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Does anyone know of a software crossover for mac?


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How would that even work? Say you have a 3-way stereo pair of speakers. If you did have a software crossover, you would need to use 6 outputs on your DAC or 3 separate stereo DACS - depending on how the software was written - to feed each stereo pair of woofer/midrange/tweeter. Not impossible, but sort of $impractical$ for most of us.

 

BUT.... it is being done. This is sort of what Chris witnessed a couple of weeks ago when he got the chance to listen to the Magico Ultimates in San Francisco. So, what you are asking is not impossible. It is actually being done. http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/magico/magico.html . In this particular instance, I am told that the actual price of the completed system (+DACS and amps) shown at the link had jumped about another $100,000 over what is mentioned there.

 

I'm curious, how do you hope to implement such a thing? I like your thinking though!

 

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I am developing a stereo digital amplifier (optical in, 100W out), style to match the Mac Mini. One of the options being considered is software to give the amplifier a "character" - for example to sound like a valve amp. I have considered also providing daisy chaining the optical input and giving each amplifier a "characteristic" - this could be for example an electronic cross over to drive separate speakers.

 

If more people are interested I would be keen to hear from you.

 

By the way the amplifier price tag will be about £500.

 

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If I could get the software, it wouldn't be that expensive to implement. Basically, you just need to use a multi-channel D/A converter like the pro-audio interfaces. Examples run from something like the m-audio range to the apogee da 16x and beyond. Like stereo converters, there are converters for most price ranges. As for amps, multi-channel amps intended for home theater use would work great for stereo applications without too much extra cost. I'm using an old ASHLY analog crossover and an old Denon A/V amp right now and it seems to have helped my speakers in terms of clarity and especially more deep bass.

 

One of my rough ideas would be to get the audio stream to run from playback app to crossover app to an on-the-fly dts or dolby converter and then sending the digital "multichannel" to an A/V receiver for multichannel D/A conversion and amping. Probably too complicated for its own good, but it would be fun to implement.

 

All idle musings though...

 

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.... I put up half a thought in my original response last night. I was distracted by Chris's announcement of the CA symposium at the time. It captured my imagination and distracted me. I even had an interesting dream about it.

 

Anyway -

 

You are right, it wouldn't have to be very expensive to implement a basic version of a software crossover. I have never heard of one existing up to this point. I did a search last night and couldn't find such a thing for any platform. Maybe my search technique was flawed, but I don't see it out there yet. I think that a lot of the needed technology is already out there too. You need to find an 'underemployed' software guy and you're more than half way home.

 

There are a couple ways to approach the problem as well. For instance: Suppose we have the same pair of 3-way speakers that need driving. Think of using DAW software with with 3 stereo files, each file tuned to the frequency spectrum that is needed for the type speaker you are driving. That is: Tracks 1/2 are L/R Bass, Tracks 3/4 are L/R midrange and Tracks 5/6 are L/R Treble. Viola!

 

Yep. Interesting idea.

 

- markr

 

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Have a look at this web site http://www.thuneau.com/ they mention a version for mac

 

As well there are others available for windows that also include room correction.

 

http://www.juicehifi.com/index.html

 

http://www.acourate.com/

 

I am also working on a unit that may well become a commercial endeavor that will include a DSP crossover, top of the line Wolfson Dacs, Dexa clock, and digital amplifiers with passive volume control. The unit will have AES (XLR) digital in as well as Is2 digital input and possibly firewire.

 

 

Regards

 

Shawn

 

 

PC running XP pro, C Play, TC Electonic Konnect 8 Firewire to Spdif, 2 Lyngdorf 2200TDAi amplifiers, Synergy Acoustics crossoverless monitors driven actively by the 2200TDAi\'s, custom subwoofers driven by a Lyngdorf SDA2175

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The amplifier is in the advanced specification stage today and I am in discussion with a design house for prototypes. Basic points are:

 

- Matches Mac Mini style

- Optical and RCA inputs, no USB... designed for use with Mac, via TOSLINK - S/PDIF input

- 100 + 100W music power output using class D amplifier modules

- Clean response up to > 40kHz, target is to have wide bandwidth to handle output from 24/96kHz files

- Remote control of volume, input selection, mute and on/standby

- touch sensitive front panel for volume, input selection

- display of input sample frequency (32-192khz)

- price target around £500, so in the main stream for a Mac peripheral

 

I will be putting more info up on www.cottage-audio.co.uk as soon as I can figure the web site it out!

 

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In addition to AU plugins, VST and LADSPA plugins also work on Intel Macs if the plugin is specifically compiled for Intel Macs. (If you have a PPC Mac, you need a VST or LADSPA plugin compiled for a PPC Mac.)

 

To "host" the plugin, you need either a music player program that supports that type of plugin, or else an intermediary program that can function as a plugin host, such as Audio Hijack Pro.

 

HQPlayer (on 3.8 GHz 8-core i7 iMac 2020) > NAA (on 2012 Mac Mini i7) > RME ADI-2 v2 > Benchmark AHB-2 > Thiel 3.7

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