Older model Driverack but new amps

hfc7713

Hello....I am brand new to the DBX user's group. I just read the posting that Gadget wrote called The Driverack, Gain structure, and system setup information. It is very informative. I do however have a question . It has been some years since I ran PA systems and a lot of things have changed. I did some research and decided I would purchase 2 JBL srx715's as a start to my system. Since then, I have purchased enough to get me going which is as follows.( I am not including monitors, effects etc as they are irrelevent to my question).
Mackie 1604 vlz pro, JBL srx 715 x2, JBL mrx518x1, Crown xti 4002, Crown xls 2000 AND a used DBX Driverack PA v1.1. I already owned a Carvin HT760 suitable for Bi-amping HF..
So, I bi -amp the srx 715's and use the xti4002 bridged for my mids and the Carvin in stereo for the horns (only because the wattage and impedance works out best that way). I use the xls2000 bridged for the one mrx518. The Driverack is so old that it only has the presets for the srx715's in it and nothing else. So, I used the custom settings for all the others, plugged in and it sounded great!. Then I thought i would get creative and I collected all the specs I could on all the equipment I have and carefully programmed each and every step of the Driverack which took me hours. I felt very proud of myself. So, using my new program with all the info I had programmed in it, I switched on and it sounded HORRIBLE. It sounded middly and rather like an old transistor radio. I had kept the original generic program and quickly switched to it and VOILA..it sounded great again. Also, I programmed a 3rd amp setting using the presets for the Crown XLS602 and the CE4000 which are supposed to be very close to mine. That one sounds pretty good. You may be asking.."Why change a sound if it already sounds good?"...Well, I figured until I get everything tweaked the way it should be, I will never know if it can sound better. Surely the amp and speaker manufacturers should know best and these are the numbers I used to program the Driverack. Anyway, my question is this.... does anyone out there have the current model Driverack and would be prepared to let me have all the settings for the equipment I have that are in the Wizard???? I need everything BUT the srx715 setting. I figure if I get exactly the same settings used in the presets for the current model Driverack, it HAS to be right. I know this is a lot to ask but I would appreciate any help. If I could get the unit updated, I would but I did not not realize how old the unit was when I purchased it from Guitar Center. Maybe someone can tell me of a better way to achieve the best results possible. BTW... I already spoke to someone in the tech dept at DBX who told me that there is a firmware update available for this model Driverack but it would only add the xti4000 to the srx715 which I already have so I did not feel it would be worth the cost for only one addition to the presets. I still would not have the presets for the mrx518, the XTI4002 (although it would include the XTI4000) or the XLS2000. Not sure what to do about the Carvin...(I'll probably get another Crown when I can save up a bit of cash)......??????????

Gadget

My goodness.. you've been busy...but it would seem that you missed the part in the "Start here" thread where we talk gain structure...In a nutshell...

Amp settings take into consideration the input sensitivity, and voltage gain available in an amp.

Speaker tunings are those provided by the manufacturer, and JBL provides tunings for a majority of their "more professional" models... and they are available on the website here:

http://www.jblpro.com/catalog/general/t ... D=18&Run=1

Make sure that you use the settings for the DRPA...(other processors.. even those within the driverack family will be different). As for the subs, those setups are predicated on the SRX718 and or 728 so don't use the tunings below the HPF for the SRX715's.

Look, it's WAY simpler to just rough in the gains by ear, and maybe use an auto EQ pass to see if you have a problem...if your good with math.. "assuming" you have optimum wires and such...you can easily calculate the gain from the amp info.. but again it all depends.. on any number of factors...

I can't believe that ONE MRX 518 sub can keep up with a pair of SRX 715's? That is just crazy...

Gadget

hfc7713

I appreciate your time Gadget in offering good solid advice. I think my problem is that I do not always have the confidence to try things based on the fact I have limited knowledge about these things. In my day, we used simple set-ups with probably mis matched amps, basic eq's, basic rotary knob crossovers and we just drove everything as hard as we could. We never had too many issues but of course the sound could not match some of todays systems. Regarding the DRPA, I just wanted to get the best sound I could but felt more comfortable relying on pre-determined proven data. However, I have been messing around with the gains and crossover settings (still not so sure about the TYPES of crossover yet) and I must admit I am getting a good sound. I am pleased I chose to bi-amp the srx715's...they sound so much better (I think) and then I added the sub because it was within my immediate budget. I just figured it would allow the main speakers to do what they do best without having to process the lowest frequencies. I agree that the MRX is probably WAY overshadowed by the srx's BUT.....when I get more cash...things will change. It's a slow process ... Also, I am not a DJ ..the PA is used for a band who already have a good solid back line so I will only be bleeding through the instruments at low levels so I wanted a good vocal sound. BTW I tried to download the speaker tuning liks you sent me and although I could retrieve the SRX settings, I could not download the MRX ones-silly computer thing - BUT like I said, I think I am real close without them,..thanks again....

hfc7713

Well, I cheated. I went into Guitar Center, had a chat with my friendly sales person and he let me mess around with the current model Driverack they had on display. I copied down all the settings I need and compared them to what I had. The ONLY difference was that the Driverack recommended the MRX sub crossover filter type as LR24 but I had it at BW6. I was quite pleased with myself......