Newbie - PA Settings Question

[digitrac]

Hi Newbie here!!

 

I have put together the following rig providing PA as a hobby for small events, discos etc:

 

2 x RCF Event ESW 1018 Sub

2 x RCF Event ESW 1000 Tops

1x RCF XEQ Crossover / EQ

1 X Behringer EP4000 (Subs)

1 x Behringer EP2000 (Tops)

 

My question concerns the various setting I'm presented with by the switches on the XEQ and EP amplifiers:

 

The XEQ has just one switch labelled Xover or EQ - Not sure if this means they are exclusive or not

 

The Behringer amplifiers have the following options for each channel which I need to consider

 

Low Cut Filter (On/Off)

Low Cut filter (30Hz/50Hz)

Clip Limiter (On/Off)

 

What do you think would be the best setting

 

Regards,

 

digitrac

[loudwill]

Hi Dude,

 

First off, welcome to the world of sound.

 

I would like to recommend you looking at an active system with built in crossovers. Active is ideal for beginners or people who want easy expansion and set-up.

 

Check out some of the Thomann The Box series, they have some good quality products at good prices. I own a Box system and it is currently out on an acoustic tour.

 

Anyway, back to your question:

 

Take a LR feed from your source (mixer, ipod etc) and go into any crossover, then you can set up the tops and subs. i.e. only send frequencies lower than 250hz to your subs (depends on the sub) then send the rest to your tops. If this sounds confusing, then I suggest looking at active with built in crossovers.

 

Here is a breakdown:

 

 

LR feed from mixer >>> CROSSOVER > >250Hz ---> Subs

> <250Hz ---> Tops

 

 

 

Drop me an email if you would like a consultation and equipment recommendation. We can even supply equipment for you to purchase. will@loudnproudproductions.co.uk

 

 

Hope this helps

Will

[digitrac]

Hi Will,

 

Many thanks for your response

 

I appreciate an active system may be simpler but this is the kit I have. The XEQ crossover has a preset crossover frequency designed for the RCF 1018 and 1000 series so it is really very simple to use and the only control is the switch I mentioned above.

 

What I really want to know is exactly what this EQ/X-Over switch does on the RCF XEQ unit (i.e. is it one or the other or one and both)

 

My second question relates to the low cut off and clip limit on the Behringer and whether I need to select any of them for my set-up. I realise that may be subjective

 

Cheers,

 

Dave (digitrac)

[TonyMitchell]

I would like to recommend you looking at an active system with built in crossovers....

 

An active system is exactly the opposite of what you have described, with the signal management to each transducer being managed before the cabinet, i.e. in an analogue active crossover, or digital LMS

 

It is a passive system that has built in crossovers that you just send a single signal to and let the processing inside the cab decide what goes to which driver.

 

 

 

 

...Check out some of the Thomann The Box series....

 

 

Sorry to rain on your parade, Will, but are you really suggesting the OP offloads a very decent, albeit old school RCF Event rig in favour of Thomann own label product?

 

Set up correctly and run actively (which is exactly what the OP has described), that RCF rig will sing very sweetly.

[loudwill]

Didn't realise he had a system already, I thought he was looking at buying. That's the only reason I mentioned it.

Will

[timsabre]

To attempt to answer the questions as nobody else has - but these are just general knowledge answers, I have never used those exact bits -

 

The XEQ switch says it "enables a 6dB 60Hz bass boost" when pressed. I would suggest you don't want to press that one. I am presuming the switch goes between "normal crossover" and "crossover with 6db bass boost"

 

For disco, I'd set the "Low Cut" switch to Off. Which makes the 2nd switch irrelevant.

Turn on the Clip limiter switch as this will help protect the speakers if you drive the system into clipping.

[digitrac]

Gents - thanks for the comments - I realise the RCF Event system may be knocking on a bit but I picked these components after listening to such a rig and doing a bit of research on the web

 

I haven't had the chance to use it in anger yet but I am doing an event in a couple of weeks so fingers crossed it goes ok!!

 

Tim - Thanks for explaining the switches - I suspected it would be EQ+X-Over or just X-Over so I will leave it on the X-Over only setting

I will also follow your advice regarding the amplifier settings

 

Cheers

 

Dave (digitrac)

[MarkPAman]

Just to be different ;)

I think if it were me, I'd engage the Low Cut at 30Hz for the subs, as their spec indicates that they don't go down that far (about 35Hz appears to be the -3dB point on a 12db/octave slope) - no point in asking the amp to amplify 25Hz if the speaker can't reproduce it.

 

With the crossover, the top amp shouldn't get anything that low anyway, but no harm in setting the HPF at 50Hz just in case.

 

 

 

 

[timsabre]

Just to be different ;)

I think if it were me, I'd engage the Low Cut at 30Hz for the subs, as their spec indicates that they don't go down that far (about 35Hz appears to be the -3dB point on a 12db/octave slope) - no point in asking the amp to amplify 25Hz if the speaker can't reproduce it.

 

With the crossover, the top amp shouldn't get anything that low anyway, but no harm in setting the HPF at 50Hz just in case.

 

This is a good point. I couldn't find the spec for the subs, obviously didn't look hard enough

[digitrac]

Mark - Yes good point

 

So my final switch settings will be:

 

XEQ - Crossover only

EP4000 - Low Cut-off On - 30Hz - Clip Limiter On

EP2000 - Low Cut-off On - 50Hz - Clip Limiter On

 

As this is the first time I have used a crossover and bi-amping my final question is do I need to be concerned about the gain setting on each amplifier or should they be the same?

[timsabre]

The same, usually you would set to full and control the level at the source.