Mackie S215 Owner's Manual - Page 6

CONNECTIONS PLACEMENT The S215 has two connectors labeled IN/OUT. One is a Neutrik Speakon™ connector and the other is a female 1/4" TS connector. These connectors are wired in parallel, and can be used either as an input from a power amplifier, or as a "thru" connection for connecting the input signal to another speaker's input. NEVER connect more than one output from a power amplifier to the S215 inputs. The S215 speaker is designed to sit on the floor or stage. It can be pole-mounted via the built-in socket on the bottom of the cabinet. Be sure the pole is capable of supporting the weight of the S215. WARNING: The cabinet has no rigging points and is not suitable for rigging. NEVER attempt to suspend the S215 by its handles. Keep in mind, when connecting two or more speakers in parallel using the "thru" connections, that you want to be sure not to go below the minimum impedance requirements for your power amplifier. The S215 has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Two S215s in parallel equals 4 ohms. Three S215s in parallel equals 2.7 ohms. Four S215s in parallel equals 2 ohms. Use high-quality speaker cable as recommended by the power amplifier manufacturer. You can create a horizontal array by placing the cabinets side-by-side. However, you should have a good understanding of the relationship between the splay angle (the angle between the facing sides of the cabinets), the on-axis power, and frequency cancellation effects between cabinets. When two cabinets are placed side-by-side, the actual splay angle is 20º (determined by a 10º angle on each cabinet side). As the splay angle increases toward the angle of horizontal coverage (75º for the S215), the on-axis power decreases, but the frequency response becomes smoother as the comb-filtering effects (caused by the interaction in the area of double-coverage) decrease. DO NOT use coaxial shielded cable like a guitar cord to make speaker connections. They are not designed to handle the high currents required to drive a loudspeaker. As with any powered components, protect them from moisture. If you are setting them up outdoors, make sure they are under cover if you expect rain. The Speakon connector is wired as follows: Pin 1+ = Signal ("+" or hot) Pin 1- = Ground ("-" or cold) 1- 1+ Speakon Connectors COLD HOT 1- 1+ 2+ 2- The 1/4" TS jack is wired as follows: Tip = Signal ("+" or hot) Sleeve = Ground ("-" or cold) SLEEVE SLEEVE TIP TIP TIP Room Acoustics The S215 loudspeakers are designed to sound as neutral as possible; that is, to reproduce the input signal as accurately as possible. Room acoustics play a crucial role in the overall performance of a sound system. Here are some additional placement tips to help overcome some typical room problems that might arise: • Avoid placing loudspeakers in the corners of a room. This increases the low frequency output and can cause the sound to be muddy and indistinct. • Avoid placing loudspeakers against a wall. This, too, increases the low frequency output, though not as much as corner placement. However, if you do need to reinforce the low frequencies, this is a good way to do it. 1/4" TS Connectors SLEEVE 6