Hypex PSC2.400(d)
Copyright 2017 © Troels Gravesen
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Here a short presentation of how to use the Hypex PSC2-400(d) modules
should you want to make changes to the files made for ATS4-HE and MUN-17
speaker constructions. There will be more in future, because these
modules are just simply great!
Writing a short manual for the use of software is trouble. Whenever
I dig into new software from a manual, there are always things the
writer assumes logical or self evident. There isn't!
Using the PSC2.400 module is easy - once you've done it a few times - and let's go through some of the few things you need to do to make your own programming. The Hypex modules can do thousand things not mentioned here (check manual), but making a simple low-pass filter for a bass driver is really what most of us need.
INSTALLING SOFTWARE
Download Hypex software here (24 MB zip file)
Un-zip the file and you have the folder seen above.
Download Manual
here.
Download Filter Design manual
here.
Open the folder Hypex Filter Design 4.5 and install the software by clicking Setup.exe
The software automatically makes a folder in Documents with "FilterData".
Here all your files will be stored.
Connect to your Hypex module
1. Turn on your Hypex module, but do not connect to your computer.
2. Click on your desktop Hypex Filter Design icon and you see the above.
3. Connect your Hypex module via an USB cable and the "Device setting" is turned on.
4. Click on "Filter design" and you will see the blank sheet below.
5. Click File and "New PSC2.400" and you get the image below.
6. The following is an example of how to make the program for the
ATS4-HE 12" bass driver. Click on Channel2/low! Also click Preset 1! The
Hypex can hold 4 different programs for the two amplifier modules, e.g.
you can replicate the channel-1 and -2 programs in Preset 2, 3, and 4
and you can switch between the four programs by pushing a small button
on the Hypex panel (green LEDs). This can be done during playing. What
can be done here is replicating the programs with various bass levels,
e.g. gain setting at 11, 12, 13 and 14 dB to suit room conditions.
Right-click on sheet and you get an "Add filter" and click on Add filter icon.
7. In upper left corner "Set filter parameters" appears.
Click "LowPass2" (this is a 2nd order filter) and you see the below image on the screen.
8. Pay notice "Volume" (upper line) is now set to "0" and "Channel
parameters" is set to 13.5. This means the total gain is now 16 (basic
gain) + 13.5 = 29.5 dB.
Then click on graph and you see the below profile, 2nd order low-pass
filter at 80 Hz and lifted 13.5 dB and volume = 0.
9. Next we need to boost the response at 40 Hz. Right-click again on the graph and pick "shelf1" and you see this (green dot):
Right-click on the green dot and you find the toolbox to the left. Set center frequency to 40 Hz and gain to 4 dB.
Click on graph (not the dot) and you will see the resulting profile as below.
10. It can be recommended inserting a sub-filter if you dig vinyls or just want to protect your speaker driver. Right-click again on sheet and add filter. Insert HighPass2 filter as seen on tool-box.
Now click on graph and you see the final result:
Last thing to do is up-load the program to the Hypex module.
Up-load either current preset or all presets depending on where you are
in your programming.
(Actually the gain for the 12" bass driver is 13 dB, not 13.5 dB. The
programming here just made for illustrations)
The Upper bass in the ATS4-HE speaker:
Choose channel 1 and insert 2nd order low-pass filter at 150 Hz. Gain is
set to 13.5 dB.
150 Hz is chose here to make proper integration with the middriver @ 200
Hz. We can't always count on the driver response to be linear.
That's all.
Bi-amping with the Hypex modules
What will be presented here are two options where you need a line stage,
preferably with double balanced output and some min. 10 dB gain. My own
line stage has some 14 dB gain and fits the Hypex modules perfectly.
If you don't have double balanced output, you need to make a pair of
short cables where you split the signal into two lines.
Obviously you can make this from single ended output, but you loose some
gain and preferably need a pre-amp with 20 dB gain, which is common. If
you only have a single pair of single ended output, use a phono splitter
+ adaptors.
If you make your own cables, short pin 1 and 3 in the XLR plug (ground).
If your pre-amp only has a single pair of XLR outputs, you need a
splitter like this. They're 5.80£ on eBay. Cheap.
1.
First option is having a line stage running one of the Hypex amps and
your preferred power amp running the MT section. What you need to know
is the gain of your power amp. The program provided is tuned for a power
amp having 26 dB gain. If your power amp has 23 dB gain, you reduce the
gain of channel 2 from 13 dB gain to 10 dB gain, thus aligning the Hypex
module with your power amp. The Hypex comes with a default 16 dB gain,
thus programming channel 2 to +13 dB makes and overall 29 dB gain. This
fits the MT section running from a 26 dB gain power amp. The Hypex also
has to overcome the baffle step loss of the 28W driver. 88 dB
sensitivity (MUN-17 construction) on an infinite baffle is nice, but not possible from a small
34 cm wide box.
2.
Second option is having your line stage running the Hypex and use both
Hypex amps, one for the bass and one for the MT section. In both cases
we need a passive crossover for the MT section. I'd say the sound of the
Hypex would satisfy the majority of people.
The long and the short of it is that you need to know the gain of your power amplifier to balance the sound of bass and MT section. What you get in return is the ability to tune your speaker to your room conditions in a way no other speaker on these pages can do. You can even tune bass differently if you have an asymmetrical setup with e.g. one speaker in a corner. Unfortunately a much too frequent situation.
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