djbzentertainment
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Posts posted by djbzentertainment
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Might be a bit late with this, sorry , but for future ref, bought a great album off i-tunes called 101 dinner party songs. As the title suggests there are 101 tunes on there, all suited to be played at low volume while people are stuffing their faces. It was very cheap and i just connect up my iphone to the pa and let it play! Running length is plenty long enough. Google it!
Bob
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Yes, i now have a spare amp! Oh well, i often thought about getting a spare one anyway just in case....
And the moral of this story is?
BUY NEW CABLES PERIODICALLY AS THEY DO NOT LAST FOREVER!!! And buy some spares too!
The thing that helped me most in order to fault find, was a paragraph from an article i found on the internet, which was very simple and obvious.
"Unplug everything except the speakers. Start with the source of the music and make sure that is giving an output, then carry on connecting/adding your components and cables until the music does not get to the speakers anymore. Its a good bet that the last thing you connected is faulty/incorrectly adjusted/ switched off!!"
Simple i know, but if you follow that train of thought it really helps. Especially when you are technically inept like me!!
Bob
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Well, I have now found the fault. A pair of faulty cables. A pair! There must be only me and mr unlucky of sods lawville who this could happen to....has anybody else had two cables ( xlr patch leads, xlr one end, jack the other) go down at the same time, leading you to think that it must be equipment failure? Aren't I blessed? Dear me I do not believe it.
Bob
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How are you wiring in the crossover to the mixer?
You should be going Mixer (Main Out) -> Crossover -> Amps
It could be you also have some of the output channels muted? give us a bit more info on the crossover (make/model) and how you've wired it in.
Cheers,
David
Sorry for quote reply with no reply attached, bloody Iphone!
Anyway, yes it is all connected properly (mixer mains to crossover, crossover to amps. Low signals to subwoofer amp and highs to mid range speakers amp.) It has actually worked in the past, sounded very good as well!
The cross over is an L2 Audio X0223V item and it is about 2 months old, its been used twice.
I am going to check that everything works as it should directly from each of the amps, that should then tell me that it is the crossover unit that is faulty and not something else (hopefully).
Sounds to me like the high output side of the crossover has gone belly up. (Am getting a signal from the low outputs no problem.)
Bob
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Ok. Further to my Dead amp problem.....
I have bought a new amp. Still got the same problem. No output to my top speakers. I recently bought a crossover.........could this be the culprit? I know all 4 speakers work. When the problem raised its ugly head originally i was setting up for a gig, so being short for time, i plugged the speakers directly into the amp (as before the cross over was fitted) and it worked. (albeit i only used two speakers ASSUMING that one of my amps had died....) MMMMMM....
So, is my best course of action to check that the new amp, my other newish amp and all 4 speakers work ok by not bothering to have the crossover in line? (Process of elimination i suppose.) The more i think about it, the more i think i bet its the bloody crossover.
Have also noticed, with the crossover wired in, that on the mixer (behringer VMX1000) that the main volume indicators LED's do not light up. (The input leds work ok). Although when i bypassed the crossover they did light up.
Its the bloody crossover isn't it?????
If i am right, then at least i will have a spare amp!! Which reminds me, i will see if that works too, thinking about it, it might be ok perhaps.........
Comments welcome!
I will report back when i have tested it.....
Bob
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Well, strange that it's both channels I suppose. The IS range tend to suffer from incredible dry joints on the power section.
If you pop the top off you might also find 2 largish resistors that get rather hot and either go o/c or melt their solder off.
Thanks for that. To be perfectly honest, as I was typing my question out, it got me thinking that I should replace it anyway. I probably would not trust it again anyway. It's amazing how writing something down helps you to think more clearly!
Thanks anyway, eBay here I come!
Bob
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Does this sound (A) Terminal
(B) Expensive
© Stop messing about and buy a new one?
Warrior IS600 amplifier, approx 6 years old, bought new initially. When power switch is turned on, there is a click from the amp, the fan keeps running but there is no sound output. (power on indicator light bulb blew ages ago, so there are no visual clues.)
Is it repairable? Is it worth it at that age?
The only reason i ask is that if anyone has experienced a problem like this and it turned out to be nothing more than a blown fuse....................
