Behringer B1520 PRO - Manual (Page 5)

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EUROLIVE PROFESSIONAL SERIES
3. OPERATING MODES
2. OPTIMAL OPERATION
We have developed the EUROLIVE PROFESSIONAL SERIES
for use in a wide range of possible applications. Of course, the
sound of your loudspeakers depends on the acoustic
characteristics of the room/space in which they are being used.
The following chapters of this manual will give you information
about getting the most out of your EUROLIVE speakers.
2.1 HF drivers
High frequencies are the segment of the audio spectrum
responsible for clarity and speech intelligibility. These frequencies
are the easiest ones to locate, but at the same time they are also
the easiest ones to “obstruct.” Therefore, we recommend
positioning your speakers so that the HF drivers are located
slightly above the height of the audience. This guarantees the
best possible dispersion of high frequencies and a considerably
higher intelligibility.
2.1.1 Directional pattern of asymmetrical HF drivers
An outstanding feature of the B1220 PRO and the B1520 PRO
are their asymmetrically formed horns (“Asymmetrical Dispersion
Constant Directivity Horn”). By turning the horns 90°, you can
optimize the directional pattern for both vertical and horizontal
speaker positioning. The default horn setting is the “front of
house” vertical configuration, whereby the wide dispersion side
(100°) is pointed downward and the narrow dispersion side
(50°) is pointed upward. If you want to position your speaker
horizontally (as a “floor” monitor), you can modify the horn position
to assure optimal dispersion (turning the horn by 90°). Please do
the following:
s
Remove the speaker cover by carefully and uniformly pulling
off the steel grill.
s Unfasten the four screws with which the horn is mounted.
s Turn the horn 90°, so that the wide dispersion side (100°)
points upward when the loudspeaker is lying horizontally
on its side.
s Mount the horn back into its place with the four previously
unfastened screws.
s Set the grill back into its place and press gently until it
snaps into position.
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No warranty claim is valid for damage caused by
incorrect handling or flawed and/or careless use.
2.2 How to prevent feedback
Always place the “front of house” speakers ahead of the
microphones (from the audience’s perspective), and never
behind. Use professional floor monitors (e.g. B1220 PRO or B1520
PRO) or an in-ear monitoring system to hear the stage performers.
2.3 How to avoid feedback when working
with record players (DJ applications)
In applications with record players, bass feedback can occur.
Bass feedback occurs when low frequencies get back to the
pickup and are re-reproduced on the speakers. The most common
causes for this are: speakers located too closely to the record
player, a room with a wooden floor, or presence of a podium or
a platform. In such cases, it is best to move the speakers away
from the record player and “banish” them from the stage, so that
they are located on firm ground. Another option is to use raised
stands, which prevent the speakers from having a direct contact
with the ground.
2.4 Loudspeaker protection
by using a low-cut filter
Try to prevent damage to your speakers caused by extreme
oscillation of the bass membrane due to subsonic noise and
extremely deep frequencies. Use an equalizer to cut off those
frequencies that fall below your speakers’ frequency range, or
use a low-cut/high-pass filter. Most equalizers and sound-
improvement systems offer a low-cut function, like the
BEHRINGER ULTRAGRAPH DIGITAL DEQ1024, for example.
Using a low-cut filter in your signal path is particularly
recommended if you use record players or CD players as your
signal source. CD players often produce extremely deep
frequencies, which can lead to extreme excursions of the bass
membrane.
3. OPERATING MODES
3.1 BI-AMPING and PASSIVE operation
(B1800X PRO)
The EUROLIVE PROFESSIONAL SERIES subwoofer can run in
two ways: in PASSIVE and BI-AMPING mode. The B1800X PRO
can be switched from BI-AMPING to PASSIVE by using the switch
located in the back. For all applications, your EUROLIVE speakers
are connected using the speaker inputs.
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Never switch the operating mode if your EUROLIVE
speakers are wired to an active signal source.
The subwoofer features an internal crossover. Running the
B1800X PRO in passive mode makes it ideally suited for working
together with the 2-way B1220 PRO and B1520 PRO systems.
This way, you achieve an absolutely balanced sound
characteristic. However, if you select the BI-AMPING mode, your
subwoofer can be combined with other EUROLIVE 2-way
systems. The BI-AMPING operating mode offers several primary
advantages: lower distortion, greater flexibility of signal
transmission as well as an improved overall performance of
your system. The PASSIVE operating mode has the advantage
of requiring no additional crossovers in order to keep the
subwoofer’s frequency range within its limits.
If you are using an external crossover, e.g. the
BEHRINGER ULTRADRIVE PRO DCX2496, pay attention to
chapter 8, “SPECIFICATIONS.” There, you will find information
about the recommended crossover frequency range. We
recommend a slope rate of at least 12 dB, whereby a higher
value guarantees the best possible performance. A slope rate
of 24 dB is ideal.
Our recommendations are only examples of possible
interactions between different EUROLIVE speakers. Depending
on your own personal sound requirements and the genre of the
music being played, other combinations are of course possible.
3.2 Looping through the subwoofer signal
(B1800X PRO)
The B1800X PRO subwoofer from the EUROLIVE
PROFESSIONAL SERIES features two speaker connectors. In
BI-AMPING mode, the PINS 2-/2+ of the input are connected
directly with the speaker. PINS 1-/1+ of the input are connected
to the PINS 1-/1+ of the output and the signal can be simply
looped through. To this end, please adhere to the specifications
given in chapter 4.
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Please keep in mind that when you switch the
B1800X PRO subwoofer to BI-AMPING mode, the
input signal is routed to PINS 2-/2+. In this case,
PINS 1-/1+ merely serve to loop the signal through!