Designer handbook for WS TuneLab

1. Activate the application and check your modules

Start the Windows application and enter the activation code supplied for your licence. Review the validity period and module access in the application's licence information. A trial can be configured to start on first activation. Check the displayed dates instead of assuming the period began when you received the code or downloaded the files.

The activation code, account password and email verification code have different purposes. Activation unlocks the application according to the licence. Your account is used when connecting to services such as enclosure passports. If the application is activated but passports require authentication, use the passport menu to sign in to the customer service with the account linked to your licence.

If a module remains locked, review the licence before troubleshooting the project. Do not delete drawings or local project data to resolve an access issue. Licence changes belong in licence administration. Before trying a new application version, save ongoing work and check which version of the project you reopen afterwards. Keep important exported project files as a separate backup.

2. Choose a starting point and name the project

Choose the construction you intend to build. Use sealed or bass reflex for straightforward designs, or select a suitable bandpass or hybrid template for multiple chambers. Kick cabinets, horn cabinets and free CAD have dedicated workspaces. The separate acoustic horn study is for investigation and should not be treated as a completed cutting list.

Give the project a name you can recognise later. Customer, driver and main design idea can make a useful combination. Save an initial version before exploring major changes. If you then try a different driver or port arrangement, save that as a clearly named alternative while retaining the original as a reference.

Decide which constraints are fixed. Are the outside dimensions fixed, is a target volume important, or must the cabinet occupy a particular position in the vehicle? Record that before using automatic adjustments. Know which dimension the tool is allowed to change. A solved target is useful only when the resulting construction still fits the actual job.

3. Select the driver and inspect its information

Open the driver library and choose the correct variant. Check impedance version and driver count. Review the parameters used for simulation as well as the dimensions used for mounting. For custom data, compare your entries with manufacturer information or the measurements you intend to use as the project's reference.

Outside diameter, cutout diameter and mounting depth are different measurements. The outside dimension determines clearance to neighbouring drivers and edges. The opening must fit the basket. Depth must fit around ports, braces and the rear wall. Inspect a driver substitution in 3D even if its new response curve immediately looks attractive.

Read notices about missing, derived or estimated values. A missing parameter can make an analysis unavailable or introduce an assumption. Do not enter an arbitrary value simply to produce a graph. Save a clearly marked preliminary version and complete the information before using it for manufacturing decisions. Retain the source of important custom values in your project notes.

4. Enter dimensions, material and usable space

Enter the main enclosure dimensions and panel thickness. Check whether a field represents an external dimension, an internal dimension or a clear opening. A small misunderstanding can propagate into both volume and the cutting list. Inspect the construction overview after changes to confirm that the shape matches your intention.

Compare gross and net volume where available. Drivers, ports, dividers and other parts can occupy space that is no longer available as enclosure air volume. Additional manual deductions should cover items not already included. Avoid deducting the same component twice and check substantial deductions against the actual construction rather than treating them as convenient tuning controls.

Review the project again after a thickness change. Internal space, parts and port conditions can change while the outside appearance remains almost identical. Save a reference first. It then becomes easier to see whether the new thickness achieves its intended purpose without introducing a clearance or volume problem elsewhere in the design.

5. Develop the bass-reflex port

Choose the port type that matches the intended build. Enter clear port dimensions and check how physical length is described in the current workspace. When automatic tuning is enabled, inspect both the calculated result and the geometry. Reaching a frequency target is not enough if the channel does not fit or the outlet is poorly located.

Change one thing at a time. Start with area, for example, then follow the effect on length and occupied volume. Inspect clearances to drivers, braces and enclosure walls in 3D. Also assess the external outlet in the real installation. Trim panels and nearby vehicle surfaces may not be represented in the enclosure model.

Once the geometry is reasonable, inspect the simulation at your intended drive level. Compare port air with a saved baseline. If loss settings are used, distinguish that result from the ideal reference. Record assumptions relevant to the prototype and measure the actual tuning after construction. Keep the final physical port arrangement associated with the saved project version.

6. Build bandpass and hybrid projects step by step

First select the correct chamber arrangement. Parallel and series sixth-order bandpass designs have different connections. For hybrid, select a template matching the number of inverted drivers and any front group. Review the displayed topology and 3D arrangement before trying to achieve a particular response shape.

Work through one chamber and opening at a time. Keep track of which dimensions belong to which part. Follow net volume, area, physical length and displayed warnings. If automatic adjustment cannot reach the targets, inspect the construction constraints. A requested value in an input field is not confirmation that the design has achieved it.

When geometry and driver information are ready, inspect the combined curve and available individual contributions. For hybrid, also review polarity and group drive. Save a version before larger changes to group settings. This helps distinguish an acoustic construction change from an apparent improvement caused by supplying more signal to one group. Keep those comparisons labelled so they remain understandable later.

