Surround level indicator / multi-channel level indicator for surround systems; external device for simultaneous display of all volume levels on an AV receiver

Abstract

Device for simultaneously displaying all speaker levels in surround mode of an AV receiver

Description

Application: Home cinema, hi-fi systems, Dolby surround systems

[0001] The device is used for visual control of the speaker levels in a surround system and can display the volume levels of 10 speaker channels simultaneously.

[0002] To gain control over which speakers are currently in use in my home theater, I wanted to buy a level meter that displays all surround channels. While searching for such a device, I discovered that the only devices currently on the market can display a maximum of two channels simultaneously. After realizing this, I built a prototype of such a device myself. The device works flawlessly and can be connected to any AV receiver by anyone.

[0003] For a Dolby Atmos setup with 12 speakers, this device visually displays 10 channels simultaneously. Front-High left Front High right Surround left Surround right Surround back left Surround back right Surround High left Surround High right Center speaker subwoofer

[0004] In my setup, the levels for the front right and left are displayed by the analog meters in the power amplifiers.

[0005] For users of other amplifiers without a level display (VU meter), the device can of course also be built as a 12-channel version. Functionality and technical structure:

[0006] The signal to be displayed is connected to the speaker outputs of the AV receiver.

[0007] To avoid hum, a shielded adapter cable is used. The other end of the cable connects to the level indicator via an RCA plug.

[0008] Within the device, the input signal for 9 channels is routed to the 32-LED displays via balanced wiring. For the 10th channel, the subwoofer, a preamplifier is inserted between the input signal, as this signal is not output via the AV receiver's power amplifiers. In addition, there is a power supply with an output voltage of

[0009] 12V and an output of 2000 mA in the housing. Power consumption: 30W

[0010] The surround level meter is an external display device for visualizing the volume levels of up to 12 surround channels in home theater and Dolby Atmos setups. Unlike conventional 2-channel VU meters, this device allows the simultaneous display of levels for up to 12 speaker channels, such as front high, surround, surround back, center, or subwoofer. The device can be easily connected to any AV receiver using a shielded cable set. The device provides clear visual feedback on channel activity.

Claims

[1] Device for simultaneously displaying all speaker levels in surround mode of an AV receiver [2] Device for simultaneously displaying the levels of more than 2 loudspeaker channels.