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Bob
Sorry for the 3 posts, my laptop is misbehaving somewhat!
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Thanks Nik,
I was hoping someone would come back with an answer like that. They are doing their job. Brilliant! Ok, roll on the x over and i will report back!
Bob
Ok, crossover fitted...........
UNBELIEVABLE............. :Thumbup:
Anybody out there running subs and full range speakers and using seperate amps for the full range and subs,(which i believe is called Bi amping...) buy an active crossover. Do not think about it, just buy one. (I bought a cheap one just to try, £69.00 including 2 XLR cables, best £69.00 i have spent in ages.) :good: :good: :good:
The difference is quite frankly stunning. It sounds exactly as i wanted it to sound like now. Very crisp highs, proper chest thumping bass and the vocals are spot on, you can almost hear the singers taking breaths!!
If anybody has been reading this topic with interest and was waiting for the outcome, well, the outcome is not just a bit of an improvement, i now have a new PA. Well that's what it sounds like to me....
If anybody wants to know any more info, do not hesitate to contact me.
Thanks to all on this one. I owe a few people a beer or two......... :good: :thanks:
Bob
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the thing with Bass is that it is non directional so if you can not see the speakers people perceive the bass coming from your mids and tops.
Also our ears are tuned to higher frequency's more than lower ones and we tend to feel the lower frequencies more than hear them I am talking very low sub bass here mind.
The ting to try is turning your bass amp down then notice the difference, if you notice the bass level drop they are doing there job. However if you have a phase issue you might hear the bass increase as you turn down your bass amp.
Nik
Thanks Nik,
I was hoping someone would come back with an answer like that. They are doing their job. Brilliant! Ok, roll on the x over and i will report back!
Bob
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Hi,
Even though you have a subwoofer output on your mixer, your tops are still receiving full signal. With an external crossover, you will be able to set the crossover point, so you wont actually loose any frequencies, or double up any frequencies. The average crossover point for these type of cabinets is usually around 120 - 150 Hz. If you use a graphic on your subs, putting a slight boost on at 100, 125, 250 Hz should give you a little more 'kick'.
Hope that helps
Ok everyone, had a fiddle with all eq's etc etc. Sounds a lot better now. Am definetely going to invest in an active crossover though. Am I right in thinking that no proper volume as such comes from the subs? With the volume at 3/4 on the mixer I could put my ear very very close to each sub without any discomfort at all. Is this right?
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The frequencies that your subs are designed to handle are 42 Hz - 250 Hz frequency response (-6 dB)
So the knob on your mixer needs to be adjusted for or towards the upper frequency of 250 (Depending on taste etc).
You might find this useful as it shows how different frequencies affect different parts of the music spectrum if you will.
A cross over and maybe a graphic EQ will help your system sound no end. But don't forget sometimes it is better to cut a frequency than boost another.
Hope this helps
Nik
Nik you are absolutely spot on there! 30hz to 200hz it says on the mixer knob!
The last few gigs i have done the knob has been up at 200hz and there is another knob that says min-max. This knob was at max.
I am going to try the hz knob at halfway tonight and see what difference that makes.
I think a crossover is going to be the way to go.
Thanks to all for fantastic input. (if you forgive the pun...)
Bob
I am doing a gig tonight
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Illegal downloading, well, i suppose we have all had varying degrees of association with that. I have got to say that i use i-tunes and play straight from my I-phone through the PA system. I have heard some examples of illegally downloaded music and the sound quality is not the best.
So, for me, its usually legal downloads, ripped from CD mp3's or CD's.
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Its near enough!
(Blu Cantrell- Breathe)
Let it BREATHE - Hootie and the Blowfish.
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Thanks for that! Hope the head is ok this morning! Leeds eh? My home turf!
Now i have got my head round it from everyones helpful comments i feel i can explain my problem a bit better.
What i am actually trying to do is make the subwoofers louder and punchier if possible. At the moment they seem to be only playing the really really low frequencies, and the noise coming out of them is just a very very low "wumf wumf" with no kick to it at all. I am going to adjust the low pass knob on the mixer and see if i can let some higher low end frequencies through.
In your post you say that an active external crossover will filter out some of the low frequencies from the mid range speakers. I do not really want that if i cannot get the subs to work as i want. (I will end up with hardly any bass at all!!) If the subs are designed just to give a "Wumf Wumf" i suppose i will just have to live with that.