7. Review kick and horn constructions

Enter the driver count and inspect the front arrangement. In a kick cabinet, review the clear corner-port openings and port-wall positions. In a horn cabinet, review the front section, mouths, rear chamber and optional port arrangement. Use perspective and straight views to understand parts that appear to overlap in a single image.

Read the construction details for the selected configuration. Throat, front-chamber and side-piece changes can affect both the result and manufacture. Check part dimensions and cutting angles before handing over documents. A resonance identified in the model is not necessarily the same thing as a distinct peak in the total sound-pressure response.

For the separate horn study, begin with profile, dimensions and driver information. Save it as a study and develop the physical construction separately. Before using the result in a real build, compare the assumptions with measurements. Do not describe the study as a finished, measurement-verified loudspeaker system or assume it includes complete manufacturing drawings.

8. Read sound pressure with the correct drive conditions

Open simulation and check the selected signal. Review voltage or power, driver wiring and active filters before interpreting the level. Read the sound-pressure reference too. Cabin loading and a standalone reference environment are not equivalent conditions simply because both results are expressed in decibels.

Save a baseline with an understandable name. Change one parameter and compare over the same frequency range. When comparing enclosures, make sure unintended signal-processing differences do not dominate the result. Label the comparison clearly if you deliberately compare complete system settings rather than two constructions under identical drive conditions.

Inspect the whole intended operating range. The highest point does not describe bandwidth or behaviour near the crossover. Write down what you want to improve and check whether the change achieves that. The result then supports a decision rather than becoming another graph that is difficult to interpret after you return to the project later.

9. Check excursion, port air and impedance

Switch from sound pressure to the loading graphs available in the workspace. Start with cone excursion and compare against the entered Xmax where available. Inspect port-air velocity in vented designs and electrical loading where impedance is provided. If a quantity is unavailable, do not assume another graph has checked it indirectly.

Use the same drive conditions as the response comparison. Changing the level between graphs makes conclusions unreliable. Then investigate the modification you are considering, such as another high-pass setting or a larger port area. Follow both the intended improvement and any disadvantage, including increased space requirements or a changed response outside the main operating range.

Distinguish calculated limits from guaranteed real-world operation. Thermal conditions, music signals, amplifier behaviour and construction details also matter. Use the result to decide what needs testing and documentation. If a recommendation is passed to a customer, state the relevant settings so that the graph is not treated as a guarantee under unrelated operating conditions.

10. Explore filters, EQ and wiring

Check series and parallel driver connections first. Set the input signal, then try high-pass, low-pass and EQ controls where supported. Save an unfiltered or previously accepted case so the effect of each change remains visible. Avoid simultaneously changing the enclosure, drive and filters unless you deliberately want a complete-system comparison.

Begin with the function you need, such as limiting excursion below the operating range. Review sound pressure and excursion again after the change. A crossover adjustment also concerns the other part of the system. One enclosure's response alone does not describe the combined transition to the next driver or frequency band.

For hybrid projects with separate group drive, inspect settings for each group. Use clear names when saving alternatives. Once an operating case is chosen, write its recommended settings in the handover information. The customer should not have to reconstruct the intended filtering or input from a picture of a response curve or from an old conversation.

11. Enter vehicle information and compare cabin cases

Open the vehicle and cabin tools and enter dimensions relevant to the installation. Keep load-space measurements separate from the cabin geometry used in an acoustic estimate. A template is a starting point to verify, not a measurement of your vehicle. Save actual measurements and note which remaining values are estimates.

The hybrid workspace supports coupled cabin loading when the required project conditions are met. Review the B-wall, cabin shape, door and leakage information. Change one assumption at a time while keeping the enclosure unchanged. Enabling cabin loading changes the meaning of the pressure result, so do not compare the numbers as if the original reference remained identical.

Read the displayed frequency guideline. Results beyond the useful model range are extrapolations. The tool does not resolve every local resonance or the reading at a particular microphone position. Use the study to plan measurements in the actual installation. Saving both a cabin-off and a cabin-on case helps keep the comparison and its assumptions explicit.

12. Investigate panel movement and material

Open the material and panel tools in a workspace that supports panel analysis. Select an example material or enter custom properties. Review thickness, density, stiffness and damping. Example values should be checked against the board you intend to use, especially when comparing products that may have substantially different properties.

Choose a frequency and inspect the table of assessed panels. Locate a panel in the 3D enclosure and switch between supported movement, stress and shape views. Check units and colour scales. Exaggerated animation is an illustration: use numeric results to judge the estimated magnitude rather than reading the visible deformation as a full-scale physical prediction.

Save a before comparison prior to changing material or thickness. Run a sweep to locate peaks across the selected range. Review unassessed panels, including perforated parts. A favourable result for assessed fields does not verify the strength of the entire cabinet. Keep the assumptions with the chosen version and use the report as a construction comparison, not structural certification.

13. Compare bracing and thickness alternatives

When bracing is included, inspect its physical arrangement and its treatment in the analysis. Choose between edge support and supported contact lines treated as ideal rigid supports. A drawn brace needs real contact and an appropriate joint in the finished cabinet. The drawing alone cannot establish how well that connection will behave.

