to add clarity and sound balanced without being too much.

This modular stack can be set up horizontally, vertically, or horizontal with the upper cab tilted back as shown in the pics below. The 19"W x 33.5"H horizontal stack seems to have a bit more bass and not quite as much upper mid than the 16.75"W x 38"H vertical stack. This might be from small differences in floor coupling and degrees off-axis from the upper driver. It's subtle but noticeable. Horizontal with the upper cab tilted back about 19 degrees has both enhanced bass and clarity. Wooden strips with rubber cabinet feet keep the amp in place on the slanted surface. I like it.

Horizontal Stack:

Vertical Stack:

Horizontal with tilt back:

 

[5StringPocket]

Here's a quick play along video I made just to capture the sound of these cabs. I played my modified G&L Kiloton 5 through a Subway D800+ into this DIY 112 stack and recorded it with my iPhone about 3 feet away and 30 degrees off-axis from the top speaker.

 

[Blues Bass 2]

Sounds good , nice song . Nice thick tone but clear , good playing too !

 

[5StringPocket]

Thanks, after playing so many years I'm still such a recording noob. I have a Scarlett 2i2 interface which I need to get familiar with but the iPhone 13 isn't too bad for just getting the sound of a rig in the room. I need to try a few more and tweak the brightness and signal level.