Knowledge

How did the subwoofer come about?

A subwoofer (or sub) is a speaker dedicated only to producing low frequencies. Typically they produce from around 20Hz through to 150Hz and augment the bass performance of the main loudspeakers.

Initially designed in the 1960s in to counter electrostatic speakers’ lack of bass response many people were first exposed to the thunderous tones in the movie Earthquake in 1974. Released in Sensurround in the USA, it used six large subwoofers triggered by control tones printed on one of the audio tracks on the film.

Subs began to become popular once the limitations of vinyl were overcome by magnetic tape and CDs. Recording engineer Roger Nichols first used a subwoofer in a recording session for Steely Dan in 1973. Producers began began adding more bass into these recordings as there was no risk of a stylus jumping out of its groove with cassettes.

The 1990s saw an explosion in consumer subwoofers, and an equivalent take-up by nightclubs with the increase in popularity of electronic dance music.

Stereo subwoofers are not needed in most applications as frequencies this low are omnidirectional (radiate in all directions).

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In our next email newsletter we’ll explain high-pass, low-pass and band-pass filters.

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