Simple Volume Control Rackmount Box

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I am in the process of installing an A/V system in my restaurant and, rather than have the bartenders handle the volme controls of the various receivers/components, would like to link the audio outs of each component to a main volume control box via an A/V Extron switcher.

From the Extron switch box (six in one out) I would feed the audio into a 5.1 Lexicon processor - The Lexicon has RCA outs for Front (L/R), Center and Rear (L/R). I would then like to feed these outputs into a volume control box and then to my amp.

I was thinking that this would be a fairly simple process as I am not looking for a powered pre-amp type setup nor did I want to involve PC boards. I thought that I would purchase high quality RCA chassis sockets, wire them to separate pots, mount in a slim 1U rackmount chassis and be done with it.

Am I dreaming?

I would like the box to consist of four control knobs on the front which would be labled 1. front 2. center 3. rear and 4. main. The "main" knob would control the gain of 1-3 while knobs 1-3 would independently control the gain for their labled speaker set.

Thanks very much for any thoughts that you might have.

Robert
 
You've suggested a passive arrangement, but the main knob would have to control five channels simultaneously. You will have difficulty finding a 5-section potentiometer.
People have done DIY projects like this, but it wouldn't be something for a beginner. There may be a box you can buy that will do it. Alternatively, maybe you can mechanically gang a few pots together.
 
Thanks very much for your informative response. Regarding a 5-ganged pot, could I accomplish my goal using a 3-gang pot? By this I mean that I only want to control "pairs" of speakers with the main knob rather than each individual speaker.

For example, I was hoping that one pot could control the gain of both the Front left and right speaker, another pot could control the gain of both Rear left and right speakers and yet one more pot could control the center speaker. In this manner the "main" knob would control the aforementioned three pots rather than 5 individual pots.

Needless to say I am entirely new to this field - from your response it appears that I will need one pot per each speaker regardless if I do not intend to manage their individual gains independently.

Since my original post I came across the following site - this is the sort of setup I have in mind (no pc bords / power, etc.). Looks pretty straight forward.


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An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
 
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