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How much volume?


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Originally posted by agedhorse

Probably a reaonable match as long as you don't flash the amp's clip lights much.


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That's just the question...what's reasonable?? The amp won't clip anytime or heaten up (stays complete cool for hours on end), that's for sure....but how far to turn the volumes, to get the max out of the speakers??? How can i know i reach that speaker saturation point.

 

 

PS; JB, JBL ..whats in a name....more info

http://www.beglec.com/

semi-pro DJ-stuff for a reasonable price...consumer-support is great, weekly based repair-service-return (if necessary, lol)

 

the speakers sound flat stand-alone, but become superb, crisp with a EQ-tool

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Originally posted by stompinne



That's just the question...what's reasonable?? The amp won't clip anytime or heaten up (stays complete cool for hours on end), that's for sure....but how far to turn the volumes, to get the max out of the speakers??? How can i know i reach that speaker saturation point.



PS; JB, JBL ..whats in a name....more info


semi-pro DJ-stuff for a reasonable price...consumer-support is great, weekly based repair-service-return (if necessary, lol)


the speakers sound flat stand-alone, but become superb, crisp with a EQ-tool

 

 

What's Reasonable? EDIT: Whoops, that's 1000 watts x 2. If you hear distortion, you are too loud. I'd go around the 7 or 8, and play it by ear from there.

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Note that all of the below is just an opinion:

 

Don't worry about "getting the most," worry only about getting "enough" that sounds pleasant. Trying your hardest to run an enclosure at the outside edge of its performance envelope all the time is a recipe for cooking something in the long run (maybe even the short run.)

 

I dare say that most folks running FOH or monitor rigs aren't trying to get their drivers to saturate. Rather, we're trying to keep them as free from distortion as possible. I would much rather have a PA that is, generally speaking, a bit "big" and underworked, as opposed to one that I had to push hard all the time.

 

From an academic standpoint, though, I might do the following:

 

Consult the specifications of my mixing console and FOH processing to see what the maximum output levels were (+20 dBu, +22 dBu, whatever), and then find out what the maximum input level of the power amp is. If the maximum output of any part of that chain is lower than the maximum input of the power amp, I then know that I cannot (without more gear) get to the maximum theoretical output of the amplifier, no matter what settings I make.

 

If, however, I find that I can drive the amplifier to full power, and I worry that I have too much power, I would probably want to limit my usage of power to a safe level. I would personally do this with a limiter in the FOH rack, but if you don't have that luxury, you can change the input attenuators on the power amp's face.

 

In your case, what I might do is to buy or borrow an SPL meter, find a way to run pink noise or (at least) a steady 1kHz tone through the PA. Assuming that the rest of the gear can hit the maximum input level of the power amp, I would initially set the amp to run "wide open," and then run the noise or tone at a level that I could stand to hear for a while. Noting the level at the SPL meter (whatever "weighting" you want, as long as you're consistent), I would turn the attenuators down until the SPL meter read 2 - 3 dB SPL less than when you started. At that point, the amp's maximum output is more like 500 - 600 watts into 4 ohms, which is right in line with the rating of the enclosure. (10 log [600 watts/1000 watts] = -2.22 dB as referenced to 1000 watts)

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Guest Anonymous

 

Originally posted by stompinne



That's just the question...what's reasonable?? The amp won't clip anytime or heaten up (stays complete cool for hours on end), that's for sure....but how far to turn the volumes, to get the max out of the speakers???

 

Generally there is no correct fixed setting just like there's no correct set amount to depress the gas pedal on your vehicle to minimize the travel time but not exceed the speed limit. What's reasonable is a setting where the PA is loud enough to do the job, but not driving the system too hard. Depending on the situation and system, that setting on the knob is going to be somewhere between 1 and 10.

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Guest Anonymous

I've been thinking about this question.

 

It seems to me that if there was an optimum postion for the volume knob (s), there would be no need for the volume knob (s)... kind of like my washing machine... just turn the dial for the type of stuff you're doing, hit the on switch and let La-Machine do it's thing.

 

I suspose sooner or later PAs (and most everything else) will come to that.

 

I've always liked this quote:

 

"sigh... yes Jane, it was a tough day at work. I'm beat. I had to push the button 3 times!!!" George Jetson

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