proper way to hook up a crossover

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metalj

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hello, can anyone give me some advice on properly connecting a crossover. I use a carvin 1644 powerd mixer. Do i jsut hook the left and right main outs to the crossovers inputs, then out to my external power amps? (i use the internal amps for monitor mix for bigger shows.)

Then here is the kicker, how would i hook a crossover into my mixer using the internal power amps? I would use this for a smaller show and rehersal since most of the band goes direct for rehersal, i think it would clean up our sound a little using the crossover.

thanks to whoever can post. I love you all(spoken like ozzy)

metalJ
 
crossover

do you have any subgroups on your mixer?

-T
 
You just go out of the mixer mains into the crossover. If it's a two-way, three-way, whatever.

Lows go to the low amps and to the woofers, mids go to the mid amps to the mid drivers, highs go to the high amps and to the horns. Of course, optional compressors / limiters on the way to the amps to protect the system.

You won't be able to use the crossover on a powered amp - Only on the way to a set of amps that drive different drivers.
 
metalj said:
hello, can anyone give me some advice on properly connecting a crossover. I use a carvin 1644 powerd mixer. Do i jsut hook the left and right main outs to the crossovers inputs, then out to my external power amps? (i use the internal amps for monitor mix for bigger shows.)

Then here is the kicker, how would i hook a crossover into my mixer using the internal power amps? I would use this for a smaller show and rehersal since most of the band goes direct for rehersal, i think it would clean up our sound a little using the crossover.

thanks to whoever can post. I love you all(spoken like ozzy)

metalJ
Click to expand...

Yup, that's how you do it. L/R from mixer into crossover. L/R high out to one amp, L/R low out to the other. Then out from the amps to the hi/low inputs of your speakers.

They do have separate inputs for high and low, right? :D Kinda need that, unless you are putting that xover in between tops and subs.


For the second question, run it the same way, and patch the xover outs into the power amp inputs on the back, using unbalanced cables. Using unbalanced cables overrides the internal routing, and feeds the xover signals to the amps. Patch L/R low into amp 1&2, and L/R high into amp 3&4.

Or, you could go from the mono out, and just use one side of the xover, and two amp channels. Patch from the xover into amp inputs 1 & 2 with unbalanced cables. Set the routing switch to L/R M1 M2, and your two monitor feeds will still power monitors from amps 3&4.

The only pain with this mono configuration will be hooking up the speakers, as you need to plug two cables into each output for your mains. If the amp had banana outputs, you could just stack them. Since that thing has both speakons and 1/4", you can get a couple speakon to 1/4" adapters and use the 1/4" and speakon jacks at the same time. So say you have the lows from the xover going to amp 1. Run one cable from the amp 1 speakon out to the low input on one speaker, and one cable from the amp 1 1/4" out to the low input on the other.
Do the same for the highs and you are all set. Just don't mix them up. :) Your tweeters will blow almost instantly if you put low end through them.
 
Last edited:
i got an additional question,

i got a multiband compressor that i would like to use to protect my speakers when running a small live pa.

where's the best spot to put this Multi C ?

mixer outputs --> 31 band EQ --> compressor

i think this would do the best job to protect my speakers,
but it sounds a bit more logical to me to use this setup:

mixer outputs --> compressor --> 31 band EQ

or don't you think its a good idea to do this?

any comments are appreciated,
cheers,
earworm
 
Go to the EQ first or the multiband comp won't protect your system as well. If you go to the comp first than that leaves the possibility of the EQ being boosted somewhere sending a nice spike through that does not get compressed.
 
What you really should do is get rid of the multiband comp and just get 2 normal ones. Put them after the x-over. That way the comps are not fighting with the 31 band as much and you are only crossing over the signal once.
 
earworm said:
i got an additional question,

i got a multiband compressor that i would like to use to protect my speakers when running a small live pa.

where's the best spot to put this Multi C ?

mixer outputs --> 31 band EQ --> compressor

i think this would do the best job to protect my speakers,
but it sounds a bit more logical to me to use this setup:

mixer outputs --> compressor --> 31 band EQ

or don't you think its a good idea to do this?

any comments are appreciated,
cheers,
earworm
Click to expand...

Fuck! Sometimes I hate internet explorer. I hit "submit" and it "needed to close". :mad: :mad: :mad:

I just typed for ten minutes, and it's all gone. :eek:

Hi earworm!! :p


The short answer is maybe, and put the limiter after the EQ, maybe. :D
Setting a limiter properly for maximum volume and good protection takes really knowing your system. Be prepared to get out the manuals.
 
MISTERQCUE said:
You O.K. now j-of-metal !!? ;)
Click to expand...

yes, thank you all for your input, this really helps alot. The live side of music i am still learning. It sure is different from studio work. different rooms and such.

I will give all your suggestions a try and figure out what is what, but for the most part you all have given me a great starting point.

thanks again
metalJ
 
metalj said:
yes, thank you all for your input, this really helps alot. The live side of music i am still learning. It sure is different from studio work. different rooms and such.

I will give all your suggestions a try and figure out what is what, but for the most part you all have given me a great starting point.

thanks again
metalJ
Click to expand...

oh yeah i forgot. sorry to extent this thread out further.

any suggestions on crossover settings for the low, mid, high freq's split?

thanks again
metalJ
 
That's totally dependent on the room and the speakers.
 
metalj said:
oh yeah i forgot. sorry to extent this thread out further.

any suggestions on crossover settings for the low, mid, high freq's split?

thanks again
metalJ
Click to expand...

The speaker mfr. should be able to tell you.
 
Live Sound was my primary application. I would NEVER put a regular compressor on my mains. If I ever go into a club that has them, I will mandate that they are taken out of line. I don't even like multiband comps on mains, but it's much more acceptable to me. personally, I use BSS crossovers and only use the limiters. Never to affect the sound, but only to limit the signal output at the level that the individual amps begin to clip. If you really need multiband compression on mains, you might want to look into the DBX driverack line. It's a fairly tight ontegration of features, with a halfway decent sound. If you get into the full Driverack (instead of the Driverack PA) it will sound cleaner and fuller. However, for the price tag, nothing beats the Driverack PA for features compared to usability compared to sound quality.
 
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