Help - Wiring a twin Neutrik panel in a cab

[Soledad]

Hi all. I'm just finisheing a home-built 2 x 10 and got all the cab parts from Blue Aran. The Speakon input panel came fully assembled and wired. The 2 10s are 16ohm and wired in parallel. I assumed the 1+ and 2+ would be connected in the pcb, likewise the 1- and 2-. But I put a multimeter on and they are not connected.

The cab will be an extension for an Ashdown Studio 210 so amp will be driving 2  2x10 8 ohm cabs in effect (in parallel so 4 ohm) - it's own internal pair and this extension cab.

My QUESTION is: in order for either Speakon socket to work, do I need to loop from 1+ to 2+ on the panel board (same 1- to 2-)? I can't understand why this board is wired so each speakon is discreet from the other??

I won't be connecting any further cabs but I would expect either speakon to work.

Any advice appreciated, thanks

[Huge Hands]

Ideally, everything should be on the +1 and +1. so you don't have to worry about which way round you plug your cables, and you can effectively ignore +2 and -2.  The Speakon (I believe) was originally designed to allow for cabs being supplied with separately amplified mids and lows, or highs and lows etc, so had 2 sets of connections (4 in total) .  I would assume, looking at the board layout for +2 and -2, that the two sets of +1 and -1 are also connected internally on another layer of the PCB.  If not, you could do this at the terminal connector point?  If the 1- and 2- are connected, this is probably to give a common ground to both channels.

 

EDITED - to improve my English on the first attempt! 

Edited December 27, 2023 by Huge Hands

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Correct. 1+/- and 2+/- refer to amp channel 1 and amp channel 2, for use with a bi-amped system. Since your speaker is mono only1+/1- are used.

[BassmanPaul]

wire Plus1 to the woofer's positive terminals and Minus 1 to the woofers negative terminals. usually the woofers will have  red terminal for positive.

[Downunderwonder]

21 hours ago, Soledad said:

. I assumed the 1+ and 2+ would be connected in the pcb, likewise the 1- and 2-. But I put a multimeter on and they are not connected.

Dunno what you are up to with your multimeter but your assumption is wrong for starters.

 

On the assumption that Blue Aran actually know what they are doing then you could just stop worrying about it and rock on per the advice given. Hook it all up and it should work from either speakon. There is no reason they would supply you with a 2 speakon panel that wasn't wired for parallel. A series one would be labeled as such.

 

If you really want to test it out you'll need a bit more gear and know what +1 -1 +2 -2 actually represent. Bill sort of clued you in.

[Soledad]

Thanks @Bill Fitzmaurice - been using speakon connectors for years without realising they have 4 pins for bi-amping.

All clear now.👍

[BassmanPaul]

Just as an add on to this subject, SpeakOn plugs come in two main varieties. The two pole just has plus 1 and minus 1. The four pole, which is pretty much  the de facto standard, has both plus and minus 1 and plus and minus 2.

 

The two pole plug will connect into a four pole socket using the #1 pair. A four pole plug will not connect to a two pole socket. If anyone is building a SpeakOn cable avoid the two pole hardware. 

 

[Chienmortbb]

The recommendations from Neutrik for various wiring schemes for speakONs is shown below in the screenshots from this document. You will see that nothing should be taken for granted. I have used this guide on 100V Line systems where the step-up transformer is external to the power amplifier. It ensures that there is no possibility of putting external cabling connecting the wrong pins.

 

 

[Soledad]

Thanks all - once I discovered that Neutrik comes in 2 channel and one channel (4 or 2 pin) and that this input plate has 2 x 4s installed, it all makes sense. The 1+ and 1- are connected by the pc board to both Neutriks and my 2 x 16ohm spkrs are paralleled off 1+ & 1-. Tested and all is good - sounds pretty good just run off the amp of my PJB Briefcase. Will get it to the Ashdown 210 combo soon and give it a proper push - that'll basically be 4 x 10s, 4 ohm load to amp.

[BassmanPaul]

If you are using the new cabinet with a 2x10 combo try to stack them so that the tens are verticaly aligned. Doing so does make  difference. out in the room and you'll hear yourself better.

 

Make sure, using the battery test, that both speaker sections are working with the same polarity.  Otherwise the cabs will be fighting each other all night long!