Noob Questions

T

Theo Lebo

Freshman
Jan 7, 2016
2
0
0
Hi,

I'm just a hobbyist. I want to make sure I don't damage my set-up. I don't really understand the intricacies of audio design whatsoever.

2 JBL SRX-712m's (rated for 800W at 8ohms I believe.)
Which I am running with a Peavey IPR2 5000 (890W RMS x 2 at 8 ohms) (I'm assuming the x2 is for use with two speakers?)
I am using a cheap behringer mixer.

I want to make sure that I don't damage the speakers or the amplifier. The Peavey has two knobs that go from, bottom to top, "Active, Signal, DDT, Temp, DC".

1) Which marking should I be wary of hitting? /Should I disregard the red zone on the mixer?

2) What's more likely to happen--amplifier or speakers breaking?

3) Is there anything in general I should be aware of to get the best use out of this system? (e.g power conditioner or something? I always use a surge protector. But sometimes I plug other stuff into the same strip.

In general, I have really liked these speakers. They are great for house parties and can fill quite a large space and they sound crystal clear. I may want to ramp up their use though, for private events, weddings, shows, etc.

Thanks
 
Re: Noob Questions

Hey Theo,

Welcome to the forum. Power handling is actually a pretty complicated question. Depending on your signal it's possible to blow up a speaker rated for 800 watts with less than half that much power - or it could be fine being run by an amplifier with several times that much power. The short answer is if you occasionally blink the DDT lights you're probably going to be fine. Also, don't waste your time or money on a power conditioner or surge protector. They don't do any magic, and because of all the interconnected signal cables probably won't save your gear as a surge can travel along signal grounds as well as power grounds.

Here's an article I wrote years ago on power handling: http://bennettprescott.com/downloads/LoudspeakerFundamentals.pdf
 
Re: Noob Questions

Hey Bennett,

Thanks for the informative response. On another note--if I wanted to eventually add a sub to the system, what would be a good pairing that the 1 amp could take?
 
Re: Noob Questions

Theo Lebo said:
On another note--if I wanted to eventually add a sub to the system, what would be a good pairing that the 1 amp could take?
Click to expand...

Hi Theo,
Your current amp is just 2 channels and based on the model you listed doesn't have any DSP processing. If you were to use a passive subwoofer, you would need to run your setup in mono instead of stereo (1 channel for both tops, the other channel for sub(s)). You would also need a crossover.

To simplify things I would suggest you just buy a powered subwoofer. Since you are already using JBL, the PRX subs would be a good fit (the 18" XLF is a very respectable sub for instance). Powered subs will already have all the necessary processing etc and so will be pretty much plug and play.

Cheers
Jeff
 
Re: Noob Questions

Excellent advice so far. I use the SRX712's with PRX subs for weddings and smaller gigs. It's a great combination.
 
Re: Noob Questions

Theo Lebo said:
Hi,
I'm just a hobbyist. I want to make sure I don't damage my set-up. I don't really understand the intricacies of audio design whatsoever.
Click to expand...

Well, congrats on being smarter than 99% of the folks who come here AFTER they have already bought the wrong gear or blown up their stuff. :)

Theo Lebo said:
Which I am running with a Peavey IPR2 5000 (890W RMS x 2 at 8 ohms) (I'm assuming the x2 is for use with two speakers?)
Click to expand...

That means that the amp is rated for that output power when driving both output channels at the same time. Some amps can give just a little more if you are only running one side of the amp. The IPR5000 amp is a rather safe match for your speakers. You won't wring every last dB out of those cabs, but you should get plenty loud and have a low to moderate risk of speaker damage, provided you do the setup right and don't push things into distortion/clipping.

Theo Lebo said:
1) Which marking should I be wary of hitting? /Should I disregard the red zone on the mixer?
Click to expand...

The DDT light is the one you want to keep an eye on. It tells you that the amp is nearing its limits, is detecting distortion, and is limiting its output to prevent damage. You can still push it too hard and break stuff. Thermal or DC are bad juju and usually comes on just long enough to tell you why the amp just shut down on you.

Theo Lebo said:
2) What's more likely to happen--amplifier or speakers breaking?
Click to expand...

Other opinions may vary, but in my experience, the most likely failure mode is a damaged HF driver from someone pushing the system into clipping and subsequently learning the hard way how much it costs to replace the HF driver in JBL SRX cabs. Run within the limits and this system should run for years and sound good. I love the SRX series cabs and the newer powered SRX models are astonishing.

Now, if you want to add some subs later, you can engage the high-pass filter on the IPR amp and hi-pass the tops at 100Hz and then add in 2 x JBL PRX718XLF subs. This would be a flexible and great sounding small rig. I personally run 2 x JBL PRX612M with 1 x PRX718XLF with great result. In theory, you could run your two tops on one side of the IPR5000 and the subs on the other using the built-in crossover, but, IMnHO, you are better off using your system as is and adding a quality sub or four.

Next, get a better mixer. I love the Soundcraft and Zed mini mixers for small work.
 
Re: Noob Questions

Good catch Chad. I forgot, even the non-DSP versions of the IPR amps have the basic crossover switch built in.
In that case, to the OP, if you don't mind running mono (which is fine in many venues anyway) check the marketplace here, I recall seeing some passive PRX subs for sale at a very fair price that may be a good match.
 
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