Peavey CS 800H manual RampUp Signal Control, Speaker Protection

RampUp™ Signal Control

Whenever amplifier powers up or comes out of a protect mode, the RampUp™ circuit activates. While the speakers are disconnected, the RampUp™ circuit fully attenuates the signal. After the output relay closes, the signal slowly and gradually raises up to its set level. The RampUp™ Signal Control circuit has some important advantages over the conventional instant-on circuits:

If a signal is present during power-up (or when coming out of protect), the speakers are spared a sudden, potentially damaging burst of audio power.

Because the gain is reduced until after the output relay closes, no arcing occurs at the contacts, thereby extending their useful life.

Speaker Protection

All loudspeakers have electrical, thermal and physical limits that must be observed to prevent damage or failure. Too much power, low frequencies applied to high frequency drivers, severely clipped waveforms, and DC voltage can all be fatal to cone and compression drivers. The Peavey CS 800H amplifier automatically protects speakers from DC voltages and subsonic signals. For more information, see the section on Protection Features. Mid- and high-frequency speakers, especially compression drivers, are highly susceptible to damage from overpowering, clipped waveforms, or frequencies below their rated pass band. Be extremely careful that the low and mid bands of an electronic crossover are connected to the correct amplifiers and drivers and not accidentally connected to those for a lower frequency band. The amplifier’s clipping point is its maximum peak output power, and the high power Peavey CS 800H amplifier can deliver more power than many speakers can safely handle. Be sure the peak power capability of the amplifier is not excessive for your speaker system.

Fuses may also be used to limit power to speaker drivers, although as current-limiting rather than voltage-limiting devices, they are an imperfect solution, and as the weakest links, they only limit once before needing replacement. Some poor quality fuses have a significant series resistance that could degrade the amplifier’s damping of the speaker’s motion and may even deteriorate the system’s sound quality. If you elect to use fuses, check with the speaker manufacturer to determine the proper current rating and time lag required.

Do not drive any low-frequency speaker enclosure with frequencies lower than its own tuned frequency; the reduced acoustical damping could cause a ported speaker to bottom out even at moderate power. Consult the speaker system specifications to determine its frequency limits.

Amplifier Maintenance and User Responsibility

A CS 800H amplifier requires no other routine maintenance and should never need any internal adjustment during its lifetime. Your CS 800H amplifier is very powerful and can be potentially dangerous to loudspeakers and humans alike. It is your responsibility to read the Important Precautions section and to make sure that the amplifier is installed, wired and operated properly as instructed in this manual. Many loudspeakers can be easily damaged or destroyed by overpowering, especially with the high power available from a bridged amplifier. Read the Speaker Protection section and always be aware of the speaker’s continuous and peak power capabilities.

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