Fender 118SC owner manual Connections, Setup Suggestions, USING THE 118s/118s IN A SYSTEM

CONNECTIONS SETUP SUGGESTIONS

The two 4-Pole Speakon™ connectors and the two 1/4" phone jacks are wired in full parallel so that any one of the connectors may be used as an input and the other connector as an output to another subwoofer. This allows the multiple cabinets to be "daisy chained", eliminating the need for several long runs of speaker cable.

Note: A single 118s / 118sc subwoofer represents an 8Ω load to the amplifier. Daisy chaining two of them in parallel will represent a 4Ω load to the amplifier. Only amplifiers rated for 4Ω output should be used in this configuration.

The following polarity convention should be used when making connections to the 118s / 118sc:

Polarity	Phone Jack	Speakon™
Positive (+)	Tip	1+ and/or 2+
Negative (-)	Sleeve	1- and/or 2-

USING THE 118s/118s IN A SYSTEM

The 118s / 118sc is designed to augment the low frequency performance of the main P.A. speakers using bi-amplification. By reproducing very high levels of the low bass frequencies, the 118s / 118sc relieve the smaller main speakers from having to supply this energy.

In order to split frequencies and send certain frequencies to one type of speaker and other frequencies to another type, a line-level electronic crossover, such as a Fender PCN-2 or PCN-4, is required.

Two different configurations are shown on pages 5 and 6, demonstrating how easy it is to add a subwoofer to a system. Figure 3, on page 7, shows

amore extensive configuration for those set-ups requiring additional power.

The placement of any speaker can dramatically affect its sound. Thus, there are three primary considerations to review when placing subwoofers.

The first is time alignment. The mid/high racks should be as close as possible to the subwoofer so the sound from the subwoofer reaches the audience at the same time as the sound from the mid/high packs. If the subwoofer is placed too far from the mid/high packs, a slight smearing of the lower bass frequencies may occur. While ideal placement for this consideration would involve stacking the mid/high pack on top of the subwoofer, this effect is quite subtle and an obvious effect may not be heard until the separation between the two cabinets is large enough to cause an audible time delay.

The second consideration is to try to obtain as much bass as possible from the subwoofer. A subwoofer hanging in free air is referred to as operating in "full space" since the subwoofer is free to radiate in all directions (omnidirectionally). A speaker in the middle of the floor or up in the air with its back against a wall is referred to as operating in "half space". Full space operation will result in about a 3 dB decrease in output as compared to half space. In order to compensate for the decrease in output using a full space configuration, the power amplifier may need to be turned up. Placing a speaker near a large, flat wall and on the floor (quarter space) will boost the bass performance by about 3 dB as compared to half space. The more surfaces the subwoofer is placed against, the fewer the number of subwoofer enclosures are needed to achieve a desired SPL.

The third consideration is convenience and the visual aspect of the speaker array. For temporary installations, the subwoofer can be used as a support for a mid/high pack mounted directly on top of the subwoofer. In permanent installations, the 118s/118sc, for example, can be placed under a stage or table.

For each particular situation, a compromise among these three factors should yield the best solution possible.

4