Technical
The Power of Filters
Filter unwanted frequencies to focus amplifier
power and maximise system performance.
S SERIES
Incredible Sound with
Immense Power is Now a
Reality.
Filters are a great tool for maximising the power of any
audio system. Matching the audio signal to the frequency
response of the loudspeakers will maximise available
amplifier power and minimise wasted energy.
Two and four channel power amplifiers
with outputs up to 4 x 1480 Watts RMS in
compact packages weighing less than
7kgs.
S6044. 4 x 1480 Watts RMS at 4 Ohms.
0.05% THD. 2U chassis. 310mm depth.
8.6kgs. Damping factor >500. Class H.
Parallel mode for dual channel mono
operation.
S6000. 2 x 2950 Watts RMS at 2 Ohms.
0.05% THD. 2U chassis. 310mm depth.
8.6kgs. Damping factor >500. Class H.
S4044. 4 x 975 Watts RMS at 4 ohms. 0.05%
THD. 2U chassis. 310mm. 8.6kgs. Damping
factor >500. Class H. Parallel mode for 2
channel mono operation.
S3000. 2 x 1570 Watts RMS at 2 ohms.
0.05% THD. 2U chassis. 310mm. 8.6kgs.
Damping factor >500. Class H.
The RAM Audio info portal is now
available at www.thenoizeworks.co.uk
Full specifications and brochure
downloads on all RAM Audio products.
Visit the website to take a look.
Gigging Musician
All loudspeakers have a frequency response. In other
words, a range of frequencies that they are designed to
reproduce. Sending a signal to a loudspeaker that contains
frequencies that it does not reproduce just wastes amplifier
power and energy.
By using filters to tailor the signal to the response of the
loudspeaker we can ‘focus’ the signal and maximise our
amplifier’s available power.
Before now, the audio hardware required to filter every
channel of an audio system may have been too expensive
to implement, but many of today’s digital desks have filters
available on every output so the tools required to focus our
available amplifier power are more readily available. Also,
power amplifiers are sometimes equipped with some very
unassuming little switches on their back panels which are
often ignored, but can be employed to greatly improve the
performance of many sound systems.
The need for filtering of audio signals really stems from
loudspeaker response. No one has yet invented a single
high powered transducer suitable for high level PA
applications that can reproduce the entire frequency
spectrum. ‘Woofers’ reproduce low and low/mid range
frequencies, ‘tweeters’ reproduce high and high/mid range
frequencies.
For practical applications in modern portable PA systems,
we really only need to deal with two types of loudspeaker.
The full range speaker, sometime referred to as a mid/high
speaker, and the subwoofer, or sub-bass speaker. ‘Full
range’ speaker is a bit of a misnomer. We tend to label
these speakers ‘full range’ because they provide useful
output across most of the frequency spectrum and if we
were just going to employ a single type of speaker, this
would be it. These loudspeaker systems will usually
reproduce most of the frequency spectrum but not the very
lower frequencies required for genuine full range
reproduction of modern rock, pop and dance music.
So to start with a simple system. A pair of full range
speakers, driven from a stereo amplifier, from a mixing
console. Typically, full range PA speakers produce useful
response from around 55hz – 20khz for a speaker based
around a 1 5″ drive unit, to 65hz – 20khz for a speaker
based on a 1 2″ woofer.
Page 8