speaker switcher switcher speaker

[James HE]

Until I can afford a new power amp for my monitors I need to figure out a way to switch between my PA speakers and my event 20/20s. The amp is a 350 watt yahmaha.

Could I simmply patch the runs through a patchbay? or is this a Bad Thing (tm)?

Is Rat shack the answer? I don't want to spend much.

[Fletcher]

Switching post the output of the amplifier will give level differences due to the different efficiencies of the speakers involved... but until you can afford another power amp... the 'rat shack speaker switcher' probably will be the best way to go.

Best of luck.

[Track Rat]

I'll be damned. Fletcher? THE Fletcher??

[DDev]

Yeah, I think this is the REAL Fletcher. I think he got sucked into our little world to defend himself in a long-winded thread in the mic forum about how he's discontinuing sales of Neumann mics. As always, his advice is most welcome here (and his defense is thought provoking, and just another thing to add to the list of "whats wrong with this industry").

And, to get back on topic, using a patch bay for switching between sets of speakers is not an intelligent idea, especially if you are using the "modern" bays with the printed circuit boards. These are not made to handle the current levels that an amp puts out and could cause some serious damage to your studio (think of plastic burning to get the picture). The Radio Shack speaker switcher is a good, inexpensive solution.

Darryl.....

[cominginsecond]

I, too, am a devotee of the Radio Shack speaker switcher, but I don't use it to switch back and forth between speakers. I use it to defeat my speakers when I want to monitor using only headphones. This is the only way I could think of to do this with my Hafler 1100 power amp.

[cominginsecond]

James -

I take it from your avatar that you're a Flaming Lips fan?

[Booda]

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...%5Fid=40%2D132

Is this the one you guys are talking about?

Cominginsecond... I want to get a volume controll or mute to do just as you. I have the Event 20/20p (powered)... my sound card (Aardvark DP) has headphone out and monitor out w/ only one volume controll... so when I want to just listen to the headphones I have to reach around and turn off the 20/20s. Would this work for me and not degrade any of the signal of my monitors?

Thanks,
B.

[Fletcher]

Originally posted by cominginsecond
I use it to defeat my speakers when I want to monitor using only headphones.

I would highly suggest you place a 'dummy load' on the selection you employ to defeat your speakers... the output of most amplifiers really likes to see some kind of load [I'm unfamiliar with the specific Hafler you mentioned... so I'm not sure it this amp requires a load or not... but it's still not a bad idea].

Best of luck.

[cominginsecond]

Originally posted by Fletcher
I would highly suggest you place a 'dummy load' on the selection you employ to defeat your speakers... the output of most amplifiers really likes to see some kind of load [I'm unfamiliar with the specific Hafler you mentioned... so I'm not sure it this amp requires a load or not... but it's still not a bad idea].

Best of luck.

How would I go about putting a "dummy load" on the selection I use to defeat the speakers? Is that a speaker with the speakers removed? Seriously, I'm dumb.

Thanks for alerting me to this potential problem.

[TexRoadkill]

Originally posted by James HE
Could I simmply patch the runs through a patchbay? or is this a Bad Thing (tm)?

That depends on whether or not you feel smoke and flames are bad.

[Fletcher]

A 'dummy load' are some resistors that will look like a speaker to the output of the amplifier... so if your speakers are 8 ohms... you'll need an 8 ohm resistor that is capable of handling the power output of the amplifier [in other words capable of not burning to a crisp when they have 1000w run through them].

Any reasonably good tech [which I ain't] should be able to A) spec the proper resistors for the job; B) assist you in attaining the proper resistors for the job. You may actually be able to call or email the manufacturer of the amplifier to obtain this information... it may turn out that the particular amplifier you are using doesn't require a 'dummy load' when you're using it in the manner you've described.

Best of luck.

[DJL]

Originally posted by DDev
Yeah, I think this is the REAL Fletcher. I think he got sucked into our little world to defend himself in a long-winded thread in the mic forum about how he's discontinuing sales of Neumann mics. As always, his advice is most welcome here (and his defense is thought provoking, and just another thing to add to the list of "whats wrong with this industry").

And, to get back on topic, using a patch bay for switching between sets of speakers is not an intelligent idea, especially if you are using the "modern" bays with the printed circuit boards. These are not made to handle the current levels that an amp puts out and could cause some serious damage to your studio (think of plastic burning to get the picture). The Radio Shack speaker switcher is a good, inexpensive solution.

Darryl.....

Your right, and as soon as I read that BS crap about Fletcher, I thought it was only fair that he knew about it... so I emailed it to him.

Now, back to the topic, The Rat Slack speacker selector box like Fletcher said will work... turn down the volume, switch speakers with RS box, and turn volume up.

[DJL]

Originally posted by Fletcher
A 'dummy load' are some resistors that will look like a speaker to the output of the amplifier... so if your speakers are 8 ohms... you'll need an 8 ohm resistor that is capable of handling the power output of the amplifier [in other words capable of not burning to a crisp when they have 1000w run through them].

<snip>

And... a dummy load like that would most likey be an oil cooled resistor. In a nut shell... a big 8 ohm resister mounted in a 1 gallon paint can filled with transformer oil to keep it cool. At 1000 watts a dummy load like this would be good for about 8 minutes or so before it would need to be shut off to cool down.