Good solution for FBT Set up?
chrisgazpacho
Posts: 6
My band is running a powered FBT system, 2 Maxx 4's and 2 Maxx 9's powered. Mackie 1642 board, everything is direct. Line 6 guitar and bass, keyboards and Roland TD-20 drums. 3 vocal mics. No monitors on stage all in ear so very clean and quiet set up.
Were having some trouble with our subs, we think one of them has been blown but we hardly push the system and we have no clip lights, always check our gain structure on our board. We've also never had a clip light on our subs but somehow it seems they were pushed to hard. A lot of direct signal hitting them. The speakers sound great but I think we could push them more but afraid to damage them again.
Would the PX help protect the speakers and at the same time push the system more? It feels like we should be able to get more out of it than we are.
Thanks for any feedback we can get.
Chris
Were having some trouble with our subs, we think one of them has been blown but we hardly push the system and we have no clip lights, always check our gain structure on our board. We've also never had a clip light on our subs but somehow it seems they were pushed to hard. A lot of direct signal hitting them. The speakers sound great but I think we could push them more but afraid to damage them again.
Would the PX help protect the speakers and at the same time push the system more? It feels like we should be able to get more out of it than we are.
Thanks for any feedback we can get.
Chris
0
Comments
Gadget
First off we need to determine if you really HAVE a blown speaker...and if so, what the problem is...
1. Manufacturers defect...(amp, speaker)
2. Cabinet failure (something loose in the speaker cabinet)
3. a bad cable...
4. a failure in the amp
5. a blown speaker (is it fried, did the voice coil de-laminate (that can be a defect or an overheating thing)
The point is, without a definitive determination that the VOLUME cause the problem (and from what you say... and what I know about FBT that is unlikely...) it would be difficult at best to tell you with absollute certainty that the Driverack can protect the FBT's...
Well.. the PX or DRPA that is...
I might say that in the case of the 260 and up... that I can say unequivocally that the platform WILL protect your investment...but then why did you choose the FBT and not the Behringer, JBL, or Mackie offerings?
The problem is that the DRPA and PX have a 'peak plus' limiter and not the PEAK STOP... read that \"BRICK WALL\" limiter...
Yes, the PX and DRPA will make a significant difference in your system...BUT to get the BEST bang for the buck.. (and I mean WAYYYYY more than either platform... ) the 260 and up offer HUGE advantages NOT available on either platform... (imagine the difference between driving a Ford fiesta and a Lexis super sedan...)(you get what you pay for here just like the FBT)
gadget
Thanks Gadget. Yeah forgot to log in last time, didn't know you could post as a guest.
Anyhow, we are pretty sure that it is the speaker at this point. We have been in contact with FBT. They first sent us a board to reaplace to see if it was that, not exactly sure what it was. But we changed that out and it's still the same issue. If we turn the sub up as soon as the kick drum hits it just craps out, but the other side is nice and tight no problem. Like I had mentioned earlier, we only run the speakers about half way up, the bad sub you can start to notice on about 3 if half way was 5 on the dial.
We went with FBT because our bass player owns a music store and is a dealer, so not only does FBT make great speakers, we got a great deal on them as well.
I'll have to read up on the 260, I've only looked at the PX and still wasn't sure if this is something that would make a differnce.
Thanks for the feedback!
Chris
DRA
Not really sure what it was we replaced but it was some kind of board, that was the first thing FBT wanted us to check before we just sent the speaker back.
As far as cables, were still using the sub basically turned almost all the way down, we know which sub has the issue, we've never switched out cables but I can't think that the same cable would be plugged into the speaker every show.
The sound is distorted when turned up, like I said as soon as I hit a kick drum on my TD-20 it just distorts and breaks all up and sounds like a blown speaker. The other sub is fine though and doesn't sound like that.
DRA
Forgot to log in again.
So setting aside will the PX protect the speakers, will it make the system sound better? We play in some funky rooms, one in particluar. Hard wood floors, high ceiling. It would be nice to have a setting dialed in there that might help make it sound a little tighter.
Also, with all the direct signal, our system sounds good upfront but you get towards the back and it sounds small, would the PX help with the fullness and make it a little bigger?
I think were probably just gonna get a PX and check it out, if we dont like it we can send it back.
for some hints and tips. As for making the sound 'bigger' in the back osf a room... hmmmm, Loudness and throw are factors here, and the sound falls off at a square of the distance in most systems...to get longer throw, long throw cabinets (usually horn loaded ... and not just the HF) are generally used and multiple speakers and shading with delay so the sound arrives at the same time and at the same volume...BUT the Driverack can ba used to optimize what you have, for the best results.
Read the post and then ask any further questions..ok? I bet you suffered some malfunction with that sub not associated with your volume, the FBT's can take quite a beating...
Gadget
The PX, PA, 260 will all do wonders. But don't get sucked into the hype of the sales pitch. Hopefully you have read the READ ME FIRST (entire) section.
DRA
PS-Dangit Gadget.
Like I said probably going to give the PX a shot. Based on your feedback here and a post I made on a proaudio board, seems the FBT is probably defective. So hopefully we get that taken care of with FBT and add the driverack and go from there.
Thanks!
Chris