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What will be a decent crossover?


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Need help in replacing my DBX driverack. I have 2 EV ZX4's for mains and 2 Yorkville LS808's for subs. I dont really like the driverack . I'm looking for a crossover to replace it. Something that is easier to use, up to $400.00 range. Any help is apreciated. Thanks

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Timmy:

 

I was originally using a dbx 223XL crossover... pretty simple to use, and picked up a Driverack PA on the cheap. Originally I thought it was pretty complicated, too. After some discussion/recommendations here, I decided to spend a bit of time and really learn the unit - online info, manual, etc. then simply played with the unit (you can't really screw anything up because you can always go back to factory presets). Yes, there are a lot of pieces/parts to configure... if you want to. If not, the DRPA makes an exceptional crossover with a bit more bells and whistles. In order to optimize, you really have to set up the crossover correctly then set the Gain structure which is the most important thing you can do. Check out the Dbx Forum for some real, in-depth info on a step-by-step set-up to optimize the DRPA. I swear my system sounded 10X better after I set up my DRPA. To date, I haven't used the RTA as I don't have one, so I'm not really taking full advantage of the unit - yet - but I can tell you, the sound is substantially better through the DRPA than it was through the standard crossover (thank you everyone that suggested I go for it). One more thing, I haven't changed a setting yet for any live event. I still use my 2X31-band rack eq for FOH & Mons bypassing the DRPA PEQ & GEQ's. Again, not taking full advantage of what I have. Don't get discouraged or overwhelmed by all the techie stuff. Give it real a go, you may be pleasantly surprised like I was.

 

Stix

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I like the Peavey VSX 26. It's a full feature processor, is easy to setup and changes can be made on the fly. The only issue I have is at low levels it has this digital sounding growl. This is with the amp levels turned down as recommended and I'm not talking a ground loop. For the money it's a powerful tool and worth looking into, Paul.

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I like the Peavey VSX 26. It's a full feature processor, is easy to setup and changes can be made on the fly. The only issue I have is at low levels it has this digital sounding growl. This is with the amp levels turned down as recommended and I'm not talking a ground loop. For the money it's a powerful tool and worth looking into, Paul.

 

 

So is this noise (with the amps turned down none-the-less) consistent with a powerful tool and worth looking into, or is it a deal breaker? What happens if you turn the amps up to nominal 100% sensitivity???

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So is this noise (with the amps turned down none-the-less) consistent with a powerful tool and worth looking into, or is it a deal breaker? What happens if you turn the amps up to nominal 100% sensitivity???

 

I haven't upgraded to the version 1.06 firmware yet, it is still 1.05, I hope it helps a bit. Although I have used it just for testing on my EAW rig, I initially set it up for my personal band rig, consisting of Yorkville M600 tops and the SW600 subs. It was very useful in taming the inherent honk in the M600s which I previously used a Furman parametric for. This system sounds better than ever now. Peavey recommends bringing the gains down which in theory is fine except it takes a volt meter and a marker to equalize them. The growl is not a deal breaker and I'll find the sweet spot for the gains as soon as I get a chance to mess with it a bit more, Paul.

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So, how much headroom do you have between the point that you clip your drive electronics and the point that you hit the limit point on the amps?

 

 

I have more than enough headroom which tells me I need to bring my amp gains down more. Old habits are hard to break and after 35 years of running my amp gains at 100% it feels weird turning them down so low. The growl reminds me of my Moog Taurus pedals mixed with my the sound of my Hammond A100 with the pedal floored but not playing it. It's a wavey phasey type of growl. I'm sure it will be fine once I adjust everything properly, Paul.

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If you really want to go back analog, you can get the already recommended dbx 223XL quite often for $100 used. I just sold one for that shipped ;>(

 

I also have and use the DRPA and find it to be a decent unit. It replaces SEVERAL rack items, so the quantity of features and adjustments can be daunting. You just have to think of it as those several items as you go through the menus. The manual is the confusing part. You really need to take the manual and the DRPA by itself, plug it in near an easy chair, get an adult beverage and sit down and play with the thing, going through all the setting and menus when it won't miss up your system.

 

I really only use it as a fancy crossover with speaker settings in it. I've RTAed with it and messed with the subharmonic syth but rarely do so. BUT I have setting stored in it for 6 FOH speaker variations using 3 sets of possible top, with or without one set of subs. And each of those speaker sets sound better to me with the DRPA.

 

Boomerweps

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I also have and use the DRPA and find it to be a decent unit. It replaces SEVERAL rack items, so the quantity of features and adjustments can be daunting. You just have to think of it as those several items as you go through the menus. The manual is the confusing part. You really need to take the manual and the DRPA by itself, plug it in near an easy chair, get an adult beverage and sit down and play with the thing, going through all the setting and menus when it won't miss up your system.

Boomerweps

 

 

I wish I would have read this post a few years ago when I purchased a DRPA. I plugged it in a few hours before a show thinking it would be simple. I was wrong, and ended up returning it. Lately I have been wishing I still had it. So thanks to a member here I got a deal on a used one and its on its way. This time I plan on learning how to use it. I'm certain it will help the sound of my rig.

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