Usually it’s just me and my keyboard on stage. So what’s the best place to set up my mono system?

The most advantageous spot for your Elements column is at the left or right edge of stage. Turn it in slightly towards the auditorium. This minimizes adverse reflections off walls and provides the best coverage for your audience.

 

 

I want the sound to be louder on the dance floor than in the rest of the venue. How do I achieve this?

You don’t have to exploit Elements’ ability to spread sound evenly throughout the room if you prefer to focus on a certain area. All you have to do concentrate its highest SPL on this area is turn the speakers towards or set up the system at the edge of and centered on the dance floor.

 

 

If I drive just one mid/ high unit with the EA600 amp module, does this still give me the full 600 watts of power?

No. An E 435’s impedance is 16 ohms. The amp module delivers 150 watts to this load–which is precisely the amount just one E 435 can take. The impedance is 8 ohms with two mid/ high units connected, and the power amp delivers 300 watts. So you have to connect four mid/ high units to achieve the full 600 watts.

 

 

Can I turn mid/ high units that are normally aligned so they face in different directions?

In principle, yes. But turning individual mid/ high units off axis degrades the line effect. The smaller the angle, the stronger the interferences: This means you get less of a coupling effect, lower SPL, and a more limited range. Also, you have to disengage the locking mechanism to turn the speaker, which can interrupt the signal flow.

 

 

I have an Elements system with several subwoofers. How do I best set them up at an open-air event?

The biggest problem with outdoor applications is the classic two-point array with the subwoofers sited on the left and right of the stage. If you happen to be standing at a particularly unfavorable spot, the difference in delay between the left and right stack can be half a wavelength so that the wave is almost entirely cancelled out (blue area). This throw pattern can be improved considerably with a simple line array, for example, below the stage. The two figures depict an area of 16 x 20 m. The dispersion pattern can be widened andnarrowed quite effectively with a concave curved array.

 

 

I don’t see any tweeters in the Elements mid/high unit, so where do the high frequencies come from?

Elements is loaded with wide-range speakers that were engineered to maximize the line array effect and render high frequencies. The smaller the loudspeakers, the higher their frequency response: Equipped with a custom-developed 3.5” speaker, the mid/ high unit renders frequencies from 140 to 20,000 Hz (-10 dB, via a built-in active crossover).

 

 

May I use another power amp to drive the mid/ high units?

No, because Elements’ amp modules, electronic components, and protective circuits were painstakingly tuned to match the mid/ high units and subs. Also, you would have to do without the E-Connect signal bus.

 

 

What happens if I connect an amp module to the E 110 Sub A?

You will do no harm because the EA 600 routes its speaker signal exclusively via the separate Speakon port. The EA 600’s bottom E-Connect sleeve is there merely to provide some mechanical reinforcement. Otherwise, two amps would be operating at odds. The electronic circuitry would soon be destroyed.

 

 

Should I address the E 110 Sub A via the XLR or ¼" jack, and why?

Both the XLR and ¼" inputs are balanced. A balanced circuit is preferable to an unbalanced circuit because it is so much less noisy. In mechanical terms, XLR connectors are far more robust.

 

 

How should I set the Sub A’s sensitivity switch? Why does the speaker distort in one position?

The sensitivity switch adjusts the system’s input gain to match the sound source’s output signal. If you connect a mixing console, set it to the +4 dBu position. Th e system will sound soft er at the same gain level, but its output power does not actually change. Rather, this setting makes the most of the mixing console’s dynamic range and fader control more precise. Some DJ desks furnish far weaker output levels. In this case, I recommended that you boost Elements’ input sensitivity. If the system distorts, the input gain is too high.

 

 

What purpose do the amp module’s fi lters serve?

The filter setups in the amp and subwoofer linearize the speakers’ frequency response, which changes as the line array grows longer. Serving the same purpose as in every big line array, these fi lters ensure the sonic image remains largely the same as the size of the system increases.

 

 

Can I set two columns up side by side?

The only conceivable reason for doing this would be to achieve very wide coverage, for example, in mono. But this is a self-defeating exercise: Frequencies will overlap, which is precisely what you want to avoid.

 

 

Can I operate Elements in light rain?

Never set up powered speakers of any kind in the open air when it is raining. Th e risk of too much moisture penetrating the amp’s housing is just too great. And nobody wants an event to end abruptly because of defective amps.

 

 

What happens if water gets into the top unit - a short-circuit?

We can’t rule that out, which is why we are having covers made to protect the top mid/ high units.

 

 

If I have four mid/high units, can I turn one towards me for use as a monitor?

Perhaps as a stopgap. However, the sound quality perceived by the audience will suff er. Every mid/high unit that is turned in a diff erent direction changes the entire line’s response. Th e line array eff ect will be weakened or even interrupted (if you turn the second or third mid/high unit). Ideally, monitors need to be addressed via a separate signal path to provide the desired mix to the musician.

 

 

The base is much too wobbly with four mid/ high units when people are dancing on stage.

I would always mount the mid/high units and amp directly on an active sub for any kind of music that inspires dancing.

 

 

Why is Elements unavailable in yellow?

We can deliver Elements in any color given an adequate order quantity. Note there is a surcharge for custom colors.

 

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Can I connect a PREMIUM PR:O 210 A subwoofer to Elements, and if so, will the signal be stereo?

Sure, you can combine an Elements system with one or several PR:O 210 Sub A units as you see fit. To this end, tap the given line signal at the Elements amp or E 110 Sub A’s Th rough port. If you use just one PRO 210 Sub A and feed both line signals to it, you will get a mono composite signal. To get a stereo signal, use two units and connect each to a separate channel. However, the diff erence will be hard to detect under live conditions, which is why signals in this frequency spectrum are usually mixed to mono. In any case, ensure that you reverse the PRO 210 Sub A’s phase (by setting the Phase switch to 180°) so that the two bass signals support rather than interfere with each other.

 

 

Can I operate the active subwoofer on its own in combination with 2x12" cabinets?

Yes, but only if the 2x12" cab is driven by a separate amp.