L-pad primer--please?

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I have homemade speakers made from TAD 2001 (109 dB/W) drivers and 15" woofers (95 dB/W), and I have horns for the TADs on order, and I'm trying to prepare to make a crossover to equalize output from the two drivers. I am sorry to report that I don't know what the heck I'm doing. I plan to put in L-pads, then check the resistance through the L-pad when the system sounds good, and replace the L-pad with a fixed component system (high wattage resistors). However, as I think about this I understand that I need some HELP in understanding L-pads. I have done a search, but most of what is posted presupposes a basic knowledge of how they work, and I don't have that basic knowledge. The little bits of basic stuff I've found suggest that L-pads can be used to lower signal levels to a driver without changing the overall resistance seen by the amp, and since they do not change resistance they do not change crossover frequency. Is that right? It seems bizarre to me, but I don't claim to to understand electricity. A related question: does an 8 Ohm L-pad add 8 Ohms of resistance to the circuit, so that the new total resistance is 16 Ohms, or is total resistance somehow maintained at 8 Ohms? (This again gets to the question of calculating correct values for crossover at a given frequency.) And lastly--for now anyway--can I measure the summed resistance through the L-pad to get the value I want in order to make a fixed system, or do I need to measure it through the internal series and parallel resistors separately?
Thanks to all you kind people for your help.

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Kimber Kable

Topic - L-pad primer--please? - Twistnshout 09:56:26 05/21/01 (5)

Re: L-pad primer--please? - pkell44 19:35:01 05/22/01 (0)

Here's a site to calculate one. - Walnut 16:00:07 05/21/01 (3)

Thanks a lot, but I guess I wasn't clear... - Twistnshout 17:15:07 05/21/01 (2)

Re: Thanks a lot, but I guess I wasn't clear... - Jon Risch 01:02:15 05/22/01 (1)

Hugely helpful--thanks so much! (nt) - Twistnshout 06:33:43 05/22/01 (0)

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