Speakerplans.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > General > Newbie Discussion
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Limiters
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Limiters

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
Chewit View Drop Down
Registered User
Registered User
Avatar

Joined: 18 May 2020
Location: Dorset
Status: Offline
Points: 39
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Chewit Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Limiters
    Posted: 06 April 2021 at 7:42pm
Best way to work out limiters!
Back to Top
citizensc View Drop Down
Young Croc
Young Croc
Avatar

Joined: 16 October 2015
Location: Perth,Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 532
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote citizensc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 April 2021 at 12:20am
What processor are you using? 
https://www.facebook.com/voyager.system

@voyager_soundsystem
Back to Top
APC321 View Drop Down
Young Croc
Young Croc


Joined: 24 August 2013
Location: West Midlands
Status: Offline
Points: 680
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote APC321 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 April 2021 at 4:54pm
As a rough but simple real-world limiter check this is what I would do:

Get a dj mixer. Connect the master outputs of the dj mixer to your limiter / system processor etc.

Connect the limiter to the amp(s) that you intend to use. Turn amplifier volume controls up to full. Disconnect any speakers that are connected to the amplifier outputs.

Play some music with repetitive beats. Turn up the channel eqs. Turn the channel trim, the channel fader and the master fader all up very high.

Now I the meters showing what is being output from the dj mixer will be well into the red, or maybe even off the scale completely. (Very easy with a mixer like the Pineer DJM600).

Now adjust your limiter until the clip lights on your amps just come on intermittantly with the beat of the music. They must never come on continuously.

Now your system is set up so that even if you have to go away from your gig for an hour or two, and a fool who calls himself a "dj" who does not know what he is doing, abuses and red-lines the mixer, then your speakers should still be safe.

Unfortunately with setting limiters I would say that you have to always assume the worst possible scenario, and work back from there.


Back to Top
Jack1991 View Drop Down
Registered User
Registered User


Joined: 05 February 2020
Location: Bristol
Status: Offline
Points: 491
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jack1991 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 April 2021 at 8:37pm
This is a great simple explanation of how to set limiters. I am new to this so am also recently trying to work out how to set them and will use this method cheers APC321 🙂👍🏼

I understand obviously the speakers arent connected so no sound is made, but does it stress the amp to the max having everything set so high?


Edited by Jack1991 - 07 April 2021 at 8:37pm
Back to Top
APC321 View Drop Down
Young Croc
Young Croc


Joined: 24 August 2013
Location: West Midlands
Status: Offline
Points: 680
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote APC321 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 April 2021 at 10:05am
As no speakers are connected the amp is driving an open-circuit and delivering no current.
Back to Top
kipman725 View Drop Down
Registered User
Registered User


Joined: 02 September 2020
Location: Warrington
Status: Offline
Points: 231
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kipman725 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 April 2021 at 12:39pm
This is overly simple what your describing is how you would set up and input compressor/limiter to that exists to prevent the system sounding bad when its approaching amp clipping or channel limiting and not something that would protect your drivers unless your amps are low powered relative to your drivers capabilities. 

A lot depends on the processing you have but generally:
1) each output from the processor has two limiters; a fast acting peak limiter and a longer time constant average power limiter.  These limiters are there to protect the drivers.
2) the peak limiter is there to limit excursion.
3) the long time constant limiter is set much lower and is there to protect from thermal damage.
4) the safest is to run all amps at max gain as this avoids someone fiddling with them but this may result in sub-optimal gain structure and also in the case of pops say caused by unintentional shutdown of the processor will result in maximum amplification and greater likelihood of driver damage.
5) the limiters are adjusted by using a voltmeter on the amps output to set to the desired voltage (no speakers connected)
6) If set correctly these limiters will protect your speakers, however they also sound bad if your start to hit them regularly and its preferable to have a more gradual tonal change as the system starts to limit.  To do this you have a compressor before the crossover that is set to prevent these limiters from engaging too much.  I find for this a compressor set to medium knee with 300ms attack and release works well, this way the system is only turning down if its been asked too much of for a relatively long period of time.  I use pink noise to set the threshold for this but you could use the expected content.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.06
Copyright ©2001-2023 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.109 seconds.