Crossover settings

[cryptz2k]

Hi i am reading about crossovers and I think I get the general idea behind the amp settings. However I have 20 year old orion amps and I cannot make heads or tails out of the crossover dial. A picture is attached. The dial turns about 300 degrees. It starts at the dot on the left near 175. The manual says this represents 85hz. I can then go clockwise all the way around to 45hz. Its unclear to me where 60hz as an example is. It would seemingly be between the 45hs and the dot around 6 o'clock, however you cannot even turn the knob to that position.

its an orion 275g4 amp. my 500.4 orion amp is the same way.

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[cryptz2k]

im starting to think that when i turn the knob all the way counter clockwise and the slot is down by the dot near 175hz that its actually the upper side of the slot that is the indicator point. In that scenario I can at least turn the knob through the 6 o'clock position. the slot is not marked on either side though so I am not really sure if this is the case or not.. the only issue with that thought is when the pot/knob is turned all the way clockwise the indicator would then be at 600hz which isn't the upper range of the crossover. anyone have any first hand experience with this?

 

[some dude]

You could pull up a test tone video on YouTube and turn the dial while playing it.
Do a few different values or the exact ones printed on your amp. That should yield how the dial acts, right?

 

[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

however you cannot even turn the knob to that position.

Where I put the red line is the setting on the shaft itself.

 

[2RZ-FE 10+ year member]

I usually take the highest number and subtract the lowest in this case 175-45 is 130 so 130 between the highest and lowest divide that by two you get 65 so 12 o’clock halfway point would be 65 I would think 60 would be between 12 o’clock and 1 o’clock

 

[2RZ-FE 10+ year member]

Turn the knob all the way counterclockwise the slot points at 175 and then just follow the same end of the slot it should go to 45

 

[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

Turn the knob all the way counterclockwise the slot points at 175 and then just follow the same end of the slot it should go to 45

On those amps the slot is 90 degrees from the actual set point. I have that same amp and had the same confusion as OP.
What OP can do is turn full counterclockwise and mark a dot on the shaft where the 45Hz mark is.

 

[JohnPD]

Personally I would turn it off on the amp, and adjust the crossovers in the head unit since the head unit is the brain of your system.

 

[2RZ-FE 10+ year member]

Usually subwoofer amps you can’t turn the crossovers off, so just turn it to the highest setting

 

[2RZ-FE 10+ year member]

Edit sorry double post

 

[JohnPD]

Usually subwoofer amps you can’t turn the crossovers off, so just turn it to the highest setting

Yes he can, look at his amp pictures, he has hpf/lpf/off, he can turn it off and just use the head unit to adjust the crossovers, that is if his head unit has crossover settings.

 

[2RZ-FE 10+ year member]

OK he’s using a multi channel. They usually have the off option.

 

[HardofWhoring]

Here's how I see it. I know Orion has some slightly different ways to do the gain, and being an older one, I want to say they were a little unique, and not completely clear. I want to say on one of their other amps, that this also had a selector switch that would multiply the crossover setting by 1 or 10. I don't see that.

(This might be similar to that, but without or before that selector). What I really think that is, is that after 5K it starts over, and that is your sub low hz. I think it's somewhere between 0-20hz and has a band that the settings are not as wide.
I think the 7 oclock to 1 oclock/ 175 - 5K is HP for you mids if you use it for those, and the dot after 5khz is the lowest, high pass if you wire this to your subwoofer. You could try test tones, going lower and lower and seeing how long you can get voltage with a multimeter if you can't find the specs.


You don't have a pass filter in the 45 - 85hz, because what would you need one for?

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

Here's how I see it. I know Orion has some slightly different ways to do the gain, and being an older one, I want to say they were a little unique, and not completely clear. I want to say on one of their other amps, that this also had a selector switch that would multiply the crossover setting by 1 or 10. I don't see that.

(This might be similar to that, but without or before that selector). What I really think that is, is that after 5K it starts over, and that is your sub low hz. I think it's somewhere between 0-20hz and has a band that the settings are not as wide.
I think the 7 oclock to 1 oclock/ 175 - 5K is HP for you mids if you use it for those, and the dot after 5khz is the lowest, high pass if you wire this to your subwoofer. You could try test tones, going lower and lower and seeing how long you can get voltage with a multimeter if you can't find the specs.


You don't have a pass filter in the 45 - 85hz, because what would you need one for?


View attachment 51671

I remember that! Messed up if you ask me, never liked that I had to think that hard to set the xover! It's what you describe; the same as modern day multiplier switch but built in by virtue of the spot on the dial. Me thinks they were trying to save a penny or two. - counterintuitive to me.

 

[HardofWhoring]

I remember that! Messed up if you ask me, never liked that I had to think that hard to set the xover! It's what you describe; the same as modern day multiplier switch but built in by virtue of the spot on the dial. Me thinks they were trying to save a penny or two. - counterintuitive to me.

almost looks like it could be 180 degrees on one, and the other is about 120. IF SO, it makes me think the 180 under there would be the reason for doing that. 15- 600 with a x1 and a x10 switch, would be a lot more user friendly. Not sure what they are doing on the HCCA amps.