AboutCleggsan Expertise Audio Design Engineer; systems, loudspeakers, cd/dvd players, etc. I am knowledgeable in all high end audio equipment and installations. MAKE SURE YOU GIVE A MAKE AND MODEL NUMBER AND CAR IF IT IS AN AUTO QUESTION.
Experience Have been associated with audio design, standards, testing and component systems for over 40 years.
Organizations Life Fellow Member of Audio Engineering Society
Life Senior Member of Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers
Publications Review technical manuscripts for IEEE Spectrum
Write occasionally for high-end audio publications
Education/Credentials BSEE/MSCS/MBA
Past/Present Clients Past Employee/advisor to several well known audio products manufacturers
Question Hello,
Our company was hosting a dance last night, we hooked up our 3 Mackie speakers and Mackie Subwoofer and our DJ's digital turntable (Numark) and our power amp. We ran an extension cord from the wall outlet to our power amp and then hooked up a few power strips to the amp and hooked our speakers and lights up into the power strips. Just before we started the dance we noticed the speaker that was hooked up through the subwoofer start clipping. We tried turning down knobs, volumes, limiting it, everything, but at the level we needed the audio, it would clip. Then the signal light on it start to cut out too. Then we looked at the subwoofer and the thermal light started to light up every now and then, not to mention the fact that half of our lights weren't working. About an hour into the show our lights and speakers and turntables cut out. We grabbed a new extension cord, new power strips, and everything we could then we realized that the back 8 outlets of our power amp were not working, we had to live off of one power strip with only 2 lights and 2 speakers (+ subwoofer) plugged in. However, everything worked fine after that. If you could possibly explain what might have happened here and how it could be avoided next time that would be great.
Thanks,
Ed Harrel
Answer You overloaded the power strip and the voltages were too low in the amplifier to keep up with the current required by the demands of the music.
Subwoofer systems draw lots of current, especially when driving dance music. It is likely the something failed.
If you look at the specs of the power amp and speakers you can determine if you were not, indeed, seriously overdriving the system.
Without knowing the model numbers of the units you had in your system (you did not give them in your question) it is impossible for me to give you a very specific answer. However, the Mackie amplifiers draw bigtime power. If you have in your system the M-4000, for example, it is a 4,000 watt driving amp and will pull serious current off the power line. In fact, it could melt the contacts and the switch on a medium grade power strip. It is surprising that you did not blow a breaker in the house power system panel!
