Driverack issue on setting limiter

[Bruce Weldy]

I've spent all morning and

I added two T39s and a new amp, so it was time to go back and re-set the limiters and make sure the three sub amps were all putting out the same voltage.

Ran my test tone at 60hz as usual, but I couldn't get my voltmeter to sit still. It would hit 56 or so, then immediately come down slowly all the way to 4 or 5....then after a while it would pop up a little then back down.

I even connected a speaker to one of the other amps to see what the hell was happening. hummmmmpophmmmmmmmmslidehmmmmmmm

I started bypassing this and swapping that....even went to so far as to hook up my other driverack (it worked fine).....so, it had to be the driverack. I set and reset until I got

Went and picked a preset at ramdom....it worked fine! What the hell!? Tried cloning my preset to another one....same problem. Started from scratch with a new preset - it worked! Re-created the EQ from the orignal after taking a picture of the graph.....Ok, so everything is fine.

Went back to the original one more time.....still doing the same thing. I had been through all the setup stuff, EQ, crossover, limiter, compressor - yet that one setting still was messed up......

Then the little button stood out like a sore thumb......AFS. The anti-feedback was on - so the unit saw the test tone as feedback and would take it down, then release, then take it down, the release......

Turned it off and everything worked fine.

Yes, I feel like a dumbass and would appreciate everyone telling me so...I deserve it. I spent two hours up and down off the garage floor trying to figure this thing out....and it was my own fault in the first place.

So, the lesson is - turn off your anti-feedback software before setting your limiters.

[DJPhatman]

Ooooooh! I get the first!

At least you figured it out. Make a mental note, lesson learned and move on.

[Grant Bunter]

Bruce,
Your a dumbass!

Seriously, that sucks.
It seems no small coincidence you're the second person to explain issues with their driverack in a relatively short time frame, to announce the AFS button was the culprit.

Here's hoping everyone who uses the Driverack sees this and is heads up about the issues it causes...

[Hackomatic]

I can relate in a LARGE way because troubleshooting is what I do for a living. So many times in the past I convinced myself something complex was going on only to find if I had started eliminating simple things, the solution was usually there. Of course that's after lots of wasted time and energy, and then, like you referring to myself as a dumb arse.

I don't use a Driverack, but am curious . . is it simply a button without some sort of visual annunciator to let you know you're in the AFS mode? dbx should make it more obvious somehow, I'd think.

[Bruce Weldy]

I don't use a Driverack, but am curious . . is it simply a button without some sort of visual annunciator to let you know you're in the AFS mode? dbx should make it more obvious somehow, I'd think.

It's a button on the front panel to access the feature. Truly, I had forgotten that it was on - and my feeble brain took a while to make the correlation of a steady signal being treated as feedback (since the unit can't tell the difference).

[MarcBass]

Yes, I feel like a dumbass and would appreciate everyone telling me so...I deserve it. I spent two hours up and down off the garage floor trying to figure this thing out....and it was my own fault in the first place.

Bruce,

It only took you 2 hours to figure it out. Took me a few months!!!! I even bought a new multimeter before I stumbled on the AFS being on.

In my case it was the FOH Driverack (PA+). I don't use AFS on FOH but it had been turned on when an auto EQ had been run. A lesson hard learned in my case and much slower than you.

Hence, you are a faster learner than some of us!! Hopefully others will head the experience and learn even faster!