With venues and audiences having ever-higher standards for sound quality, it's no surprise that pro audio equipment gets more and more sophisticated every year. But there are some things that never change, and one of those things is that to get the best results, you've got to match each frequency band to a driver that excels at reproducing it accurately. A lot of speakers use built-in crossovers to get this done, but if you're building a massive setup for a big stage, or if you want the finest level of control and customization over your system, there's still no better way to get the job done than with dedicated crossovers like the ones you'll find in this section.
The first step to picking out the right crossovers for your system is to plan it out and determine just what it is you need in terms of audio channels and output bands. Most crossovers, including the BBE Max-X3 and the Ashly Audio XR-1001, are designed for 3-way output in a mono configuration. For a stereo setup, you can use two of these crossovers - one for each channel - to maintain that three-way split. Or, when you're using wider-range speakers, a single unit is able to handle a 2-way band split in stereo mode. This way, you get the flexibility you need to use the same crossover for different layouts suited to different venues.
Of course, if maximum flexibility is your goal, a crossover like the dbx 234xs Stereo 2/3 Way, Mono 4-Way Crossover might be the way to go. This model builds on the standard capabilities of its 2-way stereo/3-way mono little brother, adding a third frequency band available to stereo configurations and a fourth one to a mono pipeline. Still not enough for you? Then take a look at the Peavey PV 350XO 2/3-Way Stereo - 4/5 Way Mono Crossover, or the extremely versatile Behringer ULTRA-DRIVE PRO DCX2496 Crossover.
Even in today's world of all-in-one pro audio components, there's still no match for a rack filled with dedicated hardware to handle each task in the process of live sound reinforcement. With standalone crossovers, you'll be one step closer to building the largest and most powerful pro audio systems of your career. Plus, taking the modular approach to your setup gives you the ultimate in customizability - just what you need to distinguish yourself from the competition.
