Amp selection for 8 DR280's and 10 T60's!

[hifibob]

So I'm putting on large order together to purchase my amps/electronics for my BFM cabs.. I got the main dance floor narrowed down to 8 DR280's in a J-array 4 per and a cluster of 10 T60's. I have access to pretty much all the Parts Express amps Crown, QSC etc. How would you guys go about the amp selection? Any recommendations or amps to stay away from. I'm also open to other manufactures that PE does not carry, I just have a wholesale account with them. Thanks for the help.

[Bruce Weldy]

You can't go wrong with any of the Crown or QSC offerings. With that many cabs though, you might want to consider going with a Crown xti4002 for the tops - one will do all of them as it's 2 ohm stable on both channels.

It'd be easier to power-match the subs in multiples of 4 to make best use of the amps. Unless you want to go with 5 lower powered amps.

[DJPhatman]

You can't go wrong with any of the Crown or QSC offerings.

+1 Both are great choices.

With that many cabs though, you might want to consider going with a Crown xti4002 for the tops - one will do all of them as it's 2 ohm stable on both channels.

-1 Buy 2 smaller amps, and let them coast. Bonus is you can power shade the top 2 from the bottom 2. Can't do that with only one amp.

[Bruce Weldy]

With that many cabs though, you might want to consider going with a Crown xti4002 for the tops - one will do all of them as it's 2 ohm stable on both channels.

Buy 2 smaller amps, and let them coast. Bonus is you can power shade the top 2 from the bottom 2. Can't do that with only one amp.

My turn with the math

-1 That's certainly an option, however.....you can power shade if running mono - which certainly makes sense in almost all clubs. You run the top two on both sides off one channel then the bottom two on both sides off the other.

-1 The 4000 will coast running those tops.

+1 However, having two amps would certainly give you some redundancy should one crap out - you could always run it all off of one amp until you get it fixed. So, a valid point.


-1+1-1+1-1+1 = choices.....and all of 'em will work.

No bad suggestions here, just a matter of money.

[hifibob]

What exactly is power shading? I do like the idea of 2 amps just in case one craps out.. I was thinking 2 PLX1802 to run the DR280's, and 5 PLX3602 for the 10 T60's? I also noticed the Crown Driverack series amps are pretty cheap compared to the QSC's.. Are they any good? Thanks

[Bruce Weldy]

What exactly is power shading? I do like the idea of 2 amps just in case one craps out.. I was thinking 2 PLX1802 to run the DR280's, and 5 PLX3602 for the 10 T60's? I also noticed the Crown Driverack series amps are pretty cheap compared to the QSC's.. Are they any good? Thanks

Power shading is where you supply less power to the lower cabs that are angled down and more to the top cabs trying to hit the back of the room. Loud in the back without killing the folks in the front.

Crown's series is called DriveCore. They are good and reliable so far for me. I've got three of 'em.

The 3602 puts out 725 watts at 8 ohms - more than you need for one speaker. However, at two speakers per side - it puts out 1100 watts at 4 ohms. That's perfect and you get some headroom. Thus, you can run eight of 'em off of two amps to full voltage. Or, 12 off of three. So, save the cost of two 3602s and build two more T60s.

[Bruce Weldy]

I was thinking 2 PLX1802 to run the DR280's, Thanks

Depends on which driver you use. The 3012HO can take more than the 2512. I'd say the 1802s would be good for the 2512s and I'd step up to the 2502 for the 3012HOs. Of course they will be plenty loud with either amp - just a question of whether you will drive them to full potential.....that had better be a really big room.

[Ryan A]

So I'm putting on large order together to purchase my amps/electronics for my BFM cabs.. I got the main dance floor narrowed down to 8 DR280's in a J-array 4 per and a cluster of 10 T60's. I have access to pretty much all the Parts Express amps Crown, QSC etc. How would you guys go about the amp selection? Any recommendations or amps to stay away from. I'm also open to other manufactures that PE does not carry, I just have a wholesale account with them. Thanks for the help.

If on a budget, how about 5 Behringer EP4000 amplifiers? That'll be less than $2000 on PE and you can run 4 tops per amplifier, and 4 subs per amplifier, plus you'd have an extra spare.
This assumes the T60's are single loaded.

If 10 T60's are each dual loaded, get 5 EP4000's for the subs alone, 1 T60 (2 X lab12 parallel wired) per channel to each Ep4000. In other words 2 cabs per amplifier.

[hifibob]

I was thinking 2 PLX1802 to run the DR280's, Thanks

Depends on which driver you use. The 3012HO can take more than the 2512. I'd say the 1802s would be good for the 2512s and I'd step up to the 2502 for the 3012HOs. Of course they will be plenty loud with either amp - just a question of whether you will drive them to full potential.....that had better be a really big room.

Ok great then I'll step up to the 2502 since I'm using the better driver.. I'm looking to hold the sound system title in New England
This is just the main dance floor sound system which will house about 6-700 people but the club will hold approx. 1100 total.. I plan to have the areas best DJ's and big head liner DJ's spin at this venue so I definitely don't want them finding any limitations of the system. Thanks for all the help!

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

I would use no less than two amps for the tops and two for the subs. That way if any amp goes you're not knocking out half the system.

[sine143]

saw a used crown itech six thousand for 1400.... thats what I'd get for the subs.

[Bruce Weldy]

saw a used crown itech six thousand for 1400.... thats what I'd get for the subs.

Well, that's a good price for that amp....but unless he's going to do some series wiring on those subs, you'd need more than one and if not, it's really overkill.

The other issue is that you don't want to mix QSC and Crown in the same rack - the airflow is opposite.....that creates really hot amps.

[sine143]

i assumed his tubas wer 2x12. in which case he could do all of them in series, and the itech whould still eat 5 cabs per side for lunch.

[Bruce Weldy]

i assumed his tubas wer 2x12. in which case he could do all of them in series, and the itech whould still eat 5 cabs per side for lunch.

It is definitely top of the line gear. Finding one that cheap is an anomaly I would think. Those babies are really high.

Of course there is the new I-Tec 4x3500HD. 4 channels with stupid power and only $12k. My friend who has a sound company has just gotten some of these.

[sine143]

i assumed his tubas wer 2x12. in which case he could do all of them in series, and the itech whould still eat 5 cabs per side for lunch.

It is definitely top of the line gear. Finding one that cheap is an anomaly I would think. Those babies are really high.

Of course there is the new I-Tec 4x3500HD. 4 channels with stupid power and only $12k. My friend who has a sound company has just gotten some of these.

yeah, I drooled. for a long time over that one. only 2 or 3 plugs in teh city who can supply its hunger in a venue situation though lol.