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View Full Version : How to upgrade my current setup for a larger crowd..



plainman007
09-09-2009, 05:52 PM
Hi Everyone,

I currently have a pair of jbl eon type speakers rated 300rms each and am driving them using a Crown XLS 202 for stereo type presentations for academic audiences upto about 150-200 people and it handles easily. But for the caveat (as advised by expereinced members here) that its better to be running them on an XLS 404 which i will change to soon.

Now if i wanted to go upto audiences of about 300-400 people, how should i upgrade. Another XLS 404 with 2 more similar speakers ? All positioned against the ear panels of the stage right n left in stereo position (stacked). Or the second pair half way between the audience ?? Do i also need to add maybe a pair of Subs ? Powered or Active ?

Thanks for all your inputs in advance.

Excalibur
09-09-2009, 07:32 PM
Hi Everyone,

I currently have a pair of jbl eon type speakers rated 300rms each and am driving them using a Crown XLS 202 for stereo type presentations for academic audiences upto about 150-200 people and it handles easily. But for the caveat (as advised by expereinced members here) that its better to be running them on an XLS 404 which i will change to soon.

Now if i wanted to go upto audiences of about 300-400 people, how should i upgrade. Another XLS 404 with 2 more similar speakers ? All positioned against the ear panels of the stage right n left in stereo position (stacked). Or the second pair half way between the audience ?? Do i also need to add maybe a pair of Subs ? Powered or Active ?

Thanks for all your inputs in advance.

Ah. Since the goalposts have now been officially moved, this reply is now a runner. ;)


If it were me, and funds allowed, I'd buy two passive subs, a Crown 402, and an active crossover. That way, if you wanted to use the tops on their own, you'd have a bigger amp to drive them, and a spare.

For the bigger gigs, keep the 202 on the tops, 402 on subs, and you'll find that suddenly the 202 is big enough, cos you've taken the hard work of the low frequencies out, and given them to the bigger 402.

I haven't read up on the size of the Crown amps, and wouldn't rule out different sized ones, eg 802 on subs might easily be a better match to the tops in a full rig, but a bit big for the tops only. .

BTW I would suggest not bridging amps if at all possible. That can be a bit tricky for the unwary.

Tom
09-09-2009, 07:50 PM
BTW I would suggest not bridging amps if at all possible. That can be a bit tricky for the unwary.

Agree.

Even I don't plan to bridge my amps but they pump out about 1800 watts rms at 4ohm per channel. ;):D

Shakermaker Promotions
09-09-2009, 08:00 PM
I have a Crown XLS602 up for sale if you are interested?
I always think it's better to have plenty of 'room' available so that you aren't pummelling the poor thing all the time.

Excalibur
09-09-2009, 09:21 PM
I have a Crown XLS602 up for sale if you are interested?
I always think it's better to have plenty of 'room' available so that you aren't pummelling the poor thing all the time.

Agreed. However Gary, I'm guessing you didn't see the other thread, where Viki's location turned out to be Sri Lanka. Could have a bearing on postage costs. ;) :D :D

plainman007
11-09-2009, 09:39 PM
Yeah im too far away on the other side of the globe to get anything shipped from USA / UK.

However i still dont understand or comprehend the answer to my original question. Im new to sound and its naunces. Can someones explain in simple terms please ?

Tony Scott
11-09-2009, 09:46 PM
BTW I would suggest not bridging amps if at all possible. That can be a bit tricky for the unwary.


Agree.

Even I don't plan to bridge my amps but they pump out about 1800 watts rms at 4ohm per channel. ;):D

WHIMPS!!! :D

Excalibur
11-09-2009, 09:54 PM
WHIMPS!!! :D

Tony, the lad's trying to play commentary to attentive, seated punters, not pin them to the walls with the sound pressure! :eek:

Tony Scott
11-09-2009, 09:58 PM
Tony, the lad's trying to play commentary to attentive, seated punters, not pin them to the walls with the sound pressure! :eek:

LOL......subtlety has never been my strongest trait...:)

Excalibur
11-09-2009, 10:02 PM
LOL......subtlety has never been my strongest trait...:)

Subtle As a Flying Mallet: Dave Edmunds: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Niteowl
12-09-2009, 01:20 AM
I have a Crown XLS602 up for sale if you are interested?
I always think it's better to have plenty of 'room' available so that you aren't pummelling the poor thing all the time.
What are the numbers on the amp RMS of course? and how much?:confused:

Niteowl
12-09-2009, 01:22 AM
I have a Crown XLS602 up for sale if you are interested?
I always think it's better to have plenty of 'room' available so that you aren't pummelling the poor thing all the time.
Give us a clue how much and what is the RMS out put of the amp?:confused:

plainman007
12-09-2009, 08:21 AM
Niteowl > If your meaning to understand how much rms the XLS602 outputs, its a pretty standard rating see this link http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/xls.htm which show the entire XLS series and their respectve wattages.

