Monolith III's setup with x-over...help!?

[2beornot2bop]

Hi all,

I've just acquired Monolith III's yesterday. A nice mint pair in all black arrived from NC to Seattle. Upon viewing JonFo's thread on proper setup I realize I've got my work cut out for me acquiring the knowledge to do proper room measurements etc. There'll be time for that later. For the moment my goal is simply to be able to play some music through them.

The speakers active Exos x-over was sold before I got to them. I've got my eye on a DBX drive rack 260 perhaps. But at this very moment all I have on hand is a Behringer CX3400 Super-X Pro crossover. It will get me by until I'm in the position to obtain a better x-over.

Is there anyone here with experience with this model of the Behringer I've mentioned? The manual flat out leaves a lot to be desired. It's useless to a newbie, and appears to be written for someone whose had years of experience with this sort of thing.

I'm doing a bi-amp configuration. A BAT VK500 will be assigned to the high freq's , and a Threshold T200 to the lows. ML specifies a crossover frequency for the M iii's of 125hz. But how to dial in the Behringer CX3400 to properly separate the low and high frequencies to the amplifiers at this point is beyond me.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any assistance the forum can provide.

Best,
Greg

 

[JonFo]

...
The speakers active Exos x-over was sold before I got to them. I've got my eye on a DBX drive rack 260 perhaps. But at this very moment all I have on hand is a Behringer CX3400 Super-X Pro crossover. It will get me by until I'm in the position to obtain a better x-over.

Is there anyone here with experience with this model of the Behringer I've mentioned? The manual flat out leaves a lot to be desired. It's useless to a newbie, and appears to be written for someone whose had years of experience with this sort of thing. ...

Huh, guess who actually has used a CX3400 as well?

Not on Monoliths, but in another system.

You want to set it up for a 2-way crossover, adjust the 10x buttons so that the bass frequency crossover is 120hz or so.

I'll go dig out the manual in the am and try to add some to this.


Cheers,

 

[2beornot2bop]

Huh, guess who actually has used a CX3400 as well?

Not on Monoliths, but in another system.

Hi Jonathan,

Why am I not surprised to hear that!

You want to set it up for a 2-way crossover, adjust the 10x buttons so that the bass frequency crossover is 120hz or so.

Yes, setting it up for a 2 way was a snap. That part of the manual couldn't be clearer. However much of everything after that was gobbledygook to us technically challenged.

So by "10x" you're referring to the 10 or so adjustment buttons of the x-over? I'm only observing two such buttons for the low freq's. The manual suggests two separate groupins. x1 Low/High 44to 930Hz or x10 440Hz to 9.3kHz. I'm assumming that last group isn't one I'll ever use with these speakers.

It's a shame no author has penned a "x-over setup for dummies." I'd be down to my local B&N for that one for sure. Well, they look decent enuf even though I've yet to hear them. Thanks for your time and assistance.

Enjoy!
Greg

 

[dutch]

Greg,

Its not that difficult as it looks!
in the manual the 2way connectors and knobs are marked grey (so the others are not there )
at the backside choose the 2way stereo mode
All the info is on the bottom line below the connectors, next to the power inlet.1 xlr input, the10x button (leave it out),2 your low output,next one (3)is not in use and 4 your high output.

On the frontside leave all the push buttons out.
Knob 1: input volume turn it down
Knob 2: choose your X-over freq. try 12 o'clock :200hz is safe
the panel starts at 200 , the low speaker stops at 200
Knob 3: not in use (is Xover for 3 way or 4way mono)
Knob 4: delay turn to zero (you can play with it later this month)
Knob 5: gain low volume (turn it down)
Knob 6: not in use
Knob 7: gain high volume (turn it down)

Make all the connections and turn on the preamp first, next the behringer,next your low amp. adjust the input volume knob1 and knob5

You wil hear the low's i guess. keep the volume on a normal level.
now you can turn on the high amp and adjust knob7

if everythings is working fine you can turn your freq. knob down a bit to the disered freq. 200hz is to high for your speakers.

Later this week try the phase push buttons and even the delay knob........
enjoy.:music:

Hope this helps.

Dick

 

[spectral]

But at this very moment all I have on hand is a Behringer CX3400 Super-X Pro crossover. It will get me by until I'm in the position to obtain a better x-over.

Greg, I've heard that a lot of people in the recording industry use the PRO DCX2496, like Keith Johnson of Reference Recordings.

 

[2beornot2bop]

Later this week try the phase push buttons and even the delay knob........
enjoy.:music:

Hope this helps.

Dick

Hi Dick.

I can't thank you enough for sharing your expertise, and for taking the time to write out the step by step. I actually spoke to ML y'day by phone, and the service tech specified that even though the manual lists the specs at a x-over freq of 125hz "the best range is 165-185hz at a 12dB slope." Okay, he lost me at that point but I was happy to receive hard numbers from a ML tech whose worked on many a ML speaker.

Dick I've followed your instructions to the "t" and now I'm able to produce some music through them. It was tough staring at them for 4 days without hearing them, but I didn't want to risk damaging them. Vinyl playback through them is tremendous, and they're not even properly set up yet. My house has been on the market and just sold, so the room these will eventually come to rest is a month away.

Chartering new waters with entering a x-over into the mix, can you or anyone chime in to explain in language even "i" can understand about what's occurring technically with an external x-over that allows it to limit the low and high freq's of a speaker at a pre-established frequency point? ML I assume designed the M III's for an external active x-over with a greater purpose in mind. What might that purpose be? Is it fair to assume that the majority of speaker designs have internal x-over's and this is just another way to give someone greater flexibility to dial in a speaker more to their liking?

Again, thanks for being there to assist. I can't thank you enuf!

Enjoy,
Greg

 

[2beornot2bop]

Greg, I've heard that a lot of people in the recording industry use the PRO DCX2496, like Keith Johnson of Reference Recordings.

Hi Spectral!

Yeah while searching for a quick temporary fix for a x-over I observed that one available on eBay. At the price each of these go for used I might as well bring one in to sample if nothing else. Does the model you've specified digitally upconvert the signals to 24/96?

Enjoy!
Greg

 

[spectral]

Hi Spectral!

Yeah while searching for a quick temporary fix for a x-over I observed that one available on eBay. At the price each of these go for used I might as well bring one in to sample if nothing else. Does the model you've specified digitally upconvert the signals to 24/96?

Enjoy!
Greg

Yes. Look it up on Behringer's web site, street price around $300. As fate would have it, my source just told me that he actually ISN'T now sure that Keith Johnson is using it! Go figure. At least I said "I've heard" rather than "I know", thus I don't feel that much of an a__ Apologies; the unit is indeed, though, widely used.