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Mightymaximo View Drop Down
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    Posted: 17 August 2025 at 2:18pm
Hi family, back again with another newbie question.

We built a reggae sound system with 18" scoops (Eminence design), loaded with B&C 18TBX 8Ω drivers. The setup is Old JTS custom preamp (used to be 3-way, now 4-way)
Crest CA18 for sub bass.
Usually running 2 scoops in parallel, 8Ω each.

We really love that saturated, “ruff” bass sound, and the way we’ve been getting it is by running the preamp at full volume, with the CA18 clipping red almost all the time when the bass hits (which sure is not the best for the drivers).

The problem: after a 6-hour session, the drivers were very hot, and you could even smell some burning.

What would you recommend to keep our bass drivers safe but still get that distorted bass sound we’re after?

Also is it better to run the amp at full power or at half power?

Thanks for your patience with these beginner questions, bless.
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MarjanM View Drop Down
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Points: 7844 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MarjanM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 August 2025 at 3:46pm
I would recommend bringing twice the number of scoops and run them with no more than 1KW per each and never clip your amp.
Adding distorsion trough a preamp is not helping also. They add to the clipped signal and you get burned voice coils.
Alway run your rig with at least 3-4db headroom.
From your other post i can conclude that you dont have enough rig for the gig you want to do.
Marjan Milosevic
MM-Acoustics
www.mm-acoustics.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MM-Acoustics/608901282527713
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cravings View Drop Down
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Points: 7507 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cravings Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 August 2025 at 4:31pm
Yeah red means stop
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Sypa View Drop Down
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Points: 953 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sypa Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 August 2025 at 4:57pm
Tbx is a really old driver with bad cooling , any more modern offerings you can run hard and they wont cook like the tbx . Sw115 ,ds100/115.
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jacethebase View Drop Down
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Points: 5837 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jacethebase Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 August 2025 at 12:36pm
Work out your limiter settings properly before you do anything! Unless you have money to burn.

Try distorting the sound BEFORE it gets to the amplifier stage. Are you analogue or digital on your control side? If analogue maybe get an old 160 or something and try that out on your sub frequency band?
www.wedding-production.co.uk

www.stage2sound.com
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Earplug View Drop Down
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Valve preamp.

See my other post...
Earplugs Are For Wimps!
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Lucasdude View Drop Down
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Points: 986 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lucasdude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 August 2025 at 2:02pm
Originally posted by Earplug Earplug wrote:

Valve preamp.

See my other post...


  Musical Fidelity made a stereo valve line buffer many moons ago. Since then there have been a raft of Chinese knockoffs available for not much monies. They are unbalanced though, but I imagine if you overload it slightly you might get a similar sound!
  
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levyte357- View Drop Down
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Points: 8517 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote levyte357- Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 August 2025 at 3:30pm
Mightymaximo,

Suggest you request admin to move this thread to the Scoop forum. 

Done

Or expect to be flooded with comments from Reggae Sound System haters/those who don't get Reggae Sounds systems, but think they are experts.


Edited by levyte357- - 18 August 2025 at 3:35pm
Global Depopulation - Alive and Killing.
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snowflake View Drop Down
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Points: 3443 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote snowflake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 August 2025 at 4:31pm
Originally posted by cravings cravings wrote:

Yeah red means stop


a DJ once told me in all seriousness 'this red light- this is your bass'
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levyte357- View Drop Down
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Points: 8517 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote levyte357- Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 August 2025 at 4:56pm
Right this is now in the right forum.

MightyMaximo, 

Would suggest, you only listen to guys, who are already running Reggae Soundsystems, with Scoops, and have tried various drivers, with different sub amps, sometimes in bridge.

Have already read much biased info in this thread, that is just plain wrong.

Please define the model of Scoops you are using, and I'll suggest drivers, that will do what you need, in bridge on CA18.

Please be aware, CA18 must be on very stiff mains, to fully perform, without premature clipping.

You only listen


Edited by levyte357- - 18 August 2025 at 5:12pm
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WessexAudioMan View Drop Down
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Points: 76 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WessexAudioMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 August 2025 at 8:03am
CA18 is not a nasty clipper when the red lights are flashing unlike some amps, that’s assuming the clip limiter switches are switched on. Still not best practice to run like that but it will exceed the paper specs when pushed to its limit. Which is enough power for most 18” drivers 2 a side when playing electronic bass heavy music. 
If you want more, you need more boxes not power into the ones you got. If you want to change or colour the sound to your own taste do that before it gets to the amplifier. 
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levyte357- View Drop Down
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Points: 8517 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote levyte357- Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 August 2025 at 9:31am
Originally posted by WessexAudioMan WessexAudioMan wrote:

CA18 is not a nasty clipper when the red lights are flashing unlike some amps, that’s assuming the clip limiter switches are switched on. 


I agree, thank God is one of the amps with very good clip limiting.

My experience of ownership was, the anp is a completely different beast on saggy mains, as opposed to on a single leg, of 3ph supply/genset.

Just like Crest 9001/QSC PL380.
Global Depopulation - Alive and Killing.
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