YAMAHA SPEAKER
bluetooth speaker prototype
This project consisted of designing and making a working bluetooth speaker using a variety of building methods that would take this project from idea to a finished working prototype.
Fall 2021
Semester 2
14 week project
MOODBOARDS
MOODBOARDS
creation of moodboards consisted on collectin a series of images that would determine the desired Yamaha aesthetic as well as provide inspiration on detailing, material, and related products, establishing the space and environment in which the speaker would be used in.
DISASSEMBLY
The first step consisted on taking affaprt every element of the existing speaker to use its components on the new design.
IDEATION
FINAL CONCEPT
The final concept aimed to create a minimalistic speaker that looked good as an element in the room but also exposed its traveling and carrying capabilities.
Having a main black body aimed to follow the overal black and white aesthetics seen on most yamaha products while also including a wood frame as an homage to the companies rich history in musical instruments.
INITIAL MOCK-UPS
Using 6lb polyurethane foam I carved out the basic shape of the speaker, and moving up to 10 lb foam while figuring out internal dimensions and spacing to properly fit the speaker components.
The biggest challenge in this stage of the process was finding the righ spacing for all the components, Most of the time solving this problem was spent perfecting the orthographic drawing that helped me quickly carve out the speaker shell.
LASER CUTTING
the components were mounted on laser cut acrylic panels screwed into the 20lb foam speaker shell using inserts and threaded holes directly unto the acrylic panels.
This was a trial and error stage trying to find the right spacing and screw alighnment.
REDESIGN
Nearing the finishing stages I deicided to redesign the wood frame switching it to more simple end caps that would allow me to focus on the main body of the speaker.
PRIMING
I applied several coats of primer using a spray gun, this helped me control the flow on which I sprayed the primer, getting even thicknesses throughout the piece, avoiding pottential problems when sanding in the following stages
The next stage in the priming process was sanding the surface to ger rid of imperfections and even out the surface, this was done through several passes starting from a thicker sandpaper all the way to a very thin one in order to remove scratches created when sanding.
PAINTING
Using the same techniquea as in the priming process I used black thined out paint to cover the primed surface, still keeping the inside masked, It was essential to avoid drips in order to avoid having to sand the paint.
GLOSSING
Finally I covered the painted surface with a glossy coat to protect the paint and give the speaker a nice shine.
Once the gloss had dried I Masked the exterior to paint the inside, however this created an air bubble on a corner, and ended up damaging the surface all the way to the paint
To fix this I had to snad down the damaged area all the way down to the primer making sure there were no bumps and there was a nice transition between the primed surface to what remained painted.
I gently scratched the surface to allow the new paint to stay on the surface.
I repainted the surface but this time I decided to texture it instead of glossing it to hide any imperfections that might have been left behind from the air bubble created in the gloss.
DETAILING
Using Mahogany wood I milled the midle to create end caps for both the top and bottom of the speaker as well as an opening for access to the buttons. I then used danish oil barnish as a finish that would make the wood shiny while keeping its natural look and texture
I had to rework the wires to make them fit into my speaker, extending them by cutting them and sodering a new section into the cables, this allowed me to fit and arrange the cables easier.
Once all the components were done I put the speaker together using screws to attach the pieces to the acrylic panels and the acrylic panels to the speaker body.
I also placed the circuit board on the top and connected all the cables as well as placed the buttons on the top.
Once I had covered the fron speaker grill with fabric I placed it on the front using magnets.
The wooden en caps were fitted in with pressure by lining the interior with soft EVA foam.
DECALS
FINAL
