Mackie SRM350 Owner's Manual - Page 4

INTRODUCTION Thank you for choosing LOUD Technologies' Mackie active sound reinforcement speakers. The SRM350 is an active two-way loudspeaker capable of extremely high sound pressure levels, and designed to give you the best performance of any loudspeaker in its class and price range. When we designed the SRM350s older sibling, the SRM450, our goal was to build a sound reinforcement speaker with the same fidelity and precision found in our reknowned HR824 studio monitors. Apparently, people liked what they heard. Now, our goal for the SRM350 is to make the sound even better with improved active electronics, but delivered in a more compact size. We think you'll agree that the SRM350 sound quality and accuracy reaches this goal and more. The result is a compact sound reinforcement system equally at home in a concert setting, in the studio, impromptu concerts on the studio roof, in the cinema, or in a home theater. The Transducers The SRM350 active speakers feature a 10˝ high-power low-frequency woofer and a 1.4˝ titanium diaphragm high-output precision compression driver. This high- frequency driver is mounted on an acoustically nonresonant exponential waveguide, providing a wide, controlled dispersion and precise reproduction of the critical upper mid-range and high frequencies. The result is an unbelievably smooth off-axis response that allows everyone in the audience to experience the same high-resolution audio no matter where they are seated. Each driver has been specifically designed by our engineers for optimum performance in the lightweight high-strength cabinet. Power Amplifiers To power these beautiful things, each SRM350 includes two power amplifiers. They include the following features: • The low-frequency amplifier produces 165 continuous watts before clipping. • The high-frequency amplifier produces 30 continuous watts before clipping. • Both amplifiers are a Class H design, which uses a dual power supply for improved power and thermal efficiency. The amplifiers operate on the lower voltage rails until the signal requires more power, at which point the high voltage rails seamlessly kick in to provide additional power. • An Active Protection Management System monitors the output levels from both amplifiers as well as the operating temperature of the amplifiers. When the output from either amplifier begins to clip, a limiter gently reduces the input signal level until the output is no longer clipping. Likewise, if the temperature of either of the amplifers begins to exceed a safe operating level, the input signal is elegantly adjusted to keep the temperature at a desired operating level. • The low-frequency amplifier also has a Dynamic Bass Boost circuit. Our ears are more sensitive to bass frequencies at high volume levels than at softer volumes. This unique circuit automatically reduces the low frequencies below 70 Hz as the volume of the speakers goes up. This results in improved efficiency for the low-frequency amplifier because it is not wasting power trying to reproduce frequencies we hear better at loud volumes. Instead, the power is used for the frequencies where it is needed, resulting in a louder sound. Warning: Although the amplifiers have these protection circuits, you must still make sure the LIMIT light is not blinking continuously. If it is, turn down your mixer faders, or preamplifier gain, or turn down the SRM350 LEVEL control. 4