Need Help Once more on setting Limiter using Multimeter...

[Gregory East]

Are you running sub amp bridged mono? Not generally recommended.

For one sub per channel you want to be measuring volts across the discrete channel. It might work if the ground is common between channels to measure like you said but why not just be a normal person about it? +1red to -1black etc.

The limiter is the last thing before the amp input right?

Then good to go.

[hollywd901]

running subs stereo,,,each output has a red and a black...so do i take red of output 1 and black of output 2 and measure across that way?? thanks,,,and can you further help with the order of figuring out limiter setting by this voltage and voltmeter method...thank you

- and yes, limiter is last before amp input

[SoundInMotionDJ]

...update- purchased a multimeter, now going to get this right in the next day or two before this weekend...i have a 60hz and a 100hz test tone I created with audacity and seems like 60hz is what i need to use, correct me if im wrong once again...

That sounds good so far. I prefer to keep the tone at least 1/3 octave away from any crossover frequencies. So, with a 60Hz tone, the channel should be getting at least 50Hz-80Hz. With a single T39, I normally run 45Hz-90Hz.

ok so tell me if this is right--> turn up laptop incoming signal make sure not clipping just as a normal song would play, then since i have my channel faders all way up on mixer due to dj usage and my gains i have at noon (which i adjust to accommodate the incoming song), i should bring up my master volume until it hits the last green led on the mixer and then adjust my channel gains up a bit til they are also still in the green on my mixer...ok, i have no effects so I guess ill bypass that,,,

All that sounds good.

and then I go to the crossover which i take it I should adjust the input gains up until they are also still in green and same with outputs??

In general, the output should be at "full", and the input adjusted "down" until the signal is within the operating range of the effect.

and both output gains on my amp are turned all way up...i take it the clip light will be on my amp at this point??

That is the conservative way to set the limiters. The clip light may or may not be on at this point...I NEVER trust the clip lights on an amp.

ok so then i take my voltmeter (what scale should i be in ?? )

The voltmeter should be set to read "AC" voltage. I would expect the voltage to be in the <100V range. What are the choices on the voltmeter?

and i take the red clip and black clip...red going to the red of channel 1 output and black lead going to channel 2 black output?? is that right??

No, that is not correct.

The top two binding posts are for channel 1, the bottom two are for channel 2. The amp should be run in "stereo" mode (e.g. NOT in "bridge" mode). So, for whatever channel you are driving from the crossover, measure across the binding posts for that channel - red to red, black to black.

and as the test tone is playing i adjust the limiter which will go to say (- negative) some reading and since I have the 3012 lfs the voltage i believe is 60 so do i adjust the limiter down until i see 60??

Yes. Read the voltage, and then adjust the limiter "down" until the voltage is <=60v.

--Stan Graves

[hollywd901]

Hey guys thanks for the help thus far and stan, thanks for all that , it makes sense but 2 parts im still a bit confused about...

part 1 - you said...for crossover--In general, the output should be at "full", and the input adjusted "down" until the signal is within the operating range of the effect.

do you mean turn the output gains on each channel of crossover output to the max ?? and then adjust the input channel gains down??

part 2 - about placement of voltmeter leads...from my crossover I have 1 output going to my amp which is powering 2 t39s...i have these in stereo mode which means im using output 1 and 2 from my amp to the t39s channel 1 goes to left t39 channel 2 out goes to right t39...each output channel has a red and black terminal...still unsure where to measure across..i get that red goes to red black goes to black but there are 4 total so which 2 do i measure across. thanks!

[Bruce Weldy]

.i get that red goes to red black goes to black but there are 4 total so which 2 do i measure across. thanks!

Measure either the red and black of channel 1 or channel 2. The Voltage will be the same for both....or course, you can measure 'em both - one at a time.

[Gregory East]

Red to red when connecting parallel, your red meter lead goes to your red terminal, black lead to black terminal.

I'm not familiar with EP amps but every other amp I've had is a red/black pair for each channel, maybe planet Behringer is different but I doubt it.

[hollywd901]

ok, getting there thanks to your help,,,on setting the limiter with my multimeter...let me recap to make sure I'm still on path...

incoming tone from mixer...Im using 2 cabs each loaded with 1 eminence 3012 lf...I have a 60hz tone or a 100 hz tone??

then, make sure mixer, everything in green for channel faders, gains, and turn mixer master volume up til its still in green also...

then, as said in an earlier post, do i turn my output gains all way to max on my crossover ?? and then adjust these down?? which first input or output??

ok, so then i turn both my amp channels all the way to max next...obviously no speakers attached during this entire process...

then, voltmeter, either output channel will work, red to red, black to black, monitor voltmeter and as im monitoring the voltmeter , i turn down limiter to negative reading until the lights on my amp stop blinking red??

im sounding dumb to a lot of you but its taking me time to understand and get this...thank you!

[hollywd901]

btw meant to mention im using 45 - 100 as my crossover range...

[Gregory East]

If it was a case of separate units for crossover and limiter and EQ you would just be setting the gains on each per the "green light strategy". Then setting the limiter to catch anything too much for the speakers.

I imagine the DCX takes care of itself when you feed it from the mixer, so I would look to run it as normal and then adjust the limiting function. So long as you don't change anything else in the DCX it won't matter what you do with the mixing the speakers will be protected. You could make it sound like garbage by overdriving the DCX but that's ok.

I don't own a dcx. I don't have a clue how it runs itself internally. The only thing I can think of that could trip you up is if you made changes to the EQ and the limiter has a strategy of subtracting a set amount off whatever comes last.

[hollywd901]

...thanks for help, back to a previous post...I think I understand everything except one part:

----it was said to turn up my output on my dcx2496 crossover to full then back down the inputs when preparing to set limiter...--> does this mean actually dialing in the max output on the output channel which will be maxed...then go to the input and dial it down which will bring the output down into the correct range?? or am i looking too deep into this...

and to confirm the proper test tone? 60 hz or 100 hz,,,my crossover settings range is
b/t 45 - 100 (lp/hp) on my system and im using 2 eminence 3012lfs...just wanna get this point on right tomorrow...thanks

[jswingchun]

then go to the input and dial it down which will bring the output down into the correct range?? or am i looking too deep into this...

Yes, you are looking too deep into this thing.

Turn the amp up all the way, set your board where you want to run it, measure the output, set the limiter on the DCX to where the meter reads the correct volts.

You aren't going to blow anything up trying this.