Epifani UL3 Cabinets - Manual (Page 5)

5
UL 3 Cabinet Tips
& troubleshooting
UL3 cabinets are equipped with Combo Neutrik Connectors. This means that you can use a
Speakon connector or a ¼” connector. How? In the center of the Speakon connector you’ll find
¼” hole to insert a ¼” jack. For higher-power handling and more secure connections, use
Speakon-to-Speakon cables with a speaker wire of at least 16-gauge. A lower gauge number
means thicker cabling, so a 14-gauge cable is thicker in diameter and thus better than a 16-
gauge cable. Thicker cabling means better low-frequency transmission to the cabinets.
Pin connection inside the Speakon connector should be +1 and -1. Be sure to specify this
configuration when buying your speaker cables. Although this is the most common style, it is not
the only style made.
The Input/Output connections in the back of your cabinets are wired in parallel. If you
daisy chain two 8-ohm cabinets, you will have a total impedance of 4 ohms. If your amp minimum
load is 4-ohms, it means that you can use two 8-ohm cabinets or a single 4-ohm cabinet. In
either event, be sure to wear proper ear protection - the UL3 cabinets and Epifani amplifiers
are very loud, high-fidelity products. We want you to have a very long and enjoyable music
career, so please protect your ears when performing at high volumes.
When using multiple cabinets, be sure they are all in “phase”. With a 9V battery (the
same battery used inside most active basses) you can test the polarity, or phase, of your
speakers to make sure all are working and moving in the right direction forward! Sometimes,
when you daisy chain two cabinets, you will note a lack of bass response. Typically, this means
that one of the cabinets is out of phase and its speakers are moving backward when they should
be moving forward. If one cabinet or one speaker is moving backwards when the other moves
forward, they will cancel each other out. You can readily notice this when a single cabinet has
more bass and better response then when two are connected. Here’s how to verify phase. Take
a ¼” cable. Insert one side into a cabinet and touch the other tip of the ¼” jack to the “+” of a 9
volt battery and the shaft to the “-” of the battery. The connected speaker should move
forward when this connection is made. If it does, the cabinet is in phase. If it moves backwards,
you have a cabinet that’s wired out of phase. The problem can be easily corrected by a speaker
technician.
Lastly, the positioning of your cabinet in the room makes a significant difference
on the sound you hear. As you move closer to the rear wall or corners, you will
hear more bass, but you might lose some midrange clarity. Each room is different
and you may not have the ability to move to the best spot. However, a few inches
in either direction can give you the sound you desire.
the future has been drawn