Frequency range/ crossover question

[Fred75]

Does anybody know a good resource that show the average frequency ranges of instruments and voices, male and female?

Is it advisable to have a crossover point in the middle of a critical frequency range, or should it make any difference?

Thanks, Fred

[Keruskerfuerst]

Voice range is: 150Hz-5500Hz.

Good crossover frequency: 300Hz, 3000Hz.

[Jay_WJ]

With some rare exceptions, musical instruments' (including human voice) fundamental vibrations in usual music passages are from 100 Hz to 1 kHz. A very low pitch can go below 100 Hz and a very high pitch can go above 1 kHz. But those cases are not very often. Harmonics, which are also important but weak in SPL, can go much higher in frequency. Also sibilants go higher, too.

So, it is not quite informative to simply say 100 to 6000 Hz, for example.

Simple 300 and 3 kHz xover point recommendation is not very informative, either. It may be said that putting a xover in this critical range will cause audible phase or time domain distortion. But we should note that there are also many other factors. Using two drivers with two very different harmonic distortion profiles can also cause an audible effect of bad driver integration. Which type of xover is used can also affect the result because they give different on-axis and off-axis behaviors around the xover point.

So I'd not say putting a xover in the critical range is always a bad idea. It all depends on HOw the speaker is designed, which has many cosiderations. The question of which design choice is more audible in a good or bad way is very difficult to answer in general. Most of the time, you need to make a compromise to have a workable solution, and within the given limitation you can build sensibly good sounding speakers.

[Svante]

Originally posted by Keruskerfuerst
Voice range is: 150Hz-5500Hz.

When I have a cold, my fundamental frequency is typically 60 Hz. I special singing styles, harmonics up to ~15 kHz or more can be visible in the spectrum.

[BlueWizard]

Here is a link to another discussion on the subject of human voice frequency range. In that thread this information was posted, though I don't actually know where the person got the information.

The following vocal range classifications are typically used in classical music (from highest to lowest):

Soprano (240 - 1170 Hz)
Mezzo-soprano (220 - 900 Hz)
Contralto (130 - 700 Hz)
Tenor (130 - 440 Hz)
Baritone (110 - 350 Hz)
Bass (80 - 330 Hz)

http://forums.dealnews.com/read.php?6,2462526,2467053

It would seem that for fundamental notes, the range is from 80hz to about 1.2khz.

From another books, I know that the center of acoustical power for an orchestra is in the 500 hz range.

For telephony, the 'voice range' is considered 300 Hz to 3400 Hz. Which explains why the phone typically sounds very tinny.

I think more than anything, your speakers will dictate your crossover frequency.

I think a better question is, how much margin do I need to leave to be sure I'm well within the working range of my speakers. For example, I have a 3x9 mid-horn with a rated range of 500 to 10khz, so is 800 hz adequately for low/mid a 12db crossover? How about 700hz? How about 600hz?

Also note that frequency from the perspective of music is not linear. Octaves represent a doubling of the frequency. So the gap between one octave and the next at low frequencies is very small, at high frequencies the jump between octaves is very big. How does that come into play when determining crossovers?

Starting with 20hz, here are the octaves up to 20khz. Maybe this isn't important, maybe it is. Inquiring minds want to know.

20hz, 40, 80, 160, 320, 640, 1280, 2560, 5120, 10240, 20480hz

Sorry, for distracting from the central subject. But I feel these aspect are just as important and unanswered as the original question.

Once again, inquiring minds want to know.

Steve/bluewizard

[MaVo]

Originally posted by Keruskerfuerst
Good crossover frequency: 300Hz, 3000Hz.

good to know that it is so easy

[richie00boy]

Originally posted by Keruskerfuerst
Voice range is: 150Hz-5500Hz.

Good crossover frequency: 300Hz, 3000Hz.

No that's a bad upper crossover frequency Higher would be better.

[Fred75]

Hi Everybody,

Thanks everyone, especially to Bluewizard who provided me with exactly what I was looking for. I wasn't really looking for a crossover point per se, I was more curious about where the typical voices lay on the spectrum. Also thanks for the octave information, I was curious about that too just hadn't asked.

I listen to a lot of female singers (blues, folk, etc.) and due to that I was wondering if it would be wise to avoid a crossover in that range for best effect. As it turns out my two ways crossed over at 2200 (1st order) work quite well at that (out of the critical area anyway), I was just curious, especially if I was to go with a 3 way design.

To me it didn't seem like a good idea at first to have a crossover smack dab in the middle. But then I wondered if maybe it made no difference because if the drivers are integrated well ...?

Anyway thanks for satisfying my curiosity.

[forr]

Good crossover frequency ?
I am of those who advise 1800 Hz because of the weak localisation around this frequency.

[BlueWizard]

With a 3-way crossover, in this day and age, you will rarely to never find a crossover above 800hz. Though at one time 800hz was the most common in both 2 way and 3-way systems, though in the case of 2-way, the mid/high was usually quite a large horn.

In a 3-way system that is sub-bass, bass, and high, the crossover would typically be in the rage of 150 to 350.

A more standard 3-way, that is bass, mid, and high, the low/mid crossover is between about 350hz and 800hz. With mid/high in the 3000hz to 6000hz range. Though I think 3khz to 5khz is most common.

Here is a link to some commercially available crossovers

Part Express 3-way -
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage...._id=3&CAT_ID=4
It's going to have to drop another full octave down to 500hz and up to 8khz to make a substantial difference in the perceived output level of either the woofer or the tweeter.

That means a pretty substantial overlap between the woofer and the tweeter. At 4khz, the tweeter is still putting out a substantial amount of sound and at 1khz, the tweeter is still very much in service. That's why I prefer 12 db crossovers, even if I have to buy them off the shelf.

Also, do you have a true TWO-way First order filter? That is, do you have a capactor in-line with the tweeter and a coil in-line with the woofer? Many cheaper speakers get by with just a capacitor for the tweeter and count on the natural roll off of the woofer to do the job. Definitely not the best method.

Just a lot of talking to very little end.

Steve/bluewizard

PS: I'm more that willing to have people dispute what I've said.