Bi-Amp Connection
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Posted on Mar 19, 2008 11:07 pm
madsoundster
Member Since: Mar 17, 2008
Rob,
I am in warehouse now trying the bi-amping. Talking about the industry-standard cables... Ha.. my Belden cables must be not industry-standard...
Here's the problem with my connection
Terminal 1+ = Black
Terminal 1- = Blue
Terminal 2+ = Brown
Terminal 2- = Green
I lost the highs totally! Is there problems with the wiring?
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Mar 19, 2008 11:33 pm Actually i managed to get the highs back... but this way...
There is actually is mode switch behind my EV ZX5 that says 'passive' and 'biamp'.
The first I tired was the switch that to 'biamp' and that's when i lost the highs.
Second way is to switch it back to 'passive' and it works normally (as in with the highs restored).
May I know (if you would) what was the issue actually? Isn't it a dummy-proof thingy... if I want passive i switch to passive and if I want biamp i switch to biamp??
Thanks Rob again!
mclir9www.witchsmark.comMember
Since: Aug 13, 2006
Mar 20, 2008 09:40 am The reason you got the Highs back is because you switched back to Full Range on your speaker. If you lost your Highs when you went to Bi-Amp there could be a number of issues. First of all I am new to the Bi/Tri-Amp technology also, so definitely wait to here from someone more experienced.
1. Do you have seperate control of your Highs/Lows... i.e. 1 Amp running Lows and another Amp running Highs or do you have your Macrotech setup to handle this somehow?? For instance I have a QSC850 running my Horns, an EP2500 running my MIDS and an EP2500 running my Lows. This gives me individual control of Volume per Range.
2. The industry standard for Bi-Amping is +/-1 is Lows and +/-2 is Highs. Obviously you Speaker has a switch so you it is setup correctly, but what about back at the AMP?? How are you wired up there?? For instance, I had to make a Panel Jack that I could run wiring from my 2 Amps to the Panel Jack and then plug in the Speakon NL4 cables to the panel jack to get independent High/Low to each speaker from each AMP [EP2500/MIDS & QSC850/Highs running to the SP2s---- the EP2500 running the Lows didn't need jack because its bridged going straight to the Subs.]
Mar 20, 2008 11:25 am Remember, there is no color code standard. The colors can be anything that you want. It's the pin out that is the standard. Pins 1+ and 1- will always be the lows/mids. And 2+ and 2- will always be the highs. Check your crossover. Make sure you have everything connected right. Then check the amp. Make sure that channel one of the amp is connected to the low/mid section of the crossover. And that channel two is connected to the highs.
Switch the speaker into bi-amp. And you should be fine. Also, double check your pins again on the cable. Make sure that the same color lands on the same pins on both sides. Black on both pin 1+, blue on both 1-. And so forth.
Mar 20, 2008 09:53 pm Dear all,
Yes. I've checked and make sure that all the pins are terminated with the same coloured wire on both ends.
Here's the simple experiment that I've done using some of my simplest equipment and one of my cheapest amps just to satisfy me that biamp actually rocks.
Signal Chain as follows: -
Denon DN-D4000 CD > Mackie 1604VLZ (Stereo Outs) > DBX 231 GEQ > Yamaha P7000S Amplifier > EV ZX5 Loudspeakers
* Chn A (left) of Yamaha P7000S hooked up to EV ZX5 using BIAMP connection
* Chn B (right) of Yamaha P7000S hooked up to EV ZX5 using normal passive (2-wire) connection
Scenario A:
Upon testing the left speaker (A),(note that the switch behind speaker that is labelled "biamp" is switched on.
* Lost all the high-ends.
Scenario B:
Hooking a biamp speakon cable to speaker A whilst switching the mode switch back to passive (instead) of biamp, everything restores to its normal 20-20k. Pumped up the right channel (normal 2-wire connection). And of course there are vast differences in quality between the 2 cabinets. Bass' tighter, highs more refined on the biamped cabinet.
Read through the manual and as usual it doesn't explain anything at all... there is not even a single mention of the mode switch.
My question is then..
A) Is the connection correct (who cares whether the switch is on passive or biamp... as long as the sound is altered in a better sense... but is it correct?
B) Can someone then explain to me what does that mode switch does? Or maybe I should start contacting my EV distributor...
Mar 20, 2008 09:59 pm Hi mclir9,
Thanks for the inputs. I usually have different amps doing different jobs via my drive racks. but now I just wanna try and hear for myself in the simplest, not complicated, not altered or processed form of biamped sound.
Hence, on my last post, I just simply use an amp to have it take in biamp signal, no gimmicks, nothing else.
Yes, I think you meant front connecting plates.. yes I do have them but am skipping that out of the chain now... less cables, less noise, less interconnecting, best representation of what I want to hear..
By the way, are your Behringer amps good and reliable? Over here in Singapore, we do not really dare to buy it cos there's no warranty for the amps.
And of course, the other setback is there are no mode switches at the rear right? i.e. stereo, parallel or bridged?
Mar 20, 2008 10:03 pm ""Then check the amp. Make sure that channel one of the amp is connected to the low/mid section of the crossover. And that channel two is connected to the highs.
Switch the speaker into bi-amp. And you should be fine.""
Hey Rob, you are now confusing me, with your above mentioned statement. I just connected the 4-wire cable with NL4 and stuck it into the amp's speakon's output and into the speaker's speakon's input...
Isn't that correct according to your last last last posts...?
Mar 20, 2008 11:55 pm OK, I thought this might be the case. You can not have anything is channel "B" when trying to Bi-amp. There is a switch inside the NL4 on the amp. When you put a cable on channel "B", it automatically disables channel "A"'s 2+ and 2-. You have to have only a connector in Channel "A" for this to work.
Great amp by the way.
Next, Where is your crossover? I don't see it in your signal flow. You must have this for Bi-amping. And the proper program loaded for your speaker.
Also, make sure that the Sub woofer and low cut switch on the amp is in the off position. As this will throw the results off.
Try all of this, and let me know how it goes.
Mar 21, 2008 12:00 am To answer your other post. On the way it is connected. You have to make sure that the amp you are using, has a NL4 channel on it. Not just a NL2. Not all amp's jacks on the back are NL4. Remember, they look acutely the same. The only differences is the number of pins inside, and how they are wired in the amp.
Mar 21, 2008 12:17 am FYI, signal flow should go as follows.
Input device. ( CD player, mic, What ever)
Board
EQ
Crossover
Amp
Speakers
Mar 21, 2008 12:45 am I've been searching the web far a good picture of how everything is connected. But, there are just not any good pictures out there.
What I'll have to do when I am at work tomorrow, is take a few pictures of our set ups. And email them to you. (Since I still don't know how to post a picture here.)
I'll set up out EV's that we own. I don't have a DBX Driverack. But, I'll use something similar.
That is if you still are having problems.
mclir9www.witchsmark.comMember
Since: Aug 13, 2006
Mar 21, 2008 09:08 am [quote]By the way, are your Behringer amps good and reliable? Over here in Singapore, we do not really dare to buy it cos there's no warranty for the amps.
And of course, the other setback is there are no mode switches at the rear right? i.e. stereo, parallel or bridged?[/quote]
I have been running one of these EP2500's for about 2.5 years now with no problems whatsoever [knock on wood]. They get the job done quite well... of course I have never owned any other AMP to compare too other than the little QSC850 I have. Yes the Behringers have dip switches in the back to set Stereo, Parallel or Bridged. Also switches for Clip Limiter and Low Cut Filter.
