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Mackie SA1532Z Plus Klipsch KI-115


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I have been using a pair of Mackie 1532Z with a Behringer UFX1604 as our PA system with great success. Yesterday I was able to pickup a pair of Klipsch KI-115 subwoofers for $150 a piece. Couldn't pass up a deal like that. My question is are they going to add anything to what I already have? I was intending to buy a Behringer Super=X Pro Crossover to go with them, but I thought I would ask my friends here if it's worth adding these to my system, or do the Mackies already produce what the Klipschs offer?

 

Additionally, if adding the Klipschs is a good thing, I see the Super-X has a stereo mode with two "Low" outputs, two "High" outputs and a single Subwoofer output. I understand I would daisychain the subwoofers off of the Subwoofer out, but the Mackies have a single input, and I imagine an internal 3-way crossover. Which output on the Super-X would I want to use to drive the Mackies?

High, or Low?

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Based on the spec sheets, I doubt those subs would realistically gain you very much over the 1532Zs, which go pretty darn loud and low by themselves (A local venue I occasionally mix in has the 1532Z cabs, so I am familiar with them). Now, those same subs could be a good foundation for a smaller system of subs + small tops driven off a lightweight power amp. For that price, I would have gotten them as well! A nice set of EV SX200 tops over those subs powered off a Peavey IPR2 3000 amp would likely be a good sounding lightweight rig when you don't need sick volume levels.

 

Just my $0.02.

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Interesting, a good deal that you couldn't pass up but in reality it's not much of a deal if you can't use them or they don't bring much to the table eh?

 

Crossover... one low out to the subs, one high out to each of the Mackies. What do you plan on using as a a power amp for the subs?

 

Sub mode on that crossover is nothing more than a mono summed low out, I wouldn't mess with it.

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Interesting, a good deal that you couldn't pass up but in reality it's not much of a deal if you can't use them or they don't bring much to the table eh?

 

 

I'm in the process of clearing out a few items that were a super deal that I couldn't pass up. Just sold four passive speakers and thinking about getting rid of another four. Also, bought a used Unity U15 for $350 ($1400 w/tax new) but I've only used it twice in the last three years - as a drum monitor. Of course, the minute I sell it one of my U15's will suddenly go down, so I guess I'll hang on to it until I downsize my FOH.

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OK, interesting!

But I'm still wondering if I'm going to hear a huge difference adding the Klipschs to the Mackies?

 

Short answer: I don't think adding those subs to the Mackies would yield you any appreciable benefit. The Mackies go just as low and get louder doing it.

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? Sounds like this is not in biamp mode. No crossover? Running them all off one amp? If your paraelleling with no xover, going to sound ewwww. The subs should give a you a little more low presence if setup right with two separate amps. Note I said little not a "lot". Also read the manual on those subs, what is "furniture grade plywood"? First time I've heard that description on wood used for a sub. SPL is like 125 on those, granted it's a rating set by manufacturer, but not going to get a lot of output on those.

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There's something goofy going on. How was it connected?

 

I suspect that you may be in just a bit over your hard, making some incorrect assumptions about how this gear works. Do you have any acces to professional help (a real pro, not some wank who learned how to do sound on the net)?

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I don't think I got it wrong. I bought the dBX crossover that was used in the Klipsch previous installation (a planetarium), and GTDaudio 2500 watt stereo amplifier. The Mackies are self powered so I went straight to them from the crossover, the Klipsch I went from the crossover into the GTDaudio amp. The Mackies are rated down to 47Hz, the Klipsch down to 49Hz. When I enabled the Klipsch, the four 15" woofers in the Mackie cabinets went silent. So my understanding of this is that the Crossover stopped sending any signals to the Mackies because the crossover sent it all to the Klipsch.

 

I think I simply don't need these subwoofers, the Mackies 4 15's woof seriously enough already, so I'm going to sell the whole subwoofer system: 2 Klpisch KI-115, one dBX crossover, and one GTD 2500 Watt stereo amplifier for the best offer.

 

 

Deadmeat, I'm near Bangor Maine.

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Speakers don't just go silent, they might be slightly redundant but not silent. How high did you crossover? Maybe you're hearing the effect of crossing over so high the 15's in the Mackies are barely getting signal.

 

My best guess (see also AH's post) is that the subs are what some (like me) use to call out of phase with the Mackies. It's more correctly called polarity but essentially you're getting a kind of low frequency cancellation..

 

There's no way for a crossover like the one you have, to realize the subs are on and magically change the amount of low end going to the Mackies, so there must be another explanation. Either way, it doesn't sound like you need them.

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It is the case that connecting the Klipsch to my Mackies is completely unhelpful, and actually diminishes the sound.

 

The Klipsch's frequency response goes from 49Hz to 300Hz, the Mackie's frequency response goes from 38Hz to 20kHz.

 

If I understand the function of a crossover, it is to take any incoming frequencies at or below the adjustable setting on the crossover and send it to the Subs.

 

If it sent the signals both ways I think I'd be good, but what happens is if I set the crossover to send the low frequencies, (say 100Hz and below), to the subs, it does just that and the 4 15s in the Mackies go silent.

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Run a fullrange signal directly from the mixer to the Mackies. Run another fullrange signal from the mixer to the crossover, set it to cross at 100Hz, and run the LF output to the amp and subs.

All of the 15"'s will work with this setup. Experiment with the sub polarity to see which way gives the most output...there can be anything from no change to quite a difference.

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