Limiting question

[DJPhatman]

Maybe that explains the expanding hairless patch on top of my head...

You mean the solar panel to fill my sex-machine fuel tank??

[ChrisMcCune]

HAHAHAH you guys are too much!

Tho the banter is entertaining, I am still having trouble getting my limiters to engage when my mixer is at unity. They want to come on way too early still. My multimeter is still pumping out 85-90 volts when everything is wide open, using the mono out changed nothing. Since Bruce said that they should be pushin around 65 I believe something in my gain structure, on the multimeter, or on the DR is off

So my question is. How much volts can my Studiolive 16.0.2 connected to the PA+ into the GX5 put out? Is my reading off. Im limiting at around 2db and the limiter is engaging at low volumes on the mixer. The subs sound great, I just dont want to ride the limiter. Does the voltage change if I daisy-chain my subs? This has been the most confusing part for me so far and I’ve read a ton of the threads regarding this in the forums. It seems very situation dependent and individual preference. Any help greatly appreciated.

[ChrisMcCune]

Could it be im not using a TrueRMS meter? The one im using is a a digital one you can get from the hardware store set on ACV 200

[Bruce Weldy]

My multimeter is still pumping out 85-90 volts when everything is wide open, using the mono out changed nothing. Since Bruce said that they should be pushin around 65 I believe something in my gain structure, on the multimeter, or on the DR is off

Something is obviously just not right. To put out 85 volts at 4 ohms, that amp would be pushing 1800 watts....and that just ain't happening. If it could do that kind of power, QSC wouldn't be advertising it at less than half that power.

So my question is. How much volts can my Studiolive 16.0.2 connected to the PA+ into the GX5 put out? Is my reading off. Im limiting at around 2db and the limiter is engaging at low volumes on the mixer. The subs sound great, I just dont want to ride the limiter. Does the voltage change if I daisy-chain my subs? This has been the most confusing part for me so far and I’ve read a ton of the threads regarding this in the forums. It seems very situation dependent and individual preference. Any help greatly appreciated.

I think you need to start at the beginning and walk us through exactly how you are set up....what's wired to what? Then, we need to know exactly how you are setting the limiters....what test tone are you using? Are you testing the + and - out of the amp? Or, maybe hitting both + terminals?

We are going around in circles guessing.....so, lay it out step by step. Somewhere there is a problem - we'll help you find it.

Pictures of the setup wouldn't hurt either.

[ChrisMcCune]

Ok. So Im using a 60hz test tone coming off Youtube through my phone into RCA inputs on channel 15/16 on my Studiolive 16.0.2. From there it is going out the mono output at max using XLR into the driverack PA+. Then from the low output on the PA+ into a channel on the GX5. GX5 is cranked and i got the leads from the multimeter going into the banana plugs on the back, red to red black to black. I will take som pictures when I get to my rig later today...

[Grant Bunter]

Ok. So Im using a 60hz test tone coming off Youtube through my phone into RCA inputs on channel 15/16 on my Studiolive 16.0.2. From there it is going out the mono output at max using XLR into the driverack PA+. Then from the low output on the PA+ into a channel on the GX5. GX5 is cranked and i got the leads from the multimeter going into the banana plugs on the back, red to red black to black. I will take som pictures when I get to my rig later today...

Please comfirm what you mean;

Phone into 15/15 on the studiolive: what are the meters showing on the channel strip?
Have you adjusted the gain so the meters show around 0 or is the signal maxed there (ie top of the meters)?

When you say: "From there it is going out the mono output at max using XLR into the driverack PA+" does that mean the output meters are totally maxed out?
Or that the mono output fader is all the way up?
What's showing on the output meters?

And have you increased any gain on the PA+? ie input or output.

[ChrisMcCune]

Ok, so I originally set the input gain on channel 15/16 to just below clipping. Then when I got such high voltage I decided to leave it at about 2/3 of the way up, which I thought was 0. Not sure if it is because I’m still learning to read the metering on the SL16.0.2 and its a bit crammed due to the fat channel. Where should the input channel level be at for setting limiters ideally? I was under the impression that we wanted to be just under clipping to maximize potential gain at the channel strip.

When I say “from there it is goin to the maxed mono output I am talking about the trim knob on the back of the unit. For mono output on the SL it goes from -40 up to 0 and for the stereo outs i believe it goes up to +6. I was using the stereo outs previously but switched due to advice from Bruce. The output meters are nowhere near clipping at that point at unity gain on the master fader so I will push the fader up to get it just under full output on the output meters. Their is no clipping indication light on the 16.0.2 it just goes green all the way to the top. Even at unity gain on the master tho it is still pushing out 80+v.

I dont know how to increase input gain on the PA+ besides the +4 -10 button on the back of the unit. I was under the impression that their is no input gain adjustment on the PA+. The button is engaged at +4 which I believe is correct for my mixer and the input meter on the PA+ is showing good level ie. just barely hitting 3 when the mixer is at unity and hitting max 0 when I push up the faders on the mixer. The output gains on the PA+, which I believe are adjusted in the xover section are at 0.

[ChrisMcCune]

edit:

The main output trim knob actually goes from -40 to 0 dB while the Mono output trim knob does -80 up to +6 dB just to clarify I’m using the mono output..

[Grant Bunter]

I'm going to defer to Bruce on your reply, as he is so familiar with the Presonus desks.

Thanks for clarifying though, now people know where you're at...

[ChrisMcCune]

Hey so Im still stumped... I bypassed the PA+ and hooked my board straight up to the GX5 and was getting 100+ volts at clipping on the board. Is this abnormal? should I be checking another multimeter?

[Bruce Weldy]

Hey so Im still stumped... I bypassed the PA+ and hooked my board straight up to the GX5 and was getting 100+ volts at clipping on the board. Is this abnormal? should I be checking another multimeter?

Have you tried the other channel of the amp to see what it's doing?

[ChrisMcCune]

Yes Bruce I checked both channels and they were roughly the same. How do I know if I'm checking a 4ohm or 8ohm load? Also is this amp just too powerful for my setup?

I have 2 GX5's
powering two t39's 3012lf
and two peavey tops

[ChrisMcCune]

It doesnt seem right everyone else is stating max volts from a gx5 at 60-65 volts w a 1.2v input sensitivity. How do I know that my mixer is putting out the 1.2v? is that standard?

[NukePooch]

Are the clip lights on the amp coming on?

Try metering your household voltage to test the meter.

[ChrisMcCune]

Yes the clip lights are coming on the amp forsure. Just tried multiple channels and multiple cords nothing seems to give me a reading other than 90v