Amp Clip Protection

[doncolga]

Hey,

My Mackie M 2600 http://www.mackie.com/products/m2600/ has a limiter on it. What's the difference between that one and one I'd use on something like a DriveRack PA?

Thanks!

Donny

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Hey,

My Mackie M 2600 http://www.mackie.com/products/m2600/ has a limiter on it. What's the difference between that one and one I'd use on something like a DriveRack PA?

You can't adjust it.

[doncolga]

Hey,

My Mackie M 2600 http://www.mackie.com/products/m2600/ has a limiter on it. What's the difference between that one and one I'd use on something like a DriveRack PA?

You can't adjust it.

Ah-ha...that's was my guess...seriously. Would it be worth me measuring it just to see where it limits at? For a couple of T30's, shouldn't it be at about 56 V?..what are the chances of it being that?

Thanks!

Donny

[doncolga]

If I'm running a pair of Tuba 30's loud enough to activate a limiter to protect them, how loud will that be? I'm guessing that my usual volume for dancing for up to 200 people may be a good bit less than that. I'll be running them with the Mackie M 2600, one box a side.

[bzb]

It depends on the signal you're amplifying.

In all honesty, you won't be disappointed if you get some XTi amps. Or at least a BBE DS24, which can be easily obtained for under $200.

You'll end up using the crossover, limiter, and more than likely the EQ after a little while.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

I wouldn't trust it without measuring it, and then making sure it's a real brickwall limiter. I doubt that it is.

[Ron K]

It's a peak stop limiter. (Complementary Positive and Negative Peak Detecting)

Since that particular type of amplifier uses current limiting on the output stages I highly doubt that the Clip Limiter would be an RMS type or thermal type. That's taken care of in the amps topology. (I do believe these are older Crown style schemes employed in the Class A+AB Output styles, (PB,PT,Macros and Micros of old)utilizing SOA Output Transistor Monitoring to safeguard the unit against bad things! It's a pretty useful scheme that has great protection and still sounds pretty good even when driven up into that protection.Many manufacturers now use this scheme and have since it's patent ran out a while ago.

Even if you manage to run hard into these types of limiters it's will not guarantee that you wont hit the thermal ratings of your drivers unless the amps output availability at clipping is fairly well matched to the usable thermal load it is driving.If you must use a limiter set it up with a voltmeter per many sets of instructions on this site and make sure it's a brickwall type.

[doncolga]

It's a peak stop limiter. (Complementary Positive and Negative Peak Detecting)

Since that particular type of amplifier uses current limiting on the output stages I highly doubt that the Clip Limiter would be an RMS type or thermal type. That's taken care of in the amps topology. (I do believe these are older Crown style schemes employed in the Class A+AB Output styles, (PB,PT,Macros and Micros of old)utilizing SOA Output Transistor Monitoring to safeguard the unit against bad things! It's a pretty useful scheme that has great protection and still sounds pretty good even when driven up into that protection.Many manufacturers now use this scheme and have since it's patent ran out a while ago.

Even if you manage to run hard into these types of limiters it's will not guarantee that you wont hit the thermal ratings of your drivers unless the amps output availability at clipping is fairly well matched to the usable thermal load it is driving.If you must use a limiter set it up with a voltmeter per many sets of instructions on this site and make sure it's a brickwall type.

Yes, I'll be trying the limiter on my Samson S3 Crossover instead. http://www.samsontech.com/products/prod ... prodid=100 Will probably limit to about 40V since the 3012LF tops at 50V as per the plans.

I've never used anything like the DR PA or Ultradrive so I feel ignorant about what they do relative to what I'm doing now (which works fine). I'm guessing they can limit the subs independently of the tops?...plus the graphic and parametric EQ's, time delay, etc...

[Ron K]

Yes with a DSP you can use separate limiters on separate outputs.The DBX DRpa will not allow individual adjustment of limiters between L and R inputs or Outputs however. It will group the outputs like 1-2,3-4,5-6 together and the sets get the same limiter functions which is ok for most setups.

Before buying a DSP make sure it has the configurations you may need. DRPA wont allow a 4 or 5 way setup either.The Behringer DCX is pretty flexible with input and output routing and configurations as are the Xilica and Ashley Protea types as well.