I'm posting this for anyone using multi amps and active crossovers.
After weeks of fiddling with the crossover and amp gains. Using a RS meter and audio test CD. I kept finding some things sounded great and others didn't sound as great or I would make an adjustment to make it better. Only to find this setting was not as good for yet other music. The RS meter is not that accurate but better than nothing, The audio CD is good but not so convenient when trying to work on a certain area with out the CD going to the next tone or not moving fast enough. Its doable but I found an easier solution.

I had a Berhinger Ultracurve that I was fooling with for a while but took it out of the loop because I felt it introduced noise into the system and I didn't care for it. With the Ultracurve out of the signal loop it can still be used though. Plug the Ultracurve output into an open input on you amp/preamp. Now you can use the RTA and send test tones into the system. I had some long interconnects so I could move the Ultracurve around if needed. I had it sitting next to me on the couch, on the floor in front of the active crossover and behind the amps if needed when adjusting gains. This way I could be mobile and still look at all the results and change the test tone when needed. The crossover I have allows for adjustment of Butterworth to Linkwitz and in between. This was useful for pulling down a peak or pushing a null by moving the xo point and increasing or decreasing the db gain at the xo point.

To make a long story shorter. This is not a revolutionary piece of equipment. Nor is it state of the art in quality or accuracy. It is however on sale right now at dealer for 199 and the mic is another 35.

After many go rounds of fine tuning and test tones. I have everything set so that it sounds good for all different music. Now I dont have mine hooked up through the system because I dont like it. If you do run your system through this. You have a 1/3 octave graphic EQ and a 4 band parametric at your disposal. The auto Q function which reads the room response and adjust the EQ accordingly. Is out to lunch in my opinion. So for 200 bucks, this is a low cost tool to get a multi amp system dialed in.

Bill

cheers,

george

Are you refering to the ultracurve, or active xover at $199? Sam

I have an Ashly XR-2001 crossover

I'm not running tubes on the top anymore. :( I am moving all the power amps to the basement directly under where the system is. I dont like the fan noise and makes a lot of heat. Its all taking up a lot of room too. I'm going to use the tubes on my vynal system in another place in the house. Cant see any point to having nice tube amps hidden away in the basement.

Right now this is a 5 way system. using a 3 way crossover. the subs are crosses out of the amp at 80hz and are run by two plate amps with another crossover in those. The ashley crosses 3 amps which go to the mid bass, mid, and high. The high has two drivers which have a passive xo at 9khz.

Whats next is to get another XR-2001 crossover so I can have two channels of 5 way. Need two more amps also.

I'm glad your interested in horns. They have improved quite a bit since the ones you saw at Lima. I'll give you a call.

Bill

I read a review on this from Thorston. He indicated that it was Very transparent. All in all it was a very good review for it. the review is online you should check it out.

I notice a little bit of noise from it in my system. I have also heard that in some cases the Ultravurve has some impedance issues with home audio. It is much more transparent when you uses balanced lines. I couldnt plug into it with balanced.

I havnt given up on the idea of using it. but right now I'm still aquiring amps so I'm trying to keep interconnects to a minimum right now.

As far as transparency goes while its in the system. The difference between just being turned on, and switching it to EQ mode with a flat plot is None! You cant tell any difference from switching the EQ off, or on with a flat setting.

Bill