I know i am making it out that the sound is really bad, it isnt, but i feel that i am not getting the full potential from the subs.
Could it be that the speakers are only designed to give out very low frequencies?
Or could it be they are faulty? (I bought them secondhand.)
Or might it be that they are crap speakers?
Behringer B1500x subs.
Got a gig tonight at my usual venue so will have a mess around.
Bob
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Right, now i have really confused myself.......Decided to have a read up about crossovers as suggested and came across a question in my head that i could not get an answer for whilst researching.
i will try and explain the best i can.....................
An active crossover does its magic before the sound signal gets to the amp. The magic it does is split the various frequencies up so the correct bit of sound goes to the amp/ speaker best suited to play it. A passive crossover is usually built in to a full range speaker cabinet and splits the various frequencies so that each speaker built in to the cabinet gets the best suited frequency. This is done just as the sound signal enters the speaker cabinet via the speaker cables. I understand this.(They both do a very similar job??)
My mixer has a subwoofer output and main outputs. The two subs are fed from the Subwoofer output on the mixer, the full range speakers are fed by the main mixer outputs. The full range speakers have passive crossovers fitted (i have checked!) . The subwoofer output on the mixer has an adjustable frequency control knob so the low frequencies being sent to the subwoofers can be adjusted.
So, the big question is, as the subwoofers are recieving the low frequency signals "only" anyway, will an active crossover be worth fitting, and what happens when an already "crossed over" frequency arrives at the passive crossovers fitted in the full range speakers? (There is no switch fitted to the speakers to turn the passive crossovers off by the way.)
I wish i had never started thinking about this now....................!!
Right, now i have really confused myself.......Decided to have a read up about crossovers as suggested and came across a question in my head that i could not get an answer for whilst researching.
i will try and explain the best i can.....................
An active crossover does its magic before the sound signal gets to the amp. The magic it does is split the various frequencies up so the correct bit of sound goes to the amp/ speaker best suited to play it. A passive crossover is usually built in to a full range speaker cabinet and splits the various frequencies so that each speaker built in to the cabinet gets the best suited frequency. This is done just as the sound signal enters the speaker cabinet via the speaker cabinet. I understand this.(They both do a very similar job??)
My mixer has a subwoofer output and main outputs. The two subs are fed from the Subwoofer output on the mixer, the full range speakers are fed by the main mixer outputs. The full range speakers have passive crossovers fitted (i have checked!) . The subwoofer output on the mixer has an adjustable frequency control knob so the low frequencies being sent to the subwoofers can be adjusted.
So, the big question is, as the subwoofers are recieving the low frequency signals "only" anyway, will an active crossover be worth fitting, and what happens when an already "crossed over" frequency arrives at the passive crossovers fitted in the full range speakers? (There is no switch fitted to the speakers to turn the passive crossovers off by the way.)
I wish i had never started thinking about this now....................!!
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best solution is to use an external crossover to remove the bottom end from the ac euro's. That way they dont have to deal with the full range of signals and therefore wont need as much power. Also you will eliminate any potential phasing issues.
If you feel the bottom end is lacking then sub placement may help, there are loads of hints and tips about sub placement which will help you get the best possible sound. Many say that having a sub directly under your tops either side of the rig is not a good idea but its down to the room that you are in, a complex affair but some very valid points.
use the kam amp for the subs as usually subs need a bit more power and the kam has pleanty of headroom, the warrior will happily do the tops.
try to borrow a crossover and try it, you could pick one up s/h on fleabay
regards
Dave
Thanks for that Dave, to be perfectly honest I was trying to compete with the performance of a bands pa system at a wedding gig in a marquee. Their main pa was through a pair of mackie srm450s combined with a pair of mackie subs. The band also had a bass amp and lead guitar amp. Never gonna compete with that one I suppose! If I ever come into money I would definetely buy some mackies I have heard and seen them in action many times and I must say they sound very good!
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Hi Dave,
Full signal to both. Am using subwoofer out xlr from mixer to KXR, then to Behringer Subs. Full signal from Usual mixer outputs to warrior amp then on to AC euros at moment.
