# Getting a full 3-way active with T/A out of a 360.2



## jsun_g (Jun 12, 2008)

RF 360.2 users know that it has 3 sets of outputs: front, rear, and a single output for center, plus a single output for sub. Note that I don't run a center channel but the 360.2 has a CENTER channel input/output that I thought I could put to good use.

I had been using it for 3-way front stage + sub via passive crossovers between the mids/tweets. Problem is, I wanted to time align each mid and tweet separately since my tweets are in the A-pillars, and there was no way to do it with the passives, so a bit of out-of-the box thinking is needed.

If your HU (or amps) have a HP and LP filter that you can use to split the subs and midbass (say 60 or 80Hz), then it is possible to use the 360.2 fully for 3-way active front stage, albeit you may want/need the ability to EQ the sub from another means like the HU or EQ built into the sub amp.

I also wanted to keep my rear fill as an added bonus so here is what I did (again this is specific to my HU/setup, but in general, it is possible to do 3-way active front stage with a single 360.2):

Front RCA outs from HU -> split 3 ways into front, rear, and sub+center inputs with RCA Y-cables into 360.2 (just because I want to use the rear HU RCA outs for rear fill)

Rear RCA outs from HU -> direct to rear fill amplifier, with time delay applied by HU and xover applied by amplifier. This is optional and I realize many people on here don't like rear fill.

Sub RCA outs from HU -> direct to sub amp, with xover and EQ in HU since the sub signal path bypasses the 360.2. Personally, I prefer to use a parametric EQ anyway for the sub because fixed 1/3 octave bands just don't do the job of correcting dips and peaks very well.

From the 360.2, the CENTER and SUB outputs are used for LEFT and RIGHT midbasses respectively (since the center channel can be time delayed in the 360.2, but the sub channel can't be, and my RIGHT midbass is the driver that is the furthest from my ears). Both the CENTER and SUB outputs are lowpassed for midbass operation, with the amplifier or alternatively HU applying the highpass filter for a bandpass setup on the midbasses. NOTE that the SUB output can only be lowpassed from the 360.2 - the subsonic filter it has can't be adjusted high enough for crossing over the midbass, which is why I mentioned the HU or amp needs to have a HP xover for the midbass. Also the 360.2 SUB output can only be lowpassed as high as 200Hz, so that may be a consideration. For me, it worked perfect since my midbass are being run from 63Hz to 170Hz.

From the 360.2, the REAR outputs are going to my midrange amplifier, and these channels are also time aligned inside the 360.2 along with xover and EQ.

From the 360.2 the FRONT outputs are going to my tweeter amplifier, and these channels are also TA'd/XO'd/EQ'd inside the 360.2

This makes for 6 channels that can be individually delayed for 3-way front stage (ok, 5 channels, since the SUB output of the 360.2 can't be TA'd, but it is on my far driver so everything else is delayed relative to it).

Compared to the passive mid/hi setup in the front I am very pleased with the sound and added flexibility of comparing mid/hi xover points on the fly as well as ability to time align everything without having to buy another 360.2.

Just wanted to throw this out there in case anybody is looking to try a similar setup but not sure how to do it with a 360.2.

Jason


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## Nitin (May 28, 2008)

> Front RCA outs from HU -> split 3 ways into front, rear, and sub+center inputs with RCA Y-cables into 360.2 (just because I want to use the rear HU RCA outs for rear fill)


one quick question - you did not need to use the splitter as i see it since the 360.2 has a summing function where if you connect a set of interconnects for the front input only it will output left and right signals from all 6 outputs 

heres a quote from the manual 



> NOTE:The 3Sixty can be set up to create a 6-channel output with only 2-channels
> (Left and Right) of input. However, for the best sound stage, it is strongly
> recommended to connect into all of the main inputs (AUX not required).
> The system will SUM if you are not using the 6 main inputs (all left
> ...


so would that not work easier than using lots of splitters ? - i ask because i know someone contemplating to use a similar setup as you have described above


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## jsun_g (Jun 12, 2008)

Thanks for that note...I didn't realize it summed all the unused inputs internally. So yeah I guess it would work with just the front pair of RCA's connected, though I haven't tried it.

One little caveat I found with this setup...when you use center and sub as separate left and right midbass, you don't quite get what you expect. IIRC, if you feed your right side RCA into SUB and left side RCA into center, and play a test track like where a male voice announces "left channel" on the left side and "right channel" on the right side, you will hear both announcements thru the LEFT midbass since it came from the CENTER channel output, and it looks like the 360.2 is doing some summing of left and right into CENTER internally.
With normal music it isn't really noticeable, but with test tracks like this it is.



Nitin said:


> one quick question - you did not need to use the splitter as i see it since the 360.2 has a summing function where if you connect a set of interconnects for the front input only it will output left and right signals from all 6 outputs
> 
> heres a quote from the manual
> 
> ...


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## Nitin (May 28, 2008)

jsun_g said:


> Thanks for that note...I didn't realize it summed all the unused inputs internally. So yeah I guess it would work with just the front pair of RCA's connected, though I haven't tried it.
> 
> One little caveat I found with this setup...when you use center and sub as separate left and right midbass, you don't quite get what you expect. IIRC, if you feed your right side RCA into SUB and left side RCA into center, and play a test track like where a male voice announces "left channel" on the left side and "right channel" on the right side, you will hear both announcements thru the LEFT midbass since it came from the CENTER channel output, and it looks like the 360.2 is doing some summing of left and right into CENTER internally.
> With normal music it isn't really noticeable, but with test tracks like this it is.


well to sort that out shouldnt be too difficult 

the person contemplating the setup like above wants to do this :

use a clarion 785 headunit which has three outputs which are all fullrange capable including the sub output 

so he will send the front output of the headunit to the rockford 360.2 and use the 360.2 as follows - front outputs to the tweeter amp and rear outputs to the midrange amp and the sub output to the sub

then on the rear outputs of the headunit he will connect his amp channels for the rear fill (since it is bandpass capable with T/A capability as well) and on the sub outputs of the headunit he will connect the midbass since that is still a fulrange output (also bandpassable with T/A capability) 

only problem with this method is that he wont have adjustability of the sub levels on the headunit and hence will need to do this on the 360.2 which can become irritating for when you need to this on the fly whilst driving the vehicle IMHO its far more convenient to have the sub controls on the headunit but i suppose then he would land up with the same problems you are facing 

so basically he is modifying your setup a little .... so there are a few options that will allow for different types of setup with different solutions for different systems according to the headunits used


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## jsun_g (Jun 12, 2008)

It sounds like he is only doing a 2-way front stage, i.e. mid and tweet, no midbass. That makes things a LOT easier to configure.




Nitin said:


> well to sort that out shouldnt be too difficult
> 
> the person contemplating the setup like above wants to do this :
> 
> ...


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## Nitin (May 28, 2008)

jsun_g said:


> It sounds like he is only doing a 2-way front stage, i.e. mid and tweet, no midbass. That makes things a LOT easier to configure.


no - midbass from the headunit outputs as well as rear fill from the headunits outputs - so it is three way - see the bold bits here 



> then on the *rear outputs of the headunit he will connect his amp channels for the rear fill* (since it is bandpass capable with T/A capability as well) *and on the sub outputs of the headunit he will connect the midbass since that is still a fullrange output* (also bandpassable with T/A capability)


it doesnt matter where the outputs come from as long as they result in the correct frequencies being input to the speaker drivers eventually


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## stereo_luver (Oct 30, 2007)

I'm doing the same thing. My number is in your PM box.


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