The Design of Active Crossovers, 2nd Edition

Chapter 1

Crossover Basics

I do hope you’ve read the Preface. It is not mere amiable meanderings, but gives an oversight as to how this book is constructed and what it is intended to do.

What a Crossover Does

The basic function of any crossover, be it passive or active, analogue or digital, is to take the audio spectrum that stretches roughly from 20 Hz to 20 kHz and split it into two, three, or more bands so they can be applied to loudspeaker drive units adapted for those frequencies. In hi-fi use the crossover frequencies are usually fixed and intended for work with one particular loudspeaker design, but for sound-reinforcement applications the crossover frequencies are normally variable by front panel controls.

There are also other functions ...