I've been a huge audio enthusiast for years. I've built many passive speakers, done many higher end mobile audio systems, as well as set the sound system up for the church we go to. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to walk through the active door, but I really want to take that step and start playing with active. I have a few questions...
We got a DBX Driverack PA+ for the system at our church, and all we currently use that for is the limiters, the rumble filter and the xover from mains to subs. I know it does a lot more than just those things but we already have a PEQ (we aren't using time delay). My first question is... what are the differences between one of these style Driveracks (DBX, Ashly, Behringer, etc) and a MiniDSP?
While this question^^ is a bit of a mystery to me, right now I am leaning towards getting the MiniDSP. I'd like to begin with an active 3 way, but I'm still in the air about whether it's fully active, or a hybrid (passive mid to tweeter, active woofer and TM). I have amplifiers to do this either way, but it seems a waist to use even my smallest amp (Carver M1.5) on a pair of tweeters. If MiniDSP is the way to go and I want the option to do a 3 way, is getting 2 of the 2x4 MiniDSP in a box units for $105 each the best way to go; or should I go all in and spend $500 on the 4x10 unit with digital I/O options as well??
Aside from having the digital I/O option, the $500 unit also says "48khz or 96khz, depending on plug-ins", while the $105 version only says 48khz. Can someone explain the difference? Also, and now I'll really reveal my lack of knowledge here... what's the "plug-in" they're referring to?
Last question... is there a SQ loss using a digital signal processor, compared to analog signal processing? I know the digital options have tons more tuning features, but if all things were equal, is going with a MiniDSP on an active 3 way going to sound as good as using (for example) an Ashly analog xover and a analog PEQ would?
Thanks in advance for any answers to these questions!!
We got a DBX Driverack PA+ for the system at our church, and all we currently use that for is the limiters, the rumble filter and the xover from mains to subs. I know it does a lot more than just those things but we already have a PEQ (we aren't using time delay). My first question is... what are the differences between one of these style Driveracks (DBX, Ashly, Behringer, etc) and a MiniDSP?
While this question^^ is a bit of a mystery to me, right now I am leaning towards getting the MiniDSP. I'd like to begin with an active 3 way, but I'm still in the air about whether it's fully active, or a hybrid (passive mid to tweeter, active woofer and TM). I have amplifiers to do this either way, but it seems a waist to use even my smallest amp (Carver M1.5) on a pair of tweeters. If MiniDSP is the way to go and I want the option to do a 3 way, is getting 2 of the 2x4 MiniDSP in a box units for $105 each the best way to go; or should I go all in and spend $500 on the 4x10 unit with digital I/O options as well??
Aside from having the digital I/O option, the $500 unit also says "48khz or 96khz, depending on plug-ins", while the $105 version only says 48khz. Can someone explain the difference? Also, and now I'll really reveal my lack of knowledge here... what's the "plug-in" they're referring to?
Last question... is there a SQ loss using a digital signal processor, compared to analog signal processing? I know the digital options have tons more tuning features, but if all things were equal, is going with a MiniDSP on an active 3 way going to sound as good as using (for example) an Ashly analog xover and a analog PEQ would?
Thanks in advance for any answers to these questions!!
If it helps, maybe I should add that this is for a 2 channel music system.
The preamp I'm using is a B&K Reference 50ii, which has digital, balanced XLR, and/or RCA outputs to go to the DSP.
The preamp actually has a respectable bass management, I can cross up to 200Hz with it (can't remember the slopes it has). It also has an EQ. I would just use this, except I'd like to try the 3 way with a 12" OB midrange and a horn tweeter, and I think a PEQ would be a handy feature.
So... I know a lot of you here are active. Anyone that can answer any of those questions???
The preamp I'm using is a B&K Reference 50ii, which has digital, balanced XLR, and/or RCA outputs to go to the DSP.
The preamp actually has a respectable bass management, I can cross up to 200Hz with it (can't remember the slopes it has). It also has an EQ. I would just use this, except I'd like to try the 3 way with a 12" OB midrange and a horn tweeter, and I think a PEQ would be a handy feature.
So... I know a lot of you here are active. Anyone that can answer any of those questions???
YOU could buy 2 mini dsp's and use one per speaker you have 4 points to play with OR you can buy the 2 x 8. My dad has the 2x8 i have the 2x4 these units ROCK and i love mine !!
Thanks for the response!! The ones you and your dad are using are the analog RCA units right?
What are you using yours with? Which drivers and amps?
Yes the analog ones!
Im using 4 amps all class a, he is using rack pro studio equipment.
I am using a 2x8 MiniDsp on my 4-way horn speakers and all I can say is that I'm very happy with it. I've also tried a Sony analog active xover and I like the SQ of the 2x8 MiniDsp better.
Thanks! What's different about the DSP that you like more than the analog?
I do think I'll order one of the 2x4 MiniDSP in a box units. I'll use it on the 3 way I'm building now and just go passive mid to tweeter, but active woofer to mid.
The only reason I don't want to go that route is that I can't bring myself to use an amplifier with so much power on a pair of tweeters. I think I'd only need about maybe 50 (legitimate) watts/channel, and the smallest amp I have is probably my Adcom GFA-5500, which is 200 watts/ch. Just seems like a huge waist to put that on a tweeter.
I could find a used Adcom GFA-535 or a Carver TFM-15 or something like that, but after I paid $100-$200 for one of those, then another $105 for the other MiniDSP 2x4, passive is still looking good.
Any other suggestions I might be missing? Cheaper amp alternatives?
Also, for anyone reading this with a similar question about the difference between MiniDSP and something like a Driverack, here's a really good discussion I found searching... MiniDSP vs Behringer DCX2496
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Guessing you meant if I have a 3 way I'll need at least 6 channels?... I know. I plan on driving the woofers using my Carver TFM-55 amp, and the tweeter/mid using my Carver TFM-35 amp. I also have a Adcom GFA-5500 amp, but it seems crazy to put that on a pair of tweeters when I could sell it for around $300+ (if I wanted to). So... if I wanted to go active on the tweeters, I'd bare minimum need another MiniDSP for $105, plus I'd be using a $300+ amp to drive those tweeters. That just seems like a waist when I can build a passive crossover for about $75.
I want to go active on this because I'll gain the PEQ in the MiniDSP, plus the bass and the passband to the mid is the hardest part of a passive xover, especially because the woofers I'm using on this system are a pair of Dayton Audio RSS390HO 15" subs that I'd like to cross at about 150Hz tops. Doing that passive would cost a lot of money and wouldn't sound anywhere close to as good as just going active.
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