monitor/amp problem

[Emeric]

You can use a high power amp, just keep in mind that with a lot of power, you have the ability of melting those point 7's. In otherwords, don't crank it and maybe be a bit more conservative on the input gains to the poweramp.

[mojoshmoe]

I just bought a pair of Alesis Point Seven monitors thinking that I could power them with a Mackie 800 amp. When I read the manual to the Point Sevens, it said that nothing over 200W could be used. I was sure I had seen that combination before. Is there a way to keep the level down on the 800, or do I have to buy a less powerful amp? I want something that works live as well as in the studio.

[gaffa]

Put a lightbulb in line with the speaker. Yeah it sounds stupid, but it works - as the volume increases (ie the power output increases), the voltage on the speaker line increases. As the voltage increases, the light bulb begins to glow, and the tungsten filament, as it glows, increases its resistance.

All in all, it's a really cheap speaker protector. It used to be found all the time in older '60's speaker bins. Now polyswitches are used, but they are on/off type things.

Don't know just how much the lightbulb reduices the signal though - tryingto drop a flat out 800W down to 200W might be a bit hopeful.

I've used this to limit speakers that weren't too far behind the amp - 150W speakers and 200W amps.

- gaffa

[dobro]

gaffa, how long you been doing this? lightbulbs!