BEHRINGER iNUKE NU3000

[tcorder]

It seems a long time since I posted that I’d got an inuke NU3000 and I’d let you know how I get on. Well a lot had to happen before I could even try it, let me explain.

I had to wait for a few days without any gigs to be able to get all my gear together and experiment.

My normal bass setup is a Carvin B1500 into a Carvin 8x10, I replaced the stock Carvin 10s with 16 ohm Gamma 10s making a 2400 watt 2 ohm cabinet. Being 2 ohms means that I should be getting the maximum 1900 watts from the amp. The power amp clip light came on before I changed the speakers.

I had to wait for a few things to be delivered before I could try out the inuke. 2 Ashdown 4x10s, speakers taken from the 8x10 and put into the Ashdowns so each cab is now 1200w @ 4 ohms.

I already have a Trace Elliott V type preamp but I hadn’t tried it. Finally the flight case arrived and I racked the preamp and the inuke. I know that I could have tried them without the case but it made it easier. So there it was, my new stack?

Test results.

Now I know that this is not going to be very scientific, but I’m sure that you’d all like to know how I got on.

Firstly, I used the Carvin with the new cabs at the volume from the last gig and measured the level on the super SPL app on my new super iphone. Surprisingly, and thankfully, the sound was the same as with the 8x10. I got a reading of 101.2 db, unweighted. Didn’t sound that loud in my shed, but that was what the volume was. Unplugged the Carvin and plugged in the preamp and inuke and set the volume to the same 101.2 db. Messed around with the preamp until I got a sound that I nearly liked and reset the volume again.

Playing hard, I was able to get the limiter lights to flash on on the inuke. The Carvin was OK. Switched on my flanger and booster pedal, I love toys. On the Carvin no problem at all and the SPL went up to 102.6, sounded louder than that. On the inuke the limiter lights came on for most of the time.

If I turned the bass up on the preamp, the limiter lights came on sooner as you would expect.

Now the inuke is rated at 880w per channel at 4 ohms but this is peak watts and unless Behringer have exaggerated more with the wattage than they should have I make that 622 watts a channel at 4 ohms RMS and I’d say that was about right. As the preamp was new to me, I didn’t know what to expect, but I’m pretty sure that the inuke didn’t colour the sound.

Will I use the new pre and power amp at a gig? Probably not. I didn’t like the sound of the preamp that much and there is not enough headroom for me. Would I recommend it to others? Yes I would. 600 watts a channel, weighing next to nothing and costing peanuts, Give it a go. The inuke will not be wasted as I intend to drive the Otop mids with it and the CDs with an inuke NU1000 and I’ve bought another inuke NU3000 to use for foldback. I’ll wait until the inuke NU6000 comes out and maybe try again but with a different preamp and if I still don’t like it I can always drive my T39s with it, How light will the amp rack be then?

I hope this has given you some idea of what the inukes are like.

[Greg Plouvier]

1000, 1000DSP, 3000, 3000DSP and 6000 now available. No 6000DSP yet. PM for pricing.

[tcorder]

The 6000 in not available in the UK yet or from our friends Thomann in Germany.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Now the inuke is rated at 880w per channel at 4 ohms but this is peak watts and unless Behringer have exaggerated more with the wattage than they should have I make that 622 watts a channel at 4 ohms RMS .

Figure 440w, maximum. Test it yourself, 440w into 4 ohms is 42 volts. Feed it pink noise, no speaker, read the voltage with a voltmeter where the clipping LEDs are just flashing.

8x10. I got a reading of 101.2 db

I get that from my J15 with 1 watt. Something isn't right with that.

[tcorder]

Hi Bill, the 101.2db was just the volume that my amp was set on for the last gig and I'm not sure how accurate the SPL app is. It was only for reference to get the 2 amps at the same volume and to see if the inuke would be man enough for me live. I'll try to get a voltage reading on Sunday.

[wounded horse]

How do I drive that from one UK power outlet? 13amp X 240 volts = 3120 watts. Do any power amps have 1 mains power in per channel? I daren't look at the price. £3500-£4000 I'm guessing.

[Gregory East]

That's the question that gives away the max power statistics game. If it actually put out 3 kW continuously it would be on three phase power.

[DrDantastic]

There a few companies, like Powersoft, who supply higher rated Ceeform connectors on their amps but they're way out of my budget!

[gdougherty]

7000W/channel at 2 Ohms, 27 pounds

Nevermind, that's peak wattage.

At $6,100 I may just have to grab myself a few...

[tcorder]

Update time.

I measured the voltage on the inuke and is was a disappointing 27 to 28 volts which by my reconing makes it less than 200w channel and the fan started to run seriously fast. I feel I've been done. Oh well, should have expected it really.

Tried a new SPL app on the iphone and recorded 106.5db as the volume that I played at at the last gig which is a bit more realistic. When I did that flanger / boost thing, the SPL meter couldn't record it as it refused to measure more than 120db. I also measured the voltage of the Carvin at 106.5db and it measured 8 to 9 volts.

[Greg Plouvier]

How did you go about measuring the voltage?

[tcorder]

pink noise in, volt meter on the output. When the limit lights came on read the voltage.

[Israel]

thats why i resist to change my old ep amps I even have an older peavey cs 800 that once felt into my feet, 12 years have gone since that and i still remember that it does not only make speakers scream. even that watt by watt there are few that compare in power thats why i still keep them

[el_ingeniero]

7000W/channel at 2 Ohms, 27 pounds

Nevermind, that's peak wattage.

At $6,100 I may just have to grab myself a few...

They are premium boxes all around. The analog side is impeccable, and they incorporate Dolby Lake Contour DSP, which is the best you can get. I almost sprung $1,800 for one last year.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Update time.

I measured the voltage on the inuke and is was a disappointing 27 to 28 volts which by my reconing makes it less than 200w channel and the fan started to run seriously fast.

That makes it 200w/4 ohms, about what you'd expect for the price. An old adage says that you get what you pay for, and old adages tend to get old because they're true.