There always seems to be something missing in the specifications for powered PA speakers. Basically what is nominal line level, where should the gain control be set, and what is the available headroom based on that setting? As an example, my mixer’s nominal line level is +4dBu with a peak output at +21dBu. 0dB Gives me a dynamic peak of 17dB. My powered speaker spec. is 1500W. No sensitivity rating is given for any gain position to achieve the 1500W for a given signal level. No indication in the specs is provided for the “unity” gain position. How well do the mixer and speaker gain structures align? Back in the day I could use tones or noise at a given level and measure amplifier outputs with a true RMS multimeter to baseline my system. With powered speakers you have no access or you have to disassemble the speaker to gain access. Even if the “unity” gain position is indicated on the dial, you have no clue what the headroom is. Therefore you could prematurely overload or leave excess headroom on the table. How hard would it be for manufacturers to provide this info rather than put cute little puns and cartoons in the user guides?
Hi , from belgium again, i have 1 question , my speaker has a crossover and my subs also, if i connect my tops truh the subs on witch position should i put my tops? Sub mode or music mode? Greetings
Thanks Robin great topic. I have EV ZLX 15P s Running Pioneer DDJ SX . I always have the speakers at unity and control the volume from the Pioneer as you suggest, however the speakers clip very early and also get as hot as hell,I always wondered if I had them set up correctly? But by your explanation it would appear I’m doing the right thing . Thanks from Bren.
@@djadamandruszkiewicz8965 Yes as you say 0db on the speaker and set the volume from the controller . My EV ZLX do run hot in particular when you are pushing them hard over a long night . Mine have 15” woffer so push a lot of air . There is an automatic cut off of the Zlx so if you push them too hard this will shut them down . This has given me some anxiety on big nights with a packed dance floor,but thankfully it hasn’t happened as I lowered the master volume to stop the clipping. I have since got a pair of EV 118p active subs ,and these now handle all the bass response leaving the Zlx handling Top and Mid only . Much much better arrangement,hugely improves the head room so you don’t have to push so hard from the mixer . This has resolved the overheating problem thankfully. Another thing you could consider is to run a fan behind them directed at the controls at the back of the speaker this would certainly be no harm . Hope this helps.
“Question of the day” numark mixer m6 vs audio interface for beginner DJ? What works best? Also which cables will give me the best audio sound through my mackies and altos?
can you explain the diffrence between vat and rms and why we need that and how it comes when i connect sub and speakerts together so what is the best adjusment to do with vat of easch speaker.for example can sub 18 with 600 vat be suitible to a 2500 vat speaker etc. thanks a lot. Ariel Nahum
do u know u dont have enough gain just from turning the volume knob and not having it loud or do u look for the clip light and then back up so u have full range ?
Hi, so I'm a newbie sound engineer with no formal training and I have a question: I'm running mackie thumps and I just want to clarify; do I keep the gain at unity and adjust the main up or down to achieve the desired speaker level? (line from mixing desk for live music)
@@djscottymaxx oh what a difference 10 months experience and learning can make... yet you'll always be a condescending nob head 🙂 what part of "newbie" and, at the time I wrote that question, "no formal training" did you not understand? Oh and some light reading for you: "A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals from electric or electronic instruments, or recorded sounds. Mixers may control analog or digital signals." 🤗
Expert Island, why would I have my line less than the 'unity' 0? And if I did turn the line to unity, would I need to have my mixing desk fader on 'unity' 0 also?
Hello guys, recently bought an Alto Ts310, on the first day, amp blew up, fuse gone and electronic panel damaged, still waiting for Alto support to fix the problem…be informed
“Question of the day” what elevation and placement works best for speakers at a wedding with a front dance floor? Should speakers only be up front, sides, back, will they sound louder if spread out?
Hello JN596, I used your question for the video series *Question of the Day* here is the link ua-cam.com/video/fK2fBOznbr8/v-deo.html and thank you for the question.
contour is going to pull down on the Mid range for better lower volume Quality Sound. ground buttons are for some gear having a common ground wire, some gear does not. you hear it as a buzzing sound this button fixes the problem. mostly a problem on older mixers.
