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Wiring Subs in Parallel - NL8 Question |
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Amphibia 
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Joined: 27 November 2019 Location: Perth, Australi Status: Offline Points: 12 |
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 Topic: Wiring Subs in Parallel - NL8 QuestionPosted: 20 September 2021 at 6:06am |
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Hi all,
Looking to drive 4 x 18SW115's from an MC2 E90, 4 x 12NDL76 from Amp 2, 2 x BMS 4594 ND from Amp 3 and had some questions about wiring via NL8. Question 1: Am I correct in saying that the NL8 cable at the rack end is broken out. +1/-1 goes to the MC2 E90, +2/-2 goes to Amp 2, +3/-3 goes to Amp 3. Question 2: What does this wiring physically look like? Do the to wires from the NL8 that relate to each (IE: +1/-1 for the sub) get connected to an NL2 connection, which then gets connected to the single channel of the amp (IE: MC2 E90). Question 3: How do we then wire the second set of subs in parallel? Given my assumptions in Question 1 & 2 are correct. I imagine the path looks like this: Amp -> NL8 at rack end -> NL8 at sub (in) -> second cable from NL8 at sub (out) -> NL8 on mid top -> +2-2 to 12NDL76 / +3/-3 to BMS4594. Can't figure out how to run the +1/-1 line in the NL8 to the second sub cabinet in the stack. Appreciate any assistance / guidance / advice!
Edited by Amphibia - 20 September 2021 at 8:09am |
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toastyghost
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Posted: 20 September 2021 at 6:29am |
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You’re over complicating it. It’s far better - flexibility & future proofing - to have an NL8 socket on a patch panel at the amp rack, and a break out box or fan-out cable to four separate connectors at the stack end.
Then you just use normal NL4 sockets and link wiring on the boxes. |
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Amphibia
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Joined: 27 November 2019 Location: Perth, Australi Status: Offline Points: 12 |
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Posted: 20 September 2021 at 8:07am |
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Ahh ok - sounds reasonable to me. How do I wire the subs in parallel via this method?
Do i wire +1/-1 and +2/-2 from the patch bay NL8 socket to a sub amplifier channel, and then run the +1/-1 and +2/-2 cables from the breakout box on the stack end to each of the subs?
Edited by Amphibia - 20 September 2021 at 8:08am |
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toastyghost
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Posted: 20 September 2021 at 2:42pm |
If you want them all on one channel, just plug the first sub into the break out box or fan cable, then link between the four boxes with short two-core (or for more flexibility four-core) speakon cables. Unless you’re wanting to run two subs per amp channel, in which case yes your way is correct. That would leave the third pair of the NL8 to run your mids or kicks, and the fourth pair for your tops. This would be mono, of course. |
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Conanski
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Joined: 26 January 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Status: Offline Points: 2537 |
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Posted: 20 September 2021 at 9:56pm |
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Are all these speakers in separate boxes?
There are lots of different ways to do this all of which can work, the challenge is to make it idiot proof so you don't have to think... just plug in the cables where they fit. If the subs are separate I'd suggest uning NL4 conectors and cables for everything, put a pair of NL4 sockets in each cab with jumpers from one to the other so the subs cab be daisy chained together. If the mids and highs are in one box wire them internally with 1+1- for the mids and 2+2- for the highs. That means you need to run 2 cables for each side but they will be all the same and any cable can be used for any box... no special cables to lose, no color coded connectors to remember.
Edited by Conanski - 20 September 2021 at 9:59pm |
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Amphibia
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Posted: 21 September 2021 at 1:28am |
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Thanks for the responses to you both.
The subs are seperate yes. The stack is two sub cabinets, and one mid/top cabinet on each side. I'm totally with you on setting up an idiot proof system here, and that's the goal. My preference would be to have a single NL8 cable running from the amp stack, and am currently trying to figure out if that's possible. @toastyghosts comment on mono has got me thinking it may not be though, as I'd like to run the mid/tops in stereo. First question would be: can I run stereo and mono in a single NL8, with +1/-1 in mono, and +2/-2 and +3/-3 in stereo? Second question: would this wiring configuration work? * 1 x Sub (+1/-1) amp channel, 1 x Mid (+2/-2) amp channel, 1 x Top amp (+3/-3) channel to an NL8 connector at the rack end. * NL8 cable to first NL8 socket on sub cabinet one, this socket sends +1/-1 to sub driver * First NL8 socket on sub cabinet one with jumpers for +1/-1, +2/-2 and +3/-3 over to second NL8 socket on sub cabinet one * Short NL8 cable from second NL8 socket on sub cabinet one over to first NL8 socket on sub cabinet two. This socket sends +1/-1 to the sub driver. * First NL8 socket on sub cabinet two with jumpers for +1/-1, +2/-2 and +3/-3 over to second NL8 socket on sub cabinet two. * Short NL8 cable from second socket on sub cabinet two up to NL8 socket on mid / top cabinet. * NL8 Socket on mid / top cabinet wire +2/-2 to mid driver and +3/-3 to top driver. Aside from the mono/stereo question, I'm not 100% on whether the configuration i've set out above will work in powering the subs in parallel.
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Conanski
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Posted: 21 September 2021 at 3:04am |
As for using NL8 connections, If you use 8 conductor wire between the rack and subs you can utilize 2 pairs of conductors for the subs, because more copper is always better when it comes to these high power components.
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Amphibia
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Posted: 21 September 2021 at 5:55am |
Gotcha - I imagine the stereo / mono decision occurs at the mixer prior to crossover? The reason for running both subs of the same conductor was that we were thinking of building kick bins a little down the line, these would take the 4th spot on the NL8 connection. Given this, will the wiring configuration I set out above work?
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JonB67
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Joined: 22 April 2016 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 1376 |
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Posted: 21 September 2021 at 9:16am |
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https://www.doctorproaudio.com/content.php?2277-speaker-cable-gauge-table&langid=1
Keep damping factor above 20 (advice from an old post on speaker Plans) I know this isnt exactly what you asked but might help inform the nl8 8 core cable vs 2 nl4 4 core cable debate. Some use all 4mm so all cables are interchangeable. Some use 4mm on sub and 2.5 on tops, some would run a 4mm 8 core, some would run 2.5 for everything. Depends how long your run is and what impedance you're using. Copper is expensive, so worth working out what works for you and getting it right first time. Edited by JonB67 - 21 September 2021 at 9:21am |
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snowflake
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Posted: 21 September 2021 at 10:37am |
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if using NL8 connectors a breakout box is definitely the best way to do it. but the other simple way to use 8-core cables is to put two NL4 connectors on each end. you can then plug straight into most speakers and use link cables to distribute the signals to the rest of the stack.
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Amphibia wrote: