Members hanks Posted April 3, 2009 Members Share Posted April 3, 2009 OK, i just upgraded to a new system and am having a brain fart on speaker/amp wiring config. Here is my gear, please tell me what speaker wires i need and how to hookup. Mains - QW1 X 2 Biamp to cs 1400 (high), cs 4000 (mid) Subs - QW218 X 2 to cs 4080 (subs) I know i need a NL4 to each main with duel banana to amps. Would mids be +1/-1 and highs +2/-2 to the corresponding amps? that way i could banana to the right amp for the highs and mids. Subs are more confusing. Would i use NL2 to each sub and would that run a 4 ohm load to each cab from each channel of CS4080? Each cab has a 4-pin, 8-pin and parallel inputs which i gather would be NL2? Would each of these inputs power each woofer? Basically the easiest way to wire up these cabs without using more wire. One cable to each cab to a channel on the amp. Or would i need to run a NL4 to each sub? And would I wire the Neutrik +1/-1/+2/-2 or just +1/-1 per side? Have a vsx26 for the cross over so just need in layman's terms how to wire these speakers to amps with out @#$% anything up. Thanks gentlemen! hank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members W. M. Hellinger Posted April 3, 2009 Members Share Posted April 3, 2009 If it were me, I'd run NL8 from a (custom built) patch panel on your amp rack to your subs. Then I'd jump from the subs to the mid-highs with NL4's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hanks Posted April 4, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 4, 2009 If it were me, I'd run NL8 from a (custom built) patch panel on your amp rack to your subs. Then I'd jump from the subs to the mid-highs with NL4's. That would work, but need to buy/build a patch panel first. I guess a custom NL8 would be a better than my two left thumbs trying to build that. Maybe down the road. Right now i want to know how to wire each sub and mains separately to learn how to do it, then later i can go with the NL8's. Plus that NL8 would be mighty expensive for 50 ft runs. But cost down on the NL4's patched up to the mains on top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members W. M. Hellinger Posted April 4, 2009 Members Share Posted April 4, 2009 Right now i want to know how to wire each sub and mains separately to learn how to do it, Let's first figure out how you're gonna wire the rig and then we can figure out how to wire it, ok? Lemme help you do this right the first time. Oh yea: And WELCOME to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hanks Posted April 4, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 4, 2009 What company has the best track record of making custom made NL8 speaker cables? Wouldn't the cable be about 14 or 16 gauge for 8 wires going into the neutrik? Kinda small for power to sub woofers where i would want at least 12 ga? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members W. M. Hellinger Posted April 4, 2009 Members Share Posted April 4, 2009 What company has the best track record of making custom made NL8 speaker cables? Wouldn't the cable be about 14 or 16 gauge for 8 wires going into the neutrik? Kinda small for power to sub woofers where i would want at least 12 ga? I'll let others answer this as there's a conflict of interest in myself answering this question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hanks Posted April 4, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 4, 2009 Well u convinced me, just need to find a reliable source. Since I'm overseas, I'll have to get on this today to get the items built and arrive before the end of the month. Would I need to use the same gauge from the patchbay to the amps that is in the speaker wires, or could i use a larger gauge such as 10 or 12 gauge. That way i can have it wired and never need to plug in except the speaker cable to the patch. Also, do they make solderless adapters for patchbays? I cannot solder to save my butt. Much easier using clamps than trying to leave a dab here and there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members W. M. Hellinger Posted April 4, 2009 Members Share Posted April 4, 2009 I cannot solder to save my butt. Well {censored}, you just made this a whole lot more complicated. We can teach you to solder if you're interested? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hanks Posted April 4, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 4, 2009 It's not that tough to do (build a patchbay)... it's a little money... but, quoting one of your criterion:"how to wire these speakers to amps with out @#$% anything up."Trust me (been there, done this): If you have speaker cables capped with banana plugs that you gotta plug in (the banana plugs) everytime you set up, eventually you'll @#$%-up, and poof, there goes your compression drivers... and the price of replacing the diaphragms in those compression drivers will exceed the price of what a patchbay and proper cabling would have cost... so figure the cost of the patchbay and proper cabling is FREE and works reliabably. Seems like a no-brainer to me.Let's first figure out how you're gonna wire the rig and then we can figure out how to wire it, ok? Lemme help you do this right the first time.Oh yea: And WELCOME to the forum! Ok, I'll use NL8's with NL4's to the tops. And a patch bay on the amp rig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members W. M. Hellinger Posted April 4, 2009 Members Share Posted April 4, 2009 Ok, I'll use NL8's with NL4's to the tops. And a patch bay on the amp rig. Somebody help me here, ok? I'm afraid I'm leading this pledge down the primrose path. What I've suggested seems logical and simplistic to me, but then I'm here, not where Hanks is at (which I surmize he's located somewhere beyond UPS ground), and I've got all the cool toys an audio stuff fabrication shop should have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarharv52 Posted April 4, 2009 Members Share Posted April 4, 2009 Go to Audiopile.net.Wonderful selection of what you might need and probably more that you may want.It is owned by the gentleman helping you.They have helped many on this forum and elsewhere.No monkey business there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hanks Posted April 4, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 4, 2009 Thanks i'll do that. I can get military mail through us post, don't know if it's fast enough, depending on how long it takes to make the cables. