Is it even worth using PA+ on new JBL PRX735 powered 3 way

DHOYT123

I have gone through most of the forum, talked to the Sweetwater product support and even called DBX and am still unclear of this simple concept:

The driverack PA plus seems to be designed for full range systems with separate power amps, crossovers etc. Can it (should it) be used in a self powered 3 way system like the JBL PRX 735's? They have only one input, not the hi/mid/lo like the PA+ outputs, so I am assuming they have their own DSP crossovers inside etc.

When I set the system up for the first time at the club last weekend, and began to walk through the wizard (of course it doesn't have the profile for the new PRX 735's) I got to the pink noise section and it worked for the high output, but when it went to do the mid and lo, of course nothing came out of the speakers. This is when I first suspected that it wasn't really designed for my set up, which led me onto this forum etc etc.

Bottom line; is it even of use in a self powered three way system like I'm describing? Originally, I bought it as a way to "tune" for the room and for any anti feedback features it claimed to have.

Sorry if this is a super newbie question, but even after several hours of research, I'm still not clear - (but the is a TON of great info on tisd site that I am slowly working through)
Thanks in advance,
David

Dra

Your first mistake... you used a 3 way setup for a 3 way powered speaker. A powered speaker, no matter how many way, only has one input. Assuming you don't use subs (you didn't say), you should set up a simple 2 x 2 (stereo, full range) program.

The speaker and amp combo you select is immaterial. Custom on both is fine.
GEQ, AFS, and PEQ features are biggest needs from the DRPA+ that you would use.

DRA

DHOYT123

Thank you for your reply:

1) "Your first mistake... you used a 3 way setup for a 3 way powered speaker" - I wasn't quite sure what to select in the wizard, but yes, it must have been 3 way. I assumed the High outputs would be the full range signal and used that to feed the JBL PRX735's

2) "Assuming you don't use subs (you didn't say)" - No, I'm not using subs.

3) "you should set up a simple 2 x 2 (stereo, full range) program." - I've just run through the manual, the presets and the set up wizard and I don't see a stereo 2 x 2 full range setting. In the set up wizard, I can select custom "passive" or "bi-amped" and select no-sub. Which do I select passive or bi-amped?

4) With mys system, will I be able to "pink" the room and use the auto level and auto eq features?

Thanks for your assistance. I really have been digging through the manual and this forum, but I must say I am still unclear if this is the right tool for my set up.

Thanks,
David

Dra

If you set up a 2x2, you will use the high outputs.

Custom passive. (Bi-amp mean you have 2 amps going to horns and mids)

Auto level? Think about it. How would you level a single speaker? I wonder if the option is even functional in your set-up.
Auto EQ - yes

DRA

DHOYT123

I really appreciate your generous responses, and I have been doing a lot of reading on this great forum, but I still have a question regarding my JBL PRX735 3 way speakers:

1) I understand the set up described earlier in this string and will be trying it on the next set up.

2) My question is regarding crossovers. Am I setting them manually in the cross over section? Or, since I am sending the speakers a full range signal, and presumably they have their own optimized internal crossover frequencies, do I NOT do any manual cross over settings.

I believe it is the later, because I am only using the HIGH outputs from the DBX PA+, but I just wanted to check.

Thanks,
David

Dennis

DHOYT123 wrote:

Or, since I am sending the speakers a full range signal, and presumably they have their own optimized internal crossover frequencies, do I NOT do any manual cross over settings.

Correct although it would be possible to use the DRPA+ crossover function for subs if you added them to your system