Anyone using a dbx DriveRack PA+ 2?

[RoyParticipant]

Hi all

Just thought I ask if anyone uses their QU-XX with a DriveRack PA+ 2 and wondered what you thought and how you worked with them.

I have had one for a while and was using it it good effect with my Turbosound IP2000s – auto eq, level assist and feedback protection. But I’ve recently bought some new gear with considerably more grunt and had issues with a gig last weekend, not helped by the fact we couldn’t finalise setup until 40mins before we were due on and I had some difficulties with one of the subs. So had to fly blind and not do a soundcheck. Thankfully it all went very well and sounded pretty good to my ears.

I now have 2 x RCF HD12a and 2 x Alto TS12 12″ subs (one of which refused to work on Saturday but subsequently did when testing at home!). The issue I had was the rta mic clipping on the level assist and auto eq – the test pulses sounded sooooo loud!. Had to abandon it in the end, even though I measured the mic positioning accurately. The Alto’s were set to 0db and the RCFs set to somewhere between 9 and 10 oclock on the attenuator, so a fair bit of room left to 0db. The place was rammed though so it could have been down to too much loud ambient noise as I’ve never set up in somewhere so crowded.

Anyway, if you have a DriveRack PA, i’d be interested to hear how you use yours, especially if you have an active speaker setup like me.

Thanks always.

Roy

PS Those RCF tops are amazing. Probably double the volume I got from my IP2000s, which is not surprising I guess. And so clear in the mids. Had lots of nice comments on how they sounded!

[Lee7Participant]

If you are using an active PA system why go to the hassle of running it all through a DBX driverack when the system should be optimised from the factory? It will be crossing over between 100/120hz from your subs to your tops. Any eq’ing will/should be done at the desk.

What I have done in the past with my old Mackie (RCF loaded) system when used with the X32 is to use the onboard matrix and drive the subs and top independant so I/we could get more out of the tops and subs, especially so we could clean the subs up more giving us a more defined punchy response. But to be honest, for all the extra cabling and work that was involved it wasn’t really worth the hassle as the real world difference was minimal.

So I set it up as Mackie intended.

Now we use a DBX driverack when running outside or very large indoor gigs when we use the ASS rig as that is a beast of system that needs some serious taming. We have a set up scene stored on the DBX for that system.

[MarkPAmanParticipant]

You play loud pulses through the PA when there’s an audience in? Bet they love that!

I’ve tried a lot of “automatic” stuff and am not convinced that it does a better job than I can do with my ears, at least 95% of the time.

I run my RCF TT system as designed by RCF & use a little of the desk eq (of which the Qu has a lot available) to compensate for whatever the room is doing – and I set up while playing some appropriate music, not pulses.

[J3phMPParticipant]

I utilize the pink noise if no one is around, then double check with the frequency sweepable noise. Set up is the time I wish the QU series had a better graphic RTA.
I tried using a Driverack with the QU in the past, I thought they fought against each other. You have to make up your mind as to which EQ you were we’re going to use in system set up and stick with that choice. I personally think the QU has a more accurate EQ.

[RoyParticipant]

Thanks guys.

Interesting what you say about the EQ because I find the EQ on the DriveRack every bit as good as the QU. I predominantly use the Feeback filters as they allow me a little extra headroom when needed.

A couple of you also mentioned running your speakers “as designed” – what is meant by that?

Cheers

Roy

[Lee7Participant]

“as designed”

Most if not all powered systems I would assume are optimised to give their best performance, so I don’t see why using a DBX is going to better that. Maybe apart from possibly achieving a bit more headroom from the subs and tops by running them seperately. But I have tried this with my rig and the real world benefit was minimal.

You can notch out feedback using the QU’s onboard eq section, but if you are experiencing a lot of feedback maybe you doing something wrong?

[GCumbeeParticipant]

FWIW. I’ve been using driveracks on installs for years. Even with all the onboard processing on QUs or GLD I still put in a DR. 2 or Venue 360. I want all that outside the console. That way less chance someone will mess with it. I use the DR for crossover plus room EQ and compression/limiting/delay. Rarely use the anti feedback but have on a few occasions.

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