Meyer Sound 600-HP - Manual (Page 21)

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CHAPTER 5
USING 600-HP SUBWOOFERS WITH OTHER
MEYER SOUND LOUDSPEAKERS
It is often necessary to augment mid-high or full-range
systems with subwoofers when higher SPL is needed, or
the program content requires additional low-frequency
energy (e.g., the reinforcement of popular music).
The 600-HP subwoofer can achieve frequencies down in
the 36 Hz range, extending the system response appre-
ciably and increasing the acoustic power of the system in
the lowest frequencies. In addition, the use of high-pass
and/or low-pass filters to drive a system with subwoofers
can improve the interaction between the subwoofers and
the system in the crossover area, as well as increase the
system’s headroom.
The ideal ratio of 600-HP subwoofers with respect to other
loudspeakers in the system depends on:
■ The loudspeaker type being used in conjunction with
the 600-HP (MICA, CQ-1, UPA-1P, etc.)
■ The configuration of the system, whether flown or
ground-stacked
■ The frequency content of the signal being reproduced
by the system, e.g., classical music, rock, or speech
When considering the ratio of loudspeakers to subwoofers in
a system, it is important to consider not only the frequency
response for the system, but also the headroom required to
satisfy the SPL at a low frequency for the situation.
Common applications for the 600-HP involve using the
subwoofer with MICA curvilinear array loudspeakers, since
its rigging is directly compatible, as well as with other
M Series, Concert Series, and UltraSeries loudspeakers. In
many circumstances, two loudspeakers for each subwoofer
yield good results in frequency response and headroom.
NOTE: In demanding low-frequency ap-
plications, using more subwoofers is highly
recommended (for example, three loudspeakers for
two subwoofers) to avoid negative consequences
such as decreasing the headroom at the low end of
the spectrum, increasing distortion, and exposing
the 600-HP drivers to excessive power levels.
CAUTION: The 600-HP’s limit LEDs indicate
when the safe power level is exceeded. If
the subwoofers used in the system begin to limit
before reaching the required SPL at low frequencies,
consider adding more subwoofers to satisfy the SPL
requirements without exposing the drivers to exces-
sive heat and/or excursion.
Subwoofer Placement
One of the most important factors governing subwoofer
response is their placement relative to adjacent surfaces.
Subwoofers gain significant power by coupling (known as
loading) with nearby floors and walls. A subwoofer placed
on the floor benefits from half-space loading, and generates
approximately 6 dB of additional SPL on-axis into the room
compared to that same subwoofer in free space (suspend-
ed above the floor).
NOTE: It can be beneficial in some cases
to fly subwoofers, even though they do not
benefit from half-space loading. Placing subwoof-
ers within a flown array of mid-high loudspeakers
can create a smoother full-range frequency image
because the subwoofers are not separated by the
distance from the flown array to the floor. When sub-
woofers are flown, consider adding more subwoof-
ers to satisfy the SPL and headroom requirements
of the design.
600-HP Used with MICA Curvilinear Array
Loudspeakers
When fitted with MRF-600 rigging hardware, the 600-HP
subwoofer may be flown at the top of a MICA array to aug-
ment the system’s low-frequency output and headroom. The
600-HP links directly to the MG-MICA rigging grid, and mul-
tiple units may be added. The 600-HP’s rigging can provide
either uptilt or downtilt to the MICA array suspended below.
A separate 600-HP subwoofer array can also be flown next
to a MICA or other array using the MG-MICA grid.
The 600-HP will extend the low-frequency response of the
system by approximately one octave, as well as provide ad-
ditional headroom in the lowest octave of the MICA’s range.
While the 600-HP subwoofer and MICA loudspeaker both
have internal active crossover electronics that are optimized
for the system, using the LD-1, LD-2, or LD-3 line drivers
or the Galileo loudspeaker management system is recom-
mended for the best results.
CHAPTER 5: SYSTEM INTEGRATION