Where to add the "mute" switch?

[Laniakea]

So  I was fixing my amplifier circuit and when opened it all up, I wanted to add something, because it's all custom I wanted to add a mute switch so I can mute and unmute when someone is trying to talk to me or something. The problem is I don't know where to add it, I could just connect it to the live wire but that will cut the power and the device takes 2 seconds to turn on so, not nice. I can connect it to the ground of the sound wire but it will still let sound pass via left and right channels (yea it does). So because it's just one switch I have I can't connect it to both left and right channels, that will create a short circuit. Here are the photos of the components, any help will do Thanks. 

[emosun]

ground wire for the speaker

left and right channel use the same ground

[Laniakea]

2 minutes ago, emosun said:

ground wire for the speaker

left and right channel use the same ground

Sound still pass when left and right are still connected as I mentioned. 

[emosun]

2 minutes ago, Laniakea said:

Sound still pass when left and right are still connected as I mentioned.

yeah which is why i said ground wire for the speakers themselves not the power to the amp

[Windows7ge]

Those 115/225V switches exist where they break both the live & neutral connections (effectively 2 switches in one). If you got yourself one of those then you could use your second idea of cutting the two channels. Those switches aren't expensive. You can also find them inside old ATX PSU's.

 

NOTE: Opening PSU's is dangerous. Go that route at your own risk.

[Laniakea]

16 minutes ago, emosun said:

yeah which is why i said ground wire for the speakers themselves not the power to the amp

Yeah about that, can you explain it further more? Because I don't think I get it. Thanks

[emosun]

each speaker driver has two wires , positive and ground. all the speakers share the same ground wire it doesn't have unique data running to each speaker , so just put the switch on all the ground wires going to each speaker

[Laniakea]

15 minutes ago, emosun said:

each speaker driver has two wires , positive and ground. all the speakers share the same ground wire it doesn't have unique data running to each speaker , so just put the switch on all the ground wires going to each speaker

It has, it's stero. So it's not an option I understand. Thanks for the help tho  (because I have a one channel switch)

[Windows7ge]

19 minutes ago, Laniakea said:

Yeah about that, can you explain it further more? Because I don't think I get it. Thanks

I've got a couple around here somewhere. Give me a little while and I'll dig one up to show.

[Laniakea]

1 minute ago, Windows7ge said:

I've got a couple around here somewhere. Give me a little while and I'll dig one up to show.

Okay waiting

[Mira Yurizaki]

If the amplifier only has one input source, then I would add a switch there. Less power to deal with and be concerned about.

[The Torrent]

52 minutes ago, Laniakea said:

So  I was fixing my amplifier circuit and when opened it all up, I wanted to add something, because it's all custom I wanted to add a mute switch so I can mute and unmute when someone is trying to talk to me or something. The problem is I don't know where to add it, I could just connect it to the live wire but that will cut the power and the device takes 2 seconds to turn on so, not nice. I can connect it to the ground of the sound wire but it will still let sound pass via left and right channels (yea it does). So because it's just one switch I have I can't connect it to both left and right channels, that will create a short circuit. Here are the photos of the components, any help will do Thanks. 

On the ground wires connecting the speakers. Photo attached of what I mean

[The Torrent]

1 minute ago, The Torrent said:

On the ground wires connecting the speakers. Photo attached of what I mean

Oh I just read I see someone suggested this but u only have a 1 channel switch.

wouldn’t an easier way just to be buy a 2 channel switch?

[The Torrent]

DPST switch is what you want a few quid on eBay 

[Laniakea]

Yeah guys I guess I'm gonna buy a 2 channel switch tomorrow. Thanks everyone for their help :)) I have one more question tho, what class of amp this is? A B AB D? Need to know this, because soon I'll be buying an amp circuit and gotta know how each sounds like.

[emosun]

13 hours ago, Laniakea said:

It has, it's stero. So it's not an option I understand. Thanks for the help tho  (because I have a one channel switch)

I feel like i'm going in circles here

a stereo receiver uses the same ground for each speaker. you can literally swap the ground between the speaker and it doesn't matter because they are the exact same.

 

 

Wire it up like that and stereo will still work fine

[Laniakea]

54 minutes ago, emosun said:

I feel like i'm going in circles here

a stereo receiver uses the same ground for each speaker. you can literally swap the ground between the speaker and it doesn't matter because they are the exact same.

 

 

Wire it up like that and stereo will still work fine

Yeah that will create the short circuit that I was talking about, if you follow the cables the voltage diffrence between left and right channels will let a current to pass trough and sound will be produced. So that's why it's not a solution.

[emosun]

52 minutes ago, Laniakea said:

Yeah that will create the short circuit that I was talking about, if you follow the cables the voltage diffrence between left and right channels will let a current to pass trough and sound will be produced. So that's why it's not a solution.

what short circuit? left and right share the ground already you aren't changing anything about the way the amp works at all

[Laniakea]

1 minute ago, emosun said:

what short circuit? left and right share the ground already you aren't changing anything about the way the amp works at all

yeah but they get grounded immedeatly, when ground is not present the voltage diffrence between channels creates sound. Just try imagining you set only right channel on from your phone, so left is 0V, both speakers in this situation if not grounded will play what's coming from the right channel. For mono playback this is almost fine but for stero music, it's not.

[emosun]

you're cutting the ground to the drivers not any sort of electrical power here.

a speaker plays nothing when the driver doesnt have both wires connected

[Laniakea]

Just now, emosun said:

you're cutting the ground to the drivers not any sort of electrical power here.

a speaker plays nothing when the driver doesnt have both wires connected

oh gosh the speakers are connet together idk if u can see and the current will pass because there's a voltage diffrence. Just try reading my explanation again, I give up okay.

[zassou]

idk about music instruments but this video from minutephysics should be helpful:

 

 

[Dujith]

1 hour ago, emosun said:

what short circuit? left and right share the ground already you aren't changing anything about the way the amp works at all

 

1 hour ago, Laniakea said:

oh gosh the speakers are connet together idk if u can see and the current will pass because there's a voltage diffrence. Just try reading my explanation again, I give up okay.

Laniaksea is right. 

There is a voltage difference when the outputs are different.

 

1 plus will be 5v and the other at 2v then the voltage over the 2 speakers will be 3v. Which is audible.

The reason it does not matter at the amp is that both leads of the speakers are connected, leaving nothing up in the air.

So if 1 speaker is 5v and the 2nd is at 0v the current will flow to the ground without passing through the 2nd speaker. With the switch you cut of the ground from the amp ground forcing it to go through the other speaker.

 

If both speakers dont have the exact same signal you will get distortion.

 

 

 

[Windows7ge]

20 hours ago, Laniakea said:

Okay waiting

I have to apologize. I forgot to get back to you. I dug though my stuff and couldn't find the switches I was referencing but I found a image online (probably should have just done that from the beginning).

The ones I was searching for only have 4 poles but this works effectively the same. It creates and breaks 2 circuits at the same time. It could work for your left/right channel audio.

As I said I've found these types of switches in old PSUs. If you want to go that route just watch yourself. Don't touch anything you don't have to.

[Underi]

20 hours ago, Laniakea said:

I have one more question tho, what class of amp this is? A B AB D? Need to know this, because soon I'll be buying an amp circuit and gotta know how each sounds like.

Google up the datasheet of the IC you're using.