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A. Getting started, what do I do first?
As you begin your journey into the world of digital audio you need to take the Driverack and set it on a table and with the manual play with EVERY knob and button and dial... you cannot hurt anything, but you need to know what every module is and how to modify it's various parameters... the manual seems very lacking at first but the more you play and read the more you will learn... the tutorials(interactive and written) will help with questions but you MUST push the buttons and turn the knobs to find out what they do...Also refer often to the BLOCK DIAGRAMS as they will help you see what the signal flow is... Now lets get an idea what to do and when...
1. You can choose a preset but why? The Wizard is easy to use and you can set up a system specific preset that’s right for any system this series of processor can handle. Simply answer the questions as they come up. Remember that dual mono systems will require each and every process be done for each channel. Once the preset is set up you need to select it (it's not ready for storing just yet...)
2. Next you need to select the \"Xover\" section (press the xover button) and set up the parameters for the speakers. A crossover allows you to eliminate the passive crossover in a given speaker, add a sub, a low mid (for a 4 way system for instance), or just cross over a full range top and a subwoofer. A crossover allows you to control each speaker or group of speakers individually, what frequencies they will and won’t pass (allow to be reproduced). Remember that a full range speaker HAS a crossover in it and we are going to allow that speaker to reproduce some or all of what it is designed to reproduce depending on whether we are going to set up a band pass filter or a 2-3 4-way system… In a band pass filter you set up a full range speaker to re-produce all, or part of it’s capability depending on the configuration. This may be something like the Mackie SRM450 where the speaker has frequency limits and amp limiters and we just want to let the speakers do all they can. Here we would set a hipass and lopass that would typically not limit the speakers frequency response. So if the speaker were set to reproduce 40 hz -18 khz we would set the hipass below that point and the lopass above that point or even out (in the DRPA you have no choice on the hi-outs.. it defaults to out…( that just means we are allowing the speakers to reproduce what they can.. using the speakers natural limits…) for more on \"active speaker\" system setup see this:
viewtopic.php?t=1193
When setting up a system where we are utilizing a speaker with a passive crossover we technically are NOT Bi-amping or Tri-amping a system. An example of bi-amping is to replace the internal passive crossover in a speaker with the active crossover in the Driverack. A passive crossover uses capacitors, inductors, resistors and other components (non powered) to cause only certain frequencies to pass… those that are NOT allowed to pass follow the ground path and are discarded. ( ***NOTE*** this is done at the sacrifice of POWER… those frequencies that are rejected are dissipated in the form of HEAT… and that translates into POWER LOSS) A speaker that is set up for Bi-amping or Tri-amping will have a separate, or integrated, and labeled input on the back of the speaker for this purpose. If the speaker doesn’t have the bi-amp/tri-amp inputs it’s NOT SET UP FOR bi/tri amping and you need to do something else (unless your more advanced and then I shouldn’t need to tell you how to do that) like a full range and a sub…Most speaker manufacturers post the frequency response and sensitivity and a bunch of other info on their sites. Some suggest crossover points… some even post speaker tunings. In the case of JBL ( another Harmon company) they even post downloadable setups for a majority of their speakers specifically for the 200 , 400, and 4000 series Driveracks. You may need to enter the parameters suggested manually .. especially in the case of the DRPA. This isn’t that difficult but we won’t cover that here. I will provide a simplified “ for this kind of speaker compliment…\" try this approach.
3. Once you have set up a crossover, or bandpass filter we need to do a gain structure on the system, Go here:
viewtopic.php?t=959
and run through the setup ( based on the back of the manual provided with the Driverack). I know there is more info there but it’s worth recapping some things more than once…
4. Ok, We’ve set up our system in the Wizard…set up a crossover/bandpass filter, and done a gain structure…I simply cannot stress the importance of getting the gain structure done properly… One of the millennium features of the Driverack is that it replaces a whole rack full of equipment, and even more paramount is the interconnection nightmare that separate components create. ALL this and more addressed in a one rack space system controller…My rack is almost 200 lbs lighter… The BIG thing though is the sound quality …analog gear is extremely level dependant. The problem is analog signal to noise ratio’s… silence, versus HISSSSSSSS…or HMMMMMMMssssssss…or a mixer that is BALLS to the wall… and the system is wimpy.
. These methods are tried and true… Is there more we can do? Definitely, you need to respect the learning curve though since the more you learn, the less you know…this is a universal truth.
5. The system is calibrated but not set up properly yet. We know the amps and Driverack, and mixer are all calibrated to peak around the same point. Set up a couple channel strips with no EQ, feed in some GOOD quality full range music( if running Stereo pan the two fully L/R) for system rough in… If you don’t have any (AVOID MP3 discs, the resolution is usually poor at best unless the files are VBR and better than 192k) idea what to play, try any Steely Dan CD, Toto, Dread Zeppelin… there are more and you can search them out on the web…Play said CD and using (first) the amps volume controls turn the loudest speaker components DOWN till they balance well with the others… If there are other speaker components as in a three, or 4 way system balance those as well, just NEVER exceed the volumes we set in the gain structure. Now, you can also use the gains in the Driverack to accomplish this if you insist on setting the amplifiers to their “sensitivity� settings but in the end it will prove out (in most cases) difficult to prove ANY benefit over the amp gain method, and it’s sooo much easier to explain…Anyway, balance the sound of the different elements so that you have full good sound (in my case that’s slightly bottom heavy).
