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I like to make audio stuff, could say it's a hobby I guess and my idea for my latest project came from the January issue of Elektor magazine. Elektor is a European magazine based in Holland and Germany and has been in existence ever since I can remember, certainly as far back as the seventies.
In the January issue the magazine published plans for a three way active crossover. Crossovers are used in loudspeakers and are typically 2 or 3 way and divide audio frequencies up to drive different loudspeaker drivers. Treble to tweeters, mid to, er, mid and bass to bass.
This is usually done with passive components, typically resistors, capacitors and inductors. This method leads to some deterioration of the audio signal sometimes particularly in mass produced loudspeakers where cheap components are used.
An alternative way of dividing frequencies is with an electronic circuit and this is known as an active crossover. And that's what I'm going to build. And I'll also be making a three way loudspeaker system to use with it. Active crossovers are commonly used in concert hall and club public address systems where the three frequencies are fed to three different amplifiers or multiples thereof to drive the bass bins, mid range units and high frequency horn loudspeakers.
Some years ago I actually made a three way active crossover from another Elektor design and used it with three stereo amplifiers and various loudspeakers to drive my disco sound system, it totalled about 1200 watts at the time. This was around the early nineties as I recall.
I have bought the printed circuit boards from Elektor, a case from an Italian manufacturer named Modu and have gathered all the electronic components needed for the project. I also have a pair of suitable tweeters and some loudspeaker connector terminal panels for the mid/top cabinets.
To power the mid and top drivers I have two Mosfet amplifiers that I've already made, these are about 5 watts per channel and sound very good indeed. I need something a little more powerful to drive the bass units, I may use a valve amplifier I made, that's about 10 watts per channel or I may make a solid state (chip or transistor) amp around 30 watts per channel.
I have yet to gather the mid and top loudspeaker units and of course I have to make the cabinets.
This is the loudspeaker design I will probably use: https://sites.google.com/site/undefinition/tarkus
This is the Mosfet amp that I've a pair of: http://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_amp_camp_1.pdf
I'm not really quite sure why I'm doing this, I'm very happy with my existing audio system(s) right now but I suppose this just looked like an interesting thing to do.
Coupla pix of components ready to be put together:
Circuit diagram of crossover:
In the January issue the magazine published plans for a three way active crossover. Crossovers are used in loudspeakers and are typically 2 or 3 way and divide audio frequencies up to drive different loudspeaker drivers. Treble to tweeters, mid to, er, mid and bass to bass.
This is usually done with passive components, typically resistors, capacitors and inductors. This method leads to some deterioration of the audio signal sometimes particularly in mass produced loudspeakers where cheap components are used.
An alternative way of dividing frequencies is with an electronic circuit and this is known as an active crossover. And that's what I'm going to build. And I'll also be making a three way loudspeaker system to use with it. Active crossovers are commonly used in concert hall and club public address systems where the three frequencies are fed to three different amplifiers or multiples thereof to drive the bass bins, mid range units and high frequency horn loudspeakers.
Some years ago I actually made a three way active crossover from another Elektor design and used it with three stereo amplifiers and various loudspeakers to drive my disco sound system, it totalled about 1200 watts at the time. This was around the early nineties as I recall.
I have bought the printed circuit boards from Elektor, a case from an Italian manufacturer named Modu and have gathered all the electronic components needed for the project. I also have a pair of suitable tweeters and some loudspeaker connector terminal panels for the mid/top cabinets.
To power the mid and top drivers I have two Mosfet amplifiers that I've already made, these are about 5 watts per channel and sound very good indeed. I need something a little more powerful to drive the bass units, I may use a valve amplifier I made, that's about 10 watts per channel or I may make a solid state (chip or transistor) amp around 30 watts per channel.
I have yet to gather the mid and top loudspeaker units and of course I have to make the cabinets.
This is the loudspeaker design I will probably use: https://sites.google.com/site/undefinition/tarkus
This is the Mosfet amp that I've a pair of: http://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_amp_camp_1.pdf
I'm not really quite sure why I'm doing this, I'm very happy with my existing audio system(s) right now but I suppose this just looked like an interesting thing to do.
Coupla pix of components ready to be put together:
Circuit diagram of crossover:
Last edited:
