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Peavey Speaker Presets

LaredobassLaredobass Posts: 10
edited January 2013 in PA Configuration Wizard
Why would dbx include a preset for the Peavey SP4 enclosure, but no presets for any of the (supposedly matching) SP sub boxes?
I'm going to be setting up a small bar's DRPA+ to drive a pair of SP4's and a pair of SP118's. They have a trio of QSC RMX amps to run the boxes in stereo w/mono subs (850 for highs, 2450 for mids and bridged 2450 for subs).
I see a couple of Peavey sub presets as I scroll through the setup wizard. Do any of those presets present a 'close' match to the SP118 performance specs... or would I be better off just selecting "custom" and tweaking the particulars in?
Thanx ahead of time for your valued expertise!

Comments

  • DraDra Posts: 3,777
    It is a painful lesson to learn but, the preset Wizard is 90% marketing / sales ploy. The bi-amp info and a scant few sub peq settings is really the only useful thing about it. Even the vast majority of x-over (hi & lo pass) settings are generic.

    Plug in a 90-115 x-over point @ LR24 and a sub cut-off at 45 (40-50) BW18. Play around with different points and go with what give the best performance.


    DRA
  • GadgetGadget Posts: 4,915
    The DRPA had a preset setup ( :roll: ) for the old Sp2/ SP118 and it was pathetic...Crossed over the sub @ like 180hz :? When I asked why I found out that dbx will NOT create a setup, they only use what a manufacturer suggest.. so therefor, I looked on the Peavey site and sure enough SP118 suggested crossover point.. 180hz...

    This was some time ago now but the end result is the same, they are reticent to create presets, and so if the MFG won't give one, and their specs don't show one, you won't see one.. and If you do see one ..look at it with skepticism...

    Dra's specs are good, just realize that the 90hz spec is for those that have good power available to the tops.. the less power the higher the crossover point..
  • DraDra Posts: 3,777
    I bet the 180hz recommendation was probably a misprint and should have said, "Highest recommended ....". :|

    DRA
  • Thank you, gentlemen!
    Heading over there to 'do the deed' later tonight... will report back afterwards!
  • Applied the suggested settings, and it all sounded GREAT right off the bat!
    Management really appreciated the 'tweaking' (which by the way will continue this coming week)... I think that their appreciation for the immediate and very apparent improvement in sound quality had much to do with the fact that the previous "engineer" had applied some JBL/Crown presets to their Peavey/QSC stacks & racks. He's the one who initially convinced them to buy the drpa+, and had apparently sold them on the idea that the unit's function was to make "cheaper" equipment perform/behave/sound like more expensive stuff (make ANYTHING sound like Crowns and JBLs!). The previous young dude also had the power amps clipping with what seemed to be every transient beat, so we re-did the gain structure, which also helped tremendously!
    Thanx for the helpful advice and for this wonderful resource of a forum!
  • We've been working the system in this bar for several weeks now, and have made some more tweaks... getting things closer and closer to where they should be. Several touring bands that had been through before mentioned that there was noticeable improvement, so I guess we can say that we're making progress... BUT

    We noticed that the system was lacking headroom in the mids (RMX2450 powering the mids in stereo would reach clipping levels way before highs or subs).
    If we were to get another RMX2450, would I have to reconfigure the DRPA+ for running the amps in this manner:
    RMX850 in stereo - SP4 highs
    RMX2450 bridged mono - SP4 mid Left
    RMX2450 bridged mono - SP4 mid Right
    RMX2450 bridged mono - two SP18 subs

    ...or would it just be a matter of re-routing signal to and from the new mid amps?

    Thanx in advance!
  • GadgetGadget Posts: 4,915
    So, 2, 15" mids clip BEFORE 2, 18" subs? If this is true then you need to check the HPF for the mids...it should be 100hz LR24...
  • Gadget wrote:
    So, 2, 15" mids clip BEFORE 2, 18" subs? If this is true then you need to check the HPF for the mids...it should be 100hz LR24...

    Just got back from another prep for a show tonight... and verified that the crossover point between the subs and mids is 100hz with an LR24 filter.

    The pair of SP118's really get the low end in this particular room shaking (I wouldn't have thought so)... I simply think that the pair of 15's in each SP4 isn't getting pushed well enough by the 750 watts available from the stereo 2450. They're rated 1000/2000/4000, so a bridged 2450 should provide much better headroom. I just want to know whether to treat each bridged mid amp in the proposed scenario as if they were simply the individual channels of a much larger amp with the same performance characteristics (input sensitivity, etc), and just re-balance the mid outputs at the DRPA+.

    Anyway, gotta head out to the gig! Thanx for any insights you can share!
  • GadgetGadget Posts: 4,915
    Ya... go ahead and use the same numbers and simply balance as before...
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