6. Now we come to the Auto EQ… Folks.. the RTA based Auto EQ in a room is a BAD idea. Read this for more about auto EQ:
viewtopic.php?t=949
However, used as a tool to flatten the frequency response of the system it can make a HUGE difference. If you flatten the system, then store that flat system to a preset you will have a tool that can be used to evaluate your rooms, IF you can interpret the data…see the “New indoor auto EQ method, Mike Kovach’s RTA reference, and Auto EQ all in this section…Also see \"Powered speaker setup\" for those applications.
1. You can choose a preset but why? The Wizard is easy to use and you can set up a system specific preset that’s right for any system this series of processor can handle. Simply answer the questions as they come up. Remember that dual mono systems will require each and every process be done for each channel. Once the preset is set up you need to select it (it's not ready for storing just yet...)
2. Next you need to select the \"Xover\" section (press the xover button) and set up the parameters for the speakers. A crossover allows you to eliminate the passive crossover in a given speaker, add a sub, a low mid (for a 4 way system for instance), or just cross over a full range top and a subwoofer. A crossover allows you to control each speaker or group of speakers individually, what frequencies they will and won’t pass (allow to be reproduced). Remember that a full range speaker HAS a crossover in it and we are going to allow that speaker to reproduce some or all of what it is designed to reproduce depending on whether we are going to set up a band pass filter or a 2-3 4-way system… In a band pass filter you set up a full range speaker to re-produce all, or part of it’s capability depending on the configuration. This may be something like the Mackie SRM450 where the speaker has frequency limits and amp limiters and we just want to let the speakers do all they can. Here we would set a hipass and lopass that would typically not limit the speakers frequency response. So if the speaker were set to reproduce 40 hz -18 khz we would set the hipass below that point and the lopass above that point or even out (in the DRPA you have no choice on the hi-outs.. it defaults to out…( that just means we are allowing the speakers to reproduce what they can.. using the speakers natural limits…) for more on \"active speaker\" system setup see this:
viewtopic.php?t=1193
When setting up a system where we are utilizing a speaker with a passive crossover we technically are NOT Bi-amping or Tri-amping a system. An example of bi-amping is to replace the internal passive crossover in a speaker with the active crossover in the Driverack. A passive crossover uses capacitors, inductors, resistors and other components (non powered) to cause only certain frequencies to pass… those that are NOT allowed to pass follow the ground path and are discarded. ( ***NOTE*** this is done at the sacrifice of POWER… those frequencies that are rejected are dissipated in the form of HEAT… and that translates into POWER LOSS) A speaker that is set up for Bi-amping or Tri-amping will have a separate, or integrated, and labeled input on the back of the speaker for this purpose. If the speaker doesn’t have the bi-amp/tri-amp inputs it’s NOT SET UP FOR bi/tri amping and you need to do something else (unless your more advanced and then I shouldn’t need to tell you how to do that) like a full range and a sub…Most speaker manufacturers post the frequency response and sensitivity and a bunch of other info on their sites. Some suggest crossover points… some even post speaker tunings. In the case of JBL ( another Harmon company) they even post downloadable setups for a majority of their speakers specifically for the 200 , 400, and 4000 series Driveracks. You may need to enter the parameters suggested manually .. especially in the case of the DRPA. This isn’t that difficult but we won’t cover that here. I will provide a simplified “ for this kind of speaker compliment…\" try this approach.
3. Once you have set up a crossover, or bandpass filter we need to do a gain structure on the system, Go here:
viewtopic.php?t=959
and run through the setup ( based on the back of the manual provided with the Driverack). I know there is more info there but it’s worth recapping some things more than once…
4. Ok, We’ve set up our system in the Wizard…set up a crossover/bandpass filter, and done a gain structure…I simply cannot stress the importance of getting the gain structure done properly… One of the millennium features of the Driverack is that it replaces a whole rack full of equipment, and even more paramount is the interconnection nightmare that separate components create. ALL this and more addressed in a one rack space system controller…My rack is almost 200 lbs lighter… The BIG thing though is the sound quality …analog gear is extremely level dependant. The problem is analog signal to noise ratio’s… silence, versus HISSSSSSSS…or HMMMMMMMssssssss…or a mixer that is BALLS to the wall… and the system is wimpy.
. These methods are tried and true… Is there more we can do? Definitely, you need to respect the learning curve though since the more you learn, the less you know…this is a universal truth.
5. The system is calibrated but not set up properly yet. We know the amps and Driverack, and mixer are all calibrated to peak around the same point. Set up a couple channel strips with no EQ, feed in some GOOD quality full range music( if running Stereo pan the two fully L/R) for system rough in… If you don’t have any (AVOID MP3 discs, the resolution is usually poor at best unless the files are VBR and better than 192k) idea what to play, try any Steely Dan CD, Toto, Dread Zeppelin… there are more and you can search them out on the web…Play said CD and using (first) the amps volume controls turn the loudest speaker components DOWN till they balance well with the others… If there are other speaker components as in a three, or 4 way system balance those as well, just NEVER exceed the volumes we set in the gain structure. Now, you can also use the gains in the Driverack to accomplish this if you insist on setting the amplifiers to their “sensitivity� settings but in the end it will prove out (in most cases) difficult to prove ANY benefit over the amp gain method, and it’s sooo much easier to explain…Anyway, balance the sound of the different elements so that you have full good sound (in my case that’s slightly bottom heavy).
6. Now we come to the Auto EQ… Folks.. the RTA based Auto EQ in a room is a BAD idea. Read this for more about auto EQ:
viewtopic.php?t=949
However, used as a tool to flatten the frequency response of the system it can make a HUGE difference. If you flatten the system, then store that flat system to a preset you will have a tool that can be used to evaluate your rooms, IF you can interpret the data…see the “New indoor auto EQ method, Mike Kovach’s RTA reference, and Auto EQ all in this section…Also see \"Powered speaker setup\" for those applications.
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