Powered Speakers (EV and Other) and overheating

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(don't rant, don't rant)

I hate how much I have to give thought to actives. That said, I have my Live-x cabinets and the new amp modules in my car trunk and STILL haven't had a chance to put them back together. I did notice though that the new amp modules do not have the small 1"X5" heatsink plate that was mounted vertically from the circuit board in the original model. The only thing I can see would be a heatsink is the main mounting plate itself. I've got to use them this weekend, albeit for a wireless satellite.
 
Rick, this really was not aimed at you. We get people on here asking about powered speakers too. Just hoping that everyone using or considering active's takes heed. IMO, this applies to ALL powered's, not just EV. Even to the QSC's, which have a fan.

In response though, how much thought is there to give actives over passives? Don't you consider the environment you place your passive amps in if they're indoors or out?
 
Rick,
I seriously recommend you install the modules ASAP and test the speakers out. If something happened to the modules during their shipment and you try them on Friday you could be up the creek without a paddle. So. for you to avoid a major headache reinstall them ASAP.
 
DJ SVO said:
Rick,
I seriously recommend you install the modules ASAP and test the speakers out. If something happened to the modules during their shipment and you try them on Friday you could be up the creek without a paddle. So. for you to avoid a major headache reinstall them ASAP.
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Thanks. I'll do it tonight or tomorrow. If they don't work, I do have other backup but would prefer to use the Live-X.
 
ittigger said:
Rick, this really was not aimed at you. We get people on here asking about powered speakers too. Just hoping that everyone using or considering active's takes heed. IMO, this applies to ALL powered's, not just EV. Even to the QSC's, which have a fan.

In response though, how much thought is there to give actives over passives? Don't you consider the environment you place your passive amps in if they're indoors or out?
Click to expand...

A lot of it could be perception but when I'm seeing a limit light flicker on, even though it's probably within a perfectly acceptable range, it's just something that's going to cause me concern during the night. I guess having thermal issues sure didn't help that perception either. Not to mention, the actives aren't always in a position to where I can monitor them without leaving my desk. It becomes a mental exercise that I'd rather not have added to my night. At present, I have a single IPR3000 mounted in my capsule. The lights can be monitored right where I'm standing and I've till yet to even see it hit the limiter even once (and I've hit that dude pretty hard a few times already).
 
rickryan.com said:
A lot of it could be perception but when I'm seeing a limit light flicker on, even though it's probably within a perfectly acceptable range, it's just something that's going to cause me concern during the night. I guess having thermal issues sure didn't help that perception either. Not to mention, the actives aren't always in a position to where I can monitor them without leaving my desk. It becomes a mental exercise that I'd rather not have added to my night. At present, I have a single IPR3000 mounted in my capsule. The lights can be monitored right where I'm standing and I've till yet to even see it hit the limiter even once (and I've hit that dude pretty hard a few times already).
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Agreed. It could be perception. From what I hear, a flicker is ok. Permanently on is bad. I also understand about them being in an area where you can't see them. A sound test directly prior to the show at what you think max volume is (for that cab, in that area) should alleviate this worry. I worry about the lights too - not so much anymore if they flicker. I sound test before all shows at what I think the max volume will be (I'm probably over the real max) and set accordingly.
 
Like I said before I never see clip lights because my amps have lots of headroom.
 
ittigger said:
Agreed. It could be perception. From what I hear, a flicker is ok. Permanently on is bad. I also understand about them being in an area where you can't see them. A sound test directly prior to the show at what you think max volume is (for that cab, in that area) should alleviate this worry. I worry about the lights too - not so much anymore if they flicker. I sound test before all shows at what I think the max volume will be (I'm probably over the real max) and set accordingly.
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It's my opinion that a quick sound test isn't necessarily something to place your trust in. You may remember, I picked up an EV sba760 that I used for the past year. I'd do a sound check with some heavy dance tracks, and cool down the input gain to where it would just barely hit yellow (usually -2). I can't remember the specific tunes but what I found was there were a handful of tracks that apparently must really be hammering the ultra-lows as they were hitting into the voice-coil-protect (2nd protection stage). Maybe it's overly-cautious but I can't see that as being something "normal". The Live-X cabs are the only ones that ever actually shutdown on me but it just always makes me nervous to see much of any clip lights on a regular basis. As I've already said, with the passive rig I haven't seen the first clip yet and I've driven this rig much harder than I ever did the actives.
 
rickryan.com said:
A lot of it could be perception but when I'm seeing a limit light flicker on, even though it's probably within a perfectly acceptable range, it's just something that's going to cause me concern during the night. I guess having thermal issues sure didn't help that perception either. Not to mention, the actives aren't always in a position to where I can monitor them without leaving my desk. It becomes a mental exercise that I'd rather not have added to my night. A
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That is one of the drawbacks of powered speakers. Plus you have to run two sets of cables per cabinet.

ittigger said:
Agreed. It could be perception. From what I hear, a flicker is ok. Permanently on is bad. I also understand about them being in an area where you can't see them. A sound test directly prior to the show at what you think max volume is (for that cab, in that area) should alleviate this worry. I worry about the lights too - not so much anymore if they flicker. I sound test before all shows at what I think the max volume will be (I'm probably over the real max) and set accordingly.
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A sound test before the show would not have the same issues that may present itself after the onboard amp(s) heat up during the show. So that initial sound test can be misleading.

drzinc said:
Like I said before I never see clip lights because my amps have lots of headroom.
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You are correct. This is one of the advantages of a passive system in that you can choose which amp to use so that the speakers don't blare.
 
ahoustondj said:
That is one of the drawbacks of powered speakers. Plus you have to run two sets of cables per cabinet.
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Agreed. You can lose a speaker / amp in a passive system too - albeit not in the same manner as listed here.

ahoustondj said:
A sound test before the show would not have the same issues that may present itself after the onboard amp(s) heat up during the show. So that initial sound test can be misleading.
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Can be. Maybe, maybe not. Maybe it was a driving problem and not a 'when heated up' problem.

ahoustondj said:
You are correct. This is one of the advantages of a passive system in that you can choose which amp to use so that the speakers don't blare.
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Agreed.
 
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