The Woofer Widget project is coming along. For those who have not been following the development, the Woofer Widget is an advanced signal processing solution that uses truly new ways to improve the performance of bass subsystems. At the core of the Woofer Widget are three chips called Field Programmable Analog Arrays (FPAA). These little marvels of modern technology are essentially arrays of operational amplifiers that can be changed and modified in real time with a microcomputer to achieve some incredible results.
Imagine a very complex and completely configurable analog solution that can be reconfigured, adjusted or changed on the fly. FPAAs allow us to do things that are not possible with traditional passive components. They also achieve electrical transfer functions with an accuracy that is unmatched (1% or better). Their adaptable and flexible nature allows the hardware to be used in innovative ways, of which the Woofer Widget is one example.
When we designed the Woofer Widget, we looked at typical signal processing needs in bass subsystems and emulated many of them in software. Many of these functions are familiar to both consumers and audio engineers. The difference is, they are fully adjustable without mechanical parts. That important distinction allows us to totally change the function of the Woofer Widget without a single hardware change. Any signal processing need we identify, we can meet with a simple change to the software.
Standard functions in the base configuration include:
· Adjustable Subsonic Filter 12db/octave or 24db/octave and fully adjustable corner frequency
· Adjustable Low-Pass Filter 12db/octave or 24db/octave with fully adjustable corner frequency
· Continuously adjustable phase
· Gain Stage for volume adjustment (+6db - -60db)
· Linkwitz Shelving filter to extend low frequency response
· Room Measurement System with Microphone
· Four bands of Parametric Equalization to smooth room response.
Bass heads have long known that the low frequency response of a system is often dominated by room interactions. With that in mind, the Woofer Widget includes a powerful room measurement tool and the ability to interface that measurement with the signal processing functions. After all, what good are the signal processing functions if you don’t know how to set them?
The beauty of the Woofer Widget is its simplicity and function. It does exactly what it is designed to do, allow the user to measure the room and adjust the bass subsystem in response to those conditions. The user simply inserts the Woofer Widget in the signal chain between the preamp/processor and the subwoofer amplifier. All adjustments are made to the Woofer Widget with your computer, connected via a USB cable. A simple computer interface allows you to set-up your microphone, take a room measurement, view the results and then use the Woofer Widget tools to optimize your in-room frequency response. It is simple and easy without any unnecessary complexity or clutter.
How much does such a cutting edge tool like the Woofer Widget cost? The stand alone solution shown here is going to be somewhere between $299-$349 retail. I'll have packages that sell with the new Exodus Subwoofers and we will have a version built into a plate amp near the beginning of 2008.
OEMs who are interested in programmable analog solutions, feel free to contact me. The Woofer Widget is merely a specialized version of our OEM reference design, SonicMaster3. The SonicMaster Series of Chipsets are scalable for different functionality, cost & complexity. The user interface can range from knobs/buttons & LCD character screens all the way to PC based Graphical User Interfaces (the Woofer Widget uses a PC based GUI). The sky is the limit in terms of design and the price of implementation, both in terms of hardware and development cost are very attractive to mid-sized OEMs.
