Line Array Waveguide Design

The downfall in my eyes of conventional line array systems that i don not want to pursue is the goal of creating a planar array. I do not want line array behavior of -3dB decay per distance. I just want multiple drivers to work together as a virtual pointsource.

Danley uses the paraline for this purpose, but i am not at all convinced by it. Geometrically it is a much simpler implementation than the Lacoustics design. It is smaller, lighter and easier (and cheaper) to make. There is one major problem with it though, it only works in the high geometrical limit. I ran some simulations on the paraline like i did for this design and the paraline only works above +- 3kHz (do have to note this was a pretty rough and dirty CAD model, but it gave me an indication). The lacoustics design works better down to lower frequencies, and i like the fact that there are no 180 degree corners inside of it. Maybe for a small 1'' driver it will work, but i do not see it working for a 2'' driver needing to go down to several 100's of Hz.

I have this vision of the ultimate pointsource box for nearly all of my large applications anywhere between 200 and +- 1500 people. This design would solve my problems i have right now, in that it would get rid of the interference effects while not making the final box much bigger (compared to the three seperate HF boxes i have currently)

I do not think that the danley approach of adding 6.5'' mid drivers will make much of a difference. surely if i were to use 1'' drivers they would not be able to go down low enough without tremendous distortion so then a larger paper cone is necessary to go down anywhere low. 

That said, they would still have to be crossed at around 250ish Hz. For my current system, that is too high so i would need a 5th way in my system. The double 12'' horn loaded mids i have work very well up to 700Hz without any major negative side effects of arraying two of them side by side, despite them not being a single point source. They are much more efficient than 6 6.5'' drivers and can go lower with less distortion.

I just have to get to terms with the fact that i will have a box measuring 80cm high, 60 deep and 50 wide with ''only'' three HF drivers attached to it. Seems like lost space that i could mount mid devices to, but the cons of that are not outweighing the pros. 

It will however have very proper pattern control across its entire bandwidth due to its size, no interference effects, and be able to produce at least 140dB without too much distortion down to 500Hz, using components i already have. 

What to do....

Well, i have to find some time to make the prototype for one waveguide and then measure it to see how it will perform, and what the consequences are of the non idealities i see in the simulation.

In the simulation, i cannot see how the standing modes will react once in the farfield of the source. Maybe they will smooth out, maybe they will cause massive dips and peaks, only measurements will show this.

Got some ideas on new measurement techniques i can employ to test this.