allymoss Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Our school has got 3 amps, 500, 750 and 1000 watt.Weird arrangement anyway, goes to 4 non powered speakers in our main hall on the roof. There are 2 other outputs which we use for putting "wedges"(I think thats what they are called) on the stage. These are also non-powered. My Question is, is it ok to unplug the 4 roof speakers and just use the wedges if a band are practicing? A friend told me that the coils in the amps might blow or something. I have never heard of this! The 3 amps are all wired into an output panel where all the speakon sockets are for ease of use. Next to each one of these there is a fuse which can unscrew and change etc. When we have had fuses blow in the past they have been in the speakers themselves which is really awkward for us to get at. Shouldn't the ones on the amp blow first? Surely they are the same rating. I do not know but is there a standard? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyBrooks Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 The amps will be fine... nothing will blow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noiseman Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 I think the unloaded amp = trouble thing was applicable for the olden days of valve amps. Is you friend old or a guitarist?? (or both ;) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allymoss Posted September 20, 2007 Author Share Posted September 20, 2007 ** laughs out loud **, I knew there was no problem just they aren't my amps so didnt want to wreck anything. He is 15 and not a guitarist but learned stuff from older guy so perhaps from him? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Why not just turn off the unused amps,or kill the main faders on the desk?the olden days of valve ampsoi some of us are still using those luvelly glowing tubes on there hifi ,4 x el34's a side of pure listening pleasure. Also doubles up as a room heater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 The fuses in this kind of speaker only go when the speaker is abused - either by just being overdriven, or somebody piling on masses of extra bass. As most modern amps have quicker and better protection than a fuse - the idea of them in a panel is rare - in fact, I've never seen fuses in a speaker distro panel. The main reason is that you mentio you have some monitors. These could be patched in via the panel, so how would the correct fuse value be chosen? Also speakers could be paired up, normally ok, but idiots have ben know to simply string out a whole daisy chain of speakers with a very low total impedance - the amp is likely to shut down when it detects the almost short circuit, but a fuse just seems wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allymoss Posted September 20, 2007 Author Share Posted September 20, 2007 I will try that but it is all connected to each other, I will have another look at how it is wired tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 This bit iis a bit oddThe 3 amps are all wired into an output panel where all the speakon sockets are for ease of use. Next to each one of these there is a fuse which can unscrew and change etc. When we have had fuses blow in the past they have been in the speakers themselves which is really awkward for us to get at. Shouldn't the ones on the amp blow first? Surely they are the same rating. I do not know but is there a standard?The output panel has speakon sockets and fuses?? Do you mean the individual speaker lines have fuses fited here? Very unusual. Modern amps normally have excellent open and short circuit protection, so the fuses seem a bit pointless. Also you have loudspeakers with fuses??? gain very weird. Some speakers have what look like light bulbs and fuses in the crossover for protection - but only go when the speakers have been abused, and are rarely found n quality cabinets. In your case, why not just release the catch on the speakers to be silenced and rotate the plug in the socket till the speaker silences? much simpler than messing about with fuses. Mr Hippy - EL34's? what's that then? About 50 watts of pure distortion and a nice rosy glow? (sorry!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allymoss Posted September 20, 2007 Author Share Posted September 20, 2007 Yes. All speakers have fuses in. Speakon output panel has fuses for each speakon cable output. Speakers are ok, they werent cheap although I don't know make. I am not messing about with the fuses, that was a separate question. I was just wondering if the fuses should blow by the amps rather than in the speakers themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyBrooks Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 For interests sake, and to stop a little bit of, "thats wrongitis" going on with the patch, would you be able to stick up a picture of it? I can host it for you if you have no online space, be very interesting to have a peek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allymoss Posted September 22, 2007 Author Share Posted September 22, 2007 Hmm, I will get my friend to take a picture as he has a camera. I had a look yesterday in more detail. 2 amps got to 4 speakers in the hall, 2 on each amp, makes sense. Third amp is not used normally but has 2 outputs for speakers on stage. As this third amp does not go to the output panel, it does not have a fuse visible on this end. I have some webspace so I will put it on ASAP, probably not till Tuesday earliest and put a link in here I didn't connect it all up but its been the same for years and fuses have gone before but I have never been in the room at the time so wouldn't know what was happening when they did blow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Langfeld Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 Surely you can just turn off the two amps used for the PA? What's the problem with doing that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allymoss Posted September 22, 2007 Author Share Posted September 22, 2007 I thought about that but the inputs go into one of those 2 and they are daisy chained together. Am I right in thinking that even if they are turned off, the daisy chain will still work? Or Should I rewire it so that the inputs from the mixer go into the amp that powers the wedges, and daisy chained from that to the other two meaning that they can be turned off and the wedges still work. Does not apply if the above is true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 I thought about that but the inputs go into one of those 2 and they are daisy chained together. Am I right in thinking that even if they are turned off, the daisy chain will still work? Or Should I rewire it so that the inputs from the mixer go into the amp that powers the wedges, and daisy chained from that to the other two meaning that they can be turned off and the wedges still work. Does not apply if the above is true.What I first thought when I saw this was; why are the wedges not on an aux on a desk, separate from the main feeds? Because that is always how I have seen it done. or am I going :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam_brown87 Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 Yer sounds like they are just using these monitors from the main feed! To be honest I would try and get your school to get a company to come in update this system so you can have a more professional set up. I'm confused about this panel of fuses on the output half way through the line....... It just wudnt be fun in our work to not hear about these wonderful things people do. haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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