Setting up for DJ use what do I do differently?

BTproductions

Ok so I have my amps matched up to my speakers watt ratings almost exactly now so I won't have 6db headroom so what changes in the setup procedure?

A re-cap of my system

EAW LA325's
Mid/Hi's -PLX3102
Low -PLX3602

EAW LA400 x2 -Digam 5000

Well ok so the 400's are getting more extra watts than the tops so is there a concern there?

Should I get a volt meter and set my limiters to keep the output at a certain vms like suggested with an over powered amp? I can borrow one from work so if I do need to it's no big deal.

Also a few other things I need advise on.
EAW told me to Not play pink noise at desired program volume if that volume is max? How does that work for the GEQ wizard then?

Once I plug in all the processor settings for the PEQ do I run the PEQ wizard still or will that wipe everything out?

I'll leave it at that for now theres alot running through my head and it's difficult to sort through and keep track of it all. It will be a huge relief if everything goes off smoothly this weekend when I do my first sound check.

Thanks -Mark

Gadget

As I said before the Digam seems to have the uncanny ability to get any speaker cranking to it's max ability without ever hurting anything, and we have driven it to .5 ohms impedance (ALL DAY) with NO negative affects on amp or speakers...(driving 12, 12" speakers in horn loaded cabs) It's truly an amazing amp that must have a sensing circuit that knows when the voice coils are heating up...

You will not be driving the tops to max output with the pink noise, only to what you think your volume is going to ultimately be...and even if you did with a ;ow or medium precision pass it only takes a few seconds...(under a minute for the pass..

Once I plug in all the processor settings for the PEQ do I run the PEQ wizard still or will that wipe everything out?

PEQ wizard... ain't no such animal...input the settings, run some good dynamic music through the system from some good CD's you know pretty well and rough in the balance between the hi's, mids and lows. once that is done then run an auto EQ pass.. I recommend turning DOWN the subs for the pass a bit (remembering where the setting was especially indoors) and because the driverack will most likely do it for you...from 170hz down the auto EQ is suspect.. make sure you do it by ear...

You should have a pretty nasty bitch of system when done.. especially low end wise

G

BTproductions

Ok I need to quit worrying that I'm gonna hit a road block I can't overcome on saturday when I setup which is the only day I can before this system goes into use next weekend. So I've been running scenarios through my head trying to preconcieve any questions I might have. I just partly read through the start here and got to the no more than program for DJ's part and now feel dumb. Obviously you guys got it covered here and I just need to relax. I had a bad first time with this 260 the first and only time I used it was 2x3 with my FR159z tops and 400's. I setup by going though the manual the day of the event and it took me some 4hrs of sweating and head scratching and got done 1hr before needed.

Ok some actual questions now.

I read to delay the 325's 5.5-6ms to account for the 400's horn length. I know delay is not set in stone. Not sure I'll know how to tell if it's correct either but EAW's processor settings call for a .9ms delay on the mid/hi section so I assume I'll add that to whatever I delay the entire speaker to correct?

I have a laptop with a male rs232 port can I get an adaptor or male/female cable to run the GUI? Or do I need another computer?

Lastly The ideal spot in my racks for the 260 is in my 6 space above all the amps (the PLX 1802 for the mid/hi's is on the top) is that ok or too hot? The only other spot would be in a 4 space above the XLS802 which is only used for the FR159z's as monitors now so not very loud unless the DJ is already deaf!

Ya that 3102 in the previous post was a typo if you caught that!

I cannot wait to get my fingers on that Digam amp! I am completely blown away by what your saying about it. I didn't quite take it as all that the first time you talked about it.

Thanks -Mark

Gadget

I read to delay the 325's 5.5-6ms to account for the 400's horn length. I know delay is not set in stone. Not sure I'll know how to tell if it's correct either but EAW's processor settings call for a .9ms delay on the mid/hi section so I assume I'll add that to whatever I delay the entire speaker to correct?

unless you put the 325's on the same plane (right on the front edge) as the 400's you'll have to add any amount you place the 325's back from the front face if the woofers... and yes add the delay...to the setting...

I have a laptop with a male rs232 port can I get an adapter or male/female cable to run the GUI? Or do I need another computer?

Wanna bet it's a monitor port... they quit putting those on laptops a number of years ago...you will need a USB to serial port converter.. look in the FAQ section...

Lastly The ideal spot in my racks for the 260 is in my 6 space above all the amps (the PLX 1802 for the mid/hi's is on the top) is that ok or too hot? The only other spot would be in a 4 space above the XLS802 which is only used for the FR159z's as monitors now so not very loud unless the DJ is already deaf!