Use thickness studies from a saved baseline. Compare movement with panel weight, net volume and dimensions. If searching for a suitable thickness, interpret the result with your chosen movement criterion and the set of assessed panels. It is not general approval of that material for every operating condition or construction method.

Return to port and driver placement after a significant change. A stiffer arrangement can also reduce usable space or complicate assembly. Save the alternative that works as a complete construction. Include an understandable description of bracing in the manufacturing information so the workshop or customer knows how parts connect, rather than receiving thickness values without joint context.

14. Use 3D and free CAD to review fit

Inspect the project in perspective and at least one straight view. Enable transparency where available and follow the port channels through the cabinet. Check driver backs, openings, dividers and assembly access. Section views, where offered, can reveal a detail otherwise hidden behind several surfaces.

In free CAD, establish the main shape before adding numerous details. Check outlines and angles, then continue with panels and component placement. For well-shaped enclosures and equipment compartments, consider access and separation alongside volume. An attractive outside shape is not sufficient if equipment cannot be installed, connected or removed for service.

Use actual component dimensions as the design approaches manufacture. Review details not automatically represented, such as terminals, cables, seals and fixings. Save a version after this fit review. It creates a useful distinction between an initial shape proposal and the construction information that has been checked for practical assembly with the intended components.

15. Combine components in a system project

Use the system workspace when multiple frequency ranges need to be considered together. Add the intended components, such as bass enclosures, midrange cabinets, horns and tweeters. Check each component's data before interpreting the sum. Incomplete input does not become more reliable merely because it forms part of a larger project.

Review filtering, levels and the selected observation point. Save a baseline proposal and change one thing at a time around the transitions you want to improve. With imported curves, verify their source, units and reference. Measured and simulated information may require different treatment before the comparison becomes meaningful.

Record which components changed before delivering a revised proposal. A driver replacement or cabinet rebuild can require changes to both the component project and the system settings. Use the combined view to support development and adjustment. It does not replace measurement of the completed installation at the actual location and operating conditions you intend to use.

16. Prepare cutting lists, PDFs and machining information

Save the version intended for manufacture and open the construction or drawings/PDF tools. Review quantities, finished dimensions, thicknesses, openings and angles. Compare driver cutouts with actual component data. Use part references to move between the enclosure overview and each individual panel without confusing similarly shaped pieces.

Inspect print preview before printing or saving a PDF. Check that every part appears and that dimensions remain readable. Follow the written dimensions; a panel view is not automatically a full-size template. For workshop handover, identify the project and version clearly so older printouts cannot easily be mistaken for the current cutting information.

For DXF or CNC output, first confirm that the selected panel type is supported. Open the exported data in your machining workflow and inspect units, contours and openings. Tool diameter, compensation, workholding and cutting order are decided there. Perform the usual workshop checks before cutting: a correct contour does not specify how a particular machine should process it.

17. Create an enclosure passport for your customer

Save the drawing and open My projects. Choose Create passport for the version the customer should receive. The construction and name follow the saved project. If authentication is required, sign in to the customer service using the account linked to your program licence before continuing the handover.

Enter the customer's email address carefully. Add free-form operator notes if needed. Write one assembly step per line and use the separate fields for crossover and filters, amplification, wiring and other settings. These should be recommendations you have selected and can explain for that particular cabinet and installation.

Create the passport and follow the invitation information. The customer can use an existing account or create one afterwards with the correct email address. No program licence is needed by the recipient. Continuing to edit your project does not automatically replace the delivered snapshot. Review the version before sharing, especially when an earlier design has already been supplied to the same customer.

18. Save, synchronise and follow up

Use clear version names at significant stages: initial proposal, fit review, manufacturing drawings and delivered original. Keep exported backups of important projects. A locally saved file and a version synchronised to the server are different states, especially after an interruption to the connection. Check status instead of assuming the most recent change has arrived.

Drawing synchronisation is separate from the customer's passport. When enabled, the application explains that drawings are uploaded and accessible to the WS TuneLab owner. The customer receives only the passport you assign, not every working revision. Understand that distinction before using synchronisation as part of the business workflow.

After construction, return to the project with measurements and observations. Record departures from the drawing and the settings used during testing. The next revision can then start from actual evidence. This is also a useful time to improve customer instructions: explain what to set, what to inspect and which construction version the recommendation concerns.

19. Review the handover from the recipient's perspective

Reopen the saved version and follow the documents in the order the recipient will use them. Start with the overview, continue through the parts and read the assembly steps without relying on your memory of the design process. Add an instruction when the existing text assumes knowledge that only you possess.

Check the email address, project name, units and recommended settings. Mark anything that remains provisional. For a prototype, state what needs measuring before final settings are chosen. A clear handover helps the customer ask useful questions and helps you investigate the outcome later without having to reconstruct the original project from scattered messages.