BillFitzmaurice.info

Hi folks
I have an EV ELX118P power module for the original EV 18" ported box. I don't have the box lol.
It has limiter and internal crossover. Did some testing. Limiter light comes on at around 66 volts but when pushed goes all the way to over 80 volts.
So for my T39 3012lf it would have lots of juice and soooo light.
Of course i don't trust the limiter since it comes on at 66 but can push up over 80.
Is there any problem with putting a processed signal, brick wall limited and hi and low passed into an already crossed over signal?
I also have access to a second unit so would match my 2 T39s

Thanks form Bruce county Ontario, waiting for spring.

Just use it as a power amp.....the fact that it has DSP isn't an issue. Send your limited signal to it and use or turn off whatever DSP is in the EV.....up to you. Not going to hurt anything.

Its a fairly non programable unit, can't defeat the limiter and crossover is fixed. Just using it as an amp was what I planned. Don't think there is any eq in the mix. Just has in and out pass through, volume control and a bass boost switch. I think the original EV 18 is 8 ohms.

T_Gowan wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2025 1:11 pm Its a fairly non programable unit, can't defeat the limiter and crossover is fixed. Just using it as an amp was what I planned. Don't think there is any eq in the mix. Just has in and out pass through, volume control and a bass boost switch. I think the original EV 18 is 8 ohms.

As long as you handle the limiting, xover, and EQ in your side of the signal chain, it should be fine. The only thing that could cause a problem is if the internal crossover is set at like 80hz.....but, I'd bet it's at 100hz. You'll know soon enough based on how it sounds. Bottom line, you can't hurt anything as long as you set your limiter just like you would with any other power amp.

Well I finally tried to set up my module with DCX2496 and with max limiting of -24 i can only reduce it to 64 volts, What options do i have, pad down the input to amp ???

T_Gowan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 1:27 pm Well I finally tried to set up my module with DCX2496 and with max limiting of -24 i can only reduce it to 64 volts, What options do i have, pad down the input to amp ???

Make sure that the gain setting on the xover portion of the DSP isn't turned up.

Not sure i follow. Do you mean the DSP of the amp module or the DCX?

T_Gowan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 2:20 pm Not sure i follow. Do you mean the DSP of the amp module or the DCX?

On the DCX. I just went and looked at the manual. There is an output gain that goes from -15 to +15 on each output. Look under 4.5.1 in the manual. On driveracks, that's part of the xover page, but it looks like it has its own page under Outs - General.

Turn that thing all the way down and see if it lets you get where you need to be. If it clamps down too much, then turn it up until you reach what you want with the limiter set at -24db. If that gain control is maxed, setting it to -0- might get you there.

Just gotta' see where it is and experiment.

There's gain on the input section
Also, on the dynamic EQ section under input and dynamic EQ section under output.
And, as mentioned above on the ouput sections.

All of those can increase gain before it hits the limiter. If that comes down, then the limiter should be able to control the final voltage output with a -24db range.


Page 33 of the manual shows the order that the signal travels.

Nearly every DSP signal flow I've seen has the output limiter last in the signal flow, so any changes in EQ, crossover gains, or level changes prior to that in the signal chain wont effect or otherwise change the maximum signal output set by the limiter. The DCX does have two DSP modules after the limiter, polarity and delay, neither of which have any effect on signal amplitude.

Something doesn't seem right. What are you using as a test signal? Source to amplifier output, what's in your signal chain?

In looking at photos of that amplifier module, there's seems to be a couple different renditions. Does yours look like this and if so, is the switch under the knob switched left or right?

Hi Seth
Yes that is the layout of the module I have. I have the switch set flat and the level set to full +6. I have played around and the only thing that seems to affect the output is the eq section set a very broad q centered around 70 and do a very intense cut at that freq.

Of yes my test signal is laptop running the Bink audio cd 60hz into my Mackie DL1608 into DCX

Just thinking out loud here, but if the amp module has a corrective DSP EQ curve in it already, it could (should) be that there's a considerable boost on the bottom end... even with the boost switch to the left. You can test this by using various test frequencies and noting output voltage changes (write them down). I'd personally test every 10Hz from 30 to 150Hz just to get an idea what the built in tune is. It doesn't have to be on the limiter to test this, any level setting is fine as long as you don't change it between test tones.

If this test indicates a large boost on the bottom (which I strongly suspect it will) it may be your best bet to turn the level input on the amp far left (assuming it's unity and not full off) and disabling it somehow... maybe pull the knob, saw the post off with a Dremel cutoff wheel and either put a slot in it for screwdriver adjustment that way or a dab of superglue to disable it altogether.

Anyway, again... just thinking out loud. Maybe prime some thought amongst the group. Might be some better ideas out there.

Could hot glue the knob in a better setting, could be undone easily in the future if my plans change.

So simple it's genius. I like it. Great solution!