Mute/Dim Circuit

[captainate]

I would like to create a box with a few features but I don't have enough experience with electronics to develop my own circuit. It will be a stereo, balanced (two mono balanced in, two mono balanced out) unit with mute, and a ~20 dB dim switch. It would also be nice to have an attenuator, as well as a button that, when activated, summed the signal to mono. However, these are not as critical. Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[4pyros]

Is this for audio?

and a ~20 dB dim switch

How do you "dim" audio? What power levels are you working with, preamp or speaker? Home or auto? What connectors for in and out? In other words whats it for? Andy

 

[captainate]

Yes, let me explain: this is for my home studio. The box will sit on my desk, and is the last thing in the signal chain between my audio interface and studio monitors. The mute function is obvious, the dim function is simply a set level of resistance to attenuate the signal. The connectors will be three-contact 1/4" phone jacks.

Let me know if you need more explanation.

 

[4pyros]

Ok,working with the low level signals would have been easyer but lets have a look. To mute you speakers the power will have to go someware. So you will need a big load resistor with the same power handling (watts) as your speakers and would have to be switch instanisly so the laod will not change on your amp. to mute you would have to get big resistor again. Plus to attenuate more big resistors.

I would just use a high level "L" pad. Thay are made to control the volume of speakers in rooms. Andy

 

[captainate]

We are dealing with low-level signals. The monitors are active, so the signal going to them is still very small. My biggest issue is getting the mute and dim buttons to "ramp" up and down so there are no clicks and pops when the circuit is activated. I had an audio interface that did this and it was its best feature.

 

[Mosaic]

Have a look see here:

**broken link removed**