Pro 2-Way 24dB/octave Horn Crossover

Pro 2-Way 24dB/oct Horn Crossover

This 2-way electronic crossover is for professional use. It differs from the previous one in that it is meant for horn speakers. Because of the depth of the horn, the sound from the woofer will reach the listener first. In this instance, the delay is now in the low pass section. For the high pass, there is provision for an optional CD EQ. All inputs and outputs are fully balanced.To preserve the integrity of the sound, fixed resistors and capacitors are used for the crossover networks. However, in this crossover, they are modular. Instead of soldering the components onto the pc board, the networks will be on daughter boards. This approach is fast and very convenient. To change the crossover frequency, simply select the appropriate daughter board and plug it in.

CrossOver Module

The crossover module measures only 2.5″ x 1.5″. This board contains all the components for a 24dB/oct High and Low Pass. It is attached to the main board by a 12 pin angled header. Since this crossover is non-adjustable, no potentiometers are used to select the crossover frequencies. This avoids completely the 4-ganged pots from affecting the sound quality.

The Main Board

The crossover main board measures only 6.2″ x 3.2″. I deliberately made it compact because I want two boards to fit in a standard 19″ rack enclosure. All the potentiometers are laid out in front while the balanced input and outputs are at the rear. As before, I ensured there are ground planes at the bottom as well as the top. Needless to say, this is a double sided pcb, FR4  with 1.6mm thickness.

My gerbers will be with my board maker soon. I just need to be sure I did not make any mistakes with the drawing. This pcb is hand-drawn in that all traces are done point to point manually and no auto-routing is used. My app has it but I’m old school. It’s more challenging this way. Just like shooting with b/w film, developing them and printing enlargements. That intimacy is lost when shooting with digital.

I am really excited with this crossover. I expect the sound quality to surpass those adjustable crossovers that are in the pro market. Actually, I believe it is good enough for recording studio use. Stay tuned.