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On Board Amp

Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 2:12 pm
by Bill Fitzmaurice
This on board amp from Parts Express looks good, at a price that makes sense.

https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-au ... h--300-798

It could be mounted on just about any of our full range cabs with minor modifications. It has enough power to drive a pair of 8 ohm cabs, so it would be easy enough to install a 4 pole Speakon on the cab containing the amp and one on the extension speaker. Full DSP that includes crossover, EQ and limiting plus Bluetooth makes this a very attractive rig.

Re: On Board Amp

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 3:35 pm
by tvent
I actually put this in a Simplex TiltBack to use as a 2-input keyboard amp just a couple of weeks ago.
I took a chance on it and ordered it as soon as I saw it on the Parts-Express site.
The DSP is straightforward to use. It seems to be a good match, power wise (The advertised 800 Watt rating is at a 4 Ohm load, but as you pointed out you could hang a Speakon off of it and cascade a 2nd 8 Ohm cab.)
I do wish they had a Mac version of the app, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. Also, the inputs and the output are flexible. I like that you can store 5 EQ curves that can be selected with a button on the back - without the need to hook up a computer to it at the gig.

I was going to build it as an airhead and leave the cavity to mount the amp to, but it fit on the back of the regular Tiltback just fine. I just lined it with speaker gasket tape.
It was just a tad bit too long to fit on the top of the Simplex TiltBack - it would have run into the ports.

Oh, and as you mentioned - it has Bluetooth! I actually use this thing all the time now just to listen to music as I work around the house.
The whole thing is under 35 pounds.
So much easier to move around than the Roland KC!

The caveats:
The limiters sounded bad to me when they got hit. I just opted not to use them.
The gain on the Bluetooth seems really hot, so when you turn the volume down on your device, you get a pretty good amount of hiss at low volume. Not an issue once you get it turned up more than a couple of clicks.

I think I will build a 2nd one just like it - that way I can use it as a stereo set or accommodate 2 different keyboard players with up to 2 keyboards each.
So far, everyone that has used it, seen it, and/or heard it has been impressed.

Here are a few photos:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/36GJf9g2932YZVGfA

Re: On Board Amp

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2018 12:24 am
by Tom Smit
Thanks for sharing.

Re: On Board Amp

Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2018 3:14 am
by Askia
Great!

Re: On Board Amp

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 6:01 pm
by Radian
Bill recommending an onboard amp...

Hell hath frozen over.

Image

Re: On Board Amp

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 6:25 pm
by Bill Fitzmaurice
I didn't say I'd use one, just putting this out there for those who want to, now that there's one at a reasonable price.

Re: On Board Amp

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 6:35 pm
by CoronaOperator
Radian wrote: Mon Nov 05, 2018 6:01 pm Bill recommending an onboard amp...

Hell hath frozen over.
I said that when the Simplex line came out. :lol:

Powered speakers make a lot of sense for when you just need to throw up a couple speakers on sticks for announcements or background music/impromptu party, etc. When the full setup isn't necessary or time/packspace/clients budget is scarce.

For the big performance however, an amp rack is better as a control center than running around like a chicken making adjustments on all the speakers ... or correcting the changes all the patrons have made on your speakers. In the rack you can re-patch amps as well and with something like a venue360 you can have wifi remote control of every detail of the system.

Different tools for different scopes of work.

Re: On Board Amp

Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 2:13 pm
by Dagwin
I had a Dayton Audio PPA800DSP briefly and returned it.
The amount of "base" hiss makes it totally unusable in any situation where you cannot turn the volume up (like at home).
It gets very quickly very annoying if you are not playing at reasonably loud volume.

I replaced it with a MiniDSP PWR-ICE125, which does not have this problem, I'm using it in bridged mode.
There is also a 250W version.