The 260 runs cool.. and that shouldn't be a problem as long as the air flow in the cab is maintained.. and isn't all mixed up ( amps all exhaust the same way...and have adequate air flow...

the Digam is all that and a bag of chips...it ran all 6 subs (12 drivers0 outdoors on a 14 gauge 100 foot power cord and NEVER even broke a sweat... there was a sound company there with 3 Mac 5000's driving 6 JBL double 18 subs... and you could NOT even tell they were on when that one little amp and 6 labsubs were playing... the owner was SO PISSED...he went and got EVERY SUB HE HAD.. and he STILL couldn't touch the output of the Labs and Digam... it was CRAZY...

G

BTproductions

Ok a little confused by what you said about the delays. Yes I plan to put the 325's on top of the 400's and at the front edge of the 400's so both speakers fronts aligned. Also do those 400's fire differently depending on which side it's on? I had them on their sides with the bottom sides outwards cause it looked like it would fire both into the center more that way. I'll be outside next weekend and inside the following two.

Your killing me with the digam hype! How are my 400's gonna compare two those lab's? I know about labs but the ones I saw were diy cabinets and you buy the drivers and all.

There was something else but it eludes me right now. Wanna msg me your number in case I need tech support on Saturday?

BTproductions

Oh I know what it was. In the future I would like to add a pair of 118z's to put the 325's on cause I'm gonna add more 400's any chance I can afford it. How would I implement the 118z's? Need another driverack? Would the mix of sub types be a problem?

Thanks -Mark

Dennis

I believe LA400s are designed to sit up right. Horn loaded subs do not play well with front loaded subs even if you had a means of setting proper delay times. EAW processor settings for LA400 suggest mid/highs should be delayed 5-6 ms....I personally think that is a bit much. A while back, I time aligned an EV Elmininator over Cerwin Vega L36 with proper measuring equipment and came up with a 3.5ms delay time for the EVs (standard ballpark guess for the L36 is a 5ms difference).

BTproductions

Hmm... Well the 325's aren't high enough on their own so my plan was for now put them atop the 400's on their side then later on get 118z's and another pair or two of 400's then they can stand up right and the 325's will be high atop the 118z's...

Gadget

The HF section will be nearly 7 feet on top of the LA400's sitting up...that's not high enough? those sound like some very spendy spacers...

Here's the deal....lay the horn down and it does get a little more directional... but not much...the horn mouths if laid with the bottoms together extends LF frequencies, especially in groups of 4 or more and creates a larger horn mouth.

These are kinda like a smaller version of the LABsubs...and should be great with the Digam...

IF you add the 118Z's I would suggest they become a low mid.. but with the 325's being able to extend to 50 hz.. and the difficulty of getting a 4 way system to play nice together.. I would recommend making some collapsible stands or whatever you need to get them up.. you have the processor to do a 4 way but the tools to get it right are FAR from simple or cheap...you'll just make things more complicated and harder to keep tuned...as Dennis said..

G

Gadget

Oh and I wanted to caution you :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: if the 325's are too close to the front of the subs they CAN vibrate off.. set em back a bit and use a bit more delay if necessary BE safe! and that's another reason to be careful about stacks that are too high you will need to secure them so they don't topple..and KILL people :shock:
G

Dennis

Gadget wrote:

set em back a bit and use a bit more delay if necessary

Or less delay?

And on the topic of collapsible stands, another option would be to build a pair of custom cable cases that could double as stands for the LA325s

BTproductions

With the 325's on top of the 400's on their side it's about 5.5 ft tall. If they start moving I'll ratchet strap them down. Won't be pretty but oh well. I have a pair of eminence difinimax 15's in my 159z's that I had to buy because I didn't have time to re-cone them before I needed to use them. At one point I was thinking of making them
Into a dual 15 sub like the 250z but I got bigger that I thought I would. So I'm thinking get the re-cone done swap out the difinimax's with the originals and make cabinets for them and I'll just have another woofer running like the 325's woofers. Possibly daisy chain it from the 325's and run the 3602 down to 2 ohms? I'd be a bit under powered tho with only 1800w. Idk where I'd get a crossover for inside the cabinet tho? Sound like a better idea?

Gadget

Why not stand the subs up like Dennis suggested? that would get them up to 7 feet or so...and the pattern would be a little less directional...

As for the other stuff.. I'll look at that later...

BTW I usually stand the LABs up when not in big clusters of 4 or more...and looking for more throw.. as in outdoor gigs,
G