Soffit vs Flush

[tmix]

I have so enjoyed this site since I stumbled across it 2 weeks ago.
I have been trying to restrain myself from asking unneccessary questions by reading all the FAQ and Stickies. But I can't stand it, I gotta ask.
What is the difference in Flush mounting a speaker and soffit mounting?

Is one (Flush mount) done on a regular perpendicular wall and the other in an angled facia? The reason I ask is , the soffit mount type seems to involve a lot more in the way of chambers and cavities. Or do they both require that?

I am in the beginning throws of designing my studio as I expand from what I have. I would love to mount my Alesis Monitor Ones in the walls to get them off my desk, plus gaining some clearer imaging and boosted low end I perceive I would get from flush mounting.

It would also be nice if I can do this with the ability to eventually upgrade my speakers and not have to tear my wall down to replace them.

Thanks for your answers and your patience! I so love this site, I am really digging it.!

Tom Menikos
T-Mix Studios

[John Sayers]

Tom - they are the same thing - when I first came across it in the early 70s it was called flush mounting - first used by Tom Hidley - later the term soffit mounting became more popular.

cheers
john

[barefoot]

Here's the dictionary's take on "soffit".

n :the underside of a part of a building (such as an arch or overhang or beam etc.)

So, I think soffit mounting has the connotation of flush mounting the monitors towards the top of the wall with a downward slant. I use flush mounting as a more generic term.

Thomas

[tmix]

Thanks!
I will begin my search through the posts for "how to" suggestions.

Any specific posts you are aware of, please point me there.

Tom

[ollie]

Here is a previous post of mine...

"I think Soffit mounting can cause some problems if you do no treat the cavity below them properly.

I think that "Flush" mounting is more effective. Especially if you have a chance to build a massive front wall.

The true "Soffit" mount speaker that I have seen have been mounted over a tape/machine closet or the like. This was a '70's think to do. This caused the closet itself to resonate and the speakers where usually high up and at a bad angle leading to crappy hi freq. imaging and low end bleed into the closets or soffits below causing them to resonate.

I think making the wall as solid and huge/heavy as possible, lotsa wood, lotsa heavy dense mineral fibre and sheetrock and then mounting the speakers flush in heavy boxes at the optimum angles is the way to go... in my experience anyways. The less cavities the better. "


Johns design from this thread is perfect...

Except for the coupled walls

http://johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic ... highlight=

Couple of tips from experience...

- remember that you can cover the "ports" in the bottom of the wall with fabric panels and use them as cable runs. Trust me!

- you can also mount your amps somewhere in the wall below the speakers, thereby shortening cable runs.

- make the speaker box frames 2 or 3 times as big when framing them. You don't want to disassembe your wall to install bigger speakers in a year. The actual speaker box should be tight to your current speaker but the frame that holds it should be bigger.

If you get bigger speakers all you have to do is make a bigger box. And not change the framing which could be a lot of work. I size the frame around the box to fit Tannoy DMT215s. Which seems to be big enough to fit most of the largest monitors.

- do not connect the speaker boxes to the front of your wall, hang them or suspend them from the back of your wall and make sure your back wall and front wall are decoupled.

per barefoot

http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=718

- use front ported speakers if you can.

- use large gauge, high quality cable and if you are using active speakers make sure you run the power and audio cable perpendicular to one another and try not to cross them.


All of these tips help... try to do as many as you can.

cheers,
ollie


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[tmix]

Ollie,
I appreciate the ideas.
I do want to soffit mount my older Alesis monitor ones (rear ported) to save floor space. so I can move forward in my proposed control room instead of loosing 3 or so foot for optimal speaker placement from the front wall.
I like the plans for soffit mounting.
On the second link you gave it shows the speaker being strapped to a shelf as opposed to being loaded into a tight box. Does that work O.K.?

Should I plug the rear ports? or just let them fire into the wall and deal with it through absorbtive materials below the cavity?

Thanks for y'alls help!