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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 connectors as an output to another sub-
woofer. This allows the multiple, cabinets to be
"daisy chained", eliminating the need for several long
runs of speaker cable.
Note: A single 215s / 215sc subwoofer represents a
4Ω load to the amplifier. Daisy chaining two of them
in parallel will represent a 2Ω load to the amplifier.
Only amplifiers rated for 2Ω output should be used
in this configuration.
The following polarity convention should be used
when making connections to the 215s / 215sc:
Polarity Phone Jack Speakon™
Positive (+) Tip 1+ and/or 2+
Negative (-) Sleeve 1- and/or 2-
The 215s / 215sc is designed to augment the low
frequency performance of the main P.A. speakers
using bi-amplification. By reproducing very high lev-
els of the low bass frequencies, the 215s / 215sc
relieve the smaller main speakers from having to
supply this energy.
In order to split frequencies and send certain fre-
quencies to one type of speaker and other frequen-
cies 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 sub-
woofer to a system. Figure 3, on page 7, shows a
more extensive configuration for those set-ups
requiring additional power.
The placement of any speaker can dramatically
affect its sound. Thus, there are three primary con-
siderations 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
hinging 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 mid-
dle of the floor or up in the air with its back against a
wall is referred to as operating in "half space".
The 215s/215sc is designed for a "half space" con-
figuration. 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 com-
pared to half space. The more surfaces the sub-
woofer 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 installa-
tions, the subwoofer can be used as a support for a
mid/high pack mounted either directly on top of the
subwoofer or supported by the optional pole mount
assembly (Fender P/N 071-1359-000) and using the
subwoofer as a base. In permanent installations, the
215s/215sc, for example, can be placed under a
stage or table. For each particular situation, a com-
promise among these three factors should yield the
best solution possible.
CONNECTIONS
USING THE 215s/215sc IN A SYSTEM
SETUP SUGGESTIONS
4