Bob
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Baroque BORDELLO- Stranglers
Me neither........
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Ok, what would you do here, i have a KAM KXR1500 amp, a Warrior IS600 amp, a pair of 300 watt AC Euro Mid Range 8ohm speakers and a pair of Behringer 300 watt 4ohm Subs. The KXR1500 runs at 750 watt per channel into 4 OHM and 450watt per channel into 8 ohms. The IS600 amp runs at 300 watts per channel at 4 ohms and 180 watts per channel at 8 ohms. I have always used the warrior amp with the AC Euros and at some gigs have been running the Warrior Amp into clip, so, no headroom left at all. The subs do not give a punchy bass they give a proper subwoofer rumble, i find that the punchy bass tends to come from the AC Euros. Should i use the KXR1500 for the AC Euros and the Warrior for the subs? I may be wrong but i think that may give a better sound and provide more power where its needed (i.e the mid range speakers) or have i got this all totally wrong as usual???!!!
Many thanks in advance for your comments.
Bob
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Hello all,
Am doing a gig tonight for a cancer charity in Leeds, its been advertised as a non stop disco party night, its a total sell out and i have been at the venue for a couple of hours each night setting up the lighting rigs etc. Have decided to use every effects light i own at this gig so have been refurbishing old lights this week i have not used for a few months. I hope to god it all goes well!!!
Will post photos and stuff soon!
Bob
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Good morning all!
I have a pair of Acme Rover Barrel Scanners and one of then has developed a fault. I noticed during a gig on Saturday night that the colour was not changing on one of them. I had the unit in bits last night (well, i say in bits, i took the front panel off so i could see the gobos turning). The colour gobo is not turning, but the gobo can be turned by hand and it is not stiff or catching anything. Now, what i would like to know is how can i test to see if its the stepper motor or a faulty connection or something like? Second question would be, anybody know where to buy spare parts for these lights?
Many thanks in advance,
Bob
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Ok, i said i would let you all know how it went. Bought a single XLR female to twin XLR male splitter 6 mtr long lead. The single xlr plugs into the single sub woofer output on the mixer, the two males plug in to the KXR amp.
I then connected the main XLR outputs from the mixer to the inputs of the warrior amp. Again using 6mtr long cables. (the reason for long cables is so i can have the flight case with the two amps in somewhere other than the deckstand if i want.)
Anyway, to cut a long story short, the subs now work properly,(the bass is quite frankly stomach churning should i adjust it to be so!) The AC Euro mid range cabs provide the mids and top frequencies excellently and overall i have ended up with a much better sounding PA. Played a couple of Dance tunes that were requested last night at the wedding party i did, and one track in particular "Let me think about" Ida Corr and Fedde le Grand, sounded excellent, proper punchy floor shaking clean bass without sounding Muddy.
Thanks to all for your help. If anybody wants their front room windows blowing out, i'm your man!!!!!!!!!!!
:thanks:
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you may want to adjust the sub output crossover setting on the underside of the vmx1000
this will give you a bit more grunt or tightness if required !!!
Ok, thanks for that, i did notice the level and frequency knob next to the subwoofer output xlr socket on the VMX. Will have a mess about with these. Am hoping that my freshly ordered xlr leads turn up tomorrow so i can test it. Will put a post up with the results for other peoples benefit.
Thanks again.
Bob
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Thanks for those answers, think I have Sussex it now, and why i did not do this before is beyond me! The mixer is a behringer vmx1000 and it does indeed have a dedicated subwoofer output. Silly thing is, there is only xlr output as imentioned before, so am thinking I will try a tenners worth of 2 into 1 xlr splitter cable first and take it from there.
Bob
Anybody wondering what sussex is, its supposed to say sussed but my iphone auto suggests words and i keep forgetting to check. doh.
What Bugs You At Gigs?
in D.J and Karaoke Chat
Posted
Punter-"Put something on we can dance to".
DJ-"any suggestions?"
Punter- "Errr, no."
or my alltime favourite
Punter - "I know a song which will get evrybody up......."
If you have never been in this situation, whatever they suggest do not play it! Its usually out of character with whats currently playing with people on the dancefloor, the main age group present, and usually lots of other things too. (Is anybody thinking "that happened to me too, and i agree???!!!!)
Bob