Robin a question for you please. I have the thump 12a. If my gain for line one is set at 12 o’clock and my main is set at 12 and my mixer is bear clipping but I need a little more volume, Is it better to increase the ch1 gain or the main to get extra volume and avoid distortion?
Is there a way to know if we might need more volume (that we need to add to the mains from the mains)? I ask because I don't know what the limit of volume would be, to not blow up the speakers.
You should refer to your nearest professional bro but if theres a limit light refer to that also as that will tell you when u hit thr peak by flashing if it does turn it down so it doesn't flash often other than on the bassy beat thats it when the beat hits or even better so it doesn't flash at all
I hate my mackie thump 15s, 1300 watt models, I thought I broke them in pretty good when I bought them, maybe played music through them at home for over 3 hrs on low to mid range and bumped them up as loud as I could without what I thought was the limit for them for about 5 mins and I started smelling the voice coils burning. These speakers are very dissapointing. The older model Mackie Thump 15's were way better but they have since discontinued them, go figure get rid of the ones that work as expected. I cant afford JBL's 2,000 watt dj speakers so guess for now I'll just deal with these Crappies, I mean Mackies🙄
Very helpful, thank you... also, thank you for using Alto speakers, I've been considering one for solo keyboards/vocal, small gigs.
thanks for info , it would be nice to hear sound comparison between those two models .
this guy should have more subs
There always seems to be something missing in the specifications for powered PA speakers. Basically what is nominal line level, where should the gain control be set, and what is the available headroom based on that setting? As an example, my mixer’s nominal line level is +4dBu with a peak output at +21dBu. 0dB Gives me a dynamic peak of 17dB. My powered speaker spec. is 1500W. No sensitivity rating is given for any gain position to achieve the 1500W for a given signal level. No indication in the specs is provided for the “unity” gain position. How well do the mixer and speaker gain structures align? Back in the day I could use tones or noise at a given level and measure amplifier outputs with a true RMS multimeter to baseline my system. With powered speakers you have no access or you have to disassemble the speaker to gain access. Even if the “unity” gain position is indicated on the dial, you have no clue what the headroom is. Therefore you could prematurely overload or leave excess headroom on the table. How hard would it be for manufacturers to provide this info rather than put cute little puns and cartoons in the user guides?
What if you have a mixer controlling f a backing track and vocals? Would you set the gain/main to maximum, and then control through the desk?
Hi , from belgium again, i have 1 question , my speaker has a crossover and my subs also, if i connect my tops truh the subs on witch position should i put my tops? Sub mode or music mode? Greetings
Thanks Robin great topic.
I have EV ZLX 15P s Running Pioneer DDJ SX . I always have the speakers at unity and control the volume from the Pioneer as you suggest, however the speakers clip very early and also get as hot as hell,I always wondered if I had them set up correctly? But by your explanation it would appear I’m doing the right thing . Thanks from Bren.
Hey. How are your EV ZLX 15P ? I have just bought a pair of them and they get really hot. How do you set them? volume 0 and input at 12 oclock?
@@djadamandruszkiewicz8965 Yes as you say 0db on the speaker and set the volume from the controller . My EV ZLX do run hot in particular when you are pushing them hard over a long night . Mine have 15” woffer so push a lot of air . There is an automatic cut off of the Zlx so if you push them too hard this will shut them down . This has given me some anxiety on big nights with a packed dance floor,but thankfully it hasn’t happened as I lowered the master volume to stop the clipping.
I have since got a pair of EV 118p active subs ,and these now handle all the bass response leaving the Zlx handling Top and Mid only . Much much better arrangement,hugely improves the head room so you don’t have to push so hard from the mixer . This has resolved the overheating problem thankfully. Another thing you could consider is to run a fan behind them directed at the controls at the back of the speaker this would certainly be no harm . Hope this helps.
Olá a alto tx15 não suporta banda ao vivo som mecânico tranquilo,mas processar ao vivo o drive dela não suporta
“Question of the day” numark mixer m6 vs audio interface for beginner DJ? What works best? Also which cables will give me the best audio sound through my mackies and altos?
Can we use both the channels of the Mackie thump 15'A speaker together?
👍You can use all the channels on the back of the speaker at the same time.🌴
can you explain the diffrence between vat and rms and why we need that and how it comes when i connect sub and speakerts together so what is the best adjusment to do with vat of easch speaker.for example can sub 18 with 600 vat be suitible to a 2500 vat speaker etc.
thanks a lot.
Ariel Nahum
Thank you so much for this video I was looking for this content.
Do a video of Mackie drm 315 please
Hi please can you make a video of turbo sound speaker input/gain levels.
How does Mackie thump 15" 1400 watt speaker with alto ts3 2000watt sub are they compatible do they work well together
do u know u dont have enough gain just from turning the volume knob and not having it loud or do u look for the clip light and then back up so u have full range ?
Hi, so I'm a newbie sound engineer with no formal training and I have a question: I'm running mackie thumps and I just want to clarify; do I keep the gain at unity and adjust the main up or down to achieve the desired speaker level? (line from mixing desk for live music)
You mean "Deck" right ? Holy shit bruh
You're a sound engineer and you are on youtube asking questions about how to adjust speaker levels😂
@@djscottymaxx oh what a difference 10 months experience and learning can make... yet you'll always be a condescending nob head 🙂 what part of "newbie" and, at the time I wrote that question, "no formal training" did you not understand? Oh and some light reading for you:
"A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals from electric or electronic instruments, or recorded sounds. Mixers may control analog or digital signals."
🤗
will u recommend a Thump 15a or alto ts315
Expert Island, why would I have my line less than the 'unity' 0? And if I did turn the line to unity, would I need to have my mixing desk fader on 'unity' 0 also?
Hello guys, recently bought an Alto Ts310, on the first day, amp blew up, fuse gone and electronic panel damaged, still waiting for Alto support to fix the problem…be informed
Hi . Can i use Alto Ts-308 as home theater center speaker ! Thanks.
How do i connect a Mackie 12A thump to a PYLE - 300W 4-Ch. Stereo Receiver. What cables do I need to connected to a Audio-technica LP120
These are powered speakers plugging them into a powered mixer etc is not recommended at all man
YOu dont lol
“Question of the day” what elevation and placement works best for speakers at a wedding with a front dance floor? Should speakers only be up front, sides, back, will they sound louder if spread out?
Hello JN596, I used your question for the video series *Question of the Day* here is the link ua-cam.com/video/fK2fBOznbr8/v-deo.html and thank you for the question.
expert island thank you so much this information is very helpful!
Wish you would have covered the contour and ground buttons
contour is going to pull down on the Mid range for better lower volume Quality Sound. ground buttons are for some gear having a common ground wire, some gear does not. you hear it as a buzzing sound this button fixes the problem. mostly a problem on older mixers.
Thank you for the follow up
Robin a question for you please. I have the thump 12a. If my gain for line one is set at 12 o’clock and my main is set at 12 and my mixer is bear clipping but I need a little more volume, Is it better to increase the ch1 gain or the main to get extra volume and avoid distortion?
The main to liberate All the power
Is there a way to know if we might need more volume (that we need to add to the mains from the mains)?
I ask because I don't know what the limit of volume would be, to not blow up the speakers.
You should refer to your nearest professional bro but if theres a limit light refer to that also as that will tell you when u hit thr peak by flashing if it does turn it down so it doesn't flash often other than on the bassy beat thats it when the beat hits or even better so it doesn't flash at all
9 months later I see this! Yep really helped - thank you for your time!!!
I hate my mackie thump 15s, 1300 watt models, I thought I broke them in pretty good when I bought them, maybe played music through them at home for over 3 hrs on low to mid range and bumped them up as loud as I could without what I thought was the limit for them for about 5 mins and I started smelling the voice coils burning. These speakers are very dissapointing. The older model Mackie Thump 15's were way better but they have since discontinued them, go figure get rid of the ones that work as expected. I cant afford JBL's 2,000 watt dj speakers so guess for now I'll just deal with these Crappies, I mean Mackies🙄
I'm in 🤘