BillFitzmaurice.info

Wondering if I could get a little advice on choice of driverack… hope to soon be running a 3 way system (T60s + biamped OTop12s /at some later stage biamped DRs). Seems like a single driverack could handle everything we need, so trying to decide if a PA+ would suit, or whether it would be worth going for a 260.

From what I’ve read, one of the main advantages of the 260 is that the output channels are not stereo linked. However, running a simple 3 way system like this (for DJ, not live music) I can’t imagine needing to unlink stereo… apart from perhaps for an unusual room requiring different eq / delay settings for each side… but this seems unlikely.

Another advantage of the 260 I’ve seen mentioned is the longer alignment delay times. From what I could gather the horn path of a T60 is around 13 feet, which would be beyond the 10ms delay capabilities of a PA+… but then some people seem to say that delayed output as a result of horn path length is not necessarily noticeable at such a low frequency.

Finally, there seems to be some doubt about the brick wall capabilities of the output limiter on driveracks. Does the 260 differ from the PA+ in this area? Seems that even if they’re not technically brickwall, plenty of people use them in that way without any issues, and they’re recommended in the plans, so will probably stick with them on that front.

Are there any other features people are aware of that might make a 260 preferable in this instance? Or does it seem that a PA+ would suffice?

Cheers!

oops just seen the other recent driverack thread, maybe coulda jumped in that one... hope this isn't overkill.

I think the question you raise is an interesting one, though, I would be really surprised if the driverack didn't have a brick wall limiter.

I currently use the Behringer iNuke DSP which has a brickwall limiter built in.

Unless you can get a 260, I probably wouldn't bother. It's an old unit, probably low on DSP power compared with new units though the AD circuitry is probably far superior.

With the price difference between the two, I think your pennies are better spent elsewhere and I would go for the PA+.

Chris_Allen wrote:I think the question you raise is an interesting one, though, I would be really surprised if the driverack didn't have a brick wall limiter.

I currently use the Behringer iNuke DSP which has a brickwall limiter built in.

Unless you can get a 260, I probably wouldn't bother. It's an old unit, probably low on DSP power compared with new units though the AD circuitry is probably far superior.

With the price difference between the two, I think your pennies are better spent elsewhere and I would go for the PA+.

I would agree. The PA+ will do everything that you need based on what you described. And really....how many times have you actually EQed the sides differently? There is rarely time or venue manager that will put up with that much noise running through the system.

The biggest problem is going to be the low end - and since you shouldn't be splitting your subs, there is only one stack to EQ.

As far as the limter, I've been using driveracks to limit my subs to 54-56 volts for a few years now. Haven't lost a driver yet. And every time I've checked the limiters, they hold tight even when slamming the master faders all the way up. Set your limiter properly and set it 5 volts under the maximum limit - you'll be fine.

Bruce Weldy wrote: As far as the limter, I've been using driveracks to limit my subs to 54-56 volts for a few years now. Haven't lost a driver yet. And every time I've checked the limiters, they hold tight even when slamming the master faders all the way up. Set your limiter properly and set it 5 volts under the maximum limit - you'll be fine.

And as far as potential overshoot that is sometimes attributed to the Driverack series, this method, in my mind, covers that issue.

Don't get to fussed about delay, or lack thereof.
If you decide you need to address it, or even play around with it making a difference for alignment, if you have the mouth of your Otops behind the mouth of the T60's by 3 feet (and add 10msec delay), you've covered the deficit...