Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 i just purchased a speakon cable. i havent gotten to practice yet and it seems like its a good thing. is there a certain way to hook these things up. i was reading around today in the manual of the 4 pro about the pin + and pin - and i got all confused can someone please put this into terms that i can understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlwarriner Posted September 21, 2005 Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 assuming you got the right size speakon (don't laugh, i've screwed this up before), it shouldn't be a problem. they'll only go in one way. if it's speakon-to-speakon, i believe you should make sure that the pin+ and pin- are similar on your head and on your cab. if it's speakon to 1/4", you should be golden. all of this is merely my uneducated experience talking, so take that for what it's worth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 its a speakon to speakon connector. should i be good just plugging it into the amp and then the cab and go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlwarriner Posted September 21, 2005 Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 i believe you should be, assuming your cab has a speakon input jack. it might not hurt to make sure that the pins are the same on the cab as on the head, i.e. both are pin1+ and pin2- or whatever, but i don't know for a fact that this matters... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 i dont even have a clue what the pin + and pin - are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlwarriner Posted September 21, 2005 Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 Originally posted by alcoholocaust i dont even have a clue what the pin + and pin - are. near the speakon out jack on your amp, it should say. also, near the speakon in of your cab, i think it should say. the cable itself has little to do with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 yeah i just bought the cable with both ends being speakon. i dont know alot about it. i havent even gotten the chance to try to plug it up and check it out. both ends have the connector on it. i was just making sure that there isnt a specific way to plug it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlwarriner Posted September 21, 2005 Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 Originally posted by alcoholocaust yeah i just bought the cable with both ends being speakon. i dont know alot about it. i havent even gotten the chance to try to plug it up and check it out. both ends have the connector on it. i was just making sure that there isnt a specific way to plug it in. it only fits one way. slide it into the jack and twist. the lock button should engage, and you'll have to pull the button and twist to remove the cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 so thats all there is to it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 i was just finding confusion in the + - what is the difference in the two. something in the wiring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlwarriner Posted September 21, 2005 Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 Originally posted by alcoholocaust so thats all there is to it? yup. insert connector, twist until it locks. Originally posted by alcoholocaust i was just finding confusion in the + - what is the difference in the two. something in the wiring? the pin+ and pin- are related to how your amp and/or cab are wired. it's similar to the tip and sleeve on a 1/4" cable, where one is the positive and one is the negative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 so for the final time and thanks in advance and sorry for bugging you to death. do you see any problem with me being able to take this cable right out of the package into my 4 pro and then into my 8 10 with no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlwarriner Posted September 21, 2005 Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 as long as your 8x10 has a speakon input, no. there should be no issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 yepp it has two i think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlwarriner Posted September 21, 2005 Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 shouldn't be a problem then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted September 21, 2005 CMS Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 There are several different Speakon connectors. NL2, NL4, NL8 amobg them. The number indicates how many connections are in there. The most commonly used for instrument amps/cabs is the NL4. In an NL4, the four contacts are labeled; 1+, 1-, 2+, 2-. There is no standard for which pair are to be used in a particular scenario. However, the most common arrangements are: For full-range speakers: 1+ is 'hot', 1- is ground. 2+- is unused or serve as a pass-through if there are multiple Speakon jacks. For subs, or for 2-way speakers run bi-amp: 1+- for the LF driver, 2+- for the HF driver. For power amps, usually 1+- is used for mono, then 2+- is added if there's a second channel, and 1+ 2+ is used for brdged mono. Do not take any of this as gospel since as I wrote, there's no standard. Always check the diagram on the device to see, and be prepared for mismatches.....amp uses 2+- but speaker uses 1+-. In this case, it's a simple matter to change the contacts....Speakons use setscrews, not soldering. Always label the ends with some masking tape or if you're fancy, a Brother P-touch label to indicate the connection used, since reversing one of these mismatches results in no sound and would be an open circuit which is bad for tube amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 how do you take the speakon cable apart to change up the wiring if needed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 for future reference to anyone wanting to help. i am running an ampeg svt 4 pro and an ampeg 8 10 e. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlwarriner Posted September 21, 2005 Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 Originally posted by alcoholocaust how do you take the speakon cable apart to change up the wiring if needed? (this may not be exactly like yours, but should be very very close) the blue cap screws off the back. there is a compression wedge dealie inside it that squeezes down around your wire when you tighten the blue sleeve. the outer black part should slide out of the way, leaving you with the cable running into the plug. the individual wires of the cable are locked into the plug with setscrews. if needed, loosen wires and switch their positions. then reassemble. very very simple. no soldering required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 i have been trying and i cant get the black top to unscrew from the blue base. its torture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlwarriner Posted September 21, 2005 Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 Originally posted by alcoholocaust i have been trying and i cant get the black top to unscrew from the blue base. its torture. use this: on the flat part of the blue cap. works for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 hold it with that and twist the black top? it shouldnt be pulled off the cable correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlwarriner Posted September 21, 2005 Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 hold the black part with your hand (or another pair of pliers) and twist the blue part with the pliers. it's better, IMO, to hold the black part and turn the blue, as the cable is attached to the black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alcoholocaust Posted September 21, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2005 its driving me insane. i cant get it to budge at all. i think that im scared of messing up the cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted September 21, 2005 CMS Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 Read back to us what's printed on that connector. I've run across several non-Neutric Speakon copies, especially NL2's, that are a bitch to unscrew. I've had several that partially stripped out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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