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Author Topic: Speaker Wiring Question  (Read 7326 times)

Joe Hicks

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Speaker Wiring Question
« on: December 24, 2012, 01:30:08 PM »

Is there a wiring method that I can use to keep three speakers at the same impedance? I see diagrams that show 4 speakers using the series/parallel method that stay at the same impedance but can that be done with three speakers.

Just some insight-- I'm wiring a cluster of three speakers above center stage and want to run all three speakers off of one amp in bridged mono mode (due to budget constraints)

Thanks!
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Patrick Tracy

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2012, 02:03:37 PM »

Is there a wiring method that I can use to keep three speakers at the same impedance?

I'm pretty sure the math doesn't allow for that.

Mac Kerr

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2012, 04:55:44 PM »

Is there a wiring method that I can use to keep three speakers at the same impedance? I see diagrams that show 4 speakers using the series/parallel method that stay at the same impedance but can that be done with three speakers.

Just some insight-- I'm wiring a cluster of three speakers above center stage and want to run all three speakers off of one amp in bridged mono mode (due to budget constraints)

Thanks!

No, you can't run 3 speakers as anything but all parallel, or all series. You will probably better off running the outside 2 speakers in parallel on one channel, and the center speaker on the other channel, so you have some control between inside and outside.

Mac
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Rickcperry

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #3 on: December 25, 2012, 02:26:50 PM »

Is there a wiring method that I can use to keep three speakers at the same impedance? I see diagrams that show 4 speakers using the series/parallel method that stay at the same impedance but can that be done with three speakers.

Just some insight-- I'm wiring a cluster of three speakers above center stage and want to run all three speakers off of one amp in bridged mono mode (due to budget constraints)

Thanks!

You can run series/parallel with 3 speakers but the series speakers motor assembly will not perform as the parallel ones will. It's complicated to explain but I would simply rather leave the other speaker disconnected than to deal with the lack of performance from the lazy driver.
In car audio you usually see the woofers Parallel as to get the strongest motor assembly available for pumping bass.
On another side of the coin, if the cabs show 8 ohms each, you can parallel them to mono, but not BRIDGED mono. Just like putting 3 wedge monitors on one side of an amp. Everything works good until some wise guy comes along and bridges the amp. Then it's running at 1.3 ohms and by the end of the night, you could fry an egg on the amp. IF it makes it to the end of the night.
Rick
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Joe Hicks

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #4 on: December 26, 2012, 01:12:39 PM »

No, you can't run 3 speakers as anything but all parallel, or all series. You will probably better off running the outside 2 speakers in parallel on one channel, and the center speaker on the other channel, so you have some control between inside and outside.

Mac
Great idea-- I will probably go this way. But... what does the unequal load (4ohms one channel/8ohms the other) do to my amp? Can it handle it? I'm probably gonna use the QSC RMX series amp (probably a question for the amp manufacturer?)
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Mac Kerr

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2012, 01:37:21 PM »

Great idea-- I will probably go this way. But... what does the unequal load (4ohms one channel/8ohms the other) do to my amp? Can it handle it? I'm probably gonna use the QSC RMX series amp (probably a question for the amp manufacturer?)

It is not a problem for the amp at all. Unequal loads are fine.

Mac
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g'bye, Dick Rees

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2012, 01:37:39 PM »

Great idea-- I will probably go this way. But... what does the unequal load (4ohms one channel/8ohms the other) do to my amp? Can it handle it? I'm probably gonna use the QSC RMX series amp (probably a question for the amp manufacturer?)

No worries.
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Joe Hicks

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #7 on: December 26, 2012, 03:47:01 PM »

Great. Thanks guys.
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Steve Milner

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #8 on: December 26, 2012, 03:57:57 PM »

Peavey to the rescue...  ;D

Here is Marty McCann's article from 1995 that covers running three center clustered speakers from a single bridged amplifier to cover both near and far-fields. I have a hard copy of this somewhere around here, but apparently someone smart decided to put Marty's old papers onto the inter-webs.

http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/soundsystems/bridgemode.cfm

Enjoy.

Steve Milner

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #9 on: December 26, 2012, 04:01:51 PM »

And Marty's drawing that is included in the article, for those who prefer brevity.

g'bye, Dick Rees

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #10 on: December 26, 2012, 04:05:20 PM »

Peavey to the rescue...  ;D

Here is Marty McCann's article from 1995 that covers running three center clustered speakers from a single bridged amplifier to cover both near and far-fields. I have a hard copy of this somewhere around here, but apparently someone smart decided to put Marty's old papers onto the inter-webs.

http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/soundsystems/bridgemode.cfm

Enjoy.

Thanks for that.  I had forgotten/lost it. 
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Joe Hicks

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #11 on: December 26, 2012, 05:00:21 PM »

Peavey to the rescue...  ;D

Here is Marty McCann's article from 1995 that covers running three center clustered speakers from a single bridged amplifier to cover both near and far-fields. I have a hard copy of this somewhere around here, but apparently someone smart decided to put Marty's old papers onto the inter-webs.

http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/soundsystems/bridgemode.cfm

Enjoy.
Great article. I'm gonna have to read about 5 times to get it all to sink in though. lol
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Mac Kerr

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #12 on: December 26, 2012, 05:15:51 PM »

Peavey to the rescue...  ;D

Here is Marty McCann's article from 1995 that covers running three center clustered speakers from a single bridged amplifier to cover both near and far-fields. I have a hard copy of this somewhere around here, but apparently someone smart decided to put Marty's old papers onto the inter-webs.

http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/soundsystems/bridgemode.cfm

Enjoy.

It's an interesting idea, if you need exactly 6dB difference between the outside and center speaker, and if you can't secure the amp level controls by taking the knobs off or using a security cover. I'd rather have control over the level difference. If you are using a DSP speaker processor you can set the gain difference there and leave both channels of the amp WFO, but I don't think it is a big deal to just make the amp controls secure, and keep the wiring straightforward.

Mac
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Jerome Malsack

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #13 on: December 28, 2012, 12:16:12 PM »

How about converting the amplifier output to 70 volt Constant voltage and using a transformer on each speaker to convert back to 8 ohm?   Each speaker would be loading the amplifier and speaker equally? 
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Mac Kerr

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #14 on: December 28, 2012, 12:38:18 PM »

How about converting the amplifier output to 70 volt Constant voltage and using a transformer on each speaker to convert back to 8 ohm?   Each speaker would be loading the amplifier and speaker equally?

What is the advantage vs using 2ch with 2 speakers on one channel and 1 on the other? The disadvantage is the poor frequency response of most 70V transformers and the added cost.

Mac
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Joe Hicks

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Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #15 on: December 28, 2012, 01:01:50 PM »

What is the advantage vs using 2ch with 2 speakers on one channel and 1 on the other? The disadvantage is the poor frequency response of most 70V transformers and the added cost.

Mac
Exactly. I have installed "background" systems in restaurants and bars using 70 volt. But, I won't use it as a main FOH system.
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Speaker Wiring Question
« Reply #15 on: December 28, 2012, 01:01:50 PM »


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