I just purchased a ICBM and it does not seem to do what I want it to do. Let me explain what I want it to do and if someone can explain how I can configure the ICBM to do what I want it to do it would be greatly appreciated.

I want to crossover the center(+/- 3db at 80hz) about 100hz and send it's contents to the front main speakers. I figured this would give me a better blend then sending the bass to the sub. I wanted to crossover the surrounds around 80hz and send the bass to the front. I then wanted to crossover the front around 40hz or 60hz whichever sounds better and send the rest to the sub. Also send the LFE to the sub. My main speakers are rated +/- 3 db at 35hz. I figured the rolloff of the mains would decrease the load on my receiver.

It seems with the recombine switch the bass is sent to the front then below the crossover is sent to the mains and the sub. Thus a load would not be reduced on my receiver.
Can the ICBM be configured the way I want it to be?

Yike! That's a lot of shuffling around. The way I read the manual, the ICBM can not do exactly what you describe (although what it will do is probably likely to give you the same result as what you are trying to do). To achieve exactly what you are describing, you would almost need two layers of bass management -- a device like the ICBM crossing your center and surrounds to your mains, and then another device (a second ICBM or a Paradigm X-series sub controller, for example) crossing over the summed main channels to the sub/LFE (and what that would do to signals, phase, time delays, and such, I have no idea -- others around here are more knowledgeable on such matters). What the ICBM will do if the recombine switch is used is redirect the bass from the center and surrounds to the mains. It will be possible to subsequently crossover the mains to the sub at whatever frequency you want, but the mains will still get a full-range signal. For what you are looking to do, using the recombine switch and setting the crossover on your mains around 40Hz or 60Hz should work fine -- the mains will still get a full-range signal, but they won't really be doing much in the area below their crossover point since they are -3dB at 35Hz anyway.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

It sounds as though marshmellow is primarily concerned with reducing the load on his receiver... which running the mains full-range will not do. I'd recommend not using the recombine switch, and sending all crossed over bass to the sub, which will most likely handle it better than the mains will. Also, taking that 60-100Hz range off the mains will reduce load on them even further.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

I'll take a shot at your question -

Set your processor's bass management to all large speakers, with no subwoofer. That way, all bass from all sources will be directed to the mains. With the ICBM, set the rears for 80, and the center to 100. All above these frequencies will go to the mains. The LFE channel will also be directed to the mains, since you have told the processor that you do not have a sub.

Now set the mains to 40, 60, or whatever you choose. All bass from all speakers will go to the sub, along with the entire LFE signal - Remember that you told your processor that you do not have a sub, so the processor has redirected the LFE to the fronts. The ICBM will send the LFE to the sub, combined with the bass from all other channels.

The only drawback that I see is that the LFE control on the ICBM will not control the LFE strength independantly from the overall sub volume, since the LFE is not coming in as a separate signal.

Hope this helps.

Woops - In the first paragraph, I meant to say that the ICBM will send all frequencies BELOW the cutoffs to the mains.

Do what I mean, not what I say!!

I just noticed, also, that he says that he has a receiver... which makes me wonder how he has the ICBM connected; if he's only using it for DVD-A/SACD bass management or if he has some other way of connecting it.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

I will be hooking up the unit between the receiver and the amp. I have a Yamaha 795a receiver. The bass management is only large or small, and bass to sub, main, or both. The distance from the front to the listening position and the rears(I have them on my back wall) to the listening position are the same so the dely should not have much affect.

I think I will try what billdean said. I just a little concerned with the bass from the center going to the sub. The crossover of 100hz is a little high.