Hi

I'm considering getting a DBX Driverack PA, to replace my behringer CX3400 crossover. I have two JBL JRX 125s which require full range signal to be sent to them, and two JBL JRX 118s subs. Does the Driverack PA have the ability to send a full range signal to the 125s, but just lows to the 118s subs?

any help/advice would be much appreciated

Jonathan

Have a search on here for topics and posts about the Driverack PA.

People don't like it for a reason. Specifically it's ability to blow tweeters.

If you need a Loudspeaker Management System buy the Cheaper but better Behringer DCX2496.

Josh

You won't want to send the LF to the 125s as well as the 118s, surely? Also, read around this forum about the DRPA. Not a particularly wonderful bit of kit. Have you considered the Behringer equivalent? It's a very popular device.

The 125s need to be run full range because the internal crossover sends different frequencies to each of the 2 15" cones.

JBL just supplies the 118 for extra volume in the Low frequencies.

Josh

Josh has been listening.

The 125 is a funny old box, the lower 15 does LF only, and the upper 15 does LF and MF. There will be a way (not a conventional way) of running the lower 15 direct and not through the boxes slightly more complicated than normal crossover.

You'll actually get away with the DRPA for this application as you're not powering the HF drivers separately so the internal crossover should take the majority of the force should the worst happen. However, I refuse to recommend dbx on these grounds for any application. So for this I'd recommend something else. If you are on a budget and don't mind having the dreaded name in your rack then the DCX2496 is the way to go. Failing that then look at the offerings from BSS / KT / XTA but be prepared to pay alot of money. With the greatest of respect, if you're using JRX series then I would think that a BSS/KT/XTA processor may be out of your budget.

What you need is a signal from an amp to the subs and the lower 15. And a signal from another amp to the rest. In an ideal world you'd have different signals for the 18's and 15's but it's not the end of the world.

To the OP: It's only the Driverack PA that is shitehouse. The other models in the range are much better behaved.

True, but surely you wouldn't recommend a product from a manufacturer that sits and laughs as people continue to destroy drivers in their systems when a mere few pence per unit would stop this problem?

This is true, fair point Rob.

thanks for the help/advice,

I heard stories about the DRPA, and what it could potentially do if turned off before the amps, and the last thing I need is that risk and then to spend unnecessary money on fixing my speakers.

Budget wise I don't want to spend more than £300, unless I break into my student loan.....

Does the behringer DCX2496 do everything the DRPA can like: EQ, Feedback Eliminator, Pink Noise Generator, Crossover?

and will the behringer allow me to send the 125s full range signal and just lows to the subs?

The JBL 125s are proving more trouble than they're worth.

The Behringer DCX2496 will do everything the DRPA will do for less than £200.

Josh

E2A: Dolphin Music is the Cheapest place I could find for the DCX2496.

Can you explain WHY please Rob?

I suspect what Rob means is that the problem with this unit is kind of in folklore now - the sort of thing that if they'd wanted to could have been easily fixed when they came to produce more - the fact that almost every user of the devices reports the same problem should have been enough to get it sorted, but for whatever reason, they didn't. This shows perhaps that customer comment and satisfaction don't seem too high on the priority list?

I'm very disappointed that Performing Musician didn't mention this in their review of the Driverack PX this month - the biggest question on my mind when I read the review was whether it suffers from the same problem as its older brother and there was absolutely no mention of it at all.

Cheers

James.

not true. there's no RTA, no pink noise generator, no graphic EQ (only parametric), no feedback eliminator, no subharmonic synthesiser...

that said, I own one. I rarely find myself using it these days as I run a powered system though, but still handy to have around for time aligning and stuff.

I could have sworn that the DCX would do those things.

I could have been thinking about the Ultracurve.

Sorry for any confusion.

Josh

A while back the DCX AND DEQ could be bought as a pair for around the same price as the DRPA. Unfortunately I think the price of the pair is now a little more.

The pair of Behringer units does more than the DRPA and has the benefit of being able to have one at FOH and one on the stage. Linked by digital cable saves multicore channels and saves on un-necessary (and rather budget limited) DAC and ADC.


Rob

Oops - looks like I wasn't reading carefully enough the first time around - Mike Crofts specifically mentions that he tested the power down and power up behaviour near the end of the review and it appears well behaved.

Cheers

James.

I would second this we had a drive rack PA on tour in the states and we tried the behringer and I said then and there that the behringer was coming with us on the rest of the tour.

The sound difference was amazing and I couldn't believe that was due to behringer.

Unfortunately, you must be wrong. Everybody knows all Behringer gear is rubbish and will break within 8 seconds. A guy who I met in the pub has a friend in Scotland, now, his dad's bosses sons new boyfriend who's into a bit of djing has got 71 pieces of Behringer kit, all of which broke within 4 minutes of opening the box and a further 19 that never even switched on in the first place.

</sarcasm>
</generic Behringer comment which is usually made up absolute crap>

The DCX is a fantastic bit of kit. Full Stop ; erm... .


(nobody would ever know that I don't do mornings very well, I think I cover it up rather easily)

Yes well I would agree that behringer kit isn't the most reliable of stuff, but find me a pa company with not a singe item on behringer kit in there warehouse.





Sorry rob but anyone that know me will tell you that I very very rarely wrong.

It's a shame that the same can't be said about your spelling, grammar and punctuation, then...

to be fair, behringer stuff takes up a fair chunk of my rack, and I've so far only had one switch break.

Yep well no-one is perfect.

It appears that someone missed the slight hint of sarcasm in my post, not surprising really because it's not like I put </sarcasm> anywhere in the post either. Oh, hang on.

I know behringer are given a bad name, but I have to admit their rack-mounted units are good, their DI boxes aren't bad, and even though I'm looking to replace my behringer CX3400 crossover, its not because it doesnt work, its coz I have the money to upgrade, and if I end up upgrading to something behringer, I'll be happy as so far they're quite reliable.

Subtlety such as yours is often missed in the BR!

As long as I'm posting I may as well make a token effort at staying on topic by saying my own DCX plus two I've installed for other folks are all great value for money workhorses. One (not mine I'm happy to say) was installed as a direct replacement for a DRPA which had taken out the HF drivers in a theatre install when somebody in LX accidently switched the wrong breaker off then on again.

As for the DRPX, I'm not surprised to hear that it plays nicely...every other LMS in the dbx range is also fine--what they were thinking when they designed the DRPA (and why they never fixed it) I can't even guess.

Bob

Would I get shouted at if I said I've had no problems with any of my DRPA's? I think I've got about 5 out on installs at the moment and I've never had a tweeter blown because of them. I've had several speakerskilled by people 'having a play' but never due to the actual unit it's self.

Although having said that, I'm upgrading to TC XO24's as they have a very handy lock and passcode function