Newbie Discussion

Print Page | Close Window

Limiters

Printed From: Speakerplans.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Newbie Discussion
Forum Description: Newbie Discussion/Questions. Look less stupid here...
URL: https://forum.speakerplans.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=106203
Printed Date: 16 April 2024 at 9:29pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.06 - https://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Limiters

Posted By: Chewit
Subject: Limiters
Date Posted: 06 April 2021 at 7:42pm

Best way to work out limiters!

Replies:

Posted By: citizensc
Date Posted: 07 April 2021 at 12:20am

What processor are you using?

-------------
https://www.facebook.com/voyager.system

@voyager_soundsystem

Posted By: APC321
Date 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.

Posted By: Jack1991
Date 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?

Posted By: APC321
Date Posted: 08 April 2021 at 10:05am

As no speakers are connected the amp is driving an open-circuit and delivering no current.

Posted By: kipman725
Date 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.