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Distro Decisions

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finnchapman View Drop Down
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    Posted: 28 May 2020 at 2:38pm
Easy everyone, 
Hope you are all good and making use of the sunshine - I'm out in the garden, building a few scoops as we speak.

Over the past few months I have been putting together my first system -
3 Oberton 18XB1300 Super Scoops on one channel of a Void Inf8 V2
HD215 with 2x Fane Sovereign 15-400LF on the other channel of the Inf8
2x MT121s loaded with recommended drivers (600W and 100W) running in stereo off a Void Inf5 V2 and a Void Inf X4

I also have a couple rackmount processors (EQ, compressor/gate/limiter) and a Berry DCX.

So far I have been running everything off its own 13A plug, but I am looking at getting a distro unit to tidy up the rack for gigging.

I have been offered a Kelsey PD7/32 for a good price, and am wondering whether I should go for it, or if I will be limited by having 13A output for each amp? I know the Inf8 can be powerhungry with more drivers, but will it be alright on 13A for what it is currently driving?? Should I be looking at 3-phase distros, or is that ridiculously over the top for this scale of system? How will the system perform if the distro has to be adapted down to a single 13A socket?

Any advice is very welcome! 
Cheers,
Finn (Forward Sound)
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James Tengo View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote James Tengo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 May 2020 at 5:01pm
1 - What do the venues you play in have supply wise?
2 - Have you ever tripped a 13a fuse in anger? What current do you see on the Inf 8 readout under normal use?

The 32a to 13a sockets in the distro is akin to a ring main in a venue, so no different to your current use of "separate" 13a sockets for your amps
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James Tengo View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote James Tengo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 May 2020 at 5:04pm
The single 13a to 32a adaptor will not throttle system performance, current limiting doesn't work that way. The fuse will pass current until it fails, often at a value much higher than 13a....

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finnchapman View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote finnchapman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 May 2020 at 5:12pm
Thanks for the reply James - never tripped a 13A but not really pushed it too hard yet, as it's in my house and the neighbours wouldn't be too happy Wink

Venues have a mix of supplies as far as I am aware - some with 13A, some with 32A etc. I'm really thinking about futureproofing/if having this distro will hamper the system at all. The ring main point is interesting - does this hold true if the distro is off a single 13A versus each amp on its own? 

I also suppose I could have the inf8 off one 32A and the distro off another in a pinch. 

Thanks,
Finn

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JonB67 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JonB67 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 May 2020 at 9:10pm
I designed a 2u distro that has 2 inputs so you can run it off 2x13amp sockets  (Or 2x16 or 2x32) and it effectively runs as 2 distros, or press a switch and it runs the whole thing off one input if you only have one 32amp socket as a single distro.

I don't build them, just had the idea. 

Drop me a pm if that sounds useful.



Edited by JonB67 - 28 May 2020 at 9:11pm
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imageoven View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote imageoven Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 May 2020 at 9:20pm
Originally posted by James Tengo James Tengo wrote:

1 - What do the venues you play in have supply wise?


^ this is the most important question really.

In an ideal world your Inf8 would have a 32A plug on its input and be given a 32A supply of its own.
The inf5 and inf4 both pull less than 13A each at full steam so running them both off a 32A- 13a distro makes sense as it keeps your cables a bit tidier. So ideally your venue will have 2 x 32A sockets.

But if your venue only has a single 32A supply (and you'll be lucky to get that in many small to medium sized venues) then it would make more sense to run the inf.8 from it, and run 13A from wall sockets for each of the smaller amps.

Keep pushing on, things are gonna get better.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote imageoven Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 May 2020 at 9:26pm
Originally posted by JonB67 JonB67 wrote:

I designed a 2u distro that has 2 inputs so you can run it off 2x13amp sockets  (Or 2x16 or 2x32) and it effectively runs as 2 distros, or press a switch and it runs the whole thing off one input if you only have one 32amp socket as a single distro.

I don't build them, just had the idea.


Probably best to go with the conventional approach of cascading distros to give you flexibility.

Obviously I don't know your design JonB67, but this type of multiple input distro either makes one input live when not plugged in (ie widow maker) or is surprisingly expensive to implement correctly /  safely.
Keep pushing on, things are gonna get better.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JonB67 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2020 at 8:14am
Nope, not a widow maker. Wink

I realised for my needs, and with the venue sizes I use never know what  outlets you're going to get, the ultimate in flexibility without rewiring the amp rack every time was what I wanted. 


Edited by JonB67 - 29 May 2020 at 8:25am
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paulus View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote paulus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2020 at 12:52pm
just for reference i have used a void on 13 amp plug tops when nothing eles is  available  and seen it hit 21 amps without blowing nothing ,tho that was only running it at 4 ohm load per channel 

Edited by paulus - 29 May 2020 at 12:52pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DJ-Dulux Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2020 at 1:03pm
Venues I play at range from garden parties to school halls to social clubs. All my racks are built with powercons. Each 20A powercon feeds either a big amp direct or a couple of items via a PDU (midtop amp and processor). Every rack has generally 2 powercon inputs.
I then have:
 
13A>16A adaptors (0.5m)
16A>20A powercon (0.5m)
16A>32A adaptors (0.5m)
16A>16A extensions (3, 5 and 10m)
32A>32A extensions (5 and 10m)
32A 3 phase to 32A single phase breakout splitter
 
Finally I have some rubber box
32A to 4 16A RCBO
16A to 8 13A
 
I can therefore run off pretty much anything I come across from 13A sockets to 3 phase 32A and its also easy to add to if I need more. The 13A>16A 16A>32A are useful for longer runs etc.
 
For most venues its 13A to 16A extensions into powercon.
 
Key is flexibility and the ability to buy or hire standard items if needed.
 
All cable in flexible rubber Ho7m-f.
 
Dupe...
 
 
Dupe...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jacethebase Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2020 at 9:29am
Unless your doing venues geared up for events coming through With suitable power etc. Keep it all 13a and just spread the load around the ring main.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote al_x Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2020 at 2:22pm
Most people I have seen use 16amp blue plugs or 20amp powercon for infi8’s.
A distro with 32in/out and a couple of 16 or 20amp outputs on breakers and then 13amp outs for the rest of the gear would be perfect. 
For venues with only 13amp outputs you’d just have to try to separate the amps the best you can. 

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