Meyer Sound PSW-6 User Manual

The tight response pattern
of the PSW-6 helps to steer
all frequencies away from
the rear of the cabinet,
eliminating much of the
reverberant noise
traditionally associated with
large scale full-range
speaker arrays. Additionally,
the tight response pattern
allows the PSW-6 to be
placed in close proximity to
walls without the traditional
problems associated with
subwoofers and subtractive
boundary conditions.
Control of low frequency
sounds through cancellation,
or more accurately,
directional steering is only
possible in exceptionally
linear systems. Linearity is
critically important to

In an unprecedented
historical achievement, Meyer
Sound’s self-powered PSW-6
is the first subwoofer to
exhibit a true cardioid
coverage pattern throughout
its entire operating range.
This makes it the first
subwoofer to offer directional
control of low frequencies.
Covering more than two full
octaves, the PSW-6 has a
front to back SPL ratio of
more than 15dB, and
typically more than 20dB,
from 30 Hz to 125 Hz. The
horizontal and vertical
coverage patterns of the
PSW-6 are symmetrical,
ensuring consistent SPL and
frequency response
throughout the coverage
area.

FEATURES

directional steering as the
relationship between
transducers must be
consistent even while the
music changes in level. Non­linearity or distortion above
a few percent would make
directional steering
impossible.
For nearly twenty years,
Meyer Sound has been
committed to developing
accurate, high-quality, linear
sound systems. As a result
of this continuing effort,
Meyer Sound has developed
powerful, low distortion
transducers unequaled in
their linear attributes.
The cardioid pattern refers
to the heart-shaped polar
pattern of the speaker (see
illustration next page).

Self-Powered Cardioid Subwoofer

PSW-6

Cardioid coverage
pattern

Front-to-back SPL
ratio of over 15 dB

Integrated control
electronics and
amplifiers

Intelligent AC

TM

System

Compatible with the
Remote Monitoring
System

TM

(RMS)

TruPower™
Limiting (TPL)

Meyer
Sound

Superior
engineering
for the art
and science
of sound.

Sound pressure propagates from the
front of the speaker using four front­loaded cone drivers and is steered
away from the rear of the cabinet by
two rear-mounted cone drivers. This is
accomplished through a complex
electrical response relationship
between multiple amplifier channels
and critical geometry between the
front and rear transducers. This phase
relationship cancels low frequency
energy in the rear lobe and is additive
in the front, resulting in higher
efficiency and greater SPL.
Recent advancement in Meyer horn
technology has afforded precision
control of the coverage patterns of
mid and high frequency sound but
precise control of low frequency
coverage remained problematic due to
the enormous size of horns needed to
control low frequency sounds. To
achieve directional control of a
frequency, its wavelength must be less
than half the diameter of the horn. For
example, control of a 30 Hz tone
would require a horn 20 feet in
diameter. Similarly, any array of
subwoofers would have to cover a
similarly large area to achieve
directional control of low-frequency
sound.
The research which lead to the
development of the PSW-6 set out to
control low frequency sound in a
much smaller space for applications
where the size of large arrays were
impractical or impossible. Research
done using Meyer Sound’s own Source
Independent Measurement (SIM

®

),
and the Multipurpose Acoustical
Prediction Program (MAPP™) allowed
Meyer to create exceptionally accurate
computer models of low frequency
speaker interaction. Out of this
experimentation the PSW-6 was born.

The PSW-6 can be equipped to
operate with the Remote Monitoring
System (RMS

™

) network which

displays critical system data such as temperature, amplifier and driver
voltages, clipping and input polarity information on a Windows based PC
allowing the front-of-house mixer or system engineer to ensure proper
operation of the PSW-6 during performances.
Combining several PSW-6s in a line or arch array increases the power
potential of the system while maintaining the tight cardioid response
pattern. The PSW-6 can be incorporated into an MSL-4 or MSL-6
loudspeaker system with a standard LD-1A.