Contents

bass extension for surround sound

AMPL(dBr) vs FREQ(Hz) 10.000 5.0000 0.0 -5.000 -10.00 -15.00 -20.00 -25.00 -30.00 -35.00 -40.00 10 100
974038 - 12

1k

The extension is intended primarily for surround-sound installations that need some boosting of the bass frequencies but where an additional subwoofer cannot be afforded. It is based on a disused mono a.f. amplifier and loudspeaker. If these provide reasonable bass performance, they can be conK4 R
22p

verted into a fairly good subwoofer with the aid of an active low-pass filtersee Figure 1. The input signals for the lefthand and right-hand channels are applied to audio sockets K1 and K2 respectively. They are output via audio sockets K3 and K4 to which the surround-sound decoder is

connected. The signals of the two channels are summed in IC1a, which also functions as input amplifier. The amplification, and therefore the sensitivity of the subwoofer, can be adjusted with P1. The output of IC1a is applied to a 2nd-order Butterworth low-pass filter. The cut-off frequency of this active filter can be set between 40 Hz and 120 Hz with stereo potentiometer P2. The response char-

acteristic of the filter at both these frequencies is shown in Figure 2. The actual cut-off point depends on individual taste. The said mono amplifier is connected to audio output sockets K5 and K6. The power supply for the circuit is simple and consists of a small mains transformer, Tr1, a

Parts list Resistors: R1, R2 = 47 k R3, R4 = 4.7 k R5, R6 = 100 R7 = 8.2 k P1 = 47 k logarithmic potentiometer P2 = 10 k, linear stereo potentiometer Capacitors: C1 = 22 pF C2 = 220 nF C3 = 180 nF C4C7 = 100 nF C8, C9 = 4.7 F, 63 V, radial C10, C11 = 22 F, 40 V, radial C12C15 = 47 nF ceramic Semiconductors: D1 = LED, high efficiency

C1

K3 L

P1 47k

C2 220n

C3 180n R5 6 100 7 R6 100 C4 C5 100n

K1 L K2 R

K5

R1 47k 2 R2 47k P2a 10k P2b 10k

IC1a
3

R3 4k7

R4 4k7

IC1b
5

K6

IC1 = TL072
100n

Tr1

K7

C15 47n

C12

IC2
47n

7815
8k2 R7 C10 22 40V C8 47 63V C6 100n 8

15V

B1
C14 47n C13 47n D1 2x 15V 1W5

Integrated circuits: IC1 = TL072CP IC2 = 7815 IC3 = 7915 Miscellaneous: K1K6, K8K9 = audio socket for board mounting K7 = 2-way terminal block, pitch 7.5 mm B1 = B80C1500 Tr1 = mains transformer, 2 15 V secondaries, 1.5 VA

B80C1500
POWER

IC1
C11 22 40V C9 47 63V C7 100n 4

IC3

7915

974038 - 11

15V

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Elektor Electronics

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Contents
bridge rectifier, B1, antihunt capacitors C12C15, a number of smoothing and decoupling capacitors, and two integrated voltage regulators, IC2 and IC3. The filter circuit is best built on the printed-circuit board shown in Figure 3, which is, however, not available ready made. The filter should be housed in a metal case. Moreover, P1 and P2 should preferably be types with a metal enclosure. Hum is prevented by earthing the case and the enclosures. The harmonic distortion, with two input signals of 200 mV and a bandwidth of 22 kHz, is 0.0016% at 30 Hz. Although not of prime importance at low frequencies, the polarity of the subwoofer should be the reverse of that of the remainder of the system since the present circuit inverts the signals.
[974038]

H2

K1

K2

K4

IN2

K3

IN3

K5

IN4

K6

IN5

974038-1 1-830479

H3

R R2 C6 R1 C2 IC1 R3 C3 R5 R6 C4 R4 C5 IC2

C8 C15 C10

C12

H7

B1

K7

C1

C11

C7 P1 P2
H1 H5

TR1 C14 C9 C13

H4

IC3
H6

R7 D1

ELEKTOR 240V

50Hz
974038-1

No. 974038 P = 1VA5

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