Speakons for Sound Systems
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- Опубліковано 12 лип 2024
- I get a lot of questions about Speakons and how to use them in regards to sound systems. I hope this video goes some way to explain their usage along with some basic wiring knowledge.
Sorry the audio level is a bit low in this video, I messed up the settings for the output of my video editing software...
0:00 Introduction
0:49 NL4 and NL8 overview
2:05 NL4
4:15 NL8
5:03 What are they for?
6:09 NL4 or NL8?
9:34 Which wire to where?
11:07 Notes on linking sockets
13:14 Theory of linking sockets
14:15 How I link sockets
17:01 Linking sockets to the driver
19:30 Summary of points
Links to the dishes mentioned in the video (no affiliation)
NL4 dish pre-wired:
www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?i...
NL8 dish pre-wired:
www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?i...
The "lower frequencies go to lower numbers" trick is a gamechanger!
I was always confused because in my brain smaller numbers should go to smaller speakers, but this makes perfect sense.
Also using all of the pins to send signal to different boxes is super handy, I already have interchangeable 2 core and 4 core cables for different boxes but making all of my boxes have 4 core links means I can have even better adaptability!
Dude covering the topics that matter. Give thanks brother 🙏
Lovely channel. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
thanks for the video Calum. watched it a few times - always pick up a few new pointers each time. It may be helpful to discuss how the basic wiring and piggyback wires etc affect the impedence the amplifier sees.
This was so helpful, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your tips & tricks. Now i finally know how i should link my cabinets nice and easy ! Jah bless 🙏🏼❤️💛💚
Nicely done and fully understood 👍👍👍
Great to hear!
Nice video and good work Calum!
Thanks!
I thought I had nothing to learn but learned useful info anyway! Thanks
This kind of comment makes the effort of making this stuff worthwhile. I'm pleased you learned something new!
very helpful thank you callum.
thank you so much for this video! I have been trying to find info on this.
I'm pleased it was helpful! Did this cover everything you needed to know, or have I missed anything?
@@CalumAudioLtd yes I think all my questions were answered!
Ha, wish I'd seen this a few weeks ago when I fitted out my rig as a total newb with all NL2 fittings. Things are congested,, but at that point I had no idea how to wire it all up with NL4's etc. And those fasten connectors would have saved me hours. We live and we learn lol.
Nice Video keep it going
Awesome video. Learned a few things here. Thank you! I love the "click" of the positive lock :)
I had a question about power source. If i plan to run 2 x C2As off one channel of my amp, should i use a 4core cable and link off the first sub?
Cheers!
I'm pleased you enjoyed it! The positive lock fastons are very satisfying to use for sure.
Great question. This comes down to the impedance of the drivers and the ability of your amplifier to drive a low impedance. If your amp is capable of running at the impedance that the two drivers you choose will present, then I would suggest linking out the two cabinets. You could wire both to +1 -1, leaving you +2 -2 spare to link to other boxes above on a separate passband.
Hey Calum! thanks for the knowledge. Do you use passive crossovers in your mid tops or is each loudspeaker actively driven?
The plastic parts are made of PA6-GF30 from memory
The purpose of the NL2MP is that it can only mate with NL2 females, useful for applications such as linking a passive top out of a bass bin.
With an appropriately designed system it makes it impossible to accidentally send the sub signal to the tops. Useful for dry hire systems, installs, etc.
If people are using stainless steel M3 screws then they should be wary of galling. On the small thread of an M3 it’s quite easy and fairly catastrophic to have them gall up and seize themselves into a (usually also stainless) nylock nut. SS also has a tendency to be softer than standard screws which coupled with the small head size leads to more easily rounded out screw heads. BZP screws and or nuts easily solve those issues with similar corrosion resistance for the application.
PA6-GF30 sounds about right to me for the STX series, the 'normal' NL4s feel like they have less glass fibre in than that to me. I will check on the Neutrik website and see what comes up.
I get that NL2s have occasional uses, I just think that in the vast majority of 'sound system' applications, they're often overused and NL4s would be more appropriate. Hopefully the video gives some context to usage scenarios and people can make more informed decisions. Anyone designing a system that will be dry hired or for an install should have this knowledge before tackling it really!
Theoretically, yes you are totally correct about stainless screws for speakons. In practice, if you don't rush installing them it's fine. The bright zinc plated ones are fine too, the main point is not to use the passivated ones!
Okay, from the Neutrik website. The STX series speakons are indeed PA6-GF30. The NL2 and 4MP are PA6.6 and the datasheet says it contains "Glass reinforced V-0 materials" but does not specify a percentage.