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Unalaska Posted April 4, 2009 Members Share Posted April 4, 2009 If you can get EWI cables shipped to you then I'd recommend it. The panel may be able to be built, I know BillESC does that as well. With a tri-amp situation there is such a high chance of blowing HF devices especially with banana plugs not to mention the polarity being wrong only because it was hooked up that way. With banana ends it's hard to be consistent on which side is ground and which hot, and manually plugging/unplugging them it gets less lkely you'll get it right each and every time. With an NL8 setup there is almost no chance of screw up. It's very worth it and can save you but besides being really efficient to setup etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members W. M. Hellinger Posted April 6, 2009 Members Share Posted April 6, 2009 Mains - QW1 X 2 Biamp to cs 1400 (high), cs 4000 (mid)Subs - QW218 X 2 to cs 4080 (subs)I know i need a NL4 to each main with duel banana to amps. Would mids be +1/-1 and highs +2/-2 to the corresponding amps? Peavey doesn't seem to publish the pin-out of Speakon jacks on their QW series speakers, but judging by the Speakon pin-out on their Versarray cabinets, I'd quesstimate the following: QW1: NL4 input jack: mids: 1+/1-, highs 2+/2-QW218: NL4 input jack: 1+/1- It does appear that the jacks can be field removed and the connections configured (moved) as per the user's preference. I can't find any information on how the NL8 jack is wired on the sub, and I couldn't hazard a guess as-to how the NL8 is wired to the NL4 jacks on the sub. It's common that Peavey notates a pin-out description on the jack plates of the cabinets. Also, I suspect there is detailed information covering the jack pin-outs in your owner's manual, otherwise, contact your dealer for this information. It's certainly not the sort of thing you'd want to trial and error to try and figure out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hanks Posted April 9, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 9, 2009 Peavey doesn't seem to publish the pin-out of Speakon jacks on their QW series speakers, but judging by the Speakon pin-out on their Versarray cabinets, I'd quesstimate the following:QW1: NL4 input jack: mids: 1+/1-, highs 2+/2-QW218: NL4 input jack: 1+/1-It does appear that the jacks can be field removed and the connections configured (moved) as per the user's preference.I can't find any information on how the NL8 jack is wired on the sub, and I couldn't hazard a guess as-to how the NL8 is wired to the NL4 jacks on the sub.It's common that Peavey notates a pin-out description on the jack plates of the cabinets. Also, I suspect there is detailed information covering the jack pin-outs in your owner's manual, otherwise, contact your dealer for this information. It's certainly not the sort of thing you'd want to trial and error to try and figure out. Back of the sub is for NL8 is +1/-1/+2/-2 for top and bottom woofer, patch out of sub to top with a NL4 that takes +3/-3/+4/-4 for mids and highs. Now if i can find a company to ship FEDEX international so i can build these cables. I have 2 weeks till i have to use these for shows. Cost is too much for premade cables and patch panel, much more reasonable for me to build them myself, but 13/8 and 13/4 cables are not the norm on speaker cable sales, just a few places. Any help out there?..............Please e-mail or pm me if you know of a place. FEDEX will take about 3 days where anywhere else could take up to a month. All companies here in japan order from the states or europe anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted April 9, 2009 Members Share Posted April 9, 2009 Try e-spec in Osaka. They should be able to get you what you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scottc Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 On the QW218 cabs, it takes a 4 conductor cable. +1-1 powers one sub in the cab and +2-2 powers the other. Peavey does not recommend rewiring cabinet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hanks Posted April 12, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 12, 2009 I already ordered. Have to order new wires later and build the patch panel, just need to label all the speaker wires so they go in the right plugs. shows coming up and need to get this system breathing before the 25th. I'll try that osaka store. thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted April 12, 2009 Members Share Posted April 12, 2009 I'll try that osaka store. thanks! They are a great pro audio shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dodobassman Posted May 7, 2009 Members Share Posted May 7, 2009 On the QW218 cabs, it takes a 4 conductor cable. +1-1 powers one sub in the cab and +2-2 powers the other. Peavey does not recommend rewiring cabinet. surely if the 4 pin neutrics on the back plate of the qw218 are parallelled and one 8 ohm speaker is +1 -1 and the other 8 ohms speaker is +2-2 then if you wired a four pin neutric with +1 and +2 bridged and -1 and -2 bridged then ideally you would be running both speakers at four ohm load on one 2 core cable from a bridged amp at 4 ohm gaining maximum power transfer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted May 8, 2009 Members Share Posted May 8, 2009 It would work but you need to be very careful that ONLY the amp's otput panel was configured that way. Do NOT wire a cable that way because plugging it into another amp that happened to be wired stereo on the NL-4 would probably destroy the amp as left and right channel would be tied together. Very bad. What amp are you bridging into those speakers? Something that's around 1500 watts into 4 ohms bridged... no more right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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