Other Members > Thanks for your inputs. Id still like to know how to do a bridge mono mode at least for knowledge sake. Can some just give me the idea of how it should be hooked for bridge mono. I can understand if someone gave me the gist and then told me thats its not adviseable to do it, as opposed to answering with, "we never usually do it" as the total answer. lol.

Also ive heard that for pretty large auditoriums etc most rigs run mono sound only for large shows etc. Instead of pure stereo channels because of the vast distances at which the left and right speaker stacks are. Is this true ?

Tom
12-09-2009, 11:29 PM
Bridge mode.


What this does it connect the + of each channel and uses both channels to drive 1 or more speakers in a chain, depending on how you wire the cabs together.


There are 2 ways you can wire 1 or more cabs together. There is parallel and series.

With parallel you ge a lower resistance. So 8ohm + 8ohm will give you 4 ohm for example.

With Series you double the resistance so 8ohm + 8ohm will give you 16ohm which is a higher resistance and will have a reduced output.

You can use Parallel and series in the same chain but that is getting a bit to advance for you.

Most cabs will have a 8ohm driver for this reason of wiring cabs together.

Tony Scott
13-09-2009, 09:34 AM
.....Can some just give me the idea of how it should be hooked for bridge mono. I can understand if someone gave me the gist and then told me thats its not adviseable to do it, as opposed to answering with, "we never usually do it" as the total answer. lol.

There is nothing wrong with 'Bridging' an amplifier, if the manufacturer states it's possible and you stay within their limits you will have no problems....Crown is a top brand and always under-rate their products so if they say bridging is ok then it's ok.
The main advantage of bridging an amp is higher output. The main disadvantage is that with many amps in bridge mode you can only run them at 8ohm, this means that you can only run a single 8ohm cab (a pair would present 4ohms to the amp which is too high a resistance for the xls202 in brigde mode) This means you would need two Xls202's to run two cabinets, each amp supplying 600w RMS in bridge mode.

Bridging with the xls202:

1. Set the mode switch to 'Brigde'.

2. Connect a mono signal lead to input 1 (input 2 is not used in bridge mode).

3. Connect an 8ohm speaker across the two 'bridge' speaker output connectors (positive to channel 1 RED, negative to channel 2 RED)

4. Use channel 1 gain control to adjust amplifier's volume (channel 2 gain is not used in bridge mode)



Also ive heard that for pretty large auditoriums etc most rigs run mono sound only for large shows etc. Instead of pure stereo channels because of the vast distances at which the left and right speaker stacks are. Is this true ?

Yes many big rigs run in Mono as it's often not practical to get a good stereo image to all of the audience in a big space.

Tony Scott
13-09-2009, 09:49 AM
.....You can use Parallel and series in the same chain but that is getting a bit to advance for you.

Not patronising in any way! :D

Tom
13-09-2009, 08:19 PM
Not patronising in any way! :D


Didn't mean it in a nasty way. Should of put a :). :) lol

NKR
18-09-2009, 09:59 AM
Hi all

Not getting into the whole bridged mono argument as it loses me, but am I missing something on the crown XLS range.

I have a crown XLS 602 and it pumps out 600watt per channel at 4ohms, which means when its attached to my two RW3 cabs which are 300 watts at 8 ohm its giving me about 80watts over. I use this for up to 150 people.
If I need more I throw another set of RW3's underneath off same amp creating a 4ohm load and therefore being able to still drive 600 watts a side off the XLS602. Thats 1,200 but would only use for 200 max.

If I had 300 I would throw RW3's on extension polls and roll out the 800w 18" active bass cabs to give me a nice 2,200, which should suffice.

If you have 300 watt speakers depending on the impendance you need an XLS 602 to give you a bit of room and allow second set of 300 watt cabs on. I have never come across an XLS404, but if you mean the XLS402 then it throws out 450 at 4 and 300 at 8.

In short if you are doing 300 plus people get some 18" subs on the job.

NKR
20-09-2009, 09:04 AM
I missed the fact it was academic audiences (However, you could mean its a disco for clever folk). You don't want 18" bins on as the people sat at the fronts faces will melt

Extra set of cabs further down the room in my opinion so you get a balanced sound to the whole audience. If in lecture style.