Vortex ring from your old sub

[seamonkey]

There's always a Halloween gig or two, and a visual effects can be fun. Here's some ideas to grab an old speaker to make a poloidal vortex ring. A slow moving vortex ring filled with smoke that shoots out from the band. Throw air against air and you get a vortex.

A well designed cabinet would never chuff a vortex out. Major speaker companies have lawsuits against each other as they try to minimize vortices and turbulence in ports. Vortices cause noise and doppler problems as well as rob port efficiency. However, You can force a cabinet to chuff some air by applying a low frequency ramp waveform. Fill a chamber with smoke or Dry fog, pull the cone back slowly then shoot it forward to puff out air. This puff carries the smoke in the form a ring. You need to pull the cone back again because the vortex has just as much air moving forward as it does backwards.

Here's a youtube of a home vortex cannon


Have some fun with it, just don't over do it!

 

[MX21]

I built one of these using a tube like the guy in the picture above, and a 12" woofer for a science fair demo last year. I blew 12" rings clear across a gym.

You have to hit the speaker pretty hard, so you may not want to use your favorite cabinet.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

I thought someone here had trademarked the word "Vortex" in context of bass cabs?

 

[will33]

Seamonkey, this is probably the coolest thing you've ever posted. You're not so bad after all. Thanks, man.

 

[P Town]

Looks like a job for Joey D at Klops Drum Speakers

 

[will33]

Looks like a job for Joey D at Klops Drum Speakers

 

[megafiddle]

Instead of a speaker, maybe put a loose drum head on the end of the tube.
Set it next to the drummer and give him one of those big kettle drum sticks.

-

 

[Hopkins]

Would pumping a fog machine into a kick drum do the same thing?

 

[will33]

Would pumping a fog machine into a kick drum do the same thing?

Yes...except for the mic stand arm sticking through the hole could throw off the smoke ring....unless you do like I do and don't use a stand...just lay the mic on the pillow in there two fingers away from the batter head.

 

[seamonkey]

Would pumping a fog machine into a kick drum do the same thing?

There's a bass drum video above.

Now this vid I actually smell when I watch it!

 

[seamonkey]

I built one of these using a tube like the guy in the picture above, and a 12" woofer for a science fair demo last year. I blew 12" rings clear across a gym.

You have to hit the speaker pretty hard, so you may not want to use your favorite cabinet.

Wow - that far?
Drivers with large xmax could do really good.

 

[seamonkey]

Ha, Leave it to Disney to figure out another commercial use for vortex rings.

Portable and steerable!
More info:
Invalid Link Removed

 

[Downunderwonder]

Wow, they'd be really onto something if it could suck as well as blow.