@@CalumAudioLtd the website says the NL4MP is PA6GR30 (which from memory is glass balls instead of fibres)
It’s the new NL4MPXX that’s listed as an ambiguous “glass reinforced V-0 materials” which from a scrape with a Stanley knife seems like it could be PA6.6GR15 or similar as a measure to extend their injection mould lifespan
Hey Calum, great video! My friends and I have finally decided to build our own proper system over here in Canada. We're currently on the box building phase for our two Eminence NSW6021-6 subs. So from my understanding, we will simply need one NL4 connector per sub (they will be in separate enclosures). Then, we will have channel 1 from the amp going to sub 1, and channel 2 going to sub 2. Amp will be in parallel/mono mode. Does this make sense? We're learning so much every single day by starting this project, but it's been great so far! Keep up the videos, I am sure they will help us out in the near future :)
Calum, what AWG wire will you suggest to use wiring subwoofer driver? thanks
hi that's a brilliant video I just have a question I have a powered studio master desk with Jack outputs could this be changed to speakon outputs thanks
❤ 🙏
Could you explain how you connect four speakon in the same cabinet? Like for a sub that has two Speakon at the back and two at the Front and therefor is easy turnable for a cardioid setting ?
Hi Calum thanks for you video, it was really clear ! I juste have two questions left : which type of cable do you use between your speakon socket and the driver (I've been using syndex cable but the cable you use seems thicker) ? And also I didn't know about the crimps and they seem to be a nice option, but you are still soldering the other side of your cable to the speaker right ? Thank you !
I'm super pleased you found it helpful.
I use (I think it is) triflex brand cable, at 2.5mm^2. This stuff has a good core count, similar to most audio grade cable but without the price tag. Sometimes I use a jacketed pair of cables depending where I'm routing the cable through a cabinet, for example through a baffle it's easier to seal a jacketed cable in a hole than a twisted pair.
Crimps are a nice option, they may not be right for everyone, but I like using them. At the driver end I will either use the push spring terminals (if installed on the driver), or I will use crimps again. I feel that drivers should be removable without the need for tools.
@@CalumAudioLtd where do you get your 2.5mm cable from?
Is it okay to use 12awg wire for subwoofers? I will be soldering them of course.
Hi Calum, great video! This answered a lot of my questions. However just for clarification in my own mind could you make a follow up video regarding the amplifier end in regards to having multiple signals going through one cable? I'm assuming they will break out at the other end into multiple XLR connections for signal from an NL8, is that correct? Forgive me if that comes across as simple.
Keep up the great work!
Usually the outputs from amps will be speakon, as will the inputs of the speaker boxes. This is the power side of the amps rather than the signal side which would be XLR out from a mixer or instrument and XLR in to the amp
I will indeed be making exactly this video soon, hold tight!
There is indeed a 'breakout' section when you condense down the amplifier outputs into one cable, I'll document this and explain it in more detail.
So for the scenario that Calum explained where two pairs of signal within the same NL8 cable were powering a sub and a kick, it will most like breakout (at the amplifier end) into a pair of NL4 plugs so that each speaker / pass band has it's own amplifier channel.
(that's if there isn't a fancy patch bay in the rack at least anyway)
Olá como faço para compra do Brasil esses conectores da Netrik NL4PM..
What brand cables are you using to wire up the panels?
We just use off the shelf 2.5mm or 1.5mm hookup cable, the RS Pro range is a good place to look.
Goddamn wish I knew about these piggyback lock ons before I built the patch bay for my amp rack would have made life way easier.
Also this may be something you mean to cover in the breakout video but I was wondering how you think the best way is to setup the wiring for the sort of multi cabinet pass through setup you suggest. Does the lower number = lower frequency rule apply as a constant across the stack or true for each cabinet individually? For example sure 1+1- goes to my sub and I send my kick signal down 2+2- to be passed through but at the kick would you just hook up your driver to 2+2- or 1+1- and make your patch cable a crossover sorta thing? Second option could create some potential setup issues but makes sense for system flexibility. Sometimes small indoor gigs a kick that extends down to 60 is plenty and you dont need the subs.
Those piggyback fastons are certainly super helpful.
Great question, I will go over this in more detail in a later video, but you've raised a good point that may cause other confusion. Within your example I'd put subs on +1-1 and kicks on +2-2 and wire them internally as such. That way you've got a means to link out both cabs and have standard wiring throughout - you don't want a situation whereby you can put a cable in the wrong way around and end up with sub signal going to kicks (if they were both on +1-1 internally). I'll have a think about a better way to describe this as a whole for a future video.
@@CalumAudioLtd Defs some potential complications both ways and maybe some reason for some classy cnc routed wiring layouts on your cabs instead of the stickers that inevitably come off or get painted over?
Another way I was leaning towards was NL8 out of my rack to a 3x NL4 splitter at the stacks rather than passing all the signals through all the cabs
Great works you're doing we really appreciate it. I have bought some
8 core 2.5mm cable and have just bought a couple of Speakon Spliter Junction Speaker Box 1x NL8 TO 4X NL4. I was intending to get some NL4 jump leads made up, so that I can run the 8core cable from the amp rack to the stack them use the splitter box and the 1m jump cables to connect to the cabs. What do you think?
Vc tem o nome do lugar onde com tipo a loja…
what wire are you using Calum?
Where can I buy the NL4 speaker plates?
Links are in the video description
💙❤💚👍👍👍🤝🤝🤝🙏🙏🙏
I'm glad you enjoyed this!
Small ones are D series.
Thanks, I always forget which is which. There is only so much space in my head for stuff!
Hey Calum, where abouts do you buy your stx series connectors from? Struggling to locate any, only wanting NL4 not 8
Try Blue Aran in the UK.