Bear in mind that the sound can distort or clip if you turn one or both controls too far to the left or right. It is
therefore recommended to only use these controls for subtle sound corrections and never turn them
completely to the left or right.
The Artis 12A and 15A MKII models also feature a 5-band equalizer that enables the user to adjust the
speakers with great accuracy.
Speaker volume
Artis speakers offer good audio amplification for an affordable price. The built-in components are aligned in
such a way that normal use should result in good audio quality.
If you notice that the speaker sounds different than normal (distortion or crackling) and/or the Clip LED on
the rear lights up, then reduce the volume level immediately. Continuously overloading the speaker can lead
to permanent damage. Make sure your sound system is set up so that the connected audio source can not
transmit a heavily overloaded signal. DJ devices such as mixers or controllers are capable of this.
If you are at the controls of your speaker system, set the audio source to a signal transmission of +3 to +6 dB
(with music) and adjust the speaker volume so that the Clip LED does not light up. If your equipment does
not have an indicator for this, set it to the maximum volume (making sure the signal is not distorted) and turn
the speaker volume up gradually while remaining under the Clip level.
As long as the source device continues to transmit at 0 dB (the most ideal level for optimal volume), you can
not overload the speaker, not even with an accidental peak of +3 or +6 dB.
If you are not at the controls of your speaker system, it's recommended to use a limiter that 'penalises' heavy
overloading by reducing the volume considerably. The result is a lower volume level and an inferior sound.
This solution is much better however than allowing the speaker to overload, which can cause damage to the
speaker components.
LED indicators
The green LED on the speaker will light up whenever the speaker is connected to an active power source
and turned on.
The red LED on the speaker is an indicator for the clip limiter and will light up whenever the amplifier module
is overloaded by an input signal that is too loud . In this case, appropriate adjustments should be made until
the clip LED indicator no longer lights up.
Continually overloading the amplifier module and causing the clip LED to light up is likely to cause
permanent damage to both the amplifier module and the speaker components and shorten their lifespan
considerably. Damage caused by negligent use is not covered by the warranty.
Using a microphone
It's possible to connect a microphone to the Artis MKII speaker by means of the microphone input only. Even
though there are two connections on certain Artis speakers, only one input can be used at a time.
For optimal sound quality, a microphone should be placed at a maximum distance of 5 cm away from the
mouth and spoken into at a sufficient volume so that minimal amplification is necessary. A microphone is
directional and will not usually capture much sound from the back or sides.
Ensure the speaker/vocalist does not hold the microphone too far away from the mouth. If the mic is held too
far away, it becomes less sensitive so you'll need to amplify more, which increases the risk of feedback,
resulting in a loud, high-pitched tone.
Microphones should never be held directly in front of a speaker as this can cause feedback. Should this
happen accidentally, remove the microphone from the vicinity of the speaker immediately and turn down the
volume control.
People using microphones should ideally stand directly next to or behind speakers in order to prevent any
problems with feedback. Standing in front of a speaker will almost always result in the sound of the speaker
itself also being picked up by the microphone.
The information in this user manual is subject to change at any time without notice.
Version:
1.0
Date of creation and author's initials:10-11-2018 RV
Revision date